There’s always been a battle between Star Wars and Star Trek fans as to which franchise is the best one.
Star Trek began in 1966 while Star Wars hit the big screen in 1977, making a big splash and garnering a legion of fans that remains dedicated to this day. Back in 2021, CBR broke down the fundamental differences between the two franchises that helped to separate the different genres each one occupied. But that didn’t stop Charlotte Gorrell from Movieweb from declaring Star Wars a Star Trek rip-off while acknowledging these are “fighting words.”
Gorrelll writes that the resemblances between the two franchise are uncanny with both having political commentary and taking inspiration from Western movies and TV shows. The aliens and technology are similar as well. And Gorrell wraps up the piece, which includes other Star Trek rip-offs like The Orville, Babylon 5, and Battlestar Galactica, by calling Trek the “essential bread and butter of the genre.”
Star Wars and Star Trek will always be compared, and the one to come out on top depends on who is making the decision.
I’m a big fan of Star Wars, having seen all three of the original movies in the theater. I practically have Return of the Jedi memorized. But I see a vast difference between it and Trek. I’ve always seen Star Wars as more of a fantasy franchise. It focuses more on good and evil and saving the galaxy rather than the exploration of the galaxy and the grey areas of right and wrong.
That said, I know thousands upon thousands of fans will disagree with me and will certainly disagree with this Movieweb post. That’s what we do as fans. We always want our franchise to be the better one, but honestly, there’s room in this world for both of them as has been proven since Star Wars debuted in 1977.