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

As the release of Episode VII: The Force Awakens is approaching, the first chapter in the Sequel Trilogy, I was wondering in which order should we watch or should new viewers watch the Star Wars movies. Or in which order are you watching the Star Wars movies?

For me, since I've already watched the movies, in chronological order it doesn't bother me even if it has been years since I haven't popped any of the DVD or Blu-Ray discs. But the biggest question for me is for new viewers who have never seen Star Wars.

I don't know but the Machete order, including Episode I, for new viewers seems to be a good option, but that's my personal thought. But I've never tried it when I was a new viewer since the order I've watched these movies for the first time 10 years ago was: Episodes III, I, II, IV, V, VI.

Feel free to share your thoughts.

 

I usually watch a single film at a time and as too Newbies I'd ask them without asserting assumed superiority in any order.

 

The way the creator intended for it to be watched.

 

I always watch them in chronological order. I would suggest to someone who was new to SW to see them in release order, though.

 

For someone who's already seen them before, chronological. Someone who's never seen them: machete including I so you can keep the twists. Also, you need ANH first because it introduces you to the Galaxy. TPM sorta assumes you know everything already.

Watching them in release order will just cause you to compare the originals to the prequels.

 

For someone familiar with the series, the chronological order is the way to go. For those who aren't, then release order is probably the best.

 

Definitely release order, especially for a first time watcher. If you don't watch the Original Trilogy first, you miss a lot of the stuff in the Prequel trilogy. Also if you only could sit through one prequel, just watch ROTS.

 

The release order is bugging me more and more since now we'll have the ST (Episodes VII, VIII & IX) coming out. When the ST will be completed, will first viewers have to watch the movies in their release order, which will be: IV, V, VI, I, II, III, VII, VIII, IX which will be even more confusing than having only 6 movies and destroys the flow of the story of the entire saga?

With 9 movies by 2020, chronological order would be the most logical one, but as some have mentionned, Episode IV does a better introduction to the Galaxy and the Force than Episode I which I agree with that statement.

Maybe the Machete order including Episode I is a better way since, immediately after the cliff hanger of Episode V, you get to the back story and get a better view of the stakes and issues that Vader/Anakin and Luke are confronted to before watching Return of the Jedi. I always had the feeling that after watching the PT, when watching ROTJ you are more involved in the story of the Skywalker family than just watching the OT.

 

One of the trilogies first, then the other. I would definitely not "machete" 'em up, because each trilogy is meant to be experienced from beginning to end and they work best that way.

When it comes to deciding which trilogy goes first, if it's left entirely up to me, then numerical order, because:

* 1, 2 and 3 come before 4, 5 and 6, so it's only logical.

* ROTS is an awesome turning point.

* The first trilogy (I-III) makes the second trilogy (IV-VI) even more powerful.

* The story of Anakin Skywalker is at its best when experienced from beginning to end.

 

Release Order since that is the way the Saga evolved naturally.
No trying to force the OT into a PT confine since PT concepts came later.
Ending it currently at ROTS is a downer but everything or almost everything we had been waiting for had been answered.
Quite the rewarding experience. Tatooine is the first and last planet seen, C-3PO has the first and last lines etc.

I would love to try the 4-5-6 (Dagobah)-1-2-3-Rest of 6 way.

 

Chronological order, no doubt to me.

 

Chronological for me. Once in a blue moon I'll go just OT for the sake of nostalgia, but I can't see watching them out of order. Makes no sense to me. Who invented this "Machete" order?

 

Someone who can't handle the greatness of TPM.

 

I can't believe I didn't notice this before: One of the options is "Only the original trilogy: Episodes IV, V, VI", but none of them says "Only Episodes I, II, III".
I know that "A completely different order!" is available, but why the special treatment?

I've actually tried out watching only Episodes I-III and I gotta say, it's a treat! If you can sort of block out the other trilogy while doing that, you're in for a great tragedy that actually stands well on its own.

 

Well I thought that since there were more fans watching only the OT than just the PT (since it seems that there's a lot more people despising the PT than the OT), I thought about them and added this option in the poll. Especially, there's this guy, Jon Campea, recommending to a new viewer to watch only the OT and not the PT since "the PT doesn't exist":

 

for first time watchers: I'd say in order of release (ot first than pt)

for me: machete order except normally for me it'd just be IV-V-III-VI. not that I think there is nothing good about about I and II (lot's of good ideas) I just don't normally like them enough to sit through them in this order. as a flashback III by itself is good enough too since anakin and obi wan have already been introduced in IV and V. I almost wish this was the official order tbh (kind of like how narnia books numbers weren't in chronological order but it still worked well). in the future of course the st will flow well right from VI without moving anything around.

 

Campea drives me nuts with his anti-PT rhetoric. He basically admits it was peer pressure (as it is in most cases of PT revulsion) that led him to "reevaluate" his opinion of the PT (after generally enjoying it originally) and coming to the conclusion that every "intelligent" person already came to,that they are worse than pond scum.

 

The storys about Anakin so watch it chronological order sets the whole story up. You see the Republic fall in ep3 and the Empire become in power. Luke and the rebels defeat the Empire and Anakin comes back to the light by the end of the OT. In the TFA the Empire that Anakin built is still around.

 

I, II, III, IV, V, VI
I don't even need think about that.

 

Chronological order.

 

I don't think there really is a "should" because it's all subjective. I say watch the order you prefer and whatever you think is best for introducing a newcomer, do it that way

Personally I prefer chronological and always watch it that way (my next viewing is in a few days ^_^)

If introducing someone, I'd tell them that the OT was made first and the PT later, and that I personally recommend chronological order, but if they want release order, then that is also fine by me

 

Release order.

 

Release order for first time viewers, definitely. Let them see how the series started, and let them watch how it grew and expanded over the years. The Phantom Menace may be Episode I, but it does assume the viewer has knowledge of the universe, and it builds on themes, concepts, and ideas that were introduced in the original three films, thus making it a less effective introduction than A New Hope. You also lose understanding the various callbacks present in the prequels; when you reach the corresponding moments in the originals, they don't play as callbacks because they were never intended to be. Also (for me at least) the shift from Revenge of the Sith to A New Hope is too jarring to get past. Both Machete (IV-V-II-III-VI) and flashback (IV-V-I-II-III-VI) order also don't work very well, as it takes two trilogies that are completely different structurally and tonally, made in two different time periods, and intercuts them with one another.

Despite having seen the films an uncountable amount of times since I was a kid, I always do release order when I'm feeling up for a marathon. It just feels most right to me for the reasons I listed above.

 

I voted Chronological order.

I think with the ST coming out, release order just doesn't make sense anymore.

Also it will be interesting to see what people say about which order to watch with the upcoming spinoff movies.

 

Going I-VI baby!