Chiến tranh giữa các vì sao Article: The Best Viewing Order for a ngôi sao Wars Marathon

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The Best Viewing Order for a ngôi sao Wars Marathon

posted by greedo

The much publicized upcoming link got me thinking about the optimal viewing order for the ngôi sao Wars saga. The logical approach is to view the phim chiếu rạp in episodic order (which is how Cinemax plans to air it). But I'm not so certain that this is the best way to watch ngôi sao Wars.

What follows is a rundown on the only four *viable* ways to view the ngôi sao Wars saga that I can think of. Sure there are other viewing orders, but these are the only ones that make sense from the standpoint of storytelling and continuity.

Here goes:

Method 1: bởi Order of Episode

This approach is clearly the viewing order intended bởi George Lucas. Quite simply, bạn watch the phim chiếu rạp bởi episode number starting from Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Finishing with Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

Why it works: This approach provides a strong high-level story arc centered on the rise, fall and redemption of Darth Vader. bạn essentially di chuyển chronologically through his life from childhood all the way to his death and final redemption bởi his children. bạn also get the added benefit of nicely spaced emotionally wrenching episodes (3 and 5) contrasted with the thêm emotionally upbeat episodes 4 and 6.

Where it fails: The biggest problem with this approach is not in plot continuity but with cinematic continuity. Since Lucas wrote and directed the original saga (episodes IV-VI) a good two decades before the Prequels (episodes I-III), there's a jarring shift in the quality of special effects, set thiết kế and dramatic pacing between the two trilogies. No where is this thêm pronounced than between culmination of the Prequels, The Return of the Sith and the film that started it all the original ngôi sao Wars: A New Hope. Watching the lightsaber duels from Episode IV after coming off of Episode III is beyond jarring. It's almost as if the entire universe went stupid between the two films. Jedis got lamer, spaceshipts got lamer...everyone got kinda...um...lame. Sure bạn can pass some of it off on the fact that these are "dark times" and that the heyday of the Jedi had long passed, but comon' that argument can only take bạn so far.

In addition, there are some key plot surprises from the Original Trilogy that are completely ruined bởi the Prequels. The biggest of them being the revelation that Darth Vader is Luke's father. But other nifty twists also get Mất tích in this viewing order, like the moment when we realize that this little green toad living on Dagobah is, in fact, Yoda the "great Jedi warrior" hoặc that Leia is Luke's long-lost twin. The episodic viewing order all but renders these details meaningless to those watching the saga for the first time.

Verdict: This is a viable viewing order, but not my favorite. The special effects and cinematic pacing continuity problems are significant enough that I cannot recommend this as the best method for watching the ngôi sao Wars saga. In particular, I would avoid this viewing order for ngôi sao Wars n00bs. Grade? B+

Method 2: Chronological Order

This viewing order is another được ưa chuộng one where the films are viewed in chronological order in which they were made and released. So one would begin with the Original Trilogy (episodes IV-VI), watch those episodes in order and then jump to the Prequels (episodes I-III). The variation to this method bởi the thêm cynical long-time ngôi sao Wars enthusiasts is to watch the Original Trilogy and just bypass the Prequels altogether - but we won't get into that heated thảo luận here ;-)

Why it works: This approach eliminates most of the problems that crop up with the episodic viewing order. Since bạn begin with the oldest of the episodes filmed, the technological transitions are much thêm natural. The slow lightsaber duels and less complex không gian battles give way to increasingly rich effects and thêm acrobatically choreographic fight sequences. Additionally, all the great dramatic twists (the Vader-Luke-Leia connection included) are preserved.

Where it fails: The biggest problem with this viewing order is that the celebratory conclusion to the ngôi sao Wars saga lands cái tát, đánh đập, smack dab in the middle of the marathon (with Episode VI) and instead of ending on a high-note, with the end of the evil Empire, bạn end with the death of Padme and the fall of Anakin Skywalker/birth of Darth Vader.

