50 reasons Star Wars is better than Lord of The Rings

4. The Star Wars Prequels vs. The Hobbit movies

What were the Prequels? The first three chronological stories of Star Wars, released twenty years after the original trilogy

What were the Hobbit movies? The backstory of Bilbo Baggins’ adventures in Middle-earth, released ten years after the original trilogy

Verdict: While we’re not considering them in the individual items included in this list, it’s fair to consider the prequels spawned by the original trilogies.

At first this seems like an easy answer. The Star Wars prequels are widely reviled, and mostly for good reason. Lucas did too much with what should have been a simple story, and there’s plenty of outright goofy aspects that have no business being Star Wars canon.

Still, Lucas at least tries to complement and enhance the overall Star Wars myth. We see the parallel rise of both Darth Vader and the Empire. Stripped of a lot of the fluff, terrible writing and Jar Jar Binks, that’s a compelling story that Star Wars fans benefit from knowing.

Can the same be said of the Hobbit movies? It’s telling a separate story set in the same world, and there are only passing references to stage being set for the War of the Ring a generation later.

Those movies basically allow us to reside in Middle-earth a little longer. That’s justification enough for making them, but it doesn’t do much for our purposes in discussing the original Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Star Wars wins

Next: 3. Practical Effects vs. Special Effects