George Lucas Says There's Only One Correct Order In Which To Watch The Star Wars Films
When George Lucas' "Star Wars" prequel trilogy came out in the late 90's and early 2000's, the reception was not very warm. With the three original movies considered such unimpeachable classics, expectations were always going to be unfairly high. But despite their predictably great success at the box office, the films were largely received with vitriol and loathing.
When the first of the new films, "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” came out, people found the acting flat, the aliens culturally insensitive, and the pod racing sequence too damn long. People hated the Jar Jar Binks character so much that they basically ruined the actor's life.
The next of the new films, "Attack of the Clones," was received no better, and even the legitimately decent third film, "Revenge of the Sith," was lambasted along with the others. But regardless of how folks felt about the new trilogy, they were part of the "Star Wars" canon now, for better or worse. The appearance of these new chapters in the "Star Wars" story raised some new questions, particularly regarding what order to watch the films in. This opened up a whole new debate about "Star Wars" that rages to this day: in what order should the movies be watched?
Turns out, George Lucas has the firm opinion that there's only one correct way to enjoy the "Star Wars" movies.
How George Lucas wants you to watch Star Wars
The debate over what is the best order to watch the "Star Wars" films is one that has gone on for years (even the good folks here at /Film have put in our two cents on the issue). There are many different schools of thought, many of which were showcased in a 2015 Vulture piece where celebrities and writers were asked their preferred order of viewing.
For some, like Dennis Quaid and Lin-Manuel Miranda, watching the films in the order they were released is the best tactic. "You start with the original 'Star Wars' movie," said Aaron Paul of "Breaking Bad" fame. "Maybe it's nostalgia. Or maybe it's not even that. I have no idea why I feel this way, but you should watch them in the order they were released."
Members of the Vulture staff had a more complicated view: watch the fourth and fifth movies first, then the three prequels, then the sixth movie. "This way you get to start with two good movies," said Abraham Riesman, a Vulture staff writer. "The Vader reveal is followed by the story of how that's even possible, giving the prequels weight. Then you end with a good movie. No bad movies on either end of the sequence."
But among all of these opinions was hidden that of the big man himself, George Lucas. One would imagine the creator of the series' view of the issue would be the definitive one, and Lucas is a fan of simplicity. "Start with one. That's the way to do it right: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. That's the way they're supposed to be done. Just because it took a long time to film it doesn't mean you don't do it in order."
The man behind the legacy
For as much as movies are up to interpretation once they're put out into the world by their creators, you have to respect George Lucas' opinion on this matter. Lucas received tons of criticism after the disappointment of the prequel trilogy, having to defend all of his creative choices from a vocal and toxic section of the fanbase. The treatment he received from his previous fans was awful, and Lucas' film career was more or less over after the prequels. I feel that, because of what he's gone through, we all owe Lucas this concession. If he believes the films are best viewed in a certain order, that's what should be done.
Of course, like our universe itself, "Star Wars" is ever-expanding. With the addition of the sequel trilogy in the late 2010's (which also met their fair share of fan backlash) and countless other "Star Wars" projects in the oven, the series' timeline will likely forever be altered and added upon. While the world that George Lucas created is no longer in his hands, we should all appreciate the hours of joy and heated internet discussion that he gave us all, whether or not we're interested in galactic trade agreements.