Am I the only person who loves sci-fi but hates Star Wars?

axisus

Enjoyed the original film, but haven't liked any of them since. Not seen any all the way through mind you. Got bored quickly with the 2nd and 3rd films (apart from Princess Leia in skimpy outfit!). Saw bits of the three that came after. All looked totally Meh. Latest two look 'OK' from what I've seen but to be honest I'm just not into the whole world/vibe that has been created. I never liked the idea of going back and filming prequels, they just looked so much more polished than the originals and didn't sit together.

Maybe one day I'll force myself to sit through them all and form a proper opinion, but even that isn't straightforward with George Lucas's cackhanded storytelling. There seems to be so many differing opinions on the best order to view them. Not sure if I can sit through Jar jar binks and Ewoks mind you.

But yeah, other than Star Wars I absolutely love Sci Fi

Sporky

A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back are both good.

Chalky

I've always seen Star Wars as fantasy not sci-fi.

Sporky

That's fair.

At the risk of no-true-scotsmanning myself, I've always seen sci-fi as needing to have actual (or made up) science be pivotal to the story, rather than just having spaceships. So Greg Egan is sci-fi, but Star Trek/Wars less so.

octatonic

littlethoughts

There are lots of films that are described as sci-fi but are basically action fantasy in space. Guardians of the galaxy for example. It's just a setting. I would sort of agree with @Sporky in that some sort of science needs to be pivotal to the story. Interstellar is a good example. They took liberties with time dilation and higher dimensionality but fundamentally the science drives the narrative.

Jalapeno

Found them a bit made for children tbh.  <heresy> They are ok </heresy> New ones are better IMHO

thomasross20

They're alright but I agree they're not the best. Star Trek is far better, to me. As is Firefly. 

monquixote

Star Wars isn't Sci Fi it's Space Opera.
The definition of Sci-Fi is that if you removed the "Sci" bit then it couldn't be the same film so to pluck an example out of the air "The Matrix" is Sci Fi, but Star Wars could easily be a western or a sword and sorcery film with minimal plot changes.

Personally I think the origional trilogy are brilliant (Return of the Jedi less so than the others), the second trilogy are utter shit and I'd recommend people not bother watching them if they haven't already.
Of the two new ones The Force Awakens is an entertaining film, but almost a Star Wars remake, while Rogue One is a really great film, but quite different from the others (no Jedi, much darker in tone). 

fretmeister

Star Wars is a Western.

If the prequels have to be watched then the Machete Order should be used, particularly if the viewer hasn't seen them before. That way the Vader reveal doesn't get ruined and the Phantom Menace can be left out completely.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Can't say I hate Star Wars.... as I've never gotten around to seeing it.

Bygone_Tones

1st two films before they messed about with them and added the CGI nonsense are great films. Everything else I can definitely understand the dislike. A lot of it is nostalgia for me though too, being a kid when the original films came out and having the toys was a big part of it.

DiscoStu

A lot of folk think that space film = Sci-Fi which isn't always the case. 

Col_Decker

Jalapeno said:

Found them a bit made for children tbh.  <heresy> They are ok </heresy> New ones are better IMHO

That's an important point that a lot of "I hate the new starwars" haters miss. They WERE made for children. They've all got a U rating for a reason. The prequels were never going to be as loved as the originals as we saw them thru the eyes of jaded 30 something's, not the wide eyed 10yo's that saw the originals.

Col_Decker

I don't believe in the machete order. You can't miss out The Phantom Menace. My 7yo loves it so it's the one we watch most often, make yourself watch it again, its better than you  remember. 

monquixote

Col_Decker said:

I don't believe in the machete order. You can't miss out The Phantom Menace. My 7yo loves it so it's the one we watch most often, make yourself watch it again, its better than you  remember. 

Disagree 

We tried to sit and watch all the films in order before the new one came out and had to turn it off. 

Bidley

I think Revenge of the Sith is still good, and it's only one of the prequel trilogy that really needed to happen, in cannon terms.

But I did rewatch them recently, and I was shocked at how wooden Ewan McGregor is in those films.

Bidley

The best thing about the prequel trilogy remains Duel of the Fates though.

lasermonkey

Loved it as a kid, can't bear to watch it now. 

Col_Decker

monquixote said:

Col_Decker said:

I don't believe in the machete order. You can't miss out The Phantom Menace. My 7yo loves it so it's the one we watch most often, make yourself watch it again, its better than you  remember. 

Disagree 

We tried to sit and watch all the films in order before the new one came out and had to turn it off. 

Pod Racing?
Darth Maul? (Way cooler than Vader)

I'll give you jaja though 

Sporky

Col_Decker said:

Pod Racing?
Darth Maul? (Way cooler than Vader)

I'll give you jaja though 

And let's not forget the excitement of interplanetary trade agreements!