Star Wars and Middle-Earth

[Eluchíl]

Originally Posted by Gil-Galad

keep in mind Eluchil that Tolkiens work is where most fantasy comes from, take Warhammer for example, and all the other fantasy books and games, like Warcraft and so on, they all take what Tolkien laid out, Dwarves being miners and living in mountains, Elves living in forests, Humans being the main catalyst for most events and the deciding factor

Indeed. However, I don't recognize Star Wars this way.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Elu Ancalime

Huh. I always thought he was also in the RAF. Maybe im thinking of Roald Dahl.

His son was in the air force during WWII, stationed in South Africa, I believe.

[Eowyn Skywalker]

As is possibly the most obvious thing in the universe from my user name, I am a fan of both Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. And it's not hard to see similarities. It's a simple fact. There is a set plot for fantasy/sci-fi that works. It becomes overdone, but there are the movies that do that plot well.

The plot?

Farmboy/villager/naive young hero goes off on an adventure set to him by a wise mentor/wizard/powerful old person to save galaxy/world. Along the way he learns some dramatic truth, that he is royalty/son of evil (usually), ends up with a couple of party members, generally including a rugged handsome person (Aragorn/Han) and some pretty girl. The plot carries on, bringing the end to a climax they shouldn't be able to escape, then, through convenience brought on by a narrator/author they save the world.

What fantasy doesn't have elements of the typical cliché plotline? Who hasn't ever considered doing at least one of the common elements?

Star Wars and LotR are simply better versions. The fact that they contain many similarities is what attracts fans... or critics.

It's true, they're very overdone. But they work, and not everyone looks at things with a narrator/author's perspective, seeing all the overdone similarities in movies. I seen an image once which listed Star War's plot and proceeded to write in Harry Potter's by crossing out words and not changing the basic core structure, merely the characters. You could do the same with LotR, with quite a few fantasy films.

Which is why I strongly believe that elves should live in cliffs and be miners without pointy ears, and dwarves should have pointy ears and have a strong love for the musical arts of violin, piano, flute, and harp. And humans should be decimated. Though I'm guilty of the Star Wars/LotR plotlines, it's nice to see a change. It's nice to find creativity amidst those without the minds to write without stealing from the already published movies and books.