Poll: In which order should you show someone the Star Wars films?

[loc978]

Original trilogy, then read the prequel novelizations. Or watch The Phantom Edit [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_Edit] and then... nah, there was probably no way to cut episodes 2 and 3 into something more watchable. Hayden Christensen's Anakin was just too cringeworthy.

...actually, the guy who made Star Wars Episode I.I The Phantom Edit apparently also made Star Wars Episode II.I: Attack of the Phantom [http://fanedit.org/ifdb/component/content/article/79-fanedit-listings/fanfix/239-star-wars-episode-2-1-attack-of-the-phantom]... reputedly, it cuts 38 minutes of stupid, just as the first one cuts 18 minutes of stupid...

So maybe IV, V, VI, I.I, II.I, Novelization of III.

 

[Fijiman]

Personally I would show someone the original first and then the prequels. However...

I'd do it in an order I read about on a blog: 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6. Best of both worlds, starts with the strong 4 and 5 and doesn't ruin the twist in the latter, treats the prequels as an extended flashback to show how 4 and 5 were set up and finishes with the final showdown between the Rebels and the Empire in 6. 1 can also be dropped if the episode isn't to your taste, since it adds very little to overall storyline, but it's among my favourites so I included it.

... that is not a bad idea.

 

[Carnage95]

I forgot to mention, if you fancy having your friend show her the original theatrical cuts, check out Harmy's Despecialized Edition of the original trilogy. It feels amazing without all that additional crap blocking the screen.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

No point watching 1 - 3 unless you really need to know. In the original they tell you who Vader is and how he became Vader. Dont really need 3 films just to get that. So yeah, watch 4 - 6 and if bored or curious then watch the rest. Though would state beforehand that the first three movies are not needed to understand 4 - 6.

8 more years we can have fun with this again when 7 - 9 and the filler one off movies are released. An maybe the tv show if that ever gets made.

 

[Neverhoodian]

IV, V, VI, I. That's it.

...What? I liked The Phantom Menace. Sue me. The downside to this is the lack of closure, but it saves the viewer from enduring the mind-numbing slog that is Episodes II and III. Encourage them to use their imagination to fill in the blanks.

Alternately, there's this option if you simply HAVE to watch all the films:

IV, V, VI, I, II, Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars series, III.

I threw the cartoon in because it's goddamn amazing, and you need something exciting to break up the tedium of II and III.

...Okay okay, I'll admit I thought Jango Fett was awesome in II (he's like Boba Fett, but, you know, actually does shit), but it wasn't enough to redeem the rest of the film.

 

[Heronblade]

There are only two valid choices in my opinion.

option A, order of release: IV,V,VI,I,II,II
option B, "machete" order: IV,V,I,II,III,VI

The latter option, which I would probably lean towards, effectively uses the prequels as a flashback, keeping the overall focus on the story of Luke Skywalker. The prequels fail so badly in terms of character progression that they work much better as an explanation for Darth Vader and the state of the galaxy Luke is in than as a separate story of their own.

 

[fix-the-spade]

You should watch the Original Trilogy (the theatrical release versions) and then leave it at that. Watching the prequels qualifies as a form of self harm, why sit through shit films when you know they're going be shit before hand? If you must watch prequel era stuff, Clone Wars cartoon, better than the movies by miles.

 

[viranimus]

If it were me... I would skip the films all together, Start with KoToR and end with KoTOR2 + the completed patch. Then immediately stop it.

Honestly the original trilogy is just awful as it relates to back story development . The prequel trilogy did a better job of establishing over all lore but was horrendously bad overall story. Kotor manages to get the best parts of the lore, digs deeper into it than any of the films ever did, and puts it together in a much more comprehensible and enjoyable package.

Perhaps some of the expanded universe comics/novels would do much of the same as well. However its all a moot point anyway, because now with Disney controlling it, its sort of like watching a tv series, that has already been cancelled prematurely.

 

[In Search of Username]

You shouldn't. The old ones are just as bad and cheesy as the new ones, they just got away with it because it was the 70s.

As the previous poster said, though, show them KoToR. KoToR has my seal of approval.

 

[Multi-Hobbyist]

I'd do it in an order I read about on a blog: 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6. Best of both worlds, starts with the strong 4 and 5 and doesn't ruin the twist in the latter, treats the prequels as an extended flashback to show how 4 and 5 were set up and finishes with the final showdown between the Rebels and the Empire in 6. 1 can also be dropped if the episode isn't to your taste, since it adds very little to overall storyline, but it's among my favourites so I included it.

