My girlfriend has never seen ANY of the Star Wars films, save Episode IV, which she’s only seen in part. So we’re going to start watching them together this weekend.
The question is…do we watch them in numerical order, or order of release?
Personally, I’d rather show them to her in numerical order, as the “surprise” of Vader’s identity in Empire will be all the more fun since Episode III isn’t out yet. By the time we get to A New Hope, all she’ll know is that Anakin is “dead,” has a son, and some guy named Vader is bringing the galaxy to ruin. (Plus, Clones will be out on IMAX in a month, and I’d like to take her to that.)
Are there any reasons why I should REALLY show it to her in the release order instead?
Yes. The release order gives you the chance to avoid the steaming, fetid lumps of yak-turd that are Episode I and 2.
The correct order to watch the Star Wars franchise is:
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Then stop. There IS no Ewok adventure. There IS no Ewok adventure 2. There IS no Star Wars Christmas Special. There IS no Droids or Ewoks Saturday morning cartoons. There are no steaming, fetid piles of yak turd that are Episode 1 and Episode 2.
Not to mention the fact that Episode II has not yet been released in any video format.
I would argue that one should stop watching before Return of the Jedi. Spare yourself the stomach ache of Jabba’s palace dancers and the Planet of the Teddy Bears.
Tracer,
Hey, I’d argue that, barring any muppets (Yoda excluded), Jedi is a pretty darn good movie. The Battle of Endor is one of the best space battles I’ve ever seen.
I’m enough of a purist to avoid the Special Editons. I own the originals on VHS and I’m sticking to them.
And like I said, Clones is coming on IMAX November 1 and DVD on November 12. We can wait a month for them…it’s not like we’re doing ALL FIVE FILMS in one night.
…although we probably should watch the Muppet Show episode as well, which I do have on DVD.
You mean, that episode of the actual Muppet Show [TM] where Mark Hamill and company were the guest stars? (Or am I being “whoosed” by a sarcastic reference to Ewoks: Battle for Endor here?)
If the former – hell, why not watch The Star Wars Holiday Special while you’re at it?
Definitely show them to her in order of release. I’m not a big Star Wars fan but I’ve been watching them over again on video because my young son just discovered them. The only thing that makes The Phantom Menace at all bearable is the lingering affection I have for the original trilogy. If I’d come to PM cold without anything invested in the universe my response would have been “What is this crap?” and I never would have watched any further.
Get her on board with the thrilling rollercoaster ride and stunning display of imagination that is Episode IV. Once she’s hooked she’ll be willing to slog through I & II.
As a general rule: Any series of literary works is best read or watched in the order released. The artist will expect that you are familiar with the earlier works, and plan the later works accordingly.
I’d agree, except that the last 30 minutes or so of Luke, Vader and the Emperor is fantastic and it’s worth suffering through the other stuff.
And the one other Star Wars tie-in that should be watched is the Saturday Night Live special from 1977 where they did that bizarre “Star Wars meets an Annette/Frankie beach movie” thing. That was creative.
