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2017-03-11, 02:34 AM (ISO 8601)
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Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
Upon discovering that one of our friends had never seen any of the Star Wars movies, my friends, family, and I decided that we would watch one of them every week until the situation had been rectified.
This brought up an interesting discussion: As the movies were created out of order, chronologically, what is the correct order to watch them in?
On one hand, if you start with Episode I and watch through VII, you will have a single, coherent story line that follows the life, death, and legacy of Anakin Skywalker.
On the other hand, beginning with Episode IV and watching them in the order they came out makes more sense technologically as you see the special effects, camera work, etc. improve as the budget and available technologies for the Star Wars movies increase.
We eventually decided to go with the latter option, as this preserves the dramatic reveal thatas this was one of the things that l made Episode V so great, rather than having it revealed anti-climactically in Padmé's birthing scene in Episode III.Spoiler: Does the most famous twist ever that is almost 40 years old need a spoiler?Darth Vader is Lukes father
But now I'm curious what the Playground thinks. Which is the better option? What are the pros and cons of each? Do Rogue One and the two upcoming movies factor into your decision?
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2017-03-11, 02:45 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
Watch them in release order. That way if the person you're introducing to the series doesn't like the prequels they've already seen the important movies and you can stop watching without any issue. Instead of them being turned off the franchise entirely by them.
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2017-03-11, 02:53 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
The Machete Order
Watch Episode 4 and 5. At the end of Empire, Vader tells Luke that they're related.
Then cut to Episode 2 and 3. The life and times of Anakin Skywalker. Since you've watched Empire already, the 'twist' is kept, while if you watch Episode III before V (that is, in order) the moment between Vader and Luke is completely lost, because at that point you - the audience - already know that Vader is Luke's father because of the end of III.
We are now up to speed on Luke and Anakin/Vader, which then sets up Return of the Jedi (6).
=> 4, 5, 2, 3, 6
You'll notice that this order removes Episode 1. Not only because it sucks, but because it doesn't matter. The timeskip between 1 and 2 means that Anakin is a completely different person by Episode II, the weird relationship between Amidala and a child is no longer so...Weird. Darth Maul never even shows up again (though if you want to show your friend the highly choreographed Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan/Maul fight on YouTube, then I understand). But, neckbeardingly obviously, skipping over Episode I means a lot less Jar Jar.
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2017-03-11, 02:55 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
The only appropriate answer is Rogue One, 4, 5, 6, 7 and when 8 comes out...8.
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2017-03-11, 02:56 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
Production order. First the original trilogy, then the prequels. Or possibly first the original trilogy, prequels later (or never), and skip straight to TFA and Rogue One.
EDIT: And I was ninja'ed and in fact this was suggested already:
Some people will recommend the Machete Order (IV -> V -> II -> III -> VI, skip The Phantom Menace entirely). I advise against it, details in the spoiler.
SpoilerThe idea behind this order is to give the viewers information regarding Anakin's background and motivation after the big reveal of Empire Strikes Back. But it just doesn't work, the originals and prequels clash too much aesthetically and frankly, the prequels are just not good movies for the most part so forcing someone to sit on two of them before Return of the Jedi is borderline punishment. The fact the Machete Order cuts out Ep I (because it doesn't matter as far as Anakin's backstory is concerned), but makes you watch Attack of the Clones (which may matter but it's also a much, MUCH worse movie) shows that the author behind this idea is more interested in following some sort of artistic vision rather than making sure the viewer has a good time. And good time is why you watch movies to begin with!Last edited by tensai_oni; 2017-03-11 at 02:57 AM.
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2017-03-11, 02:57 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
I can say that, having first watched them in numerical order, I do wish that I had seen them in release order. I think it would have been a different experience. Granted, I knew literally nothing about the Star Wars series when that happened. So, I had no idea who Obi Wan was, what this Anakin kid would do, anything. I'm sure that you all have gotten the general story via cultural osmosis, rather than the blank slate I was, but, I think, upon reflecting, that not bothering with the Prequel explanations for stuff initially makes the original trilogy stronger.
As a counterpoint, though, I think seeing the prequel movies first gave me a larger appreciation/tolerance of them than I see generally bandied about. I didn't find them half-bad.Last edited by DataNinja; 2017-03-11 at 02:58 AM.
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2017-03-11, 02:59 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
I will say, the Prequels have the better lightsaber fights. But just go watch those on Youtube.
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2017-03-11, 03:02 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
The prequels aren't all bad, but that's mostly single scenes. The movies as a whole don't hold themselves together well. And to balance out the good scenes, there's plenty of bad ones too.
Episode II is clearly the worst, which is a big reason why I dislike the Machete Order because it suggests watching that while skipping ep I, which while not technically a good movie is at least more enjoyable.