The Verdict: As someone who grew up with ngôi sao Wars as a kid, this viewing order has a strong nostalgic pull to it. But the fact that the saga - if viewed in this fashion - ends on such a low, low note with Episode III makes it difficult for me to recommend it to everyone. For long-time ngôi sao Wars những người hâm mộ with a strong nostalgic bent, this is the way to go. For everyone else, I'd pass on watching the saga this way. Grade: B

Method 3: The Prequels as Flashback

This viewing order is really interesting. bạn begin with the Original Trilogy and watch Episode IV, 'A New Hope' followed bởi Episode V, 'The Empire Strikes Back'. But instead of watching Return of the Jedi, bạn hold off and instead watch the three Prequels. Only after bạn have finished the prequels do bạn watch Return of the Jedi to mũ lưỡi trai, cap off your marathon.

Why it works: This approach tries to reconcile the biggest problems with the chronological and episodic viewing orders: plot and cinematic continuity. The oldest episodes are placed first in the viewing order while the newer episodes are nested in the middle. The climactic finale provided bởi Episode VI, however, is still retained. Additionally, some of the key dramatic twists are still preserved such as the surprise revelation in Empire Strikes Back about Luke's parentage. The prequel is preceded bởi a nice cliffhanger from episode V and episode III also serves as a nice cliffhanger before the final culmination of episode VI. The special effects continuity is mostly contained since episodes IV and V have the most dated appearance (episode VI holds up relatively well against the không gian battles from the Prequels).

Where it fails: In this viewing order the Prequels represent a flashback. This device might be a bit confusing to some viewers. The fact that the flashback is not a short sequence but a full-extended trilogy might also present some problems. One workaround would be to skip Episode I entirely so that the flashback only lasts for two films.

The verdict: I must admit, I have a soft-spot for this viewing order. In many ways it makes the most sense for both long-time những người hâm mộ as well as newcomers. Also, if the 3-episode "flashback" is overwhelming it seems like it would be relatively easy to drop epsides I and even II entirely. The most abridged version therefore being IV-V-III-VI. I particularly like the fact that the Darth Vader as father and Yoda as warrior twists are preserved AND we still get the fantastic finish from Return of the Jedi. Grade: A

Method 4: Alternating Trilogies

This is the final *viable* viewing order, imho. This approach has bạn alternating between the Prequel and Original Trilogies starting with Episode I. So the viewing order would be: I - IV - II - V - III - VI.

Why it works: This sequence tries to highlight the similarities between the two trilogies through juxtaposition. So with the first third of the marathon, we get to see Anakin's coming-of-age on Tatooine, followed bởi Luke's. We also see their initial responses to the world of the Jedi and early mentorship (from Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan respectively). This viewing order also provides an intriguing one-two cú đấm finale in the back-to-back airing of episodes III and VI.

Where it fails: Plot and episodic continuity suffer greatly in this viewing order. This is probably also the most unorthodox of the four ways to watch the saga.

Verdict: This is one of those viewing orders that sounds better on paper than in real life. Not recommended for general ngôi sao Wars audiences, but may serve as an interesting diversion for die-hard fans. Still, I'd be hard-pressed to consider this as one of the definitive approaches for watching the series. Grade: C+

The Bottom Line

Now that we've looked at the various ways to watch the ngôi sao Wars saga, what do I recommend? Well, I think it's an toàn, két an toàn to say that the standard approaches - chronological and episodic - are still the safest. I'd choose the chronological order for first-time viewers purely for the dramatic twists that are otherwise ruined bởi an episode-ordered showing. That being said, I still think that the flashback approach provides the best tổng thể experience that remains somewhat true to Lucas' desired viewing order while bridging some of the cinematographic continuity problems. The alternating order is best left for die-hard những người hâm mộ who want to watch the series in a whole new light.

But enough of what I think, what do bạn think is the best way to watch a ngôi sao Wars marathon?

