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Saga In which order should you be watching (or are you watching) the Star Wars movies? (Poll)

Discussion in 'Star Wars Saga In-Depth' started by SW Saga Fan, Aug 19, 2015.

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In which order should you be watching (or are you watching) the Star Wars movies?

  1. Chronological order: Episodes I, II, III, IV, V, VI

    88 vote(s)
    52.4%
  2. Release order: Episodes IV, V, VI and I, II, III

    44 vote(s)
    26.2%
  3. Machete order: Episodes IV, V, II, III, VI

    3 vote(s)
    1.8%
  4. Machete order including Episode I: Episodes IV, V, I, II, III, VI

    20 vote(s)
    11.9%
  5. Only the original trilogy: Episodes IV, V, VI

    5 vote(s)
    3.0%
  6. A completely different order!

    8 vote(s)
    4.8%
  1. -NaTaLie-

    -NaTaLie- Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 5, 2001
    I'm typically a release order person (start the Narnia books with The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Tolkien with either The Hobbit or LOTR *, etc.) but I'd make an exception for Star Wars. I think the story of the Jedi vs Sith, fall of the Republic and Anakin's journey works better this way. For example, people often complain that Yoda is not as wise in the PT. He fights and goes to war as opposed to being a more spiritual guru circa TESB. Well, what if it was the Clone Wars experience and the death of other Jedi that made Yoda believe that wars does not make one great? This is something that's easier to pick up on when viewing in the chronological order. There're other things that seem to be shoehorned in (Jango Fett's connection to the clones, Anakin building C3PO, the Chosen one prophecy) that's bothersome after watching the OT first. The throne room scenes in ROTJ are more satisfying now and basically the whole movie is stronger due to our knowledge of the backstory.

    I know a lot of fans have an emotional attachment to the twist in TESB but ask yourself: is it really more shocking than everything that happens in ROTS? Does Luke change after his encounter? Does Vader? Or the political situation? From everything I've seen, the turn of events in ROTS packs a punch big time.

    * Granted, the bulk of the Silmarillion was written before The Hobbit but it's simply a lot less accessible for the first time readers unless they're used to reading opuses Kalevala or all of the Old Testament).
     
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  2. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001
    Reading "The Silmilliaron" can go either way. But definitely you'd read "The Hobbit" before reading the trilogy. I assume that the films follow that.
     
  3. -NaTaLie-

    -NaTaLie- Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 5, 2001

    The Hobbit is great for kids but adults might lose patience with it. LOTR recaps the story of The Hobbit and works fine on its own.
    LOTR actually recons the Hobbit (Bilbo's rin of invisibility becomes the Ring of power, Necromancer is Sauron, Gandalf is a Maya, etc.). Tolkien even went back and rewrote Riddles in the Dark (a chapter where Bilbo meets Gollum). So the edition of The Hobbit widely available now is basically Tolkien's version of Special Editions.

    Silm must be the most interesting prequel out there since Tolkien had worked on it before, during and after he was writing LOTR. There're a lot of glimpses of the First Age in LOTR but not all of them are explained. My ultimate order would be Hobbit-LOTR-Silm-Lotr again to catch all the references and look at the story in a new light. Throw in Children of Hurin, Unfinished Tales and Lost Tales if you want more fix of Middle-earth.
     
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  4. smoothkaz

    smoothkaz Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2014
    I will firmly insist upon release order until the day I die. I always prefer watching or reading prequels after whatever they're a prequel too, but usually, and Star Wars is a textbook case of this, they are created with the original in mind and thus have callbacks to them that would have no meaning were you unfamiliar with the original.

    I find the prequels are actually a more enjoyable experience having seen the OT first. Not only are surprises like those in TESB retained, but the OT sets up this whole world, and the PT shows you how the world you are familiar with came to be, and expands upon it greatly.

    Stylistically, the PT is a very different animal. Visual effects, cinematography, editing, tone, characterization - all quite different. But it works. The greatly expanded scope, CGI, even dialogue and acting are befitting of depicting a legendary bygone era. It's like reading a long epic poem detailing the downfall of the Old Republic - dramatic exaggeration, fantastical events, a sense of formality and elegance of old. Going from Episode III to IV is almost awkward, but having already enjoyed the story of the Original Trilogy, it fees appropriate.

