We've been discussing Rogue One a lot on here over the last few days.

A few people, myself included, rank it as on a par with the best of the Original Trilogy but I got to thinking 'you sort of need to have seen all the films to 'get' a lot of the brilliance'

So assuming someone knew *nothing* about star wars what do you think is the best film to show them.

I personally think Empire Strikes Back is the 'best' star wars movie having seen them all (including the ewok movies). But would i show a total newcomer that?

I'd probably show then either Episode 1 (even though i dislike it) or EPIV first... probably 'a new hope'.

But i think that any of the OT could be viewed on its own merits with no prior knowledge of the star wars lore, ep1 certainly can.. not too sure about ii and iii but I wonder if someone seeing Rogue One without having seen anything else would be raving about it as much as us fanboys.

Yeah I'm gonna go with A new hope.

I cannot in good conciece advocate the effin' phantom menace as a starting point into SW. I really can't.

Now the first one I saw on VHS as a lil' boy was ROTJ, And I was way to young to properly follow the story, all I knew that this was where my toys came from. "Oh Imperial guard! Ewoks! I have that one. And that one! Yaaay! Scout walker!*"

* I never called them AT-ST's when I was a kid.

Star Wars (original movie) is the best of the movies so far, we were introduced to Han Solo, Luke, Leia, Old Ben, R2, the Falcon, Darth Vader, the force and Lightsabers and of course the Death Star for the first time.

If you're going from absolutely zero it can only be A New Hope.

And if you're going to watch them all for the first time then the correct order is Machete Order: http://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/

The only question we have now is where Rogue One fits in Machete.

I think you can watch Rogue One BEFORE Episode 4 for Machete.

But then again, Machete is about Luke Skywalker, so you may have to totally drop Rogue One, much like Phantom Menace.

There used to be a convincing argument that the whole star wars saga is the memories of the two droids and the story is sort of what they remember or were told.

In the same way that kurosawa's hidden fortress is really about the two guys caught up it all.

You've seen them all, right?

So you know they're not exactly complex or hard to follow.

Pick your favorite and go.

Jeez dude. It was a light hearted discussion.

The reason for it being that while i think 'rogue one' is excellent and on a par with ESB (and therefore a bit better than ESB to me...) its probably only so good *because* of the prior knowledge from having watched them all.

If i wanted to show someone *one* star wars movie it might well be 'a new hope' but I also think that ESB is a much better film technically than ANH and stylistically better than RotJ because it wasnt quite as 'broad brush' as jedi.

I'm personally happy to completley forget the prequels ever existed , because i felt they were terrible and 'not star wars' when they came out but to people younger than me who saw them first they had no pre expectation of what Ep.I would be and loved them.

So perhaps to those people EP.I is the best to see first and possibly to prequel fans the best 'stand alone' movie.

ESB is the best film, but I think only Star Wars, Rogue 1, and maybe The Force Awakens can truly stand alone.

No question: if introducing someone to the universe, they see Star Wars first.

Edit: New Machete order is now R1, IV, V, II, III, VI, VII ...

And if you're going to watch them all for the first time then the correct order is Machete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwudExxVtV0

?

I think you can watch Rogue One BEFORE Episode 4 for Machete.

But then again, Machete is about Luke Skywalker, so you may have to totally drop Rogue One, much like Phantom Menace.

No, to get the most you still need IV to be first, it still is best at establishing the universe.

If you're ONLY showing them one movie then obviously ep4 is best as it was a stand alone to begin with.

I honestly can't sit for any of the movies without wanting to FF it. In terms of best, I'd say ESB or RTOJ.

Not a movie, but the fan made TIE Fighter animated short is definitely good.

Could argue that 7 is the best standalone movie.

I love 7. Even with it's minor flaws. Love it.

thats what i mean, my initial thoughts were 'ah the obvious stand alone is EPIV'

But while its obviously written to be a stand alone (hence the small plot inconsistency with later films) i think that depending on your age you might have a different view.

As mentioned before, my friend Daryl has a 14 year old son who actually prefers the prequels. I think thats because they were the first films he saw. I don't think he'd rate A new hope or empire as being paticularly great.. personally i can't understand how he could do that but to him the republic era is the best.

For introductory purposes, still IV.