By the way - if bạn plan to watch the Cinemax marathon, bạn can whet your appetite on link they've been running on cable.

jasamfan23, TheDarkEmpire and 52 others like this

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moviemaestro We had our own MOVIE MARATHON and were wondering this very question, we settled on the order you recommended! Here's the results... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1IwreoJV6M

Caesar_Best I think I have to agree with style92 1: Watch the UNaltered original trilogy, 2: Watch the Prequals, 3: Watch the Special edition of the original trilogy The only problem is that it's 9 movies which is pretty hardcore viewing, plus you basicly see three movies twice, but it's still the best option I think.

ViciousVendetta Thanks loads for this, gonna marathon them right now :D

Gold1 I must say that sharing your thoughts with one another is an easy way to relax yourself in the daily hectic routines. Each time a description of the change, there are always lots of talk about it anywhere. These are not exempt. I mean one must be up to date with the day to day change in the environment and in the technology as well. Pass4sure Network+//// Pass4sure Vmware//// Pass4sure cisco//// Pass4sure Oracle//// Pass4sure ccip//// Pass4sure ccent//// Pass4sure 640-802//// Pass4sure SY0-301////

disneybeatles here is a way/suggestion alternate trilogies chronologically

TheUltimateBoss Jeez, five years ago, eh? My favorite is chrono order. IV, V, VI, I, II, III. I understand that III was THE sad ending, but hey, I loved it! Personally, I like a movie/series that ends with a good "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"

qui-gon-always I've heard lots of people say that you can skip Ep. I and just carry on with the rest. While that could be said of some of the other Episodes, I think Episode I is very important. It gives you a sense of why Anakin is the way he is. Anakin was much older than most Jedi students, and unlike other students he knew who his master was going to be from the get go. Obi-Wan did not choose Anakin as his padawan, he promised his beloved master that he would train Anakin despite what the Jedi council said. This plays a lot into his relationship with Obi-Wan. I grew up watching the Episodes as they came out into the theatres. Episode V, V!, I, and II are my favourites. I can do without Episode IV. It's slow and hard to get into, but I'll watch it in a marathon 'cuz it makes it complete.

qui-gon-always it should read, my favourite Episodes are: V, VI, I and III. I'm not crazy on the Attack of the Clones either.

Sprungschwein I recently thought of another order, and i must say that i like it: start with A New Hope, then go back to A Phantom Menace and Attack Of The Clones, then Empire Strikes Back, followed by Revenge Of The Sith and Return Of The Jedi. What i like about it is that when you see episode 1 and 2 you dont yet know that Anakin and Vader are the same person, which really alters the experience imho. Also, all great revelations ( Vaders Identity, the fact that Leia is Lukes sister, Anakins Fall, hell even the identity of the Emperor) are preserved until the second half of the "marathon", which i really like. It presents the Story not as two seperate trilogies but all part of one greater Story.

TheJaggedFarrow When my family was ordering the movies off of eBay, we would get them out of order in the mail. While it didn't matter to my younger siblings, I was distraught when episode six was the last to come in the mail. I had already seen IV and V, but absolutely refused to see the other three before six, wanting to see it the way people who went to the cinema saw it. I ended up reading the book and loving the movie when it finally came. I personally like the original trilogy better and would suggest watching it IV, V, VI, I, II, III just because by the time you got to the prequel you and your audience would be quite Star Warsed out but had been alert for the original, assuming that you plan to run them back to back to back. In any situation, I would go with the chronological order, though ending with the Ewok party in VI sounds really cool.

