Star Wars Logistics Question

[cf-62]

No, I'm not kidding. I have a friend who has never seen Star Wars (ANY of the movies). Her husband has (of course), and they're going to watch the 6 movies.

I have been actively advocating for them to watch in theatrical order, NOT chronological order (4,5,6, 1,2,3).

Much great debate has ensued.

I'd be interested in hearing others' perspectives on the pros and cons of watching Star Wars (for your FIRST TIME) in chronological order.

C

[Pacer]

Theatrical..

1) greater chance of getting her interested and sticking through all 6.
2) preserves the surprise of luke and leia being siblings and lets the watcher guess when Yoda says that "there is another."

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Definitely theatrical.

You probably should tip them off that episodes 1-3 aren't worth their time.

[Tom B.]

Theatrical..

1) greater chance of getting her interested and sticking through all 6.
2) preserves the surprise of luke and leia being siblings and lets the watcher guess when Yoda says that "there is another."

Agree. And I seem to recall there's another fairly significant plot point that's revealed in the second film of the "original" trilogy that would be spoiled by watching the prequel trilogy first. Of course, if your friend is even remotely literate in pop culture, she probably knows this one already. Still a pretty cool moment, though.

Another note -- have her watch the original versions of IV, V and VI, not any of the updated and re-updated versions that Lucas has foisted upon us over the years with all the additional CGI and other unnecessary stuff thrown in to "harmonize" them with the prequel trilogy. Let her watch them in all their original campy glory, as the good Lord intended.

[Olympic Fan]

Agree. And I seem to recall there's another fairly significant plot point that's revealed in the second film of the "original" trilogy that would be spoiled by watching the prequel trilogy first. Of course, if your friend is even remotely literate in pop culture, she probably knows this one already. Still a pretty cool moment, though.

Another note -- have her watch the original versions of IV, V and VI, not any of the updated and re-updated versions that Lucas has foisted upon us over the years with all the additional CGI and other unnecessary stuff thrown in to "harmonize" them with the prequel trilogy. Let her watch them in all their original campy glory, as the good Lord intended.

Add my support to the view voiced above ... I know if I came to the series cold and somebody tried to get me to watch 1-2-3, I wouldn't make it through the second movie.

Start with 4 -- yeah, the original version if you can find it. The new CGI stuff doesn't help, but I hate the change that has Greedo shooting first ... much cooler to have Han gun him down without warning.

Personally, I loved the original ... a brilliant leap in special effects and some great story-telling. I also believe that the series peaked with No. 5 -- No. 6 started off great with the rescue of Han and the escape from Jabba the Hut, but took a wrong turn with the Ewoks (you could almost see the price-tags on their collectables) and started sliding downhill ever since ...

[JasonEvans]

Much like the discussion of whether or not Pedro Martinez belongs in the Hallof Fame, this question is a no-brainer. You must watch 4-5-6 before 1-2-3... it ain't even a close call.

Once they get done with 4, 5, and 6, I would recommend someone taking their copy of Ep 1 and destroying it before they watch it. Frankly, you can skip all the way to Attack of the Clones and not miss anything that matters at all. Heck, you could probably skip all the way to Revenge of the Sith and not miss anything.

--Jason "wow, does Episode 1 suck a lot or what?" Evans

[Blue in the Face]

Once they get done with 4, 5, and 6, I would recommend someone taking their copy of Ep 1 and destroying it before they watch it. Frankly, you can skip all the way to Attack of the Clones and not miss anything that matters at all. Heck, you could probably skip all the way to Revenge of the Sith and not miss anything.

In all seriousness, are you missing much if you simply watch the original trilogy? I mean, Sith wasn't terrible, but it's not compelling or memorable in any way, is it? I guess if you've invested 3 movies worth of time in the story you might as well, and only Phantom Menace is really really bad, but I think your life would lack very little if you limited your suffering to the Ewok forest.

[CameronBornAndBred]

In all seriousness, are you missing much if you simply watch the original trilogy? I mean, Sith wasn't terrible, but it's not compelling or memorable in any way, is it? I guess if you've invested 3 movies worth of time in the story you might as well, and only Phantom Menace is really really bad, but I think your life would lack very little if you limited your suffering to the Ewok forest.

I think the rise of the Empire and Palpatine is important..and his relationship with Anakin...but if I lived life only knowing Star Wars as a trilogy I would have been pretty satisfied.

[hurleyfor3]

I thought this thread was going to ask why they designed the Death Star to have a weakness in its armor *twice*, or why the hell r2d2 couldn't speak english when mostly everyone else could, or how storm troopers go to the bathroom, or something like that.

