I personally prefer
Star Wars to
Star Trek. My main reason is that I enjoy the 'space fantasy' element that
Star Wars provides, whilst
Star Trek is more focused on being traditional "science-fiction".
Why I like Star Wars better than Star Trek
The heroes of
Star Wars make it stand out for me. Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are fearless, swashbuckling, action heroes. They capture that child-like sense of adventure that exists in every one of us.
Star Trek's heroes (Captain Picard and Mr. Spock for example) use rationale and intellect to overcome challenges.
Whilst this might be a more sensible approach in real life, I think it makes for less compelling entertainment on screen.
Star Wars v Star Trek
Both
Star Wars and
Star Trek portray worlds filled with alien planets and exciting fantasy creatures.
However, the
Star Wars vision of space and future is so grand, it reminds me of an epic saga like
Beowulf.
Star Trek, on the other hand, is more of a "made-for-TV" sci-fi adventure that, whilst still captivating, is relatively one-dimensional in comparison.
Having said all this, the recent
Star Trek movie released in 2009 really went some way towards breaking boundaries. An, given the trepidation with which
Star Wars fans greeted the news that Disney would be responsible for producing the next 3 instalments, we could be on the verge of seeing a really big change in the battle for supremacy.