How to Properly Watch All the Star Wars Movies Before the Force Awakens
The seventh Star Wars film ( seventh !) Is out this week, and if you’re feeling a little behind, don’t worry: here’s how to catch up on the first few films before the last part comes out.
What films should you watch?
There are six films in Star Wars at this point, and for some of you, watching all six may seem like a pretty serious undertaking. Especially if in the last 10 years you’ve heard people scolding three of them.
We don’t yet know which ones will be “necessary” to understand the story of The Force Awakens . In fact, it is quite possible that you will not need to watch any old films to understand this new one. So if you’re dreading the idea of a 6-hour Star Wars marathon, skip it.
However, it is clear that The Force Awakens will draw on a lot of material from the original trilogy of the 70s and 80s, also known as Episodes 4, 5 and 6. The action takes place after the events of these films, and many others. The characters from these films will be making a comeback, so if you want to know why everyone has a fit of nostalgia when Han Solo appears on screen, the original films are key. Just keep in mind: Original films move much slower than most modern films, so don’t be discouraged if the film isn’t rife with explosions and racing stories in the first half hour.
So what about a new trilogy containing episodes 1 through 3? It depends on you. I avoidmaking formal judgments about their quality , but since these are prequels they are less important to the story. The original trilogy was designed to be about prequels without deep knowledge of prequels, so they are more like world building elements. They explain more about the nature of the Jedi, the politics that led to the creation of the empire, and how Darth Vader became Darth Vader (and there’s a love story out there somewhere). If you are really interested in the world of Star Wars , go for it, but they are unlikely to be needed to understand The Force Awakens .
Which versions of the films should you watch?
Every time they re-release Star Wars – in theaters, on DVD or Blu-Ray – they make changes to the films. The current version of the trilogy contains some additional CGIs, one or two deleted scenes, and even one change that changes the character of Han Solo . So, you’ve probably heard a lot of controversy about what Blu-Ray sucks, or how a real movie gets lost in time, and other things like that. So which version to watch?
If you just don’t care, grab the Blu-Ray version . If you don’t have a Blu-ray player, the DVD version will work as well . It is also available for streaming on iTunes , Amazon, and Google Play . Most of the major and controversial changes were made in 1997, which means there is no easy way to view the original versions in any decent quality.
If, however, you are a tech-savvy person and want to watch the original, ideal version of the Star Wars trilogy, you should definitely check out the Despecialized Edition . This is a fan-made re-enactment of the original trilogy in all its unchanging splendor – and in high definition. This is the best version of Star Wars you can watch today if you want to hunt for a bit.
Since this is an unofficial fan edition, their legality is in a certain gray area and not easy to find. You will have to go through a rather lengthy process to download them from their creator, or search several BitTorrent sites for a “special version” to find all three movies (remember to use a proxy or VPN to anonymize your traffic ). … You will be glad you did.
Likewise, there are some edited, anti-cheesy versions of the prequels out there if you want to save time and headaches while watching these prequels .
In what order should you watch them?
If you decide to watch all six films, you will be faced with another important question: do you watch the original trilogy first, and then the prequels (episodes 4, 5, 6, then 1, 2 and 3)? Or do you watch them in chronological order, with the prequels ahead of the original trilogy (episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)?
Option one: chronological order . If you are a Star Wars fan and have watched the movies more than one or two times, you can watch them however you want. George Lucas says he wants people to watch them chronologically (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), and if you’re already familiar with the story, this is a decent way to watch it all unfold.
Option two: release . If you’re new to Star Wars or haven’t watched it for a long time, I don’t recommend the first option. The original trilogy is the best introduction to the series, even if you’ve seen it once or twice before. And if you’ve never seen Star Wars before, there are a few twists and turns that are sure to unveil the prequels. So watch the original trilogy first, then watch the three prequels (4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3).
Option three: Order a machete . There is another option that suits both old and new audiences, known as the Order of the Machete . Popularized by blogger Rod Hilton, The Order of the Machete includes watching the original Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back , then watching the prequels before ending it all with Return of the Jedi (so it’s 4, 5, 1, 2 , 3, 6). This introduces you to the universe through the original trilogy, but cuts it off after a thrilling event in The Empire Strikes Back – at which point you “flashback” the prequels to see how Darth Vader became Darth Vader before returning to the finale. See a chapter of the original trilogy for a nice, tidy ending.
Technically, the Order of the Machete Rhoda states that you should completely skip Episode 1 (4, 5, 2, 3, 6), and provides a decent argument for that. I left it above to avoid confusion about where it will go, so it’s up to you if you want to enable it. If you really enjoy Star Wars , read Rod’s blog post for more information. This is quite an interesting and worthy attempt to get the best of both worlds.
Other Star Wars Stories To Catch Up
If you are so obsessed with Star Wars that six films are not enough – super nerds team up! – there are a bunch of other Star Wars stories that take place in between films. For example, the TV show “The Clone Wars” chronicles the events between episodes 2 and 3, and the TV show “Rebels” takes place between episodes 3 and 4. There are also quite a few books , comics and stories called “The Journey to the Force Awakens.” which take place before the last movie. You can see the full list of “canon” stories from the Star Wars universe here. However, none of this is really required to enjoy Star Wars or The Force Awakens – it just adds stories for real die-hard fans.
If you’re too lazy for all this
If this all sounds like too much work (I’m surprised you did this article), just watch this video. Or watchthis one more serious and informative if you have a few more minutes.