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Girlfriend has never seen Star Wars. In what order should we watch them?
- Thread starter miamialley
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Order they were made.
She needs to be able to scream NOOOOOO!!! when darth vader reveals that hes really that guy that you all know what I'm talking about... and then discover how be became that guy in the prequels.
She needs to be able to scream NOOOOOO!!! when darth vader reveals that hes really that guy that you all know what I'm talking about... and then discover how be became that guy in the prequels.
I wonder what that experience would be like to watch Star Wars for the first time and not have to wait for the next movie. That would be incredible.
It makes sense to watch them in the order they were released on the first time.
It makes sense to watch them in the order they were released on the first time.
Another vote for Machete Order. Also, Episode I should be viewed as a standalone title after the fact. It should be treated like Rogue One or one of the other, future standalone titles.
Man... if you care so much about Star Wars that you need a poll for this + a girlfriend that has never seen it .... she better be an 18year old mormon just escaped her family.
Im in for life with a woman whom I for 8 years have tried to get to watch Star Wars... Har worst moment was watching predator.
run man ..... run. no just kidding
....(she is watching!)
Im in for life with a woman whom I for 8 years have tried to get to watch Star Wars... Har worst moment was watching predator.
run man ..... run. no just kidding
....(she is watching!)
Watch A New Hope (Ep 4) > Empire Strikes Back (Ep 5) > Return of the Jedi (Ep 6--and make sure you watch some old bootleg DVD recorded from laserdisc so you get old Anakin and the festive ending music vs. Smooth Jazz 97.7 and "Anakin You're Breaking My Heart" Anakin) > REPEAT 3X > The Force Awakens (Ep 7) > Dec. 15 Rogue One in movie theater.
Try and convince your girlfriend that they never made any more (i.e. an Ep 1 2 or 3). That's what most of us are still trying to do in our heads.
Oh and then when she thinks lightsabers are cool, watch this episode on YouTube my kids did on special vs computer effects and lightsabers: So You Want To Create Your Own Star Wars Lightsaber Duel?
Try and convince your girlfriend that they never made any more (i.e. an Ep 1 2 or 3). That's what most of us are still trying to do in our heads.
Oh and then when she thinks lightsabers are cool, watch this episode on YouTube my kids did on special vs computer effects and lightsabers: So You Want To Create Your Own Star Wars Lightsaber Duel?
I like the argument for machete order a lot, but I still would use 4-5-6-(1)-2-3 for a newbie (Episode 1 is a disaster and entirely unnecessary to the story, but will be worth watching for many just because of the incredible John Williams score.)
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The first DS was a design marvel. It's destruction was a fluke. What are the chances a pair of proton torpedoes being shot into an exhaust port 2 meters wide?
Nearly impossible, but not quite. I've heard that it's possible to bullseye womp rats from a T-16 if one is particularly gifted.
I will argue that the series should be viewed in chronological order. I know that it is fashionable to bag the first three films, but they set out the Star Wars Universe methodically and the special effects are first class. Jar Jar gets some bad reviews but he and his people are far more effective aliens than the ridiculous Ewoks of Endor. Small people dressed in bunny suits? Really?
The first film in the series had a difficult problem... it had to set out the SW Universe and its various peoples; modify a storyline that had begun years before in Episode 4 and smooth out the edges that didn't fit. It has been criticised for 'lack of story' but the reality is that it laid the groundwork for the entire series.
I will agree that the young Jedi Apprentice period of Anakin was some of the worst acting ever seen on film, but fortunately Portman compensated superbly and diverted our attention through her acting skills and personal beauty.
This is science fiction. Suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride.
The first film in the series had a difficult problem... it had to set out the SW Universe and its various peoples; modify a storyline that had begun years before in Episode 4 and smooth out the edges that didn't fit. It has been criticised for 'lack of story' but the reality is that it laid the groundwork for the entire series.
I will agree that the young Jedi Apprentice period of Anakin was some of the worst acting ever seen on film, but fortunately Portman compensated superbly and diverted our attention through her acting skills and personal beauty.
This is science fiction. Suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride.
Seconded! Machete order is THE way to go. (With Episode VII / The Force Awakens at the end - skipping Episode I / The Phantom Menace completely.)
And go for the Despecialized Editions of the original trilogy. (While some of the "Special Edition" adds are good, notably the adding of color to Cloud City, the originals generally are better.)
Edit: I should say, Episode I can be okay - but I would classify it similar to "Rogue One" - as a "separate from the main series" movie. Go ahead and watch it, but watch it separately. After watching the rest of the series.
As for why Machete is such a great order, this quote from Machete's web page on it really sells it:
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There is only 1 answer. Machete Order.
To save you checking the link, the order is
IV, V, II, III, VI
And @northernmunky has explained why
It is one of the most dramatic, and effective plot twists in cinema.
You will also notice that in Machete Order, Episode I is discarded completely.
@zepfhyr
@zepfhyr, two points, my friend. Discarding Episode I IS machete order. But I agree with you it should be treated as a stand alone movie. From a certain point of view, Episode I has value. Ewan McGregor as (ahem) Obi-Wan Kenobi, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, and the villain Darth Maul are all excellent. But as Machete points out, the Episode does not advance the story arc.
