Poll: Star Wars - the correct order?

[varulfic]

Watch the old movies first. They are the classics, they are the good ones and the only ones that matter. The old trilogy is one of those film series that everyone should have seen. Nobody cares if you haven't seen the prequels, in fact you are just better off. You're not gonna make her a fan of the series by forcing her to sit through the new ones. In fact, your girlfriend will most likely leave you if you try to make her watch more after Attack of the Clones.

Seriously. Just skip the prequels, they are awful movies. Not just awful Star Wars movies, not just failing to live up to the hype and legacy. They stand alone as true crappy films. Unless you are the kind that likes to nitpick horrible movies while watching them, just skip em.

 

[Konatacalypse]

4-5-6-1-2-clone wars-3

Never make them watch 1-3 first, always start with 4-6.

 

[2xDouble]

Definitely watch the original 3 first. Every twist in the original series is completely spoiled in the early movies, and every bit of foreshadowing in the prequel trilogy assumes basic knowledge of the originals. They were intended for and are best in that order: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith.

 

[C117]

4-6, then 1-3 if you feel like it. And always remember: Han shot first.

 

[badgersprite]

4-6 first then 1-3. The first 3 seem to want to explain why 4-6 happened how it did, as opposed to 4-6 showing the continued events from 1-3.

Yeah, this. Besides, the prequels have massive plot holes and discontinuity with the original trilogy, such that it actually makes it more confusing if you see those first.

 

[Jarlaxl]

4-5-Holiday Special-6-1-2-3

I love you so much for this.

I detected a few people in support of the New Trilogy...well, they have something resembling a point to defend.

The New Trilogy had to accomplish two things, really:

One, Palpatine had to be made out to be a scheming, manipulative Machiavellian bastard.

Two, Anakin --> Vader had to make sense.

Astonishingly, I think that the story itself was a success - as a character, Palpatine was utterly corrupt and was fantastic at manipulating everyone around him to do what he needed. As for Anakin, a love interest actually makes total sense for his fall to the Dark Side - he's a victim of his emotions, and shows just how hard being a Jedi is when the Dark Side is so appealing to one's, well, humanity.

The trouble is the storytelling. I had an English teacher who said that storytelling is everything. Tell a ghost story well, you have Hamlet. Tell it poorly, you have Scooby Doo. And those movies are poorly, poorly written.

It's a pity - the New Trilogy really could have worked.

Edit: To clarify, everything else in the New Trilogy which fails to satisfy these two points is superfluous - Naboo, Jar Jar, the Clone Wars, podracing, Yoda lightsaber fights, the cameo of the droids and Chewie - if they had been used effectively towards either of the other 2 ends, that would have been one thing, but they rarely were anything more than OH HAY REMEMBER THIS THING WE DID?

This review series helps shed some light on why the new trilogy simply isn't up to snuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Go with the originals first, otherwise the whole "Luke, I am your father" scene loses all impact. And please try to go for the original originals, rather than the remastered originals. Han shot first dammit.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I would say just go with chronological order. That way her mind won't be tainted with the nonsense that other Star Wars fans are. "Waaaaaaaaaaaah, the originals were better! The prequels suck! I'm a whiny *****! Waaaaaaaaaaah!"

 

[darthzew]

Original 3 then forget the rest happen.

Definitely. There is no reason to give her Star Wars and then screw up her view of it forever.

 

[chronicfc]

Order of make, as the "Luke I am Your Father" scene works better if you think Darth V is nothing but an evil robot, as I did at the time, also the Leia twist (being the sister) is ruined if you watch the prequels

 

[FPSMadPaul]

I would say just go 1-6 in order. Save the best for last right?

Agreed!

 

[Smertnik]

The correct order: IV, V, VI.

The new trilogy is ranging from mediocre to subpar. There's no overarching protagonist, the characters and the story often don't make any sense, there're far too many unneeded action sequences.. I could go on and on.
That's not to say the original trilogy is perfect. But it sure is superior to the new one in most possible ways.

But some people seem to like those movies, so I guess your gf could be one of them? In any case, I'd definitely recommend watching SW films in the order they have been made. The new trilogy spoils some important stuff and partially cheapens characters, especially Vader and Kenobi. I definitely wouldn't have liked them as much as I did if I knew beforehand that one was a whiny idiot and the other a hypocrite.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

Watch 4-6, but in 5, when he says NO LUKE, I AM YOUR FATHER, put in 3. go back to 5. but nearing the end of six, where darth is about to throw the emperor- STOP (Hammer time) put in the disk for episode one, then back to 6, and when darth is about to die, put in 2.

