Star Wars: From the beginning? or in the order that I watched them?

[The Chandos]

Hey all, I wanted to get some opinions. When I was a kid I got to see Star Wars in the movie theatres. You know, the "original" one with Mark Hamill as Luke, etc. Episode IV I think it's called. Then came Empire, then Jedi. Then we all had to backtrack to the Clone Wars and start from the beginning.

Now that my kids are getting older I wanted to watch the movies with them but I'm not sure about the order. Should I start with Episode I? or start where I started?

And if I remember correctly, didn't they go back and re-release the originals with digital enhancements that replaced Mark Hamill and Obi Wan with the guys in Clone Wars? Ewan McGregor etc? Should I try to find those so it's less confusing?

 

[heybatter]

Might as well go from Phantom Menace onwards if this is the kid's first time....

Also in regards to the digital enhancements, it would be more difficult to track down the DVDs without them.

 

[blackdog1101]

The first three from the late 70's and early 80's were wonderful stories. The three "prequels" were shadows of the earlier movies. IMO George Lucas diminished the franchise with the additional 3 movies.

 

[Obsessed]

Ignore the prequels, watch the original three.

 

[i.am.zed]

Good God man! There's only one way to do this right. Show them in the order you saw it. Go with IV, V, VI and then I, II, III.

Regarding the enhancements...there are tons of them. Almost all of them are ancillary and background stuff. The only one I can think of dealing with one of the main characters is toward the end of VI when Luke sees the spirits of ObiWan, Yoda and his father. The actor playing his father (Vader) is replaced with Hayden Christensen.

 

[i.am.zed]

Hey Chandos, I just noticed your avitar is Jeremiah Johnson...an outstanding movie. Definitely in my top 5 along with The Empire Strikes Back of the Star Wars series.

I'm liking you tastes in cinema.....

 

[chado006]

I'm a pretty big Star Wars purist, the prequels were just too far off from the originals. However, they are meant to be watched 1-6 so I just did that with some friends of mine who had never seen any of the movies (I know! I couldn't believe it either!). Watch them like that and they watch like any other franchise, other than an obvious drop in effects.

 

[357]

I would suggest starting as you did with Episode IV. That way Luke's father is a surprise.

BTW, they didn't edit out Mark Hamill. Lucas tweaks it everytime he re-releases it onto new media. But even he wouldn't go that far. I have the Blue-Ray set and it's fantastic.

 

[tebbiebear]

Watch the Originals and then stop. The prequels SUCK and ruin the series. If they are watched in "order" 1-6 then many of the things that make the originals so good are ruined.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

IV, V, VI then the others.

You know what's crazy? The special effects in IV, V and VI are far less dated than those in the prequels. Watch the Death Star raid at the end of IV. It totally holds up. It looks like real space ships attacking a real space station. Sames goes for Jurassic Park. The tyrannosaurus in the first film looks so much better than dinosaurs in recent films. I have no idea how directors aren't seeing this.

 

[BingeAndPurge]

The only new Star Wars worth anything are the Clone Wars cartoons

 

[k2clones29]

You gotta do it in the order they were released, starting with IV, V, and VI. The reason is that the shock of Darth Vader being Luke's father won't be the same if they see the prequels first.

 

[The Chandos]

I would suggest starting as you did with Episode IV. That way Luke's father is a surprise.

You gotta do it in the order they were released, starting with IV, V, and VI. The reason is that the shock of Darth Vader being Luke's father won't be the same if they see the prequels first.

For some reason I didn't even think of this and it is perhaps the single most important reason to YES watch them in the order that I saw them. IV, V, and VI it is. I, II, and III will just have to wait. Thanks all, I knew asking this would get a myriad of responses from both sides of the fence that probably wouldn't help - ha! - but a solid reason for the decision making process has been revealed. Excellent, and thank you.

Something else I just remembered is that I don't actually own I, II, and III. In fact, I have only IV, V, and VI ... on VHS !!! Believe it or not. And my old, old VCR still works. Ah, the boys can just wear them all out!

Hey Chandos, I just noticed your avitar is Jeremiah Johnson...an outstanding movie. Definitely in my top 5 along with The Empire Strikes Back of the Star Wars series.

I'm liking you tastes in cinema.....

There's no doubt that Empire was THE best of the Star Wars series, just shockingly good. I mean, Vader is Luke's father AND cuts his hand off, Han is captured by Boba, ... , the bad guys win and it was horrific for an 8-year-old like me!

There aren't many movies that I absolutely love - I reserve the 5-star status for only those that truly capture my soul: Shine, Cinema Paradiso, Jeremiah Johnson, and The Star Wars Trilogy are among them. I have a lot of 4-star faves, but 5-stars is rare air.

 

[malocchio]

You gotta do it in the order they were released, starting with IV, V, and VI. The reason is that the shock of Darth Vader being Luke's father won't be the same if they see the prequels first.

this is the way to go.....vulcan logic demands it....

 

[nole1]

Something else I just remembered is that I don't actually own I, II, and III. In fact, I have only IV, V, and VI ... on VHS !!! Believe it or not. And my old, old VCR still works. Ah, the boys can just wear them all out!

You could probably make a killing converting them to DVD and selling them as the original un-messed with versions of the movie. I know several people who would buy them.

I really hate how they had to take random characters and remake them using CGI (like Jaba in IV when he's talking to Solo on the Death Star).

 

[salazch12]

I'd start with the originals, then the newer ones after. Build some mystery!

 

[Dennis]

I'd do IV, V & VI and ignore the prequels.

 

[ShaveYourSoul]

Especially I

I'd do IV, V & VI and ignore the prequels.

 

[Edcculus]

I wasn't aware there were more than 3 Star Wars movies...

 

[InsecureSpike]

yep, when i sat down with my daughter to watch them we watched IV, V, VI,
then I, II, III. yeah i think it's the better way to watch them,
altho, she likes IV, V, VI, the most as my daughters name is Leia, and she loves knowing who she was named after....