mitchn7 Mef you are a genius!! I think your 5th way is grand... As a first time stars wars watcher, I tried watching the 4th episode first but it felt like the movie started midway thru a story and some big characters were introduced quite early... Well, they weren't really introduced... It was also a little bit boring... I then stopped it midway and started watching 1 and then 2. That way I got a good background and was very intrigued. It introduces r2d2, obi wan, c3po etc. much better. I then watched 4 and 5 although I was a tiny bit confused as to what happened to Anakin. I then watched 3 and I was amazed! I couldn't believe it when I found out who he turns into. Very cool and it all started to make sense and just all tied in together.Then finished it off with 6, brilliant! That moment when I started realizing who Anakin was really becoming was priceless... I think what donn30 has said is quite spot on though about the fact that everyone kinda knows Darth Vader is Luke's father. I mean even though I didn't know much about start wars, that punch line "luke, I am your father" is way too popular for anyone to miss... The suspense is really who Anakin is... Coming from a modern first time viewer, I suggest I, II, IV, V, III and then VI. I know this goes against a lot of loyal fans who have carried the traditional legacy and honestly, I may have been in the same mindframe as the loyalists, had I watched the original way more than 15 years ago... Perhaps i would have thought it was epic that way. But now, movies are so advanced and the plots, theatrics etc. are way to advance for the previous versions to create much excitement from suspense. E.g. When Leia was revealed in VI, it was too normal and not much excitement. I mean her response to Luke was "somehow I always knew..." Hmmm... Didnt hold u back from kissing him infront of Hahn. Also, anyone in today's time could figure out Yoda would end up being the Jedi Luke was searching for etc. In fact,I was more excited finding out Luke and Leia would be born to Padme in part 3. My verdict, if you are a first time watcher, I strongly suggest you watch I,II,IV,V,III and then VI. Much more intriguing and relevant to today's time. The story flows quite well too. I do however want to say that had I watched star wars more than 15years ago then perhaps yes, I would be on the band wagon of watching it the original way as it would have been more exciting for me that way back then. My suggestion is only for first time viewers. Anyways, now I am a star wars fan hence the detailed post :)

