Why don't I like Star Wars? (no spoilers)

[Hydra009]

You'd probably like SF Debris if you don't already watch it. Chuck has a whole series talking about Voyager, and his analysis of the episode "Threshold" is especially hilarious.

I love SF Debris.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgIOdcBkkzg

[Hydra009]

But when I see technologically advanced people sword fighting...that's just stupid.

It's a common trope in science fiction, and different series have different ways of justifying it.  In 40k, most enemies can close to melee without dying when shot at by standard imperial lasguns.  Also, melee weapons are insanely powerful in that setting.  In Dune, personal shields provide selective protection - blocking fast-moving projectiles but not relatively slow-moving melee weapons.  In Star Wars, it seems stupid to prefer lightsaber over a blaster - but given that jedi have been shown to be adept at deflecting blaster fire (and not shabby at defeating locks) it's apparently an extremely useful weapon to wield.

[Atheon]

Anybody else think "Sinestro" when Snoke appeared?

I thought "Gollum".

[gentle_dissident]

I thought "Gollum".

I thought so as well. Andy Serkis played Snoke.

[gentle_dissident]

[widdershins]

It's a common trope in science fiction, and different series have different ways of justifying it.  In 40k, most enemies can close to melee without dying when shot at by standard imperial lasguns.  Also, melee weapons are insanely powerful in that setting.  In Dune, personal shields provide selective protection - blocking fast-moving projectiles but not relatively slow-moving melee weapons.  In Star Wars, it seems stupid to prefer lightsaber over a blaster - but given that jedi have been shown to be adept at deflecting blaster fire (and not shabby at defeating locks) it's apparently an extremely useful weapon to wield.

Yeah, you have a point there.  Still, I get a chuckle every time I think of Early Cuyler from Squidbillies going against a bunch of Jedi and kicking the shit out of them with his buck shot.

I actually can't stand most mainstream scifi.  I hated Dune.  Battlestar Gallactica and Babylon 5 were both pointless soap operas in space.  And Firefly.  I LOATHE Firefly entirely!  I liked Star Trek TNG, but not DS9.  I loved Stargate SG1, liked Atlantis all right and absolutely loved SG Universe.  Something about being trapped in gigantic metal tech in space just turned me on...so to speak, and no, I was NOT touching myself just then!

[TomFoolery]

I hated Dune. 

Ditto.

Battlestar Gallactica and Babylon 5 were both pointless soap operas in space. 

Agreed.

And Firefly.  I LOATHE Firefly entirely!

Me too! I think there are so many parallels between Firefly and Star Wars that it's not really that crazy though. They have an almost entirely overlapping fanbase, and I don't belong to it.

I liked Star Trek TNG, but not DS9.

I think this is the only point on which we disagree. TNG was ok and certainly got better as seasons went on (or after Gene Roddenberry died), but I really liked DS9 from the get go. 

I loved Stargate SG1, liked Atlantis all right and absolutely loved SG Universe. 

Also yes. :)

[SGOS]

Hmmm, I found Firefly wonderful, but Star Wars uninteresting.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Hmmm, I found Firefly wonderful, but Star Wars uninteresting.

I watched the Firefly episodes after seeing "Serenity" and without any foreknowledge of the material. I liked the movie and the early episodes of the TV show, but they couldn't hold the overarching theme very long. Pity, it had potential. Or maybe that was all there was to say about those guys?

[Hydra009]

I actually can't stand most mainstream scifi.  I hated Dune.  Battlestar Gallactica and Babylon 5 were both pointless soap operas in space.  And Firefly.  I LOATHE Firefly entirely!  I liked Star Trek TNG, but not DS9.  I loved Stargate SG1, liked Atlantis all right and absolutely loved SG Universe.

Firefly is bad but SG Universe is good?

[gentle_dissident]

Dune: No
BSG: No, in all forms
B5: No to the show and the boy band
FF: I tried
TNG: Yes, pompous silliness in the face of drama queens
Ds9:Yes, my favorite spacemall
SG: Maybe, if someone else is watching it
BR25: OMG!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV2I9TdUcwk

[Atheon]

Dune: Plodding and tedious, with a few highlights. Not a fan.
BSG: Loved the pilot episode as a kid. TV show was boring; new series... couldn't get into it.
B5: Never got into it.
FF: LOVE IT!!!!
TNG: Ups and downs.
DS9: Too much religion for a ST show, but overall I enjoyed it
ST Voyager: I liked it. Lots didn't.
Star Trek movies: Like the even-numbered ones. Star Trek VI was the best.

Star Wars: From best to worst:
The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars
The Force Awakens
Return of the Jedi
Revenge of the Sith
Attack of the Clones
The Phantom Menace

[TomFoolery]

DS9: Too much religion for a ST show, but overall I enjoyed it

It did have a lot of religion, but the basis of the religion was entirely scientific. There were some great episodes about how absurd religion really is, which I appreciated. Jadzia Dax refused to refer to them as the prophets and instead used the term "wormhole aliens" which was really more appropriate.

[Baruch]

We have come a long way, but it is still BS ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm4I8B3bFUA

This is what my folks saw as children.

[Hydra009]

Dune: Plodding and tedious, with a few highlights. Not a fan.

Yeah, it really is tedious.  Both the movie and the miniseries have quite a lot of dead air, and the overall length is more than most viewers can tolerate.  But there's a hell of a payoff towards the end.

I saw the miniseries late one night and I loved it.  It's hard to describe exactly what the appeal was.  It's an almost Shakespearean feud, a hero's journey, and a final clash of philosophies just as much as a clash of arms.  It's all been done before, but not quite in that particular way, which focuses more on religion and ecology and colonialism than your average scifi.  I really appreciated its unique style.