I need help

Welcome to the Cantina, Jay!

What you've listed are really the only two viable options available to you, and it's definitely a debate within the Star Wars community. Personally, I have maintained that if I ever met someone who has never seen the movies (you lot are few and far between), I would recommend the Machete order, which is 4,5,(1),2,3,6. (Episode 1 is in parentheses because some people omit it altogether. I recommend watching it, though). You might even fit in some episodes of the Clone Wars cartoon between Eps 2 and 3, but that's definitely bonus material. This way you set up Darth Vader and Luke, fill in the entire story and still end the saga on the last (until December) episode.

Hope this helps. What do you think of the movies so far?

 

I'm at a loss. Why would anyone watch New Hope followed by Empire, then switch to the Prequel Trilogy but watch Jedi last???

I strongly recommend the original production order: IV, V and VI (Original Trilogy) and then I, II and III (Prequel Trilogy), ideally with corresponding Clone Wars episodes in-between the prequels.

 

IV, V, VI

Live in ignorant bliss my friend. if i could scrub the prequels from my memory I would!
And welcome to the forum

~ an old person

 

Clone Wars happens between episodes 2 and 3

also the 4,5,1,2,3,6 order is usually referred to as the flashback order because you find out Vader is Luke's Father and then Flashback to tell his story. then return to episode 6 to wrap up both Anakin's and Luke's story arcs.

the Machete order is the order where you omit ep. 1.

my personal preference is the flashback order.

 

Ep.5 completely leaves you hanging at the end,I find I always need to watch the start of ep.6 straight after,then I get sucked in and watch it to the end.
I would have recommended repetitive viewing of the original trilogy to let it all really soak in before tackling the prequels.
Most of us didn't have a choice,so I would call this the 'natural' viewing order..lol.

 

I absolutely concur. Part of the original Vader mystery was that he was the "Man with no face" throughout the OT. I'm happy being a part of the old fossile generation because each time I see Vader I see the mask, not the (later) face(s).

Still, somebody has to fill me in why in the name of the Force anybody would hold back Return of the Jedi (after all it take's place only a couple of months after The Empire Strikes Back) until after having seen Episode III?

To laugh about Luke's tears after having witnessed this terrible atrocity committed by Anakin / Vader near the end of Episode III ?!?!?

I yesterday rewatched the "The Chosen One" documetary made for Episode III, in which George Lucas elaborates that nobody is really evil and even "evil" guys think they do the right thing.
It almost looked as if Mr. Lucas did have a severe case of amnesia or cognitive dissonance, because that awful scene (he added by the way in the last stages of production!) was so full of "evil" that it contradicted the claim he made in the aforementioned documentary - and spoiled the entire PT for me up to this very day.

Therefore I can only recommend watching the OT one after the other - and get the idea of the original context before (ever) watchig Episode III where Lucas did no less than "murder" this iconic character by turning Anakin "starkiller" into despicable Anakin "xxxxxkiller".

I'd even go this far - Anybody who decides to watch Episode III does so at his or her own risk.

 

If I had read this sooner I would have STRONGLY urged you along with the other old people here to watch the original trilogy and not bother with the prequels.

But it's too late now, begun these clone wars have. Please let us know how it goes and what you think of the movies!

 

I'm an old person who stands by my recommendation.

But I'm glad to know the difference between the 'Machete' order and the 'Flashback' order. I hadn't heard the difference before.

 

That is a modified machete order which calls for never watching ep 1. The reason for the out of sequence suggestion is it hooks things in with ANH and ESB then after the reveal at the end of ESB it jumps to the back story and catches you up on what happened then moves forward with the wrap up.

I would propose just watch both trilogies starting with 4 or 1. As far as cutting the PT entirely that might be too extreme. The PT has shortcomings but that is an extreme approach.

 

4 5 6 1 2 3

 

Was literally just about to make a thread on the very same thing! Just got the star wars complete saga on blu-ray, and couldn't decide which way around to watch the bloody things!

 

Come on guys! Why do we have to be so negative and try to make JayDFC into another prequel basher? Shouldn't we help him so that he himself can determine what he does and doesn't like of the movies? I disliked TFA very much compared to evey other SW movie so should I go on telling him to avoid it? Is it ok if I try to turn him into a TFA basher? Of course not! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and though I did grow up with the OT and know tons of fans who hated the PT, I have also met lots of people who grew up with the PT who then watched the OT and didn't like it as much. The only reason I can say that he should watch the OT first is just that he can avoid missing a certain surprise from TESB but seeing as he is already a member of the Cantina and that he MUST know this already as he's sure to be reading many posts here, then it's clear that he should watch the movies in the right order 1-Phantom Menace 2-Attack of the Clones 3-Revenge of the Sith 4-A New Hope 5-The Empire Strikes Back 6-Return of the Jedi 7-The Force Awakens.

See the movies for yourself JayDFC and don't let any of our opinions influence what you like. Star Wars is awesome and I welcome you to this wonderful experience cause I'm sure you will love it. Along the way you will meet many characters and you are free to fall in love with them no matter what. Be it guys named Obi Wan, Han Solo, Poe Dameron or Lando, be it girls named Leia, Padme, Rey or Sy Snootles and even if it is an alien named Chewbacca, Greedo, Jabba, Jar Jar Binks or Unkar Plutt, feel free to love whatever it is that calls your fancy cause you are now taking your first steps into a great new world that is loved by all of us here!

 

The films actually flow better watching the OT first as the PT does have a tendency to over foreshadow what will happen (has prequels have a tendency to do). So I recommend release order. For future viewing, then you should do chronological order.