justforonepost Just to preface the point of my lengthy post heretofore, your an idiot. I mean that as nicely as possible, but do mean it. This was a terrible post. So I know this was originally submitted like 6 years ago, but I stumbled upon this in a search for a discussion on the different light-saber dueling styles that Vader uses over the course of the Star Wars episodes, and after reading how bad this whole blip was I really just had to throw my opinion in here. Honestly mate, I think your a complete dumb-arse-wagon... 1st of all; you only put forth 4 ideas on how to view the order of them and that's just not being imaginative cuz there's more options if you mix it up a bit - 2nd; you used some pretty terrible criteria for considering what matters towards how you plan to view the movies like the special effects being important - 3rd; if your going to use such stringent and useless qualifiers as the special effects as a relevant consideration, then the quality of acting might as well be thrown in there too, and that would change things quite a bit - 4th; you sorta touched on the distinction between what works better for first time viewers of Star Wars compared to veterans, but you really didn't explicitly mention how each one would be good/bad for the veteran and for the first-timer - 5th; You only suggested the option of dropping films from the viewing order for one of your methods, ironically it being the method that you would yourself recommend (I hate it when people do that, add extra or special considerations for what they endorse and not any of the other options - its an example of a fallacious style of argument), which raises both the problem of how you really cant eliminate any of the films for a legit star wars film watching marathon and if your going to option eliminating for one method then you have to include it for other methods as well - and 6th; Not that it really matters in the end or to the point of what this is all about, but you should have made some mention to the consideration of the special edition films that included some of the extended, enhanced, and remastered scenes that weren't included in the original film... namely that asides from the digitally enhanced and remastered version (purely on an aesthetic value of sound and picture quality regards) those versions with added effects and deleted scenes and all the other extra crap actually detracted from the quality and experience of the original trilogy (watch HelloGreedo youtube videos to see a side by sidce comparison to see what I'm talking about)... but like I said earlier, if your going to take special effects as a validc consideration then this is also something to look at. So to explain, 1- there are obviously other ways to watch the films, hell you could even watch them backwards for a weird look, 2- the first film was made in 1977 so you have to be forgiving of what they were capable of doing then and what we can do now... I mean, Star Wars in 77 was considered revolutionary at the time for its effects, and the newer episodes have cool effects but by no means groundbreaking, so that could even be a consideration for order if you look at effects, which was more awesome at the time it was made, 3- the acting was pretty awful in the prequels, specifically and especially episode II's Anakin and Padme scenes... a lot of the fault here was because George Lucas is a terrible director and has no idea what emotional affect on the big screen means let alone how to accomplish it, 4- I can think of how a certain sequence works best for those who have never seen the films before and a different one for those who have, but honestly mate, you really need to be especially emphasizing this point cuz for the vast majority of us that already have seen the films or haven't seen them but have heard the now age old catch phrase "Luke.... I am your father..." the big surprise at the end of Empire is no M. Night. Shambalansahoweverhisnameisspelt twist and we all know what happens in the story and we are just trying to have a good ole Star Wars watching marathon experience and don't even need to take into consideration a spoiler alert, 5- dropping films from a Star Wars marathon? Yoda can take it from here: "A Jedi craves not these things" the complete phrase including "adventure...heh....excitement...heh..." at the beginning, which would also be relevant when considering your believing special effects as important..... you sir are no Jedi.... back to the point though, all of your methods would be very different if you opted for dropping some episodes and no episode could escape the consideration of the chopping block when you consider some of your arguments and validations, 6- it would be valid to point out that the differences between the modified films and the originals can slightly alter the experience of watching them in sequence, especially for a first-timer... imho certain things are changed in the modified films which change some essential aspects of the characters - such as Han Solo just shooting Greedo as opposed to Greedo firing at Han first, or how the emperor is much more lich-like in his hologram discussion with Vader, or the physical discrepancy between Jabba in Episode IV and VI (he really let himself go!) they just don't feel right for those of us who have seen and love the original films, and therefore we know that the newcomer should not be exposed to them either. So I've been exhaustive on how you and what you said suck the big one and why, so now I will give you the heads up on what the right way to watch star wars is.... for the newcomer and the veteran alike.... You start with Episode IV, then you watch I, then II, then V, then III, and finally VI. This being the optimal way of watching them, but with the added option of switching some stuff up depending upon certain considerations and preferences as long as you stick with watching episodes 1 2 and 4, then 3 and 5, and then 6. Its a combination that works for both the newcomer and the veteran alike, no spoilers that give away the big secrets ahead of time, a dialogue of continuity and flashback scenes that makes sense, information that we find lacking in the original trilogy is provided by the newer movies without saying too much, a tilt that showcases the special effects first and is then replaced by a meaningful story arc (lets face it, special effects are awesome, but they get boring after awhile of watching them, you always want more and better and crazier - I mean, I practically came in my pants watching the Yoda/Dooku fight at the end of Attack of the Clones the first time in the theater but now I watch it and I'm like "Yeah, Yoda's awesome, but this isn't exciting anymore") that keeps us engaged and interested, an effective way of introducing characters in both past and present in as close a simultaneous was as possible, a nice and consistent way to compare and contrast elements of the films and the way that they kind of correspond between the trilogies, and a downright epic way of highlighting this stories epicness..... the only better way of watching these films is if you were to break them up into pieces and segments and then arrange them according to the revelations that they give. IE watch IV and then Empire up until Luke goes to Cloud City so we find out the green guy on Degobah is Yoda but we dont know that Vader is Lukes daddy-o and still believe that Vader killed Lukes dad then go back to Episodes I and II and some of the III then go watch the rest of Empire and then watch the end of III and then finish with VI. You know what... I might just splice together me an ultimate Star Wars start to finish watch it this way chop shop job of a putting the different episodes together to watch them in the most effective and meaningful way as possible. I win.