[brevity]

I read a pretty good article a few years ago that detailed 4 possible approaches. I was afraid I was going to have to remember it, but lo and behold, I found it.

Here are the four approaches. Read the article for more analysis.

Order of release: IV-V-VI-I-II-III
Order of intent: I-II-III-IV-V-VI
Flashback: IV-V-(I-II-III)-VI
Corleone: I-IV-II-V-III-VI

I recommend the first approach, and only the first approach, for a newcomer. I think I-II-III give away too much: not just the Skywalker lineage, but the revelation at the end of Episode I that the Sith must have only two members. This tells us that in Episode VI, both the Emperor and Darth Vader wanted to recruit Luke to replace the other. (Until then, we kind of assumed they would rule as a triumvirate.)

The rest of us might have a field day trying the others.

[moonpie23]

I, II and III were hardly entertaining despite the tech advancements...


there are three major flaws in those. They fail due to the absence of:


1 - Swashbuckling - there is ZERO swashbuckling in any of them.

2. Romance - ZERO romance in I,II, III ...did anyone feel anything for natalie portman (the professional excluded) and anakin? her outfits made lady gaga blush and heyden christenson was just terrible...

3. Fear of Villan - was there ANYONE that you really feared? not so much a shiver UNTIL the first time you saw vader put the helmet on and heard that breathing....then it brought BACK the real fear of IV, V VI



this should help to put it on perspective

[snowdenscold]

The end of III sent a little chill down my spine, but that's only because I had watched IV so many times and knew the exact parallel the scene was making.

In fact, I think a lot of what I liked about III was that I knew where it was going. If I had never seen IV-VI, it wouldn't have had the same impact.



And on a somewhat related note, there's also considerable debate about which order to read The Chronicles of Narnia. I definitely prefer published order >> chronological order (which unfortunately they're now publishing as in recent releases leading many into confusion)

[darthur]

In all seriousness, are you missing much if you simply watch the original trilogy? I mean, Sith wasn't terrible, but it's not compelling or memorable in any way, is it? I guess if you've invested 3 movies worth of time in the story you might as well, and only Phantom Menace is really really bad, but I think your life would lack very little if you limited your suffering to the Ewok forest.

It's possibly a case of lowered expectations, but I have very fond memories of Sith.

[Lord Ash]

Ugh lord god help us.

Do not let her watch the new ones if you can avoid it.

If possible, you should even try to get the PRE-"enhanced" ones.

[juise]

Ugh lord god help us. If possible, you should even try to get the PRE-"enhanced" ones.

Eh. Greedo shot first and we all know it.


If you're going to watch the prequels, I think you have to watch them all. I understand that the prequels are a letdown if you watch IV-VI first, but at least episode I should temper expectations sufficiently.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

the revelation at the end of Episode I that the Sith must have only two members. This tells us that in Episode VI, both the Emperor and Darth Vader wanted to recruit Luke to replace the other. (Until then, we kind of assumed they would rule as a triumvirate.)

I did not know that. I must have missed when I saw the movie.

And yes, definitely see them in the theater order of release. Otherwise it's like watching Season 6 of Lost first. Takes all (well most of) the mystery out of it.

[Rich]

No, I'm not kidding. I have a friend who has never seen Star Wars (ANY of the movies). Her husband has (of course), and they're going to watch the 6 movies.

I have been actively advocating for them to watch in theatrical order, NOT chronological order (4,5,6, 1,2,3).

Much great debate has ensued.

I'd be interested in hearing others' perspectives on the pros and cons of watching Star Wars (for your FIRST TIME) in chronological order.

C

Just curious what the views are of seeing The Godfather in chronological order instead of theatrical release. In essence, the flashback in Godfather 2 would be first, then Godfather 1, then the rest of Godfather 2, and then (God awful) Godfather 3.

[cf-62]

Just curious what the views are of seeing The Godfather in chronological order instead of theatrical release. In essence, the flashback in Godfather 2 would be first, then Godfather 1, then the rest of Godfather 2, and then (God awful) Godfather 3.

AMC runs the chronological version of the Godfather trilogy every once in a while. It's VERY different, though, for two reasons

1) There aren't any "surprises" in The Godfather that are spoiled by watching the DeNiro scenes
2) The book contains all that information in a different order anyway.

[Tom B.]

I thought this thread was going to ask why they designed the Death Star to have a weakness in its armor *twice* . . . .

The design flaw in the first Death Star is explained here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcL6D...eature=related

[Olympic Fan]

The design flaw in the first Death Star is explained here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcL6D...eature=related

Great clip...

Have you seen this riff on Episode IV?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzoeE...eature=related