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If forced to watch the Prequels, I'd still go in chronological order. I get doing it 4, 5, 2, 3, 6 the first time but at this point, I'm not exactly trying to avoid spoilers, so I'd just go 1-7 and slot R1 (and presumably Han Solo Goes Solo) in between 3 and 4. I don't think I could watch 4 before R1, as they fit together so nicely. In fact, I can't wait to do that, as ANH's opening act after the Tantive IV scene might work better as a cool down after the all-out battle at the end of R1, rather than what it is now, a slightly padded exposition-heavy opening segment.

El Torro wrote:

 Crazy_Carnifex wrote:
Yeah, I'd say "Hatchet+" (because the two newest movies are added onto either end) is the best way to marathon the movies now.


Optional: Take a break between 2 and 3 to binge-watch the Clone Wars.

Is Clone Wars worth it? I tried watching a couple of episodes some years ago and found it very tedious

It's not as consistent as series 2 and 3 of Rebels, but at its best there's some of the best Star Wars stories ever told in there (as well as some real crap, like 90% of the Senate-based episodes, and the one where Jar-Jar is mistaken for a Jedi... ). Most of the stuff in series 3, 4 and 5 are self-contained arcs that run about an hour each, and there are a few that are simply fantastic standalone stories. There's plenty of lists out there of the good ones, so even if you just buy a handful of arcs on Itunes then it's worth at least looking into. The Krell/Umbara, Citadel and Onderon arcs are great 'war stories' in the vein of Rogue One, the Mandalore arc is a lot longer (it does span series 2 to 5 with a mini-arc each series), but culminates in the return of one of the coolest and most underused characters in all of Star Wars...

 Matthew wrote:
Eh, I don't see the point of putting ep 2 and 3 between 5 and 6, much better to do 2, 3, Han Solo movie, Rogue One, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

The main purpose is to preserve the significant plot twists in 5, and to move the other plot twist in 6 to 3. If you have already watched all the Star Wars movies and know the story then there isn't really any reason for inserting 2 and 3 between 5 and 6, unless you like the flow. But if you have never seen Star Wars, and you haven't been hit with "Luke, I am your father" quotes all your life, then the machete order is really a good choice IMO. If this is your first experience in Star Wars it gives you:

Rogue One: Basically serves as a foreword to the novel. You see the galaxy, you see the Empire, you see the Rebellion, you see the Death Star, and you see Vader on a murderous rampage. It gives away absolutely nothing about what is to come, it doesn't spoil any plots, it reinforces some of the elements of Episode IV, and it lets you know that this is a bad universe to live in.

Episode IV: Picks up right where the foreword leaves off, and introduces us to the main characters of the saga. We know why the plans are important, we know why she is looking for Old Ben, we know why Darth Vader is feared, and we know why we should care about the rebellion. It also makes Luke sound even more like a whiny bitch when he complains about having to pick up power converters after we just watched everybody die in Rogue One.

Episode V: Good follow up from Episode IV, and it is a good peak from the "Vader is one fethed up bad guy, slaughtering everyone" in Rogue One, "Vader is such a bad guy that he even killed Luke's father and Old Ben" in Episode IV, to "Vader freezes people, holds people hostage, climactic fight against Luke, cut his hand off.......WTF!!!!!!! HE'S HIS DAD!!!??!??!??!" in Episode V. That reveal is part of what makes Episode V such an epic classic. And it leaves you with the shock of finding out that Vader is the father and that the good guys are running away. Episode V is a downer.

Episode I: We ignore, because nothing happens that has any significance to the rest of the movies. You can insert a YouTube clip of Duel of the Fates, and you got the best part of the movie. The few bits of knowledge that matter are mentioned and addressed in II and III.

Episode II & III: Fresh of the "Vader...what...how...when" shock we got from watching Episode V, we get the extended flashback of just how Anakin became Vader. We see the struggle, we see Emperor, we see why he should be feared, we see how Vader was corrupted, we see how the Empire came to be and how the seeds of the rebellion were planted. We see Luke ended up surrounded by scratchy sand that gets everywhere, and we get another "holy crap....there are two of them....Leia is his sister???" plot twist. And just like Episode V it ends on a bad note for the good guys.

Episode VI: Armed with the knowledge of how Vader came to be, we get to watch the evolution of Luke. And after watching Anakin slowly turn into Vader, it is obvious that Luke is going down the same path. He's dressed in all black, like Anakin. He threatens to just slaughter people, and does, to free his friends. He's more like Anakin than Kenobi on this journey. Seeing Anakin fall, and seeing the similarities in Luke, makes Episode VI more meaningful IMO.

And if your ass isn't sore yet, you can watch VII

Watching in numerical order just gives away all the plot twists in the original episodes. We get the "here is your fathers lightsaber, I took it for him after chopping him to bits and left him burning alive, he killed a bunch of younglings with it" memes, because we know the background. Again, no problem if you already watched them all, but I think it lessens the impact of the originals if you've never seen them before.

When my daughter watches Star Wars for the first time in a few years, I'll sit down and do the Machete Order with her.

