Genre fans: Which is better--Star Wars and Empire, or (film) LOTR trilogy?

[DerekG]

Please note, I'm not asking which trilogy is better (Return of the Jedi was always a disaster, but ROTK compounds its insipidity).

Though Jackson's adaptations deftly balance the intimacy and sweep of Tolkien's epic, I still prefer the sheer exuberance of Star Wars--arguably the greatest fairy tale in all of cinema--and The Empire Strikes Back, which unfolds like a Greek tragedy, lending profundity to the saga.

I'm going with SW and ESB...the villain is majestic and the dialogue is far less portentious.

[Catch22Dem]

1. SW (n/t)

[peacebird]

2. SW's was a huge cinematic leap - the special effects rocked!

A major step forward for SCI-FI films and movie making.

But - one must give credit to Jackson's vision for LOTRs too. He managed to bring one of the best loved trilogies to life and did so deftly, managing to keep the feel intact and only screwing up smaller details for fans. (Why so much Liv Tyler in the first installment? Why rearrange scenes from the second and third books? Why were the Ents so hasty?)

His overall visual presentation was breathtaking, from his Shire to the depths of Mordor.

[Mojambo]

3. From a movie-making standpoint it's not close

And even from a storytelling standpoint I'd still pick LOTR.

Star Wars was a GREAT genre film, but LOTR crossed over in its appeal.