Also, hate towards Jar-Jar is memetically exaggerated. He is annoying but not as annoying as to ruin a whole movie all by himself.
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2017-03-11, 03:06 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
The Machete Order is only interested in what makes the best story. 'Fun having' isn't factored into it. And the original article says as much.
FAQ to the original article, which addresses many problems.
The purpose of Machete Order was and always will be to refocus the story of the Original and Prequel Trilogies to be about Luke's journey.
There are so many problems with the production of Episode I, and Jar-Jar is simply emblematic of all of them. He isn't the most egregious flaw of Episode I, but he is the most obvious. Because he is the most obvious, that's what gets the most hate.
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2017-03-11, 03:15 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
This is why I think it's a bad idea, because it's trying to create some kind of deep and meaningful story where there simply isn't one. Star Wars movies, even the good ones, were never ambitious or deep with their plot.
Fun should be the #1 priority when watching them. After all, who cares if the story is "good" if watching it makes you miserable?
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2017-03-11, 03:17 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
I have seen quite a few people being "introduced" to the movies, and none of them really hated the prequels.
(Alright, a few hated the prequels, but they hated the originals too).
Most of them agreed that there were some terrible aspects, but they then also said that those terrible aspects were present in the originals too.
Granted, my sample size was still relatively small (about seven people), and none of them were really sci-fi lovers anyway, but from my experience I wouldn't suggest "cutting out the prequels because they are so horrible". Rather, brace yourself for someone who says "the prequels made a lot of the same mistakes as the originals".
Having said that, I'd still say to show the movies in release order.
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2017-03-11, 03:22 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
4, 5, 6
Rogue One if they want more. 7 if they are interested in seeing the next trilogy.
Just don't watch the prequels, they kind of suck, and honestly don't add anything of value while making minor inconsistencies with the originals.
People will say to watch the Machete Order, for some godforsaken reason. But don't, since that still requires the viewer to sit through 2/3 of the prequels.
The other option, of course is just watch Rogue One and 7. They're the only ones with modern production standards. And while, the OT were amazing for their time, it's arguable that they don't age well, since the heroes journey has become so well known and overanalyzed that what was once revolutionary has become boring.Last edited by Dienekes; 2017-03-11 at 03:26 AM.
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2017-03-11, 03:24 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
Well the thing there is...why only watch things that make you happy? Just because something upsets you or makes you sad or evokes some other strong emotion that isn't just happiness doesn't mean you didn't enjoy it. You can be sad and still enjoy something. Not to mention some of the greatest films aren't films that are "fun". Godfather is certainly not a "fun" film. I really enjoyed The Arrival, I absolutely wouldn't call that "fun" but I enjoyed it for what it was. Schindler's List is a great film, one of the best, but it is without a doubt not fun. One can live their life avoiding things like that but at least from my vantage point you've denied yourself a worthwhile experience and are less fulfilled. I'd argue that, for the demo the movies are aimed at, the movies can be not fun. There's hard concepts in Star Wars that a younger audience might enjoy but not find fun.
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2017-03-11, 03:32 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
Godfather is an amazingly fun film. "Leave the gun, take the cannoli."
But that's beside the point here since, we're talking about the prequels. The lack of fun doesn't come from exploring adult themes or depressing and somber visuals, it's not fun because they're just bad. The acting from the main couple are bad. The dialogue (which was never Lucas' strong point anyway) is obnoxious. The humor, outside a few Obi-One Liners, doesn't land. A kid may enjoy them, but this was for an adult friend of the OP.
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2017-03-11, 03:39 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
I think that's not what he means. I think if the act of watching the movie itself, makes you miserable, then you shouldn't watch it. Because that would indicate that it's a bad movie, just, in general. Which the Prequels, are - bad movies, that is. Which goes back to personal standards; Is it possible to enjoy a 'bad movie'? Absolutely. I've watched all Fast and the Furious movies, I've seen all Underworld and Resident Evil movies, too. Most of them, are complete garbage, but I watched them anyway, because I had fun while watching a terrible movie.
Which The Machete Order actually takes into account. Do you like Episode I? Great. Watch it. Nobody can take it away from you, if you do, in fact, like watching Episode I ('It has Maul in it!'). However, you must be prepared to accept that Episode I is bad, and yes, Episode II, is even worse. Episode II may be a horrible viewing experience (i.e; 'Makes you miserable'), but, Episode I simply isn't relevant to the plot - not really - while Episode II, is, despite how terrible it is. If you enjoy Episode I - despite its flaws - then watch it (Machete Order takes that into account). However, if you don't like Episode I, you don't need to watch it, and you shouldn't feel like you've 'missed out' on anything except the three-way Lightsaber fight at the end (which I don't even like, but I understand why people who do, do) - which you can see on YouTube.