As @Nermal and others say, if you can find the original versions, especially of Episode IV, do. Episode IV was ruined in the digital re-release. In my view, Episodes V and VI are just as good.
If your interest is now piqued to read the Machete article in which he explains his reasons for the order, here's the link again.
http://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/
As for Episode VII, I loved it when it first came out, but I'd leave it a while. On reflection, after repeated viewing, I think the plot overlaps too much with Episode IV.
Lucas based Episode IV on Akira Kurosawa's film "Hidden Fortress". I'm okay with reusing good plots and good ideas, but I do think the writers of VII should have been braver in advancing the franchise.
Watch Episode VII before you see VIII.
@Nermal You are absolutely right, and a lot of people miss this.
@Scepticalscribe Kudos for awarding the student a first for his essay that referenced popular culture.
But not knowing who Darth Vader was in the late 80s? Oh dear, @Scepticalscribe. Oh dear.
(shakes head disappointedly)
To save you checking the link, the order is
IV, V, II, III, VI
And @northernmunky has explained why
It is one of the most dramatic, and effective plot twists in cinema.
You will also notice that in Machete Order, Episode I is discarded completely.
@zepfhyr
@zepfhyr, two points, my friend. Discarding Episode I IS machete order. But I agree with you it should be treated as a stand alone movie. From a certain point of view, Episode I has value. Ewan McGregor as (ahem) Obi-Wan Kenobi, Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn, and the villain Darth Maul are all excellent. But as Machete points out, the Episode does not advance the story arc.
As @Nermal and others say, if you can find the original versions, especially of Episode IV, do. Episode IV was ruined in the digital re-release. In my view, Episodes V and VI are just as good.
If your interest is now piqued to read the Machete article in which he explains his reasons for the order, here's the link again.
http://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/
As for Episode VII, I loved it when it first came out, but I'd leave it a while. On reflection, after repeated viewing, I think the plot overlaps too much with Episode IV.
Lucas based Episode IV on Akira Kurosawa's film "Hidden Fortress". I'm okay with reusing good plots and good ideas, but I do think the writers of VII should have been braver in advancing the franchise.
Watch Episode VII before you see VIII.
@Nermal You are absolutely right, and a lot of people miss this.
@Scepticalscribe Kudos for awarding the student a first for his essay that referenced popular culture.
But not knowing who Darth Vader was in the late 80s? Oh dear, @Scepticalscribe. Oh dear.
(shakes head disappointedly)
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Well, @Obi Wan Kenobi - I hate to have to break it to you but that is not all I didn't know in popular culture. I was one of those kids who was born middle aged, and was utterly impervious to popular culture, entirely oblivious to it, in fact.
In the late 70s - while I was still at school - I had been sent to France to stay for around six weeks with a fabulously cultured and entirely wonderful (I'm still in touch with them, and we are still friends) French family (who lived, and still live, in the centre of Paris) for the purposes of immersing myself in French culture and improving my French language skills.
They took me to Versailles one lovely day, and, as we were about to depart, a convoy of cars screeched to a halt in the forecourt - which was where we just happened to be standing - at the very front of the palace of Versailles.
The first of the cars was an open topped sports car, and a dark haired individual leapt from it, but in a manner which suggested that he rather hoped that the pursuing pack were paying close attention. Photographers spilled from the following cars, and the dark-haired gentleman struck a nonchalant pose or two as they snapped pictures of him.
My French hosts were as bewildered as I was. They counted René Clair and Gerard Phillippe (and their families) as friends, and the grandfather of the family, - who was still alive, and still broadcasting and publishing at that time - was a pretty well known cinema writer and a founding member of the Cannes Film Festival, serving on the jury, who had been very friendly with Marc Chagall.
In French, we wondered - with other French people who also stood there with that peculiarly French air of silent detachment to observe this spectacle - and it was rather loud - who the preening gentleman was and what this was all about. One of the other French individuals observing this commotion shrugged, and said that they thought it might be the man who had starred in Saturday Night Fever.
Needless to say, I hadn't seen the movie, but a name surfaced in my memory, and I simply said 'quelle vanité' to the gentleman in question - who heard me, we were standing close enough for that - and we then took our leave, and thought nothing further of it.
It was only when I returned to school, some days later, and related this tale, that I realised that my classmates were close to lynching me. They were horrified - a surprising number of them were deeply in the throes of teenage passion for the gentleman in question - something I only learned then - and they couldn't believe that the rotten luck of the universe could have contrived an entirely accidental and unexpected encounter between the one person in the class who was guaranteed not only not to know - but not to even care - who John Travolta was at that time.
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I'm surprised it took three pages in the thread to point this out. I enjoyed the movie but my goodness, it was literally ANH de javu. I'm surprised with how many people here are dogging the prequels and totally OK with VII which has similar continuity issues and completely lacks creativity.
As for the thread, I'm in the same boat. My 14 yo son wants to watch Star Wars and I'm really struggling with what order to introduce them. Machete makes some really great, well thought out arguments, but IMO, his method only works if you buy into the idea that the saga is alll about Luke Skywalker. I've never felt this way. For me, the saga is about the Force and Force sensitives, with the Skywalker line being prominent figures because of their strength in the Force.
For that reason, I can't endorse skipping Ep I, even with its flaws. It gives more context to the Force, and to the way I'm which the Sith and the Jedi operate and are organized.