No Right Answer: This Generation's "Star Wars" Part 2

[Dastardly]

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You still haven't agreed on the battlefield here. This still isn't so much a debate about which of these is "the new Star Wars," but rather what makes something a "Star Wars."

Financial success just isn't a very good measure. Critical success really doesn't seem to fit, either. It's clear that we're getting into the cultural significance of the movies... and there's still a lot of room for debate there.

Lord of the Rings gives us a large, continuous epic. It gives us big revelations and twists, it tackles the loss of great characters, and it gives us a few of those memorable, quotable moments -- your "I am your father" moments, like "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

But Rings mostly speaks to an older crowd. It was made for people already familiar with the source material, and at least a little in love with it. Yes, it can be enjoyed by the "uninitiated," but not a lot of little kids really love those movies.

Harry Potter, however, didn't "revive" interest. It captured the interest of young people, who will remember growing up with Harry Potter. What gives Star Wars its power is the fact that so many of us grew up on Star Wars. It defines large portions of our childhood years. That nostalgic anchor is what gives it the magic and power that we ascribe to it now.

This debate isn't won on the movies, but on the audience. We love Lord of the Rings through grown-up eyes, but we loved Star Wars through child's eyes. While we may not have all been children during the "Potter Years," those who were will always remember it through those child-like eyes.

 

[burningdragoon]

Wow, this episode was hilarious.

For which one I think is this generation's Star Wars (and I guess I'm technically in that generation) I think it really depends on the angle. I think Kyle's point the prequels better represent this generation was the best made point, but I don't know if is really the direction I would take. The prequels a perfect example of how we are all whiny assholes that will never be satisfied but at the same time will never give it up. (Never give up complaining and never give up getting fooled into thinking it could still be good).

But, I don't the prequels actually will/do have the same game-changing impact that the original Star Wars did. I think both the LotR movies and the HP books and movies do pretty much the same thing as each other, but I think Harry Potter probably had the bigger impact, if for no reason than because it had a longer stay and because it was actually new.

 

[pluizig]

All Harry Potter characters are unable to ascend from their original roles?

Daniel Radcliffe?

Cedric Diggory?

Arthur Weaseley?

...which was nice.

Lee Jordan?

 

[artanis_neravar]

This Generation's "Star Wars" Part 2

A three-way debate? A two-part episode? What is this, sweeps week? It doesn't matter, because it's debate time! Kyle pulls out a wild card with his opinions, while Chris and Dan try to gather their forces. The arguments being made must grow, go on long journeys of discovery, and then end up where they began, but changed. Wow, maybe this generation's Star Wars is this description?



And don't forget, if you don't understand our decisions or want to have more of our material to complete your shrines to us, Mondays feature a new written companion piece titled No Right Explanation. We dare you to make less sense!



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Lord of the Rings, people learned to speak, read and write elvish...elfish...elven? Either way what did Harry Potter inspire? People learning Latin? Naming their locations with terrible puns? (Diagon Ally=Diagonally)

As for the cast of Star Wars being type casted; Harrison Ford was obviously the biggest break out star from that, but Mark Hamill became the Joker, and Kerry Fisher became the chick that tried to kill Jake and Elwood Blues.

Oh and Arthur Weasley and Dr. Gregory House worked together to kidnap slightly less than one hundred dalmatian puppies so the grandmother from Hoodwinked could make a coat out of their skin.

 

[Kliss88]

Lord of the Rings. enough said

 

[bdcjacko]

My vote goes for Harry Potter. I watch and read Potter far more than Lord of the Rings. I walked out of 3D phantom menace.

 

[Azuaron]

You know, I think the best way to determine this generation's Star Wars is to look at the number of people willing to dress up, in public, when going to see the movies, and I haven't seen any costume more numerous in recent years than the Dark Knight Joker.

 

[draythefingerless]

I'd say it LotRs, It rebirthed the fantasy genre like Star Wars brought back the Sci-Fi genre.

rebirthed the fantasy genre? *looks around* what fantasy? game of thrones? im sorry but i cnat think of a single fantasy medieval movie released that had some impact since LOTR.

as for topic, yeah its HP. i mean, im not a big fan of Harry Potter, i enjoy the movies but im not what you would call a fan, and i enjoyed the prequels, but not a fan. they were ok to me. LOTR was nice, probably the best in quality of all 3 franchises, but if you wanna define the people born circa 1990 and forward, wich means they would be teenagers around the time these 3 came out, then HP is the winner. im sorry but the other 2 dont stand a candle. the prequels are just donning in the original trilogies fame, so it doesnt count. LOTR didnt have a cultural impact, they were just really good movies, as was gone with the wind, citizen kane, a wonderful life, but like those movies, it didnt shape, create fanboyism, create a culture of its own, and if it did, it did it when the books came out(DnD and all that) not now. HP started now, and created a culture following NOW. dont matter wich one you like most, but fact remains, HP was the biggest word of talk of all 3, the biggest phenomenom of this generation regarding the subject at hand.