Confusing enough? I hope so.

 

[Stalydan]

4 to 6 and then 1 to 3. Really the prequels were only made to show how Darth Vader became who he was.

 

[Cerrax]

The Special Editions of Episodes 4, 5, and 6 are just awkward. The new special effects right alongside the old ones just looks weird and obvious. And there's a lot of scenes and little details that are not in the original movies. Usually this is a good thing, but in the case of George Lucas, it's not at all. The scene with Han and Jabba by the Falcon is one of the most awkward and horribly made scenes ever, in any movie. Just, avoid the Special Edition at all cost if you can.

 

[Uszi]

....
So, which order do you think is better for a first-time viewer who usually doesn't really care for action movies?
The chronological order - starting with Episode 1, and basically following the timeline
The "traditional" order - how most fans have seen it. First Episodes 4 to 6, and then 1 to 3, which provide, and in some cases bend, warp and break background information.

Especially if she's not a huge action fan, definitely 4-6 first. I showed my ex, who wasn't an action fan or a nerd Episodes 4-6 first, and she enjoyed them quite a bit. Especially Episode 5, which has a lot to offer more "civilian" viewers.

Whereas, 1-3 are mindless action sequences tied loses together with bland, boring scenes of characterization. The camera angles are flat and the characters have no life. Episodes 1-3 have absolutely nothing to offer someone who doesn't want to see shit explode/get cut in half by a lightsaber, or nerds who wanted to know more about Darth Vader.

I mean, the prequels are basically officially endorsed Extended Universe bullshit. Except that Episodes 1-3 are a little below the normal level of quality for the Extended Universe.

Also, I want a sane vote, no "the prequels suck, just leave them" rubbish. Please think about your answer and, if you care, provide some explanation for your vote in a post.

The prequels suck and they are rubbish. You should just leave them. To say, "Oh, don't tell me they suck," is to cut a huge portion of the discussion out. Specifically, you should show her 4-6 first because these are the good movies. These are the influential movies. These are the movies that changed modern science fiction, that changed the way Hollywood works, that gave Harrison Ford one of his most famous roles, that became fixations in pop culture.

The prequels, on the other hand, were blatant cash grabs produced in a halfhearted manner on the gamble that if you put any schlock in the feeding trough, the little piggies will still come to feed.

So, to show anyone the prequels first and the original trilogy second would be to cheapen the whole experience for them. And the reality of the matter is, this is an important consideration when asking the question, "Which order should you watch the films?"

It's like saying, "Should someone's first hamburger be cooked in the backyard on the grill or purchased from McDonald's? Also I want a sane vote, no McDonald's is homogenized crap rubbish."

Why is that the case? Because:

None of the characters are likable: Padme is a flat, two dimensional cartoon, Anakin is a moody jerk, Obi Wan is also a moody jerk who is an incompetent Jedi.

They involve a nonsense plot and is focused around a war in which you are not emotionally involved at all: oh, robots are fighting clones.

If the robots win, then something.... "bad" might... happen?

But if the clones win then I guess the space democracy that I don't care about might... survive, or something.

And every time a robot or a clone dies, it doesn't matter in the least because it wasn't a real person fighting for something they believed in.

But, oh wait, Palpatine has this crazy plan that makes no sense, and the clones are actually the bad guys. So the bad guys fight the bad guys, and the main good guy is also the bad guy, and the bad guys win.

I mean, this has been posted 100 times before, but it bears repeating everytime someone attempts a defense of the prequels:

I have wondered what it would be like for a newcomer to watch them chronologically though. Assuming they wanted to see 3-6 after watching 1 and 2.

I have done this. It's kinda being bored watching the previews before a movie in a theater---you know, mostly disinterested and then occasionally something explodes or something and you pay attention for a few seconds.

Only this is like watching 6 hours of previews before the real film begins.

read the OP before you reply...

Having read the OP, I still find the need to explain why 1-3 are garbage. The awfulness of the prequels is simply too important a concern when considering showing someone the Star Wars movies for the first time.

 

[penguindude42]

Prequel Trilogy first.

Nothing else after.

/thread

Seriously, when I was a kid, that was goddamn Star Wars.

~Tom