As I write this post, I am wrapping up watching all of the Star Wars movies. I watched the movies in episode order because it was part of a study and the book we were following guided you through the films this way. As we were beginning this study, I saw some articles that claimed to have the ideal order for watching these movies and I did a little research comparing arguments for different orders of watching these films. I am by no means a hardcore Star Wars fan. But I consider myself a movie buff and I have decided what I think is the best order for watching the films. I will briefly discuss the various orders and why I think my suggestion is the best.
The first obvious order is for watching is by episode order. The next is to watch in the order that the films were released. With most film series, these would be the same but in this case, episode IV was the first to be released followed by V and VI. Then you go back to I through III and then skip to VII. The most recent suggestion that I have read about is referred to a “machete order”. This order was developed by hard core Star Wars fans who dislike episode I. With this viewing scheme, you would start with episode IV and V, then skip to episode II followed by episode III. Episode VI would follow that. This viewing scheme was developed before episode VII was released and I’m assuming you would continue with it.
I have never watched the films in machete order and I don’t think I would recommend it. I know that episode I is not very good but it’s still part of the story and you have to take the bad with the good. It is argued that nothing important takes place in the episode I that isn’t explained in episode II. I still think you miss too much. This is the main drawback to this order.
I really recommend watching the films in the order they were released. The main reason I suggest this is that I feel that when each film was released, they were written assuming that the view had knowledge of the films that have already been released. There are scenes in episode IV and V, the first two released, that are in there just to explain what The Force is. Episode I assumes that you already know what the force is. Any order other than the release order disrupts the order the information was shared with movie goers over the years. Watching in another order is the equivalent of watching the scenes in Pulp Fiction in chronological order. Or skipping the watch scene because you don’t like Christopher Walken.
Go ahead and watch Star Wars in whatever order you want. I won’t judge. Share what order you prefer. I would be especially interested if anyone has ever watched them in reverse order.