Well this is the year. Both my boys have birthdays this month and we are going to start watching the Star Wars saga. I've been waiting to watch it with them (ever so patiently) to make sure they are old enough to handle, process and fully enjoy the movies. Yes I'm one of those dads that censors what my kids watch.

Now on to the ultimate question.

Should we watch the movies in the order that most of us on here watched them? Obviously we didn't have the luxury of watching the movies in the order of the story, but now we do.

My overwhelming hunch is to watch them in the order that I did as a kid, but feel free to chime in.

Have any of you re-watched the entire SW saga starting with E1?

I would watch it the same way it was released in the theatres to us.  4, 5, 6, 1, 2, and 3. 

We also waited a while on 3 because I too don't just expose my kids to everything and that one was a wee bit darker then the others.  Easier to have a villain then watch the movies about how a villain becomes one.

IMHO

 

I would watch it the same way it was released in the theatres to us.  4, 5, 6, 1, 2, and 3. 

We also waited a while on 3 because I too don't just expose my kids to everything and that one was a wee bit darker then the others.  Easier to have a villain then watch the movies about how a villain becomes one.

IMHO

 

​agreed!

Very tricky question - All things being equal, I would start with episode I. But unfortunately, the fight sequences in episode IV might seem a bit slow after seeing Yoda bouncing off the walls. I remember my son asking what was wrong with them (Vader & Obi-Wan during their showdown) - because they were dueling so very slow.

So I would start with IV.

As far as I'm concerned 1-3 were tossed out by Disney with the EU. Well not really, but my kids have seen 4-6, not 1,2 or 3.

I'm a Star Wars kid, turning 5 right after "Star Wars" came out in 1977.  There's a few different ways to view it:

- The order I saw it:  4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3

- George's grand plan:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

- The alternate cut:  4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6 (which supposedly keeps the suspense surrounding Vader and what happens to him).

I'm struggling with this right now - I've got a 7 year old daughter and a 3 year old son.  We just attended Star Wars Celebration.  The boy is all about SW, and the girl is just finally starting to take an interest.

In a proud dad moment, despite having never seen anything other than SW: Rebels, my 3 year old grabbed Return of the Jedi this morning, and popped it into the player.  He was memorized from minute one.  My daughter (who was also trying to get ready for school) was pretty hooked pretty quickly.

For him, I don't know that it will matter.  I'm sure if I'm just show him the movies, he'll be happy to see them.  He'll be grabbing his lightsaber and just playing away and watching.  My daughter, though, since she has a sense of story and structure, I think I'm going to need to sit her down and watch it with her.  I'm very tempted to go with the order of release.

The biggest obstacle, if you want my opinion - these kids know these characters.  They've already heard of them, and have a general sense of who they are.  The kids have moved in and out of the story in so many different places in the time line (Clone Wars, Rebels, Lego movies), that they're probably fine no matter where you put them in the story.

I started to watch Episode I with my son, but found he was a little too young...as he constantly asked "Where is Darth Vader, Where is Darth Vader?" after every scene. My response was "Buddy, Darth Vader is NOT in every scene of all the movies."

I then got up off the couch and replaced Episode I with IV and the questions basically stopped...haha

In hindsight Episode IV seemed to work better...IMO

I maintained 4 was the only SW movie for all ages, in term of actions and tight storyline.  5 could be scary for kids with all of the decapitations, but as an adult I loved it.  And 6 was to be honest, rather long winded compared to 4 & 5 

Episodes 1-3 should only be watched one time out of necessity (or just to honor GL's vision) 

4 5 6 and spare them from 1 2 3.

I had to ask myself this question a couple years back when I decided to watch these with my son.  In the end the way we saw them is the best.  I remember reading some blog about it back then (can't find it today) but here's an excerpt from another blog I just found that captures it...

" ...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, spaceships got lamer...everyone got kinda...um...lame. Sure you 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 you so far.

