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TheLateHenry t1_iufnhxm wrote

I think you can also compare the two in terms of their source material: LotR is based on THE most influential series of fantasy novels, whereas Star Wars was specifically written for the movies. I love the LotR movies, but they do heavily rely on Tolkien having already laid the ground work imo. So I think Star Wars deserves some credit for just starting from nothing and still telling a captivating story.

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SLAB_ROCKGROIN t1_iuhw0c8 wrote

Its WWII in space with most of the themes taken from older serials and japanese movies. It didnt start from nothing, it took massive inspiration from tons of stuff. Its a classic tale told multitude of times before and theres nothing wrong with that, just saying.

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Chen_Geller t1_iujxhlx wrote

Star Wars kinda of changed through the script drafts. At some points, it was very deeply indebted to Edgar Rice Burroughs, at other points it was more indebted to Kurosawa, but some of those influences kind of got watered down as the scripts were worked on.

I would say the biggest influences on Star Wars were, by descending order of significance, Flash Gordon, EE Smith's Galactic Patrol, Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress, and Edgar Rice Burroughs A Princess of Mars.

There are other influences like Dune, a whole bunch of World War II movies and, would you imagine, Tolkien's The Hobbit, but they're much more minor.

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