# Star Wars semi-virgin asks...watch in release order or story order? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2004, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-semi-virgin-asks-watch-in-release-order-or-story-order/262261 "2004-08-30T17:11:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-semi-virgin-asks-watch-in-release-order-or-story-order/262261/41 "2004-08-31T18:01:40Z")
> [@Muad'Dib](#): > > Wha? When was this done? What is the correct versus “their” ordering of the stories? I’m not sure exactly when…5 or 10 years ago, maybe. The publisher’s _claim_ they did it based on the wishes of CS Lewis, but that claim is only tenuously backed up by a letter from CS Lewis explaining the chronological order of the stories. The original order was as follows: 1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 2. Prince Caspian 3. Voyage of the Dawn Treader 4. The Silver Chair 5. The Horse and His Boy 6. The Magician’s Nephew 7. The Last Battle The publisher’s UNCLEAN!! re-order is: 1. The Magician’s Nephew 2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 3. The Horse and His Boy (they had to stick this here, even though it actually takes place _during_ the timespan covered in TLTWATW) 4. Prince Caspian 5. Voyage of the Dawn Treader 6. The Silver Chair 7. The Last Battle Guh. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-semi-virgin-asks-watch-in-release-order-or-story-order/262261/42 "2004-08-31T19:08:55Z")
If you insist upon punishing yourself with the prequels, go with release order. My advice would be to just watch the originals and if you like them, check the prequels out later, for a laugh. Don’t think of them as Star Wars, think of them as some crap summer movies that happen to have a few characters in common. ---
**Author:** ![Abe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f1d935/32.png) [@Abe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-semi-virgin-asks-watch-in-release-order-or-story-order/262261/43 "2004-09-01T11:13:34Z")
> [@Loopydude](#): > > I dunno about EpII being much of an improvement over EpI. While the script for I was thin, the script for II was, in places, quite simply awful. The dialogue between A. and P. especially was almost excruciatingly bad. They had as much on-screen chemistry as a bucket of mud. There were points in their burgeoning “romance” where a particular line, delivered with po-faced breathy seriousness, would send the audience into fits of laughter. Embarassingly unintentional laughter. It was painful. I wanted to plug my ears and cover my eyes, and found, to my chagrin, I have only two arms. For all the improved cinematics and denser story, there is such a weight of hideous characterization, banter, and carcinogenically bad reparte, none of the eye candy and action can redeem it. I don’t care if it’s “a kid’s movie”. Nothing in any of the earlier releases sucked this hard. I think you are quite right in regards to P & A. This crap was definitely written for kids and teens, and not even the bright or literate ones at that. I must say though, if you whip out that AV editing suite and cut out the 45-odd minutes (I’m guessing, it certainly felt longer!) of P & A’s utterly inane and idiotic “conversations”, I think this movie can be salvaged. I don’t think it would be a bad swashbuckler adventure flick if someone excised its most obvious flaw like the putrid cancerous mass it is. On a similar topic, on the Fasttrack Network I found an edited clip from Episode one that was quite interesting. It was the long saber fight towards the end between Qi Gong and Darth Maul, then between Obi Wan and Darth Maul. Someone had merged all the duel clips that Lucas foolishly interrupted with countless jumps to scenes of Jar Jar and whatnot (what the hell is wrong with Lucas??). The uninterrupted saber combat is a lot more exciting to watch and actually makes a good scene, if you are willing to tolerate one or two jarring cuts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-wars-semi-virgin-asks-watch-in-release-order-or-story-order/262261.md?page=2)