justforonepost Did I mention that I win? Ohh, because I did, win that is... Just to let anyone know in case of redundancies, I did not actually read anyone elses posts on this topic. So if I basically restated biotch-ing this kid out in the same way that someone else did, or just posted the exact same idea on how to view the films as someone else did, I apologize... I'm sure that someone who posted on this string prolly knows what they are talking about and isnt a complete noob like the doooooooochee that wrote this in the first place is. I bet he doesnt even know who Grand Admiral Thrawn is, or who the Yuuzhan Vong are, or what the Great Hyperspace War was, or how seeing a cold old dead star really messed Anakin Skywalker up when he was a lil youngin padawan and Obi-Wans words "All things die Anakin, even stars...." haunted him till at the least he became Vader. Or how in episode II Jedi Master Sifo-Dious did not exist and was originally supposed to be Jedi Master Sido-Dious as just a witty misnomer for Sidious who was the one who was intended to be the original orderer of the clone army, but Sido-Dious got misspelled on a copy of the movie script to Sifo-Dious (cuz the F and the D keys are right next to each other on a QWERTY keyboard) and George Lucas liked the mistake name enough that he decided to create a whole new character and a kind of ridiculous back story for him. Ridiculous like, Dooku killed him and put his body in storage, then drained his blood and for some reason used it when General Grievous was put together in his new cyborg body as a transfusion.... It doesnt make any sense right? Ok so Grievous needs a blood transfusion when hes being inserted into his new cyborg body, but why would he need the blood of a Jedi? And why would the blood of a completely different species be better than the blood of his own kind (Grievous was a Kaleesh - a reptilian species of a humanoid nature who had hands with two opposable thumbs and two fingers in between them..... who were also deeply spiritual and ritualistic... which is why Grievous looked the way he did... a lot of people dont realize it but Grievous's face was actually a mask that he chose to wear as an add-on and was not actually a part of his cybernetic body... his entire head and face were still intact underneath that mask. His cape/cloak was also a personal addon, as both the mask and the cape were representative of his Kaleesh culture and stature as a warlord amongst them and identified him as a member of a certain tribe.... his IG-100 Magna droid guards who always accompanied him and protected him and can be seen in episode III in the beginning on the bridge of the Invisible Hand where Anakin and Obi-Wan fight them and those that Obi-Wan fights right before engaging Grievous himself in a lightsaber duel towards the end of the film also bear capes/cloaks and masks (though there masks really just looked like some bandages wrapped around their heads) belonging to the Kaleesh culture and were added to them by Grievous because he missed having his close knit group of Kaleesh commandos and warriors around him who had his back and were his boys... he missed his people and his private crew so he tried to make up for it with some peices of clothe. I just thought that was crazy and worth mentioning especially considering what I have just said for the majority of this post is about as useful to the actual original topic as the original post was........ OOOOHHHHHHHH............. OUCH!!!! thats right I brought it back to what we were talking about in the beginning, i both owner you in my first post, showed off a little bit of Star Wars knowledge and insulted you.... so you know what you can do? yeah, you can go right ahead and uhh such on my left testiclle.... because the right one is a little bit more sensitive than the left and honestly since I got into that fight and that little biottch John resorted to punching me in the balls instead of fighting like a man its been slightly enlarged.... thats also why it is more sensitive... it really hurt a lot when it happened, i couldnt even put on a pair of pants or boxers without it brushing my right nut and it causing me excruciating pain.... and so now its bigger than the left and more sensitve... which isnt necessarily a bad thing, because when my girlfriend is going down on me i like having my balls sucked on and it feels good, and sometimes having a little bit of extra sensitivity can lend to those good feelings, you know what I mean? phh wow, how did i end up talking about my ball sack on a discussion string again? I swear to god, this always happens to me when Ive been smoking salvia, you know what I mean? that stuff might as well be called the devils weed, because it gives me the shits and makes me retarded, speaking of which, ive clearly been retarded for the mjority of this conversation and now I have to poop.... so I will finish this by saying, thank you, good bye, I win, and I'm going to go poop. Regards

toljazn @justforonepost you need to seek professional help before it's too late

chessiegirl @justforonepost, you’re full of delusions of adequacy. If you're going to write a novel for posts learn the difference between "your" and "you're" (note-I just used the latter correctly in the previous sentences). Actually, just learn the use of apostrophes in general. Your (that’s how to use “your”) lack of correct word and apostrophe usage combined with the fact that you’re grossly lacking command of the English language made your post excruciating to read, damaging any credibility you were wished to achieve. Also, learn some manners! Do you kiss your grandma with that mouth? If you simply stated that you disagreed and outlined why, people may actually have listened to your opinion. You are (that’s “you’re” since you’re unfamiliar-see how contractions work?) a prime candidate for natural de-selection. Like toljzan recommended, you need to seek professional help, or a brain transplant.

