Prequels and Sequels: New viewers watch which first?

With the completion of RotS to the saga, how should new viewers watch the saga? Start with the Prequels 1, 2, and 3 or start with the Sequels 4, 5, and 6? Your thoughts on this?

Strilo edit: There are many threads about this in forums that cover the entire saga.

 

Neither. My kids will watch it like this:

4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6.

 

This isn't really an issue.

Unless they are instructed otherwise, people will automatically watch the saga in chronological order in the future.

 

It should be in the order it was ment to be.I,II,II,IV,V,VI.Why do you think its called I,II,II?

 

Although the numerical progression will most likely ensure that new viewers choose the I-VI route, personally I would recommend watching the films by order of their release dates. While TPM does an adequate job of introducing Anakin and his story, I can?t help but feel ANH offers a much more fluid unveiling of the Star Wars mythos as a whole. Plus, robbing future generations of the iconic ESB plot twist is a travesty.

 

Agree with previous poster...

IV, V, I, II, III, VI is the BEST way to watch the series. You still get the big surprise of ESB, and the cathartic finale of ROTJ.

The prequels become sort of an extended flashback sequence before Vader's redemption is shown.

Audiences will probably watch them chronologically in the future, but I hope that recommended saga viewing orders become popular.

 

I agree that the SPIEGEL METHOD tm. (4-5-1-2-3-6) is better than OT-PT.

I'm not sure if it is better than chronological, though.

 

I think I'll show them to my kids chronologically.

But regardless of my preferred viewing order, I can see the sense in watching them in either chronological or release date order, because that way, you get to watch one story arc or the other all the way through. But what's the sense of mixing and matching, as some of you have suggested? I don't see the sense of watching two of the OT, then all of the PT, then ROTJ. Doesn't that disrupt the Saga's story flow, and couldn't it be slightly confusing to some? How is that a beneficial viewing order?

 

Try it all ways, see which works best.
There may be many suprises/drama you're choosing not to see. Watching the movies should not be an excersize in perserving a single suprise. Star Wars is worth more than that.

 

ANH is the best movie to watch first. Think about how the lightsaber is first shown, Ben's speech about the Jedi and the Force, and the Old Republic. Think about how Tusken Raiders are introduced in ANH, they are scary and make a surprising appearance. In TPM, the first time we Tuskens is almost a joke. Suddenly, in AOTC they are wiping out hunting parties and killing farmers? Think about the first Jawa that jumps out and shoots R2-D2, and how the tension builds up to that moment. In TPM, we get a glimpse of one from behind during the podrace, which ruins their appearance later, as well as the sandcrawler. Also, a viewer who sees the ROTS lightsaber duels will undoubtedly be disappointed by the duels in ANH and ROTJ if he watches them in chronological order.

 

I, II, III - The surprise is that Anakin goes to the dark side, Palpatine becomes the Emperor, and the Republic Falls

IV, V, VI - The surprise is that Anakin is Darth Vader and Luke's father, Leia is Luke's sister, and so on

I think it depends on which surprise you want new viewers to experience (just think of someone who DIDN'T already know Anakin was going to become Darth Vader?!)

I personally favor IV, V, I, II, III, VI because I feel IV does a better job of introducing the Universe, but I think its a matter of preference...