    Not to mention the great "foreshadowing" and rhymes that have no emotional resonance if you don't know the OT.
     
  5. Allana_Rey

    Allana_Rey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Always chronological order.
     
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  6. darkspine10

    darkspine10 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Dec 7, 2014
    But the rhymes work the other way around as well.
     
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  7. HevyDevy

    HevyDevy Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2011
    Yup. I'm in two minds about order... ANH is so crucial as an introduction that TPM only enhances.

    But first time viewers getting their PT prophecy doomed as Anakin becomes the main bad guy, then Luke turning it around is too good to miss.
     
  8. Sith Lord 2015

    Sith Lord 2015 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2015
    Can't argue with your logic. I guess for me it's more of an "aesthetic" thing though. After so much amazing action in Temple of Doom wouldn't Raiders seem a little slow or anticlimactic in comparison? To me I think it would. That's the same problem I'd have watching the OT after the PT. ANH right after Sith just doesn't "fit" well visually or even emotionally. It is the only SW movie that can stand on its own. It works perfectly as an introduction to the whole saga. No other episode would work as well. That's why I personally feel that's where the saga should start.
    As for the other movies, I see your point. It's just that it's more to my taste to watch those in release order as well. It's really all a matter of taste, there is no right or wrong.
    Oh, a small thing about Indy, though it's not really important. That scene where Indy reaches for his gun and it's not there really only works after we have seen him in a similar situation in Raiders.;)
     
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  9. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001
    The callbacks are treated with a different flair when watching PT to OT. When Obi-wan says, "I have a feeling that you'll be the death of me", rather than a callback, it is seen as a bit of foreshadowing. But also a first timer won't except that to literally happen. They won't see that the Clonetroopers will be the threat that they are in the OT and thus Order 66 will be both a surprise and tragic since the Jedi had fought alongside them and befriended them. The whole fun is to see it in a different light.

    The PT also sets up this world and the OT expands upon it.


    But they will by the time you get to the OT.

    Not really. "Temple Of Doom" has the same pacing as "Raiders Of The Lost Ark". Both start with an action sequence, then it slows down a bit to establish the plot and deliver exposition. Then we start building towards the middle act with an action sequence, then slowing down a bit and then ending with a lot of action. The finales are the only parts that are different with the bridge fight vs the opening of the Ark. But it still works.

    It does fit in that we have a time jump again and now we're starting a new story. The PT is book one with Anakin, Padme and Obi-wan's adventures. The OT is book two with Luke, Han and Leia's adventures. It'll be the same way going from ROTJ to TFA, as it is book three with Rey, Finn and Poe. There will also be differences as well.

    It does, but it also means that Indy is smart to go for his gun and it fails, then we see him go for it again and it works.
     
  10. Sith Lord 2015

    Sith Lord 2015 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2015
    I see your point. I myself have no problems with slower pacing, on the contrary. I actually enjoy scenes where there is some talking and we find out more about the characters and get some back story. And that is why I would put Raiders first. We really get to know Indy, what he does, where he works, who his friends are... So that doesn't have to be shown again in Temple. We can get right to the action. We know everything there is to know about Indy. But now we see him in a new situation and it's fun to see how he reacts.
    But Raiders and Doom having the same pacing? Not sure I agree on that. ToD is almost nonstop action. There are some "slower" sequences on the airplane, the village, and maybe even at the dinner table. But from then on the action never really stops. In Raiders we have several slower stuff in the second half. The action never reaches those extreme levels as in Doom. The slowing down in Raiders after that opening sequence is like 20 minutes, set in the university and Indy's house. In Doom it's just about a minute on that plane, before they realize the pilots have left. Then it's high-speed action again. We get a few minutes to catch our breath in the village, then they get moving again. When they reach the temple the movie never really slows down at all anymore.
    No argument there. But as an introduction to the saga, do you think TPM works better than ANH? I don't. I understand the continuity thing. From a storytelling point of view a linear timeline is better. But we can't ignore the visual and emotional aspects. If the whole saga were a novel I think telling it from the beginning would make sense. But the movies being as different as they are style-wise, I'd say the "main story" first, then back story as flash-back, isn't a bad choice.
    But right now that is pure speculation. So far we don't have a concrete idea how TFA will fit in with the rest of the saga, or how it is done visually. It will be different from RotJ, that's for sure. We'll have to wait and see. When the ST is complete a new viewing order might make sense, I'm not denying that. But it's too early to say.
     