 

[draythefingerless]

You know, I think the best way to determine this generation's Star Wars is to look at the number of people willing to dress up, in public, when going to see the movies, and I haven't seen any costume more numerous in recent years than the Dark Knight Joker.

are you kidding? do you know how many people dress up as hogwarts students? you could open a fucking multi national private school business with that number of clients.

 

[RootBrewski]

Even though I'm a bigger fan of Lord of The Rings, I'm going to have to give this one to Chris and Harry Potter.

 

[RootBrewski]

Even though I'm a bigger fan of Lord of The Rings, I'm going to have to give this one to Chris and Harry Potter.

 

[Xanadu84]

As for the cast of Star Wars being type casted; Harrison Ford was obviously the biggest break out star from that, but Mark Hamill became the Joker, and Kerry Fisher became the chick that tried to kill Jake and Elwood Blues.

Harrison Ford went on, sure. But he was still kinda his Star Wars persona, and that was only matched by his playing equally iconic characters. Hamill had to go to a medium where you never saw his face, and sounded completely different and the opposite of his Luke character in order to take on another role. He was only not still Luke because he was hiding that fact, throw him back into live action and his identity outside of star wars evaporates. And yes, Kerry Fisher was in blues brothers, where people could point out that princess Leia was in blues brothers. They were always tied to those roles.

 

[sunburst]

This generation's Star Wars is clearly Star Wars. But when I say Star Wars, I don't mean the prequel trilogy and I don't mean the original trilogy. I'm talking about the franchise as a whole. We don't need a new Star Wars because the cultural impact of the original is still as strong as ever. The Star Wars phenomenon is defined by its influence spanning generations; how could a series from the last decade possibly measure up?

 

[runnernda]

I think it would be easier for me to make a decision if I knew how I was supposed to judge them. In terms of cultural impact, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with Harry Potter. I mean...books, movies, conventions, a frakking theme park. Star Wars has Star Tours...and I think that's it. LotR has...New Zealand? I guess? Everyone knows who Harry Potter is. I don't think Frodo and Anakin have that kind of notoriety.

Also, the debate was, as always, awesome. Also, did you all three spit-take? I thought that was an automatic DQ?

 

[GeorgW]

They're all good choices (except LOTR, wrong generation), so just to screw with y'all I'm gonna vote for the Matrix!

 

[Xanadu84]

I prefer LotR and Harry Potter wins hands down. LotR was the Star Wars of the Greatest Generation, the movies the modern incarnation a homage to be appreciated for its value. It didn't give fantasy a rebirth, it birthed it decades ago. It was for older audiences, and the movie didn't capture the imaginations of those growing up like Star Wars, or the LotR books ages past. It was not supposed to be the jumping off point for kids. And new Star Wars wasn't either. It was profitable, disposable entertainment that was only obsessed over by us older types, and if a kid remembered Star Wars, its probably because of there parents nostalgia. HP was a childhood cultural force in its own right. It was bigger amongst the audience that actually matters. When remembering childhood hero's that stood out, frodo will be in that movie there parents liked, anakin will be a vauge memory eclipsed, maybe, by hitting their brother with a double sided glowstick, and the Potter crew will have been a part of their fanfiction, fathered endless nights watching movies, and the watermark for all future entertainment.

 

[Daniel De Lima Gomes]

This generation's "Star wars" is Star wars, episode 1 came before both the harry potter movies and the Lord of the rings, and Harry potter only became a thing after the movies came out.Both LotR and Harry Potter had book's and movies and big fan base but none of them had star wars legacy,when the new trilogy came out all of that came back to new generation along with a bunch of new stuff and even thou the new movies kind of sucked people are still talking about today,when the last harry Potter came out last year and nobody talks about it anymore,and people only began talking about LotR again because of the hobbit and long after people stop talking about both Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings Star wars will live on,even if its to talk about how awful the prequel's were.

 

[Aity]

Harry Potter ftw!

Btw, arguing while drinking. That is an instant classic for the No Right Answer crew. Priceless

 

[esperandote]

Chris is right but not for the financial succes but for the cultural impact.

 

[UNHchabo]

I have two possibilities for this generation's Star Wars:

1) Star Wars. The original trilogy. The full trilogy was first available for home video in 1986, and then was first available as a box set in 1990. I was born in 1985, and I think my parents must have bought the box set when it came out, because I remember being 6 years old and watching "Jedi" in particular incessantly. We were able to bring our friends over and watch the trilogy without ever having to go through the hassle of heading to a theater!

2) Star Trek: The Next Generation. That show has got to be the only sci-fi show that's been watched by so many people since the original Star Trek! It was popular, and was able to turn episodes into huge events! Think of "The Best of Both Worlds" -- we had to wait months for the conclusion after seeing this cliffhanger!

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