I don't call them Episodes I go by the original posters so it would be:

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Return Of the Jedi
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

They aren't my supervisor; they can't tell me what to do.

 Ahtman wrote:
I don't call them Episodes I go by the original posters so it would be:

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Return Of the Jedi
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

They aren't my supervisor; they can't tell me what to do.

I'd go with this myself.

 Ahtman wrote:
I don't call them Episodes I go by the original posters so it would be:

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars: Return Of the Jedi
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

They aren't my supervisor; they can't tell me what to do.

I don't have kids, but if I were to kidnap some, I'd make them watch Star Wars in the order Ahtman recommends. However, I will call them by the episode # because to hell with those stranger's kids I kidnapped.

When will Disney release Star War: The Force Falls Asleep?

I have a crazy idea. Would it be possible to ditch episodes 1 to 3, renumber the remaining episodes (IV becomes 1, V becomes II etc.) and retell the story of Anakin's fall as stand alone movie(s)?

So the viewing order would go something like:

Rogue One
Episode IV (I)
Episode V (II)
New Vader story
Episode VI (III)
Episode VII (IV)

So future generations can watch it without spoilers, and all that dumb prequel nonsense* is ditched?

* Apologies in advance if you liked the prequels.

The prequels aren't going anywhere and it's super unlikely Disney will put any effort into redoing them in any capacity.

 -Loki- wrote:
The prequels aren't going anywhere and it's super unlikely Disney will put any effort into redoing them in any capacity.

Well if you fast forward everything besides:
*Landing of droid army
*Machine battle
*Arena battle where all the Jedis are being killed.
*Post Arena trooper battle and Yoda vs. Dracula fight
*Storm troopers marching on Jedi temple.
*fight between Jedi and Sith and rise of Vader
*fight between Sith and Yoda

Then its not a bad movie.
(notice how there's no scenes involving Anakin Skywalker except when he becomes Darth?

It would be pretty amazing if Ep8 & 9 had Anakin and Obi-wan Force ghosts played by Hayden and Ewan respectively.
If done right (i.e not over done), it could go a long way towards redeeming the prequels.
Since the movies keep getting better (TFA, and not R1) I have not doubt it can be done right.

Disney seems to be spending money on the "prequels are secretly good" clickbait.

 Manchu wrote:
Disney seems to be spending money on the "prequels are secretly good" clickbait.

Putting a gold layer on a turd doesn't change the fact it is still a turd.

 Manchu wrote:
When will Disney release Star War: The Force Falls Asleep?

Episode 8, Luke petitions the galactic senate for Jedi College funding and Graduate School Scholarships...

 kronk wrote:

 Manchu wrote:
When will Disney release Star War: The Force Falls Asleep?

Episode 8, Luke petitions the galactic senate for Jedi College funding and Graduate School Scholarships...

Trade route negotiations are always a quality narrative hook.

 kronk wrote:

 Manchu wrote:
When will Disney release Star War: The Force Falls Asleep?

Episode 8, Luke petitions the galactic senate for Jedi College funding and Graduate School Scholarships...

The Luke Skywalker School for Kids Who Can't Use the Force Real Good (but Can Use the Force) and Want to Do Other Stuff Good Too (and Not Evil Stuff)?

 Matt.Kingsley wrote:

 kronk wrote:

 Manchu wrote:
When will Disney release Star War: The Force Falls Asleep?

Episode 8, Luke petitions the galactic senate for Jedi College funding and Graduate School Scholarships...

The Luke Skywalker School for Kids Who Can't Use the Force Real Good (but Can Use the Force) and Want to Do Other Stuff Good Too (and Not Evil Stuff)?

ya I wouldn't go to any of Luke's school, the title would be more like

Lukes school for force users, if you go bad, I'll cut and run and let you kill all the other pupils and do your evil and not tell anyone even my sister where to find me.

 Eldarain wrote:

 kronk wrote:

 Manchu wrote:
When will Disney release Star War: The Force Falls Asleep?

Episode 8, Luke petitions the galactic senate for Jedi College funding and Graduate School Scholarships...

Trade route negotiations are always a quality narrative hook.

To be fair, it could have been. Even Captain America Winter Soldier did a superhero film disguised as a political thriller, and the light political side wasn't terrible. Political themes don't immediately take away from being a fun action or adventure film.

Am I the only one who liked both Force Awakens and Rogue One?

Force Awakens did a great job of creating a new generation of heroes and making Han Solo pass down the torch.

Rogue One was a great way to make Star Wars more gritty, and we got to see the true power of the Empire.


If I had to rank the Star Wars movies?
Phantom Menace 2/10
Attack of the Clones 4/10
Revenge of the Sith 6/10
Rogue One 8/10 (with the best space battle, last 15 minutes was 10/10)
Star Wars 8/10
Empire Strikes Back 7.5/10
Return of the Jedi 9/10
Force Awakens 7/10

Force Awakens wasn't a poorly made film, but it had lazy and shallow writing that plagiarized A New Hope far too much.