Going with R1 first might work, I'd have to see it a couple more times in order to tell if there's not too much knowledge presumed to be there. I think it might take away from the battle of Hoth and Endor with the introductions of the AT-STs and AT-ATs. R1, I think, also presumes you know about the Force and what it is and can do, and the audience knowing that there is no Force user at that time. It certainly expects you to root for Chittur to actually push the switch.

Vader and Tarkin also need to be introduced in IV I think.

I would still introduce someone by going in chronological release order, with the possible exclusion or pushing back of the prequels.

Repeat viewers should go R1, ANH, ESB, AToC, RotS, RotJ, TFA.

Masochists should go Rebels, R1, ANH, ESB, AtoC, TCW series, RotS, RotJ, TFA

Now excuse me while I track down the latest episodes of Rebels. . I've some free time coming up.

It's an interesting question.

I think anyone could watch and enjoy R1 without much prior knowledge of Star Wars. But it's hard to separate my knowing what the movie is leading up to so that may be a flawed opinion on my part.

But if I were to have someone watch a single movie from Star Wars, it would have to be Ep IV. All the other OT are built off that and would make little sense to anyone who hasn't seen ANH.

Oops

I think A New Hope is dated enough that depending on the person you're introducing Star Wars to, you might want to start with Episode VII. I mean, it's basically the same story as IV, right? But it has updated graphics and looks more contemporary. It also has a faster pace than IV, which some people find to be a turn-off.

I wonder, though, what Episode VII is like for someone who doesn't know Han, Chewie, Leia, or Luke. The movie really tried to play up nostalgia, so do those moments fall flat to a new-comer, or do those moments still have an impact. For example, when Han first boarded the Millennium Falcon, the whole theater cheered. But for a person watching it alone for the first time, are they going to feel how important that scene is, even if they don't know Solo? Will the music and the cinematography cue them in to thinking, "This is an important character, even though I have no idea who he is yet." I suppose it would be like meeting Ben Kenobi in Episode IV, wouldn't it? We all knew he was important, even if we knew nothing of his background.

I suppose it would be like meeting Ben Kenobi in Episode IV, wouldn't it? We all knew he was important, even if we knew nothing of his background.

I think you had more context for Kenobi in Ep4 then you did for Han in Ep7. You knew he was a general and learn fairly quickly that he was a general in the clone wars and a Jedi Knight. Of course we had no idea what the clone wars or Jedi were yet. But it fills in at least some of that on the way to Alderaan. I don't think it ever really explained why Han boarding the Falcon was such a big deal.

But since I knew why, I may not of paid much attention when it did.

TFA infers a lot of backstory, what with the most important scene, the arrival of Leia.

Phantom Menace of course. I like the OT more from storytelling point of view but Phantom Menace is the most enjoyable one.

Well, it certainly is an opinion.

The shuttle Tydirium podcast had a captains question on a similar theme when i was listening this morning and Jbot was very insightful as to the meanings behind the movies depending on in what order you watch them! (his restraining bolt must have got loose)

Personally i would go with Episode 1 first. It has some golden moments and the musical score is incredible! it shows you the height of the Jedi and then leading on to episode 2 etc shows the fall of the Jedi and Republic. watching it Stand alone you can even semi-forget about Jar Jar and his Comedic interludes.

I don't think you can really have Standalone star wars films, they all just flow into each other and are very intertwined with the story arcs behind them. I think its easier for the Prequels to stand alone but the original trilogy needs to be watched in its entirety!

The problem I have with going with 1 first is not that it spoils Yoda in ESB, but you're supposed to care that these are Jedi, and oooh! That's Obi-Wan! And look! Yoda! And Palpatine, he'll be the Emperor one day!

And so, a bunch of screentime is devoted to things the first time viewer would completely miss the significance of and detract from what arguably is a weak movie in its own right (personally, I feel they should've had Anakin be a few years older, especially when taking Yoda in ESB and his remarks about age and training, it would've given them a lot more time with the same actor for continuity). And taken in a larger perspective, the Apprentice of the Week structure of the prequels really hurt the prequels as well, there's no menacing opponent from movie to movie.

That and if Anakin is supposed to bring balance to the Force and all you see are good Force-users, some warning lights really should've gone off in your head.