Padme-Skywalker In my opinion I think that star wars is best watched prequels to originals as I am a die hard fan so the whole Leia-Luke-Darth Vader connection isn't that shocking to those who have already watched the entire trilogy... However I do agree that this ruins the entire story for the newcomers who don't know the story already like the majority of us commenting - for someone who has never seen the trilogy before all the twists and turns turn flat out straight and they don't get to have that shock feeling that most of us felt finding out that Darth Vader is Leia and Luke's father which in my opinion is the best part and they would be missing out big time and might even find it boring but then there is the other problem of watching the original trilogy and then the prequels as again it messes everything up and the story ends with the death of poor Padme (extremely upsetting) and Anakin turning evil (also extremely upsetting) so I think that the best of all for both new comers and devoted long time fans is the flashback method - a way to enjoy the trilogy with all the twists and turns and ending on a high well done AMAZING article ;)

KirbyDerby The prequels suck. And I'm a new fan. For one thing, they totally screw up so many things about the original movies (midichlorines?!? the Force is supposed to be a mystical, you know... force!), their special effects are terrible (the orginal trilogy used REAL sets, REAL props not crappy CGI), they have little to no character developement (Padme is the most bland character... ever), and just overall crappy writing! /rant So, my prefered viewing method is obviously the original unaltered trilogy... Three movies is usually enough of a marathon for me, anyways. My eyes are fragile (mostly joking).

DR76 There is no best viewing order for the STAR WARS movie. It's all about preference.

Flickerflame I'd never considered the two flashback methods you and mef suggested. Good ideas. I personally watched them 124563, but that was just because I watched the series a year before the third was out in cinemas and I didn't want to wait after the second. Don't really recommend it.

startpop I think the only way to do it is to start with the originals, then continue with the prequels, then continue the story from there onwards with the sequels (cos why would you want it to stop, you’re halfway through!), then continue with the prequels (cos duh, there were more made after the originals, it doesn’t end there!), then- .….see? it’s the PERFECT neverending marathon! THANKS FOR GIVING US THIS GEORGE LUCAS.

litton94 that flashback idea. i love it. it doesn't ruin the shock ending for anyone new in empire. and it makes the redemption stronger in my opinion. i'm doing that my next marathon.

Edwardthe1st Mine is a little unorthodox watch Empire Strikes Back first (if you never watch a Star Wars movie before, start with a bang), then IV, I, II, III, VI

ksday7 when my dad showed me the star wars films for the first time he showed me the original then the prequel, and i think that is one of the best ways to watch them!

yonvilat The best way is in the order of release. The image quality influences. Una tuta Greedo?! jeje Great post

AlanSanborn Having seen every Star Wars film on opening day, I now watch them in a variety of ways. If I'm just interested in nostalgia, I'll usually watch the original trilogy in their original versions. If I want the whole experience, I usually watch all 6 in episodic order, using the Special Editions for Episodes 4 - 6, especially for Return of the Jedi, where the Special Edition has a stronger ending for the Saga as a whole, much as I love the Ewok Celebration song. But I've done the Flashback version and it works really well! I also tried a slight variation where I started with 4, then watched Episode 1 to see the early story of Luke's father (who we still don't know will become Darth Vader), then back to Episode 5, then 2 and 3, and finishing with 6. That works quite nicely too although it does spoil the Yoda surprise in Empire. The way the Luke and Leia revelation is made in Jedi was always a bit lame anyway and may actually work better if you already know that they are siblings. Now, of course , we have four more movies so I tend to watch them all chronologically, putting, of course, Solo and Rogue One where they belong between Episodes 3 and 4. May the 4th Be With you today!