Star Wars

[Gillster]

Can someone tell me the right order to watch the Star Wars films in?

Thanks

[AlFas]

Watch the 3 old ones (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) and then quit while you're ahead.

[elgroucho]

I would say that they should be watched in the order they were released, i.e. 4, 5, 6, 1, 2and 3.

[rutineli]

Start at number twelve and watch six in either direction.  I have found this is easily the best way to watch them                                           ruyt

[flashpig]

I have this theory, though I haven't been able to test it out yet, that the best way to keep the dramatic tension is by watching episodes 4, 1, 2, 5, 3, 6, which watching it chronologically, as Lucas has said he wants, wouldn't have.

So you know there is a Darth Vader, an Anakin Skywalker, a Luke Skywalker and get to know them as 3 distinct characters.

Episode 4 is the place to start because it is a free standing story, and then when you go back in time you find out about the life and 'death' of Anakin and it would appear as an interesting flashback thing.

It would appear in 4, 1 & 2 and most of 5 like you are having the 2 parallel father/son stories, like in The Godfather pt2, of good vs evil, but then come 5 it turns out that Anakin was evil, then the backstory of this in episode 3, then the conclusion in episode 6.

[rutineli]

flashpig, please accept my gratitude for confirming so overwhelmingly that my answer to the question (the one above) was the right one.....................may the force be with you

[flashpig]

Oh come on, they aren't that bad. They aren't all that great, certainly nothing to be dedicating your life to, but they're entertaining.

The original trilogy was even really good in places, and the prequels have their fun bits, my suggested order of viewing is trying to make the most out of the rubbish that would happen if you watched the prequel chronologially, and would hopefully make it less disappointing than waching the superior original trilogy before the new ones.

I imagine that the 'out of order viewing' I have suggested might seem heretical to some people, but they are weird cultists and I wish they'd followed your advice rutineli.

But in conclusion, watch them because they are fun.

[liamtrader]

I agree with AlFas