Saga If introducing someone new to SW. Which trilogy would you have them watch first?

Count Yubnub and darth ladnar - Films not fans, posts not posters.

 

My kids will be at the perfect age to introduce them to Star Wars right about the time that episodes VIII and IX come out in theaters. although trying to introduce them to Star Wars in the middle of a time when Star Wars is in the theaters every year, (And therefore everywhere,) I would imagine it would be very difficult To keep them away from spoilers regarding the rest of the saga!!

Oh-and I would start them with episode I, going chronologically through ROTJ. or actually, by then it will be Episode I through VII or IX even by then!! sure they may not get the shock of Darth Vader revealing himself to Be Luke's father And all that, but they will be able to enjoy the complete story arc.

 

This. Not only because it simply came first, but because ANH gives us the basic framework of the universe, and what is what and who is who. It is in ANH that we are told by Obi-Wan what/who the Jedi are, and what the dark side and the force in general is. It is in ANH that we get the simple version of Darth Vader's history. It is also in ANH that we are introduced to C-3PO, and form a bond with him. I feel that a lot of the meaning behind these various things would be lost by starting out with the PT. Just my own two cents.

 

The best order to watch the movies for the first time is completely randomized because you'll just end up watching them all a thousand times anyway, am I right?

 

If that person wants a story in chronological order, I would have them start with THE PHANTOM MENACE.

If that person wants to watch the saga another way, then I would recommend another way.

 

My daughter is too young to appreciate Star Wars properly (though she does recognise Chewie and Yoda), but I've already decided that I'll be showing her Episode I first and making my way through to Episode VI (well probably VII and VIII by the time I think she'll appreciate them the most).

Yes, we'll lose the impact of Vader revealing that he's Luke's father, but we also start with the most child friendly (in my opinion) and the quality of the films generally improves along the way (IMHO).

 

So there's such a thing as appreciating Star Wars *im*properly? I watched SW for the first time when I was 0 years old and I turned out just fine.

 

Yeah. I'd rather she was awed by it than it being comparable to anything else she sees. I'd rather not have to turn it off at the 'scary' bits. I'd rather he be able to follow the plot of a movie for two hours than watch it in bits.

 

Agreed... I hope one day when my niece has a day off from school that we can have a day of watching all the star wars films. I most definitely start with episode one as you aid its the most child friendly. I think watching ROTS as that last film would most certainly leave a very bitter taste.

 

I'm just gonna say that this whole "sitting down your kids to watch Star Wars" thing makes very little sense to me. I was exposed to Star Wars from so early on that I was the one sitting myself down to watch it, no supervision necessary. I think I taught myself how to work the VCR by the time I was 4. I even learned to freeze-frame things like barbecued Beru and charred Lars, and Ponda Baba's ketchup stained sleeve - and hey I guess this is exactly the sort of thing you DON'T want your kids to be doing. I guess the experience of being a child of Star Wars fan is different than what my own was, if the movies are treated as hidden texts to be unveiled as a rite of passage, rather than the movies you put on to keep the rascal entertained for a few hours.

You know, that's probably why SW is so burned into my brain.

 

Oh don't get me wrong what I was trying to get across is my niece is one of those people who like happy endings. hence I thought it would be suitable just to watch 1-6 instead of 4-6 then 1-3

 

/\ I hear ya. I suppose every kiddo is a bit different.

I have actually come to think of epsidode 3 as the "star wars fan mitzvah", since its the only episode that is certainly not for the kiddies.

 

4-6, 1-3 has C-3PO saying the first and last words of the saga (heck him and R2 start and end the saga in the same hallway, that ship is Tantive IV, don't care what anyone else says), the same first and last planet in Tatooine etc.
1-6 has Qui-Gon saying the first words and Leia saying the last words, the first planet seen is Naboo and the last planet seen is Endor.

Love the rhyming in the release date order. And there is just something poignant about the Hero's journey starting with Luke staring at the Binary Sunset in ANH and ending ROTS with the Binary Sunset. The journey has come full circle.

 

Depends really. If it's a child, I'll let them watch it in numerol order, so they can laugh at Jar Jar's slapsticks and as they grow older, let them watch the original trilogy.
If it's a person who prefers style over substance, I'll let them watch it in numeral order.
If someone who prefers substance over style, I'll let them watch it 4-6, then 1-3.
Besides that, I don't think either way is going to matter much, I only know that 3 acts as a spoiler for 5 and 5 acts as a spoler for 3.
I watched it in this order 5,1,2,4,6,3. Very jumbled up.

 

I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

If I ever have kids I am definitely showing them the Prequels first.

 

I would show them the Sequel Trilogy first.

 

Exactly or better yet how would we know where Chewbacca comes from or his family

 

1-6. I have no desire to make someone who's "uninitiated" relive my childhood just because I happened to grow up in an era when only 4-6 was made. So I default to the creator's wishes.

 

The creator's wish was to do it out of chronological order, he's said so himself, he's thinks it's like art or whatever.

 

If you see them in order it completely twists things about. A lot of the tricks of IV, V and VI no longer exist. The real struggle of the twins to save their father becomes apparent, whereas it didn't exist at all the first time [audiences saw Episodes IV, V and VI]. Now Darth Vader is a tragic character who's lost everything. He's basically a bitter old man in a suit.

"I am your father" was a real shock. Now it's a real reward. Finally, the son knows what we already know.

Its a really different suspense structure. Part of the fun for me was completely flipping upside down the dramatic track of the original movies. If you watch them the way it was released, IV, V, VI, I, II, III - you get one kind of movie. If you watch I through VI you get a completely different movie. One or two generations have seen it one way, and the next generations will see it in a completely different way.

It's an extremely modern, almost interactive movie making. You take blocks and move them around, and you come out with different emotional states."

--George Lucas, The Making Of Revenge Of The Sith.

So while he wants newer generations to view it I-VI, he knows that not everyone will go that route and regardless, it still works either way. Myself, I would do it I-VI, not because it is what he would prefer, but I want to have at least one person see things that way. To see how they view things and get their feedback that way.

 

I did that with my sister (although sadly she missed out on the TPM not becaue it was crap just that I watched it early in the morning and couldn't be asked to watch it again) I planned on watching only two of them a day but after watching AOTC, she really got into it. By the time of the end of ROTS, she really was hooked onto it. By the end of ROTJ, its safe to say she thoroughly enjoyed the I-VI (well II) experience, my only regret is that I didn't start on TPM, but then again I didn't expect to watch all six of them in one go either

 

Hmmm... Either 1,2,3,4,5,6
OR
4,1,2,53,6 if they had never heard anything about Star Wars, that way the suspense really builds up

 

For me, it definitely would be 4-5-6, 1-2-3. My reasoning for this is that episode 4 is the one that started it all and is a fantastic stand alone film. I find by viewing it directly after the heavy effects of Episode 3, it somehow does not seem as impressive right away. That opening iconic scene of Episode 4 has got to be the start of it all in my opinion.