 Matthew wrote:
Am I the only one who liked both Force Awakens and Rogue One?

No, I enjoyed them both. I think you're a bit harsh on Phantom Menace though. The lightsaber duel with Darth Maul and the "Duel of Fates" song are both bitchin!

Better than Obi-Wan's "I can't straighten my elbows" fighting technique in A New Hope.

I kid, I kid. Alec Guiness was really old then.

I always saw "The Force Awakens" as less lazy and shadow plagiarising and more. "Ok, so, yeah, we know the prequels sucked. We really know they do. But let us remind you of some of the original trilogy's greatest hits."

Less plagiarising, more of a cover band and tribute act of the good old days.

That also introduces things to kids who never saw the original band play but heard bits and pieces of various songs over the years.

 Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
Force Awakens wasn't a poorly made film, but it had lazy and shallow writing that plagiarised A New Hope far too much.

Agreed. Far too much copy-pasting of New Hope going on.

I think we should have seen a bit more of Jyn's upbringing to establish some of the stuff she and that extremist guy did together.

 angelofvengeance wrote:

 Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:
Force Awakens wasn't a poorly made film, but it had lazy and shallow writing that plagiarised A New Hope far too much.

Agreed. Far too much copy-pasting of New Hope going on.

I think we should have seen a bit more of Jyn's upbringing to establish some of the stuff she and that extremist guy did together.

Might get that in a future Season of Star Wars Rebels.

I feel like I am one of the few people who likes "Star Wars"...all of it. Even the prequels. They clearly have their flaws, but there are enough high points (Obi-wan, Maul, etc) that contribute to the overall world that I can still watch them over and over again.
Force Awakens needed to be, as Compel says, "the original trilogies greatest hits". That geared everyone up and made the audience realize that you can get back some of the magic. Rogue One was then able to add something new, and I have no doubt that Ep8 will be something like we've never seen before.

-

 Matthew wrote:
Am I the only one who liked both Force Awakens and Rogue One?

Force Awakens did a great job of creating a new generation of heroes and making Han Solo pass down the torch.

Rogue One was a great way to make Star Wars more gritty, and we got to see the true power of the Empire.


If I had to rank the Star Wars movies?
Phantom Menace 2/10
Attack of the Clones 4/10
Revenge of the Sith 6/10
Rogue One 8/10 (with the best space battle, last 15 minutes was 10/10)
Star Wars 8/10
Empire Strikes Back 7.5/10
Return of the Jedi 9/10
Force Awakens 7/10

You rated EWOKS better than the original Death Star? I will have to assume you had a stroke or something while typing and meant to type something completely different.

Here's mine-worst to best 5 being worst
6. Some crystal meth nightmare where I dreamed they turned VADER into a spoiled emo teenager, had a racist Jamaican, and Yoda beat Dracula in a sword fight...wow what a nightmare.
5. Force Awakens
4. Return of the Jedi (because...EWOKS)
3. Rogue One
2. Star Wars
1. Empire Strikes Back

 Galef wrote:
I feel like I am one of the few people who likes "Star Wars"...all of it. Even the prequels. They clearly have their flaws, but there are enough high points (Obi-wan, Maul, etc) that contribute to the overall world that I can still watch them over and over again.
Force Awakens needed to be, as Compel says, "the original trilogies greatest hits". That geared everyone up and made the audience realize that you can get back some of the magic. Rogue One was then able to add something new, and I have no doubt that Ep8 will be something like we've never seen before.

-

You're not the only one! I can't really rewatch the prequels unless it's an edited version or I skip through most of the Anakid and Jar-Jar scenes, but other than that I'll take just about anything Star Wars. TFA was utterly brilliant as far as I'm concerned, even if it did take a lot from ANH it did it so well and differently enough that it's not a problem. I enjoy the parallels in character between the OT and new trilogy generations, I love the fact there was an homage trench run at the end, I love the fact Kylo is just a crap Vader. All that to me isn't copying, it's just a tribute to the OT and its awesomeness.

 Paradigm wrote:
...I love the fact Kylo is just a crap Vader....

I don't think of Kylo as "crap Vader", instead I see him as "better Anakin"

It all about perspective, or as Obi-wan says "a certain point of view"

-

 Galef wrote:

 Paradigm wrote:
...I love the fact Kylo is just a crap Vader....

I don't think of Kylo as "crap Vader", instead I see him as "better Anakin"

It all about perspective, or as Obi-wan says "a certain point of view"

-

Can't he be both? That's how I see him.

Kylo is what Anakin should have started to become towards the end. Except more powerful and self confident.

Oh and I liked TFA as well. It has it's flaws but it gets a lot right too. In a way, it's like RotJ...to me they're flawed gems.

I really like Kylo. He looks up to Vader without realising he's just a guy with force powers, not a proper sith.

Everything that was new from Ep VII was great. The retreaded bits were not only dumb but made dumber by the fact that they were hogging resources from the new stuff. Starkiller Base gets a lot of flak here but the worst was Maz Kanata.

R1 by contrast was just a much weaker film.