Star Wars vs Star Trek Week 3

Part III: Action and Adventure

Laser battles. Duels to the death. Ships screaming through space. Explosions. These things characterize any good science fiction piece. But the question today is, who does it better?

What has more pull? The Vulcan mind-meld or the Jedi mind-trick? Which leaves the audience more satisfied? The battle with the Rancor or the battle with the Gorn?

I have to say that this category is sort of one-sided. Star Wars is defined by lightsaber fights and space battles. It is the reason why Star Wars toys, bedsheets and underoos sell better than Spock ears. Star Wars appeals to the masses.

If there is any question about whether Star Trek is an action franchise, look no further than the 1979 film. Actually look no further than Spock’s jet-pack space walk. It probably only lasts 5 minutes, but it seems like hours. Compare the Gorn fight to any lightsaber duel. Try watching the Deep Space Nine baseball episode where the humans play the Vulcans.

Star Trek fans have to admit that Star Trek isn’t an action show. This is why it doesn’t appeal to everyone. When it comes to action and adventure Star Wars blows Star Trek into a million specks of space dust. But there is something Star Trek has that Star Wars doesn’t.

Part IV: Science

There is a reason why Star Trek doesn’t have giant space explosions and screeching space vessels. Namely the fact that in space you can’t hear anything. One of the coolest action sequences in Star Trek is the silent space battle from Star Trek First Contact where Piccard and Worf battle the Borg on the hull of the Enterprise. I think there might be music, but no sound. No voices, no screams, no laser screeching. That scene reminds us that this franchise is so geeky that it will stick to the laws of physics.

The purpose of Science Fiction is to predict the future. Star Trek does this. It introduces the audiences many inventions that will eventually exist. The replicator. The transporter. The holodeck. I have to admit that I loath holodeck episodes. What a waste of time! But the holodeck is the wave the future. How long until we all have holodecks in our homes? 

Star Trek predicts the future like Jules Verne predicted the moon landing.

 How long until we solve the problem of faster-than-light speed? How long until we make first contact with an alien species? How long until we send a real crew on a five-year mission to go where no one has gone before? Star Trek takes place in the future. Our future.

Star Wars, in contrast, takes place in a long-ago world. Star Wars offers no hope for the what is to come. It is a dangerous galaxy full of bounty hunters, wizards, smugglers, and crime lords. Everything is dirty and lived in. Men and Wookiees live in questionable relationships aboard piece-of-junk space vessels.

It is no secret that Star Wars disregards the laws of science. Every planet landed on is breathable to everyone. There is never a change in gravity. All planets have one eco-system. Spaceships have controls instead of being voice-activated.  Everything looks old and run-down. It’s not clean and polished like the world of Star Trek.

In the end it is the juxtaposition of Action and Science that drives a polarized wedge between the Trekkie and the Fanboy. There isn’t much middle ground to relate to. For middle ground watch Battlestar Galactica or Firefly or Doctor Who. Those three series rely on both Science and Action to tell compelling stories. Yet Star Wars and Star Trek will always be at odds.

Score so Far:

Round 1 -Aliens & Robots (Star Wars)

Round 2 -Human Characters (Star Trek)

Round 3 -Action (Star Wars)

Round 4 -Science (Star Trek)

Star Wars = 2

Star Trek = 2