What is your favorite thing about Star Wars?

[GreyLord]

It's not really the equipment though similar. When I was growing up the Space Race was an ongoing thing. Every little kid wanted to be an astronaut or pilot.

In that light, though not every Star Wars movie has it today, it would be the Dogfights and ship to ship flying IN SPACE (as opposed to in atmo).

The OT has it with Star Wars (obviously) on the Death Star attack. ESB has it when the Falcon is evading the Tie Fighters. Return of the Jedi has it as well.

Of the PT, not as many examples. The Phantom Menace had it, but they weren't as great as the OT. AotC didn't have it really, though there was a portion with Obi Wan and the Fetts which basically fulfilled it. RotS had it at the beginning. None of them were really as good as the OT, but it was there.

Of the New stuff...

Only Rogue One really had the dogfights. The main three ST movies didn't have it. Solo had one pretty fun point, though it was more in clouds rather than in space.

 

[Hriston]

I’m voting “other” with a strong nod towards the music, which I absolutely love. I still have an LP of the original soundtrack with stills from the movie inside the gatefold that five-year-old me scribbled on. I’ll put that on just to listen, reliving each scene as it plays. What I love most about the music is the strong use of themes.

But the reason I voted “other” is because what I like most about Star Wars, and to which the music is a major contributing factor, is the sheer filmmaking bravado of that first movie. It had a DIY aesthetic that brought the sound, editing, special effects, and story all together to create something magical.

 

[Eltab]

First and foremost: The lore and the mysterious Force.
Second: The music

Original Star Wars, this 'crazy old hermit' calmly says "You don't need to see his identification," and the stormtrooper working a checkpoint whose job it is to check everybody's identification replies "We don't need to see his identification." This scene became so iconic that Lucas could re-use it ...

Hustler: "Hey, man, want to buy a deathstick?"
Young Obi-Wan: "You don't want to sell people deathsticks."
Hustler: "I don't want to sell people deathsticks."

... to turn an otherwise preachy intrusion of IRL issues into the world's (galaxy's?) funniest Public Service Announcement.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Not quite sure how to vote besides “Other”:

1) The music was incredible
2) the Millennium Falcon, X-wings and the Death Star were all killer, and that sequence where we see the underside of the Star Destroyer go “overhead” was epic
3) Lightsabers + The Force

I can’t tell you how many times one or more of those elements cross pollinated other fiction I’ve read or RPGs I play.

 

[Longspeak]

But the reason I voted “other” is because what I like most about Star Wars, and to which the music is a major contributing factor, is the sheer filmmaking bravado of that first movie. It had a DIY aesthetic that brought the sound, editing, special effects, and story all together to create something magical.

My son said something similar when we watched our non-special edition. I expressed surprise that he didn't prefer the newer effects (notwithstanding Han Shoots First). He said those newer effects in this older movie stole half the charm of the movie away. Those digital effects inserted into the older movies were just... jarring. Watching the newer movies, designed from the ground up to use those effects, it works. But hacked into place in the older ones... not so much.

Still... I'd pay a lot for a fully restored, full size, HD quality of the original movie in Non-Special Edition.

 

[Vael]

Music primarily. Admittedly, the Mos Eisley cantina scene has thoroughly dominated my brain, it's why I like kitchen-sink-y DnD worlds, I feel like every DnD tavern should have that cantina feel.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

I voted "Setting", but only because I'm willfully re-interpreting that to include the worlds/cultres/languages and so forth, but also the tech, the politics, the mysticism. Altogether it defines a whole aesthetic that appeals more and more to me as I've grown older, even if the relentless canon-building (and un-canon-building) beyond the original trilogy have worn a bit thin on for me.
The Music is very close second, especially from the original trilogy. I'm honestly not a very musically inclined person, but few pieces carry as much emotional * oomph * for me as pretty much anything from the score of Episodes IV or V.

 

[RSIxidor]

STARFIGHTERS

 

[Eltab]

I wonder if "Canon" would have done better if this poll were taken pre-TFA? The sequel movies tore down the in-galaxy achievements of the other trilogies, so I have a hard time voting for all that as one big batch.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

I've often said that the idea of Star Wars is often better than actual Star Wars. And if I could explain that better, I would. But perhaps the best analogy is listening or reading the hundreds of discussions and opinions that take place every time Star Wars is mentioned anywhere. There are so many aspects that appeal to so many people in different ways, and the reasons are as unique and varied as the individuals themselves.

Random fact: Lucas has said that the only thing (of the original movie) that exceeded his expectations was the musical score by John Williams.

Another random fact: William's son is the lead singer of the rock band, Toto.