The fact that Episode I is bad, Episode II is worse, and III kind of just...Sucks. Skipping the prequels entirely is always a valid choice.
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2017-03-11, 11:21 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
The only winning move is to not play. Let them watch the original three for their cinematic history value (or whatever correct term for that is) and then skip the rest of the cash cowing and sheep shearing dreck they've been shovelling out for decades. It really is not a big loss.
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2017-03-11, 12:10 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
The only wrong move is watching them in chronological order.
Hatred of the prequels is fairly magnified by the Internet echo chamber. They weren't great films, and they're fun to hate on, but to most random people they aren't the bleeding wound the Geek community treats them as. Honestly the Hobbit films are probably worse even by the niche standards of Geek IP prequels.
The problem with chronology is the story is not written or presented to logically flow as such. Later produced Prequels are sequels, and most of them should be watched like any other sequel. A lot of beats in the Star Wars Prequels don't make aesthetic sense if you haven't seen the original trilogy. The fan service goes from cloying to bewildering. If you don't already know who Chewie is, you've little reason to care about his fight, as Revenge of the Sith makes zero effort to characterize him. Whatever Lucas' shifting opinion on the issue is, when he made the prequels he was emphatically assuming you'd seen the originals. There's far too many choices made based on that assumption to come to any other conclusion. Having people watch the prequels first spares them heightened expectations, but it also leaves them lacking an interpretative layer the films implicitly demand you're aware of.
For the purposes ofmorbid curiosityscience however, I'd be curious for the reactions if you showed a dozen unspoiled people A New Hope followed by The Force Awakens.
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2017-03-11, 12:52 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
I went to see The Force Awakens with (a.o.) two people who hadn't grown up with Star Wars and who had seen all movies (prequels included) for the first time recently. Their reaction was pretty much "I've seen this movie already".
As I said before, they also felt the prequels weren't that much more horrible than the original trilogy. The acting was slightly worse (it wasn't top-notch in the originals either), but the better visuals and action scenes compensated for that.
So the "right order" to make people watch it also depends on why you want them to watch it.
- Because you feel the movies are actual masterpieces? So they will share in your nostalgia? (hint: not going to happen) Just because you feel they are classics?
Sure, skip the prequels.
- So you can talk about the movies? Because your nostalgia included the prequels? Because you want some lighthearted science fiction movies to watch?
Watch 'em all, in chronological order.
- Because you have the faint and irrational hope that they will become massive fans, and you also feel that their potential needs to be carefully groomed and protected?
Watch them in machete order, possibly leaving out whichever movies you hate the most.
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2017-03-11, 01:08 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
Release order.
Prequels had prettier lightsaber fights. But they were devoid of any emotional weight. Even the one that could have actually mattered in Ep. III ended up being dragged out so long I just wanted someone to take it out back and shoot it to put it out of its misery. Hell, at one point, Obi Wan and Anakin try to force push each other, and while it makes sense they would use any resources at their disposal, having the camera focus on their hands facing each intensely other just makes for an awkward fight. The prequel lightsaber fights were finely-choreographed dances, and they looked like it.Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.
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2017-03-11, 01:26 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
The only propper order is 4, 5, 6.
However, in case there are people who don't really know anything about Star Wars, I find it quite convincing to first watch the movies as 4, 5, (1), 2 3, 6. If you're going to watch them all, this order would have the best dramatic effect. You get the big ending of 5 and are left with the question "How could all this have happen?" Then the prequels are answering that question. However, if you have not yet seen 6, then the ending of 3 is also going to be more dramatic because you would not know yet what will happen with Vader in the end.
It also makes some structural sense. In between 5 and 6 Luke is clearly having some time off to seriously think what happened and at the start of 6 he is a very changed men with a clear image of Vader as something other than pure evil. Through the prequel movies (though 3 alone would be fully sufficient) the audience can also come to see Vader in another light.Last edited by Yora; 2017-03-11 at 01:34 PM.
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2017-03-11, 02:01 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
Machete Order tells objectively the best story, and anyone who says otherwise is just blinded by the Dark Side.
Skip Episode 1. Maybe throw in Rogue One after the main series (I haven't seen it yet so I don't know if it's any good, but I do know it's an entirely separate story). Episode 7 isn't worth watching on its own, so skip it until we find out if 8 and 9 are worth watching.
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2017-03-11, 04:40 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
As opposed to those totally natural non-choreographed lightsaber fights from the original movies. Except they were. As for "emotional weight"....ehhhhhhh? It's your opinion I guess.
Only a Sith deals in absolutes.
