50 reasons Star Wars is better than Lord of The Rings

7. A New Hope  vs. Fellowship of the Ring

What was A New Hope? The first movie in the Star Wars original trilogy, the fourth in the story’s chronology

What was the Fellowship of the Ring? The first movie of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy

Verdict: The first movie of any trilogy is primarily concerned with world-building and backstory. Especially in universes as foreign to us as the Star Wars galaxy and Lord of the Ring’s Middle-earth, this is an absolute must. So which does it better?

As robust as it feels, not a whole lot goes on in A New Hope. We really only see Tatooine, the Death Star and Yavin 4, and really only slices of those places. Sure, we learn a lot about the galaxy as a whole from the action itself, but we don’t see it for ourselves

Fellowship takes its time and lets us settle into Middle-earth. We don’t just see the Shire. We see Isengard and the Mines of Moria and Rivendell. We’re given glimpses of just about every corner of this place, and each one is meaningful in its own way. It’s a template with which we experience the trilogy as a whole.

Still, A New Hope is A New Hope. It might not be bothered with a lot of the details, but it’s still a great introduction to all the thematic and plot elements of the story being told.

Tie

Next: 6. Empire Strikes Back vs. Two Towers