My guess is that Star Wars would be considered by most of us to be the best entertainment franchise around. However, I could be wrong, and that's where this thread comes in. I want to know -
1) - is one of the Star Wars films your favorite single film? If not, where on your list does it rank?
2) - how you compare the OUT to other sequalized film franchises such as Rocky, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, James Bond (just to name a few). Is the OUT better than all of them? If not, what do you prefer? And how does the six-film saga compare with those other franchises? How does the PT compare?
3) - did any other entertainment experience ever impact you in the same, or approximately the same, way that Star Wars did?
Here are my answers.
1) Star Wars (Episode IV for Lucasites) has been and remains my favorite film of all time. I really can't see that changing at this point.
2) The OUT is the best of the lot. Second on my list would be the Spider-Man series so far. It's been great, and I'm really looking forward to 3. As for the "Star Wars Saga", it really doesn't exist for me. I think the attempt to connect the two trilogies ultimately failed, and the PT as an isolated trilogy works much better. The OT is made poorer for its ties to the so-called saga.
3) Final Fantasy VII was an amazing experience for me. For a time, I could honestly say it was better than nearly every movie I had seen to that point. Of course, in due time I would revise that opinion, but the story was great, the characters were memorable and worth caring about, the music was tremendous, and there were many moving moments throughout. Douglas Adams Hitchiker's Guide series was also a wonderful experience. Adams was such a skilled phrase player - he mined hilarity from a lot of unexpected places. The story never would stand still, and as was the case for Star Wars and Final Fantasy VII, I cared a lot about the characters involved. And I'm predicting that effective use of character will be the common theme for most, if not all, of our answers in regard to this category.
Eager to see your answers!