This. Only, it's best to flat out drop Episode I. Seriously. Don't bother. Just IV, V, II, III, VI. Start with good stuff, show the better half of the flash back past, then finish strong.

 

[dangoball]

Apparently as one of the few I will not tell you to skip prequels.
I would suggest going 456-123 because if you start with prequels you not only spoil the "I'm your father" moment (and I would never tell anyone to read the Dune prequels first for much the same reason, right baron?) but also get them spoiled by CGI and fight-scene choreography (admit it, lightsabre duels in the originals sucked ass choreography wise, they were awesome because the combatants had history and lightsaber was actually a rare weapon).

I'd do it in an order I read about on a blog: 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6. Best of both worlds, starts with the strong 4 and 5 and doesn't ruin the twist in the latter, treats the prequels as an extended flashback to show how 4 and 5 were set up and finishes with the final showdown between the Rebels and the Empire in 6. 1 can also be dropped if the episode isn't to your taste, since it adds very little to overall storyline, but it's among my favourites so I included it.

And yes, this is a wonderful idea. Might actually try it that way. Thank you.

 

[Blaze the Dragon]

Watch 4,5,6. Then go to http://redlettermedia.com/plinkett/star-wars/ and watch his reviews of the prequels. They're almost as long as watching 3 movies, (about 4.5 hours of review) and you'll experience everything that happened in those movies, except you'll actually be entertained by some of the most well thought out, detailed, and expertly executed analysis I've ever seen.

Note, I'm not hating on the prequels, I'm actually just not a Star Wars fan. More of a Trek person myself. But Plinkett is the best fucking thing ever. Hell, his explanations of why the Prequels are so bad, actually made me like the original Trilogy more.

 

[00slash00]

I've heard that most people who watch the prequels first, actually found them to be really good, and the lightsaber fight scenes in the prequels are certainly better than they were in the original trilogy. In the end, it depends what you want the overall story to be, because it changes considerable, depending on the order you watch the movies. Watch them 1-6 and Darth Vader is a tragic hero. Watch them 3-6 and 1-3, Vader is the very imagine of evil, and then the very image of emo. I would say either 1-6 or 3-6 and skip the prequels

As far as spoilers are concerned, Lucas has said the movies are intended to be watched 1-6

 

[TheMigrantSoldier]

Considering the amount of pop cultural references based on the Darth Vader twist, I don't think they'll be too surprised. In my experience, watching the prequels first actually made them "okay" in the entire layout of Star Wars. I liked Episode 3, in all honesty, even though Anakin was so annoying.

For brevity, you should probably skip 1 and 2 if you want to get into the "good stuff" sooner.

 

[Estarc]

I've seen a convincing argument to go

1. A New Hope
2. Empire Strikes Back
3. Attack of the Clones
4. Revenge of the Sith
5. Return of the Jedi

... and leave the other one out. This way you still get the narrative of the first trilogy intact with all the great moments but you also show Anakin's fall to the dark side and the triumph of the Emperor and all that jazz. The reason you leave Phantom Menace out, which I like cause Jar Jar and Pod Racing, is because it doesn't fit in the narrative very well.

 

[Brian Tams]

1). The Prequels ain't that bad, they're just not Star Wars good. There's nothing wrong with them except for the clothes they're presented in.
2). A large reveal in V (which then segways into a dilemma for Luke for VI)revolves around keeping the audience clueless.
2a). A reveal which, need I point out, you both spoiled with your "I am your father" quote.
3). If you lead with the Prequels, you're going to get a lot of awkward questions like "Why does the technology twenty years in the future look a hundred years old? Why isn't Yoda bouncing off the walls like an acrobat? How come the Storm Troopers go from expert marksman to being unable to hit the broadside of a barn?"

So, its best to go IV, V, VI first. Basically, the way they were intended to be watched.

 

[Childe]

Well i personally like the prequels, so i would show from 1-6 (prequels to sequels)

 

[Yopaz]

Show her 4 first. If she doesn't like it don't force her through the others. If she does like it go with 5 then 6. I personally liked episode 1 quite a bit, but 2 was so boring I quit in the middle twice and never wanted to watch 3 so I can't really say anything on the matter.