In addition, there are some key plot surprises from the Original Trilogy that are completely ruined by the Prequels. The biggest of them being the revelation that Darth Vader is Luke's father. But other nifty twists also get lost 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" or 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..."

(excerpted fromhttp://www.fanpop.com/clubs/star-wars/articles/17/title/best-viewing-order-star-wars-marathon)

Nice post Ken.

Method 3 is definitely intriguing. I might have to consider that option as an alternative to the conventional "watch as released" approach.

 

What is gained, in terms of story, by watching the first three?  Nothing, IMO, and you get to avoid Hayden Christensen by not watching them.

 

What is gained, in terms of story, by watching the first three?  Nothing, IMO, and you get to avoid Hayden Christensen by not watching them.

 

​...and Jake Lloyd "Yippee!"

What is gained, in terms of story, by watching the first three?  Nothing, IMO, and you get to avoid Hayden Christensen by not watching them.

 

​Don't worry, you can see him at the end of VI depending on which version you watch  

​Don't worry, you can see him at the end of VI depending on which version you watch  

​I could live with some of the changes that were made, but this was a bridge too far for me and the main reason I haven't bought any SW films since.

​I could live with some of the changes that were made, but this was a bridge too far for me and the main reason I haven't bought any SW films since.

​That, and they cut the super-awesome Ewok victory song and replaced it with some world-fusion nonsense.

My biggest problem is how much Obi Wan aged is 18 years from III to IV. Not really my biggest problem but it's always pissed me off.

Edited May 11, 201510 yr by CC-Marley

I watched them 1-6 a couple months back and enjoyed it. My biggest beef was in 4 when suddenly people and robots who spent years together in different places suddenly forgot the people that hung with and the places they spent all that time. Otherwise a very enjoyable experience. I didn't know about all the drama of changed stuff in later versions so for me I didn't feel like I missed anything.

as suggested above.  I would do 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6

- The alternate cut:  4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6 (which supposedly keeps the suspense surrounding Vader and what happens to him).

 

I'm all about that way. 

4, 5, 1-3, 6.  1-3 are dreadful to get through for many including myself.  

Having literally just finished watching them in the Machete order (4 5 2 3 6 skip 1), I feel that the jump from 3 to 6 felt a little odd and I would have rather went 2 3 4 5 6 and still skip 1, although 1 probably makes the most sense for children of the PTs. Ultimately, and I am easy to please so I did enjoy myself, I feel like I will never watch the PTs again. Stick to the OT and just tell them the prequels are no good. They really aren't. And they're kind of too dark for children sometimes. 

The PT was a waste of Ewan McGregor.

Obviously, the OT are the best movies - but I still enjoy them all.

Many young people actually enjoy the prequels more than the OT (more action, advanced effects, more bad guys, etc).

Many young people actually enjoy the prequels more than the OT (more action, advanced effects, more bad guys, etc).

​I wouldn't say my kids appreciate the prequels more, but they do like them more than I do. I just re-watched 1-3 with my sons (11 and 9), and it was more enjoyable through their eyes.

Obviously, the OT are the best movies - but I still enjoy them all.

Many young people actually enjoy the prequels more than the OT (more action, advanced effects, more bad guys, etc).

​I like them all, but I have less issues with the OT movies.  I've watched them all so many times that they all blend together decently now.  I jump around through them with my son.  Sometimes we don't even finish one before starting the next.  He still doesn't have the full grasp of them and hasn't made it through Ep. III, but I don't think it matters where you start them at a young age.  He jumped around a little too during "The Clone Wars" series as well, when some of the episodes were too dark.  He didn't watch many of the Darth Maul and Savage Opress episodes.

4,5,6,1,2,3. I enjoyed every single one of them, specially growing up ( I was about six years old) and the suspense of having to wait about three years between movies. They should have a G version and a PG-13, that would make it easier to watch the movies with younger kids and still enjoy them. Just my two cents.