  11. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001
    We do get to know Indy in TOD. No, we don't see Marcus, Sallah and the university. But we do see Short Round and Wu Han at the nightclub. We see him as a skeptic of the Sankara Stones just as he is of the Ark of the Covenant, until the very end. No, we don't know about Marion and Abner, but that don't matter right now. Hell, we really don't get to know Indy until "The Last Crusade".

    It slows down during the camp fire and during the dinner, picks up when Indy is attacked and slows down when they're captured. Picks back up when Short Round makes his break.

    I think TPM works well as an introduction because you learn as you go along. You see Obi-wan and Qui-gon in action, thus learning about the Force through what they do with it. You're introduced to the Republic and the conflict that is to come. You start with Anakin as a boy and follow him to his death. But style wise, they're not that dissimilar. Just where they all take place and what kind of conflict is at work here, which still works. The PT is about the political drama and a large galactic conflict, wrapped around a centuries old conflict. The OT is a smaller scale war between good and evil. A small band of freedom fighters fighting the large Imperial military complex rather than a large Droid Army rebelling against a large Clone Army.



    We've already seen from the trailers. Elements of the PT carry over, while elements of the OT also carry over. We already know that the story takes place thirty years after ROTJ and elements introduced in the PT are back, even stated outright by Abrams. And I have read the spoilers, which I won't mention, but they definitely make it feel as if all six films happened.
     
  12. DaveyWanKenobi

    DaveyWanKenobi Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2015
    I'd have to go with release order. It is kinda off-putting (at least to me) to go from the PT into the OT chronologically. The special effects are so many leagues apart it just feels more natural to build up to the craziness of ROTS. Maybe that's just me. I have no problem with the older effects on their own, but they feel weird having just watched the cutting edge CGI from ROTS right beforehand.
     
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  13. haleyorgana

    haleyorgana Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Nov 17, 2015
    machete order including episode 1. i just love how in that order, the final 2 are the darkest and then the happiest movies back-to-back in the saga. you go from anakin's fall to the darkside in revenge of the sith to his redemption in return of the jedi.
     
  14. DaveyWanKenobi

    DaveyWanKenobi Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2015
    I just re-watched the 6 films in release order two weeks ago. I may pull one more before Dec.18th. In the past, I have done re-watches of all six in chronological order, but personally I think release order just flows better. It is pretty jarring going from Episode III to Episode IV if you ask me. Also, since It's not my first time watching all the movies, I don't see much of a point of watching chronologically. It's not like watching the PT trilogy first adds any greater suspense to Anakin's story or anything. We all knew where he was headed from the start of the PT. All in all, as I said, I just like the flow of watching in release order much better.

    As a totally unneeded side note, TCW movie, TCW TV-show, and Rebels TV-show have never and will never be included in any of my 'series' re-watches any more than playing the KOTOR series or reading NJO books would be included. IMO, live action films = Canon and game/books/cartoons/comics = 'What-If?' scenarios. I've never taken LA's official stance on canon to heart, I'm not gonna start now that Mickey Mouse has the helm. Last time I checked, nothing important from any of these 'side series' has ever been referenced or confirmed by or even relevant to any of the films thus far. (With the possible exception of Darth Plagueis. That was technically from a novel released just before ROTS first right?) The ST or the Anthology Films may force me to reconsider this stance if they start referencing Ahsoka or Blaster-Lightsabers on screen or something, but until that day comes I see no reason to change my position.
     
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  15. Alienware

    Alienware Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Apr 19, 2013
    I always watch them in release order and thought I might go for a chronological one before TFA, but you just might have prevented me from doing so because I have the exact same stance as you, so I agree with everything you've written above.
     
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  16. CIS Droid

    CIS Droid AOTC 20th Anniversary Banner Winner star 5 VIP - Game Winner

    Registered:
    Oct 21, 2015
    I introduced my sister to the prequels first. Am i a bad person?
     
