ALMOST...But Just Not Good Enough...AND DONT GET MAD AT ME!

I don't think anything can be added to the discussion. You either think LOTR is better, or you don't. Nothing wrong with either opinion.

I will say this, though- the source material for LOTR has stood the test of time, and I would submit that everyone who contributed to the movie has a genuine love for the story. Of course you are going to see that on screen. I have never seen this written, but I am pretty sure that Elijah Wood and company were INTIMATELY familiar with their characters before they read one line in front of the camera. Does that give them an advantage? Yup.

As I said before, and nobody responded to, Lucas gives his actors pages of script on a "need to know" basis. They probably do not know how their lines fit into the larger whole of the movie, and that definitely translates on screen. I wish it weren't like that, but what can you do, Lucas is a paranoid guy. The movies have ALWAYS been like that though, and in that regard, the acting is no worse than it ever was- and you all love the OT, right?

That having been said, I flat out like Star Wars better. I relate to the story and to the characters. I think LOTR was a big achievement, but the special effects were simply not on par with AoTC.

Compare the Reek with that giant thing that busts through the door when they go to where the Dwarves live. I saw AoTC for the third time yesterday and I was simply amazed at the complexity and detail on the Reek. It looked like a real, living animal. On the other hand, that gigantic ogre thing had little texture, and i just didnt find it believable.

That is just one man's opinion, though.