Should I watch the original or newer Star Wars first?

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ILuvSports3585

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I'm thinking of getting the new Star Wars DVD sets - the Prequel and Sequel collections. I only have a couple of vague memories of seeing one of the original movies back in the 1980's. I'm much more keen to get the original three but should I also get the newer ones? If I buy both sets, should I watch the older three first as they were made first or should I watch the newer ones as they're set chronogically first? Does it make much difference. Thanks!
 
I'm not a star Wars fan but i've seen all the films.

If i were you i'd start off with the new films first.

It's best to watch them in the right order if you're a newb imo.
 
Glad to see most people on the same page here - they're designed to be watched 4,5,6,1,2,3.

The story simply doesn't work very well if watched in episode order - it neeRAB to be seen in release order.
 
watch the prequels first then original 3

im not a hugestar wars fan and actually prefer the new 1's

the story will make more sense this way i feel,and it is a good epic story
 
Despite being a massive SW fan and a proponent of the obvious 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3 order, I have to say I'd be intrigued to watch them from scratch in numerical order with no prior knowledge. Might drop the impact of some of the stuff in 5, yeah, but I'd love to find if someone could fall in love with them the same way so many of us have like that.

Go on, be a guinea pig for us ;)
 
DeadKenny's right on this one. Despite Lucas's rewriting of history, there was never much of a story beyond the original film - just a few notes and backstory.

Might be worth checking out The Secret History of Star Wars, which givens a very thorough account (from multiple first hand sources including Gary Kurtz) of how the story came to be, and how Lucasfilm ret-conned the story's genesis (and continues to do so).
 
There's no doubt there have been multiple changes to the scripts as they go along, and critical additions. For example, Lucas didn't create Coruscant, it was created by the Expanded Universe licensing team and he chose to use it in the films quite fundamentally as the central planet.

But I've not ever felt its convoluted. If people are prepared to accept that Luke and Leia are siblings that meet each other by chance, then they should easily be able to accept things like C-3PO was created by Anakin. It's not logical, but it's Star Wars.

Generally Lucasfilm does a good job maintaining continuity. Even characters like Ahsoka Tano and Starkiller fit into place, and can exist simultaneously with the movie-verse and still be in canon.
 
am i right in thinking Star Wars' popularity exploded around 1994 - with the realise of the vhs "digitally remastered" winRABcreen editions? it just seemed further merchandise come out only after this point - then they repackaged the vhs again for the end of 1995.
then after this point, after it was proven Star Wars was still loved and popular, there seemed to be talk of Episode 1 coming out at the end of that decade. before all this of course - Star Wars would just be on over Christmas.

a further arguement for the whole "Star Wars was always planned the way it was" thing...

Star Wars (1977) just doesnt "flow" like TESB/ROTJ does - which are panned back-to-back sequals. it just seems so stand alone, does not have any connection to anything at all (of course, there is talk of back story.."the clone wars" for one - but i dont think Lucas had anything planned for this).
It just proved very popular at the cinemas - so suddenly there was "lets make sequals - and lets have the hint of a big back story to it" - hence when it was re-realised in 1978 (or when it was) - we had a new edition, the whole "episode 4..blah..blah...blah" scrolled up at the beginning - as i defiantely know this was not on the original realise!
 
i did try to re-edit this post - but was doing it so bloody slow, my opertunity had expired!!

but of course how could i forget there was the re-realise of the original movies in the form of special editions in 1997!!!!
 
If it was me, I'd watch them in the 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3 order.

I was reading about SW the other day I found out about The Phantom Edit. I've got to try and me a copy of that one, I hear it makes a bad film quite watchable. Anyone else seen it and now where I can get hold of a copy?
 
I say watch it in chronological order (so Episode I, II, III, IV, V and then VI), because it's a completely different experience that only a few people have had.

Watching the old ones first, then the new ones, is boring and same-old same-old. By watching the new ones first, you have a deeper appreciation for the world Star Wars is set in, and there's a lot of dramatic irony too.

It changes how you view Episode V's cliffhanger, and in the case of my family, makes it much more intense.
 
DepenRAB what you mean, of course. The place that became Coruscant was in early Lucas drafts and notes as 'Imperial City' and 'Imperial Planet' - although it was indeed Tim Zahn that coined the name.
True, but only something as huge and unwieldy as the Star Wars EU would have be defined by Lucasfilm in four level of canonicity. :D
 
I'm pretty sure you can download it on BitTorrent. However, don't fall for the false fanboy hype, it doesn't particularly improve anything.

Episodes I, II and III aren't awful films. The performances are weak, but the storylines, stunning visuals and production design make up for them. And they're not exactly unpopular either. Last I heard, the box office and DVD sales totals for the PT eclipse the OT nearly 2:1. For merchandise, the PT donkey punches the OT to no end.
 
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