I suspect it's a combination of the cold war inspiring powerful story lines and atmospheres in a way that today's messy conflicts can't, and physical special ef

I suspect it's a combination of the cold war inspiring powerful story lines and atmospheres in a way that today's messy conflicts can't, and physical special effects reaching their zenith. The digitization of special effects led to a step back in many ways. Compare for example digital yoda versus rubber yoda. Sure, the digital one is more lively, but at the same time he isn't fully alive, and looks more dead with every passing year.