Best order to watch Star Wars?

[Chef FourString]

Um.... don't watch 1, 2 or 3. Solved.

[Darkstrike]

Yeah, that machete order thing sounds interesting, especially the skipping I bit.

Haven't seen II or III, so can't comment there.

[Unrepresented]

For something classic, I'd recommend: I vi IV V or I V vi IV. If you're looking for something a little more jazzy, run them in any order you like, so long as you end with II V.

[johndough247]

I feel as though some Star Wars fans (I'm a fan myself FWIW) are so much like musicians/music lovers who cling to the notion that "nothing good EVER comes out these days, everything good that could have been done was done 30 - 50 years ago..." - whereas IMO it might be mostly maturity and cynicism playing a bigger part in their negative judgement of Ep. I - III.

I believe as a younger guy I escaped this 'romanticism' of the old trilogy because I watched them as a teen in the very late 90's, just before episode I came out (I avoided it for years as a kid; Darth Vader's breathing and that helmet scared me lol), and then I went to the theatres to see I, II and III as they came out. I didn't have 20+ years to build up this story to mythical proportions, and as such, I don't think it was ever truly possible to make an "awesome" prequel to the originals, due to the immense cultural status of IV, V and VI.

That said, yes Episode I is the weakest, no question there (a certain character who receives about as much animosity as Yoko Ono could have been left out, I agree)...but I never felt like the new trilogy (namely 2 and 3, espeically 3) was an abomination to be avoided at all costs when compared to the original...not as good yes, but an abomination??

I agree with the reasons for the Machete order; skipping Episode 1 would mostly work storywise, so go with watching 4 and 5, 2 and 3, then wrap it up with 6. Watch Ep. 1 as a further back story afterwards if you feel like it.

[Sav'nBass]

I am a fan as well... Not a HUGE fan but I enjoyed them all and I suggest that if you have not seen any of them then go I-II-III_IV-V-VI or IV-V-I-II-III-VI.

[DerHoggz]

Machete order seems like a great idea, did most people here not read the linked article?

[EdHunter]

The best way is IV - V - II - III - VI.

You come into the story at the start of the whole GCW narrative, then come to the cliffhanger at the end of Empire. You think "oh wow, is he really his Dad? What's gonna happen to Luke? How did we get here?" Then you go back to II. Skip I - it adds nothing that isn't explained later. II is the worst of the films (even moreso than I, somehow) but it does explain Anakin+Padme, Anakin+Obi and the start of the fall of the Republic. Then in III you see how Vader happens, how Luke and Leia come about, and what it is happens to make the Empire happen. Basically, flashback. Then VI ties it all together and finishes it off.

[bassgod0dmw]

Watch them in the order every Star Wars fan had to watch them...IV, V, VI, I, II, III

That is how they were intended.

[klejst]

Generally speaking I would say watch them in order starting with The Phantom Menace to follow the story and the events, however I will agree that the older 4, 5, 6 are a lot better. There is no shame in watching 4, 5, 6 then 1, 2, 3. The Empire Strikes back is the best of all of them if you ask me. Of course I am very interested in what Disney has in store for the new films.

[nutdog]

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

DV was once a good guy.

Be sure to read this in monotone.

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

That's 1,2 and 3 sorted.

Read this in a voice that sounds like you swallowed kermit the frog.

[spector_boogie]

don't watch epi's 1-3 first.
you won't make it to epi 2, much less 4-6.

better yet, just avoid epi's 1-3 like most humans.

[Darth Handsome]

Originally Posted by johndough247

That said, yes Episode I is the weakest, no question there (a certain character who receives about as much animosity as Yoko Ono could have been left out, I agree)...but I never felt like the new trilogy (namely 2 and 3, espeically 3) was an abomination to be avoided at all costs when compared to the original...not as good yes, but an abomination??

Ep I isn't nearly as bad as people like to make it out to be. It's not great, but it's not horrible. Part II, though is horrible, beyond horrible, and the trouble with III, aside from having similar flaws as II, is that by the end it feels like a shaggy dog story b/c you don't really give a rip about these people or what happens to them.

Watch them in the order they were released. Make sure you're on some potent drugs when you watch AOTC.

[boynamedsuse]

You probably won't know until you see them all and then make up your own mind. Most of us have been affected by the order we saw them.

The ones I am likely to watch again (even though I have them all) are only VI, V, VI, and II. Episode II is a fun movie in the same continuity but with a different story line and feel altogether from the other five. This is a plus for some and a minus for others. I couldn't stand Episode I, and found III painfully (and boringly) predictable.

[Salamenster]

Originally Posted by boynamedsuse

[i] found III painfully (and boringly) predictable.

That's because you already knew the end. ^^

I like ep. I tough. It's got that modern vibe but without drowning in effects, as III and in a way II did.

[electracoyote]

Chronologically (I II III IV V VI) or technologically (VI V VI I II III)

I watched them as they were released, so for me, that's the only order that makes sense. It is a bit of a shocker when you finish VI and then go back to I and pick up the prequel story line.

[powderfinger]

If I had to recommend an order for somone who has never seen either series... I'd say start with IV, V, and VI.... otherwise, they may wanna give up after the Phantom Menace....

And just an aside... Im a huge fan of the original trilogy, but to this day, Empire is the one I can watch over and over and over.

[DwaynieAD]

III, II, VI, I, IV, V <---worst to best.

[EdHunter]

Originally Posted by DwaynieAD

III, II, VI, I, IV, V <---worst to best.

I'm sorry, but I am going to have to find you and violently kill you in your sleep.

[tom once dead]

Well, I finished watching them all last night (in Machete order). I honestly don't understand why everyone is complaining so much about I II III. Sure I didn't really need to be there, but it wasn't a waste of time watching it. I really enjoyed III a lot, sure the acting wasn't the best, but was it really worse than how the special effects are in IV V VI?

[AmpedSilence]

Originally Posted by johndough247

I feel as though some Star Wars fans (I'm a fan myself FWIW) are so much like musicians/music lovers who cling to the notion that "nothing good EVER comes out these days, everything good that could have been done was done 30 - 50 years ago..." - whereas IMO it might be mostly maturity and cynicism playing a bigger part in their negative judgement of Ep. I - III.

I believe as a younger guy I escaped this 'romanticism' of the old trilogy because I watched them as a teen in the very late 90's, just before episode I came out (I avoided it for years as a kid; Darth Vader's breathing and that helmet scared me lol), and then I went to the theatres to see I, II and III as they came out. I didn't have 20+ years to build up this story to mythical proportions, and as such, I don't think it was ever truly possible to make an "awesome" prequel to the originals, due to the immense cultural status of IV, V and VI.

That said, yes Episode I is the weakest, no question there (a certain character who receives about as much animosity as Yoko Ono could have been left out, I agree)...but I never felt like the new trilogy (namely 2 and 3, espeically 3) was an abomination to be avoided at all costs when compared to the original...not as good yes, but an abomination??

I agree with the reasons for the Machete order; skipping Episode 1 would mostly work storywise, so go with watching 4 and 5, 2 and 3, then wrap it up with 6. Watch Ep. 1 as a further back story afterwards if you feel like it.

Nailed it! I agree and relate to this; I just never put it in words