Did you see the Star Wars prequels before you saw the originals?

[MetalMagpie]

And - if so - which trilogy did you think was better?

I'm interested to see how well the original films actually hold up when viewed by someone who saw the newer ones first.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

No?
My golden VHS box with the first three films are sacred

 

[the spud]

I still haven't seen them, nor do I plan to. I didn't even like the originals all that much.

 

[Redingold]

I watched the originals first, and honestly I think I was too young to be able to make a reasonable judgement about their quality at the time. I've not watched them in ages, except for Return of the Jedi, which was far superior to any of the prequels.

Damn, I need to go and watch the original trilogy again.

 

[Carnage95]

Honestly, I cannot remember which I saw first. I watched The Phantom Menace in a theater when I was four years old with my father and sister(s). The things I remembered at the time were Jar Jar, the podrace and the final lightsaber duel. I completely ignored the rest of the film because I found them uninteresting and boring.

I saw the original trilogy on television around the same time when TPM was released and fondly remembered them. There were so many iconic or memorable scenes in those films that when my father was renting DVDs, I always tried to convince him to rent the original trilogy despite having watched it before.

My grandmother brought me a DVD of Attack of the Clones when I was eight, whilst watching it, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed about the dialogue and romance scenes with Anakin and Padme.

Then Revenge of the Sith came and my father and I went to watch it together. I liked it for its lightsaber duels and that was about it.

Now that I'm older, I can't even bring myself to watch the prequel trilogy. So you'd be correct that I thought that the original was better despite having some flaws.

 

[octafish]

I find it hard to conceive of people that young.

I saw Star Wars at a Drive In about a year before I saw The Empire Strikes back in the cinema.

I remember thinking The Phantom Menace was awful, so awful that I didn't bother seeing Send in the Clones in the cinema instead waiting for a video release. Send in the Clones was in turn so bad that I didn't see Revenge of the Sith for about four years when it turned up on commercial TV.

The worst thing about the prequels is how hard it is to find a copy of the original films in their original form. I don't want CGI creatures performing slapstick routines in Mos Eisley, and I do want to see that Stormtrooper bonk his head on the door, that is part of my childhood, now give it back!

 

[Nimcha]

No. I saw the originals first when a TV station broadcasted them in order. After that I became a fan and watched Episode II and III in the cinema.

My favourite list is as follows:

1. Episode III
2. Episode V
3. Episode II
4. Episode VI
5. Episode IV
6. Episode I

I like them all, though.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I saw the originals first as a kid, didn't like them at all.

Then I saw the special editions with the added CGI, which made me appreciate the unaltered versions.

Finally I saw the prequels, which were so fucking bad it actually made me like the originals.

 

[DaJoW]

My order was Episode 1, 4, 5, 6, 2, 3. I hated 1, despite probably being in the target demographic at the time.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I saw the originals first but even if I hadn't, I vastly would have preferred them if I had seen them second. This holds true mostly because of my age I suppose. I was born in 1983 and I vastly prefer older movies to newer ones.
I have an almost allergic reaction to video game like CG, which litters the prequels. Not to mention acting that makes me cringe. I also hate the sterile environment of CG, in any movie. It is part of the reason I find myself never getting lost in any worlds in movies nowadays.
I just love handmade sets and practical effects. The effort that goes into them really carries over into the films. When you can just magic up whatever you want on a computer, it just doesn't hold the same appeal to me.
I also think that the limitations imposed by practical effects make for much tighter narratives. I digress though, long story short, Original Trilogy(Theatrical release) > > > Prequel trilogy.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Nope I was born in the late 80's era and thus watch the original on VHS tapes. So I guess I'm bias to say the original is better compared to 1,2 and 3.

 

[Frybird]

I watched the originals before there was a Special Edition of them.

Even though i was young enough to shamefully get enjoyment (once) out of Episode 1, i feel old now...

 

[hazabaza1]

Saw the first prequel movie first, and then the originals, then Revenge of the Sith. Far prefer the originals, though I don't think the prequels are as bad as people make them out to be. Then again, it has been a while since I watched them.

 

[Llil]

No, I was a huge Star Wars fan well before Episode I was released. And of course I went to see it in theaters, twice. I don't hate the prequels, but there's no doubt that the original trilogy is far better. Also, I think I remember when Episode I came out, most people seemed to like it just fine.

Watching the prequels first also spoils the big twist in Ep. V, although I'm pretty sure even people who have never seen the movies (they exist, right?) know the twist.

 

[LordXel]

I watched The Phantom Menace first with the original trilogy following shortly afterwards. For a kid, that wouldn't be a bad order to watch the movies if the hype for Phantom Menace didn't spoil Empire Strikes Back for me.

Even as a kid I still preferred the first three films. That is the three films that were made first.

 

[The Dutchess]

I watched the prequels first and actually enjoyed the first one (I was 12 at the time). By the second the charm was beginning to wear off (I still think it's the worst of the 6 movies). The 3rd was better than the 2nd but I've still only ever seen it twice.

I find the original triology MUCH more enjoyable to watch. It just has some sort of feel to it that I can't explain. Also it doesn't have Anakin Skywalker whining about things. If only they had written Anakin and Padme a lot better and scrapped Jar Jar I think the prequels would've stood up a lot better. They have awesome lightsaber fights and some cool characters like young Obi Wan and Mace Windu.

 

[HardRockSamurai]

Nah, I saw them in chronological order; I watched the original trilogy on VHS tapes, and I watched the prequel trilogy in movie theaters...
...[small]if only it could've been the opposite[/small]...

 

[Haxxle]

I pretty mich grew up to watching Episode One and I do not remember the movie really capturing my attention, that was until Obe and his Master try to take down Darth Maul. Other then that, it wasn't very intersted, but I did pay more attention when the Attack Clones was aired and even more in The Revenge of the Sith. Later on, I watched the other episodes.

In preference, I prefered Episode 1-3 in comparison to Episode 4-7 largely because I'm influenced with which one came first.