Saga Which film from the Saga feels most like the original Star Wars?

Five Star Wars films followed ANH: 2 sequels and 3 prequels. Which of these films most has the "feel" of the original Star Wars? I'm not talking about quality of the film. More the tone, the feeling of adventure, the comic book / Flash Gordon quality, good vs. evil, the combination of fun and serious scenes, the simple mysticism, or whatever other qualities you personally associate with the original Star Wars.

I've also included the 2009 Star Trek film in the poll because many people say that it is basically a remake of Star Wars. (Plus, it's made by JJ Abrams). If you've never heard of this comparison, you may want to check this video that gives a very brief comparison of ANH and Star Trek (2009):


Here's a longer comparison of ANH and Star Trek (2009). It's more comprehensive but at a few moments it seems like it's reaching:

 

I'd say none. Even the edits that made it ANH SE and on change it's tone from what it was originally. Plus, I'm never thought TSW was 'simple' anything. I continually find it fascinating this divergence in view often between OT and PT fans about simplicity, depth, richness, and complexity.

 

I'd say none really feel that much like it, but I'd go with TESB because they are the pre-revelation films and after that everything changes dramatically.

 

Interesting question. I'd also say none. Actually, I'd say that one of the most fascinating things about the Saga is that no film feels like any of the previous ones.
But the original film feels even more different than any of the others.

 

I said, ROTJ, just because there are a lot of parallel elements, but really it's a superficial thing. ROTJ does it's own thing most of the time, as do all of the other films in the saga. Each one has its own identity. And 09' Star Trek, while taking some heavy cues from ANH, is ultimately so different in its pacing, character dynamics, and visuals that it's hard to really compare in the same way.

 

I said ROTJ. Although, it's the change of tone in ESB from the original that makes it my favorite.

 

If I had to say any of them, I'd say TPM is the closest as a more light-hearted adventure film, but I don't think any of the other films captured the lean, 1970s New Hollywood style I love SW/ANH so much for, not that any of the others were trying to anyway.

SW/ANH and ESB do seem to fit into their own category separate from the rest (from ROTJ onwards the overall vision is a bit more concrete), but they're very different from each other.

 

Well, which film feels the most like ANH?

- Structurally: TPM
- Thematically: TPM
- "Rip-off effect": ROTJ
- Level of Achievement: TPM, TESB
- Rectilinearity: ROTS
- "Star Wars Charm": AOTC

---> TPM feels the most like ANH, although I agree with the others: They're all as different as they are alike.

 

I was about to answer and none do. Really its all star wars but a new hope is just classic

 

Nothing feels like the Tatooine sections of ANH. There's a weirdly realistic vibe there that even the "gritty dark seriousness" of ESB couldn't achieve, as the latter seems to me almost too polished, too dependent on the sheen of cinematic arrangement. Pacing might have a lot do with it. AOTC came closest to recreating the Tatooine of ANH, but by nature of that film's narrative there wasn't time for the slow-cooking lived in reality that we saw in ANH.

The latter half of ANH is another thing, though, with that brand of fun-action-banter-serious-fun pretty much driving all the other films. Overall I'd probably look towards instinctual feeling more so than rigid analysis of structure. ANH is an unquestionably pulp film that still manages to portray a down to earth humanity at key times. It wears its influences on its sleeves, yet still manages to feel fresh and even unique. It doesn't take itself too seriously, except when it chooses to. I think of all of this when I think of ANH. As which of the other five likewise most delivers in this manner, again I think of AOTC.

 

I'm going with The Phantom Menace, somewhat to my surprise, because my initial choice was Revenge of the Sith (since it is my favorite). But then I thought that ROTS was what I think of when I think of the saga as a whole - ANH, as great as it is, is not the entire saga. So I thought about it a bit and went with TPM. Think about it - politician (Padme/Leia) desperately needs help, seeks it from an old Jedi Master (Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan), both pick up a reluctant hero on Tattoine (Anakin/Luke), and both have intimidating villains that kill the Jedi Master (Darth Maul/Darth Vader), the Jedi Master returns from beyond the dead (Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan) and the new hero saves the day both times (Luke/Anakin). I'm sure there are more, but I think you guys have the idea I guess this also fits with how TPM and ANH are right next to each other in my rankings and flip depending on my mood.

 

Return of the Jedi, bar none. None of the Star Wars films feel exactly like another, but Jedi feels most authentically like a sequel to the original Star Wars to me. And clearly that was done very much on purpose.

 

ROTJ has a lot of similar story elements, but for me, it doesn't FEEL like ANH. ANH has, as mentioned above, that starved, minimalist feel common for its time, whereas ROTJ feels like a blockbuster, with as much stuffed into it as possible.

 

TPM is the most like it. It has the exact same story, with just some minor details changed. Everything about it just feels the most like it.

 

Wouldn't the answer be "A New Hope"? It seemed the saga's tone changed with "The Empire Strikes Back".

 

I'm not sure if I want Darth Plagueis as the villain. You would have to explain what happened to him. But it would be interesting to get more history about him, as well as other force/sith lore in episode 7. With a supposed title "the ancient fear" this might happen.

 

I don't think the tone necessarily 'changed', it simply took another step and broadened its horizons, just as it did again with ROTJ (although one could argue that the horizons became narrowed with ROTJ by focusing so heavily on the Skywalker family).

The PT, however, seemed to remain very much in tone with ROTJ - much comes down to the characterisation of Darth Vader. 'From a certain point of view', there's three different Vaders in the OT - vicious henchman in SW/ANH, virtually omnipotent galactic warlord in ESB, then the conflicted, almost enslaved Sith apprentice of ROTJ.

The Anakin/Vader of the PT corresponds to the Darth Vader of ROTJ who seems to hate himself and what he's become, not the attack dog of SW/ANH or the power-hungry dictator from ESB.

(When typing 'attack dog', I just realised what a rip-off merchant the great George RR Martin can be)