Rogue One is literally not a separate story. Watching it before Episode 4 is the way to go as the end of Rogue One is the very literal start of Episode 4.
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2017-03-11, 04:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
Never said they weren't choreographed. It just looked like people actually fighting, vs people dancing around. Darth Maul flipping around everywhere looked really cool. It did not look like he was trying in any way to kill or even hurt Obi Wan or Qui-Gon. It looked like he was flipping around for the sake of being able to flip around.
Spoiler: Totally fighting, and not just trying to look coolLast edited by Peelee; 2017-03-11 at 04:49 PM.
Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.
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2017-03-11, 05:07 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
The difference is they went from western sword fighting which emphasis heavier blows to a more eastern style, going so far as to create various "forms" of saber martial arts. Your complaint is basically "it's not like the first movies". Which is fine, but this "the fights were choreographed!" argument is weird. All fights in movies are choreographed. The saber fighting in the original trilogy didn't look realistic either. Using swords of light as if they had weight is weird.
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2017-03-11, 05:14 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
I have never complained that the fights are choreographed. All fights are choreographed, yes. You're not surprising me here. I complained that the fights look choreographed. They look fake. They look like people putting on a show. They look like people trying to avoid hitting each other.
If you're going to tell me what my complaint basically is, then at least try to understand the complaint first.Last edited by Peelee; 2017-03-11 at 05:15 PM.
Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.
Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2
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2017-03-11, 05:20 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
I am pleasantly surprised by the amount of responses this got in such a short amount of time.
Originally Posted by Cheesegear
Originally Posted by Razade
I appreciate all of you who say to just ignore the prequels, but I don't think they should be ignored. First of all, because they do exist. Second, because they do serve a purpose, even if that purpose is just to be hated by the fandom.
But now I'm curious, how many of you saying "skip the prequels" have seen the animated Clone Wars series? While some of it is undoubtedly cringe-worthy, there are other moments that make you really feel for the characters and make the whole thing worth watching. And you wouldn't get the same reaction had you simply skipped the prequels.
Also, since the thread is heading that direction anyway, what are your thoughts on RO and Episode VII? Personally, I loved how well RO flows into Episode IV, I like the characters (mostly) and the visuals, but most of the story was too garbled to follow properly.
I think I like Episode VII better than most people seem to. Everyone complains about Kylo, but I think he is a believable character whose story has only just begun.
I'm really excited to see what happens in Episode VIII.
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2017-03-11, 06:10 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
If we're going to make an aesthetic argument about our pop culture well, here's the issue: The intro to IV offers the introduction to the Empire and the Rebels. It's what everyone should see when they discover Star Wars. It's one of the most iconic shots in cinema. Nothing in the prequels or spinoffs compares to the visual elegance of that opening where the Star Destroyer looms onto the screen attacking it's tiny prey. It's a better visual metaphor for Star Wars than anything else, light sabers be damned.
Nothing in Rogue One does heavy lifting on that level. Watching it first loses your audience to what made Star Wars iconic.
I think I like Episode VII better than most people seem to. Everyone complains about Kylo, but I think he is a believable character whose story has only just begun.
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2017-03-11, 06:14 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
Watch VII.
The Force Awakens is basically A New Hope with a modern budget and modern effects. It condenses the goodness of the original trilogy down into one film that's going to feel like a repeat, particularly after binging IV, V, and VI. If they're still interested in Star Wars after The Force Awakens, then the original trilogy, then Rogue One, then the prequels.Last edited by tonberrian; 2017-03-11 at 06:17 PM.
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2017-03-11, 06:19 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
I do understand you're argument, thanks for the condescension though, I just think it's wrong. It all looks choreographed because it is.
Oh sure, wasn't really my point though. There's enjoyment in being miserable. Was all I was really saying.
Which one? The one done by the guy who did Samurai Jack is amazing and everyone should watch it. The fact that they dropped it and ignored it for canon is a real shame.
Rogue One is the best Star Wars movie to date, including the original imho.
Episode 7 had the problem of all the previous generations of Star Wars fans to complain about it. People who were new to the series seem to overwhelmingly like it. Not that that means the movie is good mind, but it's not like it's hated.
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2017-03-11, 06:41 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Proper order to watch the Star Wars movies?
I never bothered to watch The Hobbit after the first one. It took the story in a weird direction (which I half approved of), but had mood-whiplash problems and false danger abounded. The giants were given about a sentence and a half in the book. In the movie, they were given 5 minutes of false danger. Then I heard about all sorts of other things that the movies did weird, and I just don't have the will to go see them.
I think my biggest problem with The Force Awakens is that it was made about 15 years too late. I agree that the setting and story are very close to Episode IV, but I don't think that that is always a bad thing. Words are failing me right now, or I would expound on that a bit.