Do your favorite movies sometimes seem a bit...familiar? When discussing Harry Potter, do you sometimes mistake Voldemort for Darth Vader? Do Neo's abilities in the Matrix remind you of the Force, only just a little bit different? Well, you would be right, as the most wildly successful franchises of the last 40 years are basically the same recycled story you have heard over and over again. To highlight the (few) differences between some of the most famous franchises ever produced, I have color coded them as follows:
Star Wars is blue Star Trek is brown The Matrix is green Harry Potter is grey
Once upon a time,
Luke | Kirk | Neo | Harry
was living a miserable life. Feeling disconnected from his friends and family, he dreams about how his life could be different. One day, he is greeted by
Obi Wan | Captain Pike | Trinity | Hagrid
and told that his life is not what it seems, and that due to some circumstances surrounding his
birth | birth | birth | infancy
he was meant for something greater. Deciding to leave with
him | him | her | him,
Luke | Kirk | Neo | Harry
is taken to
Mos Eisley | Starfleet Academy | the real world | Hogwarts
where he meets lots of new, fascinating people. For the first time in a very long time, life is exciting, and
Luke | Kirk | Neo | Harry
explores the new life that has opened up for him. With his new friends, he starts to work hard to become the sort of man that
Obi Wan | Captain Pike | Trinity | Hagrid
said he could be. Although
Han | Spock | the Oracle | Draco
challenges his abilities, things go relatively well until suddenly,
Alderaan is destroyed | Vulcan is attacked | Morpheus is captured | Voldemort returns.
Leaping into action,
Luke | Kirk | Neo | Harry
prepares to fight against the insistence of his teacher. Despite not having finished his training, the lessons have made him cocky and through a combination of skill and luck
Luke | Kirk | Neo | Harry
is able to beat
Vader | Nero | Agent Smith | Quirrell
and destroy
the Death Star | Nero's ship | the Sentinels | Voldemort's body.
Greeted as heroes,
Luke | Kirk | Neo | Harry
realizes that he has become
powerful with the force | a great leader | the One | a great wizard
just as
Obi Wan | Captain Pike | Trinity | Hagrid
said he would be. Right before the story ends, there is a sense that this is just the beginning of an extremely lucrative franchise. Er, I mean adventure.
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