  17. DaveyWanKenobi

    DaveyWanKenobi Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2015

    Yes. Yes, you are. Don't worry, even the most evil among us can eventually be redeemed from the Dark Side. Forgiveness is the way of the Light Side. :D
     
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  18. -NaTaLie-

    -NaTaLie- Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 5, 2001

    How old is she? Kids don't mind Jar Jar :)
     
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  19. CIS Droid

    CIS Droid AOTC 20th Anniversary Banner Winner star 5 VIP - Game Winner

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    Oct 21, 2015

    19. She just recently started to like Sci-fi. Before she wouldn't watch anything sci fi or fantasy (except Lotr). After she got hooked on Game of Thrones she wanted to start watching classic sic fi/ fantasy movies. She liked all three, even though she found episode 2 confusing. Last week we watched A New Hope and she liked it.

    Edit* I should add that i was planning to start with the OT, because of Empires Vader is Luke`s father moment. She already knew about it though, so i decided to show her the prequels first.
     
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  20. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001
    Watching it I-VI isn't about suspense for long time viewers like you and I. Watching it I-VI is about seeing the story unfold in a linear fashion. Seeing things in a different perspective than when we first saw it. For new viewers who see it that way, they get the different view from us right out of the gate.


    Plagueis is referred to in ROTS by Palpatine. The story of Plagueis was told in a novel that came out about two years ago.
     
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  21. DaveyWanKenobi

    DaveyWanKenobi Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2015


    I said that didn't I? Or were you just confirming? I pointed that out as one of the few EU things the films later went on to 'canonize'.

    And just to be clear, I'm not saying there won't be more either. I fully expect the 6(!!!) upcoming films to include things that were previously only in novels or those...cartoons...

    I don't want them to. But I fully expect it.
     
  22. -NaTaLie-

    -NaTaLie- Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 5, 2001
    Last time, I did the flashback order (IV,V,I,II,III,VI). It worked well. I'll try chronological order for my next marathon and see how it goes (I suspect ANH will be the odd one out)
     
  23. Seagoat

    Seagoat Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 25, 2013

    I will forever agree with this and it is one of the biggest reasons I advocate chronological order viewings

    The father twist is good, yes - but the "hero becomes the villain and ruins his own life" twist - it's far more powerful. It takes place over time. Every time you see a chance of it going the right way, you're wrong and it gets worse. Painful fall is more emotionally brutal than a jaw-dropping revelation

    Thing is with prophecy stories, 99.9999% of the time, it'll look like the hero loses, but then they save the day anyways and the villain is defeated. Predictable. SW is that 0.0001% (seemingly)
    ROTS does a great job of tricking us, the audience, into thinking the prophecy was wrong and the only hope is that the son can defy "fate" and bring salvation
    It only makes it MORE satisfying when, in the end, the hero-turned-villain redeems himself and DOES fulfill the nearly forgotten prophecy
     
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  24. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001
    No, Plagueis was a Lucas creation. The EU only told his story well after ROTS came and went. Darth Bane was created by Lucas and was first referred to by name in the TPM novelization, then had his origin shown in "Jedi Vs Sith" with revisions coming in the three novels that came out a few years later. You were mixing the two up.
     
  25. DaveyWanKenobi

    DaveyWanKenobi Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2015


    Ah I see what you mean now. The problem was my terminology. I was basically calling everything not the films part of the expanded universe. I realize that is not literally true, it's just how I view it. I was saying Plagueis was something that originated elsewhere(a book prior to ROTS being released) and actually made it into one of the films (opera house scene in ROTS). I wouldn't put Darth Bane in that category. Even though Lucas came up with him, He is never referenced in any way shape or form in any film, making him easy to ignore in my headcanon. Plagueis is not, since he is explicitly mentioned in one of the films.

    The whole point of my first post where I mistakenly called plagueis 'EU' was that in my mind, nothing other than the films is canon. I know this is not literally true, as Disney decides what's canon now, but that doesn't matter to me is all I'm saying.

    There is plenty of Star Wars material besides the movies I LIKE. KOTOR, NJO books, Most of Timmothy Zhan's work, and so on. I just don't count those as part of the real Star Wars story. It's all 'what-if?' content to me. Doesn't mean I hated it necessarily (Though in some specific cases I do). It really just means that things like Revan and Ahsoka aren't REAL until someone in a main film mentions or references them directly. (To ME, if that's not clear)