Star Wars: The Complete Saga (1977-2005)

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by GrandPixel

Can you expound on this?

In late 2015, or early 2016, when the Episode VII is released, it won't be a "complete" set any more...technically speaking. At least that's how I took it.

[stvn1974]

Originally Posted by #Darren

The Complete Saga set will soon be obsolete.

It was obsolete before they even started manufacturing the discs.

[klauswhereareyou]

Originally Posted by stvn1974

It was obsolete before they even started manufacturing the discs.

True dat. I'll just stick with my dvds since this set isn't much of an improvement in any category.

[Whiplash27]

A while back, I bought both trilogies separately for $30 a piece (about). Although, if you want the more theatrical versions, then you're better off just downloading the Despecialized Editions online. The quality isn't perfect though, but for most people it's good enough. I figured, I paid to buy them and now I'll just watch the downloaded versions.

[ChainsawJedi]

Originally Posted by rickah88

Not to this fan it won't. Keep making more films, I say...I'll get the next "complete" set, and the next, and the next.

I think I made this commitment in my heart back in 1978 when the first film came out

[B72]

Me too -
but for me it started in 1977

[OI8T12]

1977 it is.

[RandyK]

What's a good order to watch these for a first time viewer?

And don't say "just watch the original trilogy." I want to see them all.

[animefan77]

Originally Posted by RandyK

What's a good order to watch these for a first time viewer?

And don't say "just watch the original trilogy." I want to see them all.

Well, I will always recommend watching in order of theatrical release. So watch the original trilogy, then watch the prequel.

[OI8T12]

Originally Posted by animefan77

Well, I will always recommend watching in order of theatrical release. So watch the original trilogy, then watch the prequel.

This.

[BusterC417]

Originally Posted by RandyK

What's a good order to watch these for a first time viewer?

And don't say "just watch the original trilogy." I want to see them all.

I picked these up at best buy yesterday. I got the original trilogy since I have only seen bits and pieces over the years, and didn't want to waste money on the complete set if I didn't like it. I just finished IV and loved it! On to V as we speak. I chose to watch the older ones first, since that's how they were released

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by BusterC417

I picked these up at best buy yesterday. I got the original trilogy since I have only seen bits and pieces over the years, and didn't want to waste money on the complete set if I didn't like it. I just finished IV and loved it! On to V as we speak. I chose to watch the older ones first, since that's how they were released

I so wish I could relive the moment I saw Empire Strikes Back for the first time

[BusterC417]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I so wish I could relive the moment I saw Empire Strikes Back for the first time

So would you consider this the best of the films?

I'm stoked because it looks like this is where yoda appears lol

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by BusterC417

So would you consider this the best of the films?

I'm stoked because it looks like this is where yoda appears lol

Yeah I would. It's widely considered the best by most SW fans too. I love the first as well though, and the third is also enjoyable too (though it's a little more cheesy at times). Honestly you can't go wrong lol, it's one of the best trilogies ever.

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by RandyK

What's a good order to watch these for a first time viewer?

And don't say "just watch the original trilogy." I want to see them all.

I've thought a lot about this, and it's such a toss-up.

My knee-jerk reaction is to say in order of release, like I think most people would say.

On the other hand - I can see the argument for watching them in Episode order.

Personally, it would depend on who I was showing it to. If it was someone that didn't know anything about it at all, I would probably say OT then PT - and when I say "anything about it at all" - I mean, the true identity of Darth Vader, etc. (basically, someone would have to live under a rock for that to happen).

For kids who had no exposure, I'd probably do it in Episode order.


It's funny, I've owned the hardcovers and flipped through them but with the digital editions now out, over the past few weeks I have been reading those amazing making-of books that have recently come out (they are exhaustive - like, essentially chronicling every day of every production from idea to release day), so I've been watching the films. I ended up reading the books backwards - RoJ, ESB, and just finished ANH. I also watched the OT backwards as I did it.

When I got to Star Wars, I was pretty shocked because I didn't remember just how many plot holes in the OT itself exist, particularly with Obi-wan's statements in ANH regarding Anakin. His statements in ROJ that what he said was true "from a certain point of view", well, no, he is very specific and it's not haha. And reading the books confirms that no, the plot twist in ESB really was not intended to begin with.

That said, the surprising thing is that the ROJ plot twist was actually planned, in a way -

[Show spoiler]at one point during pre-production on Star Wars, as many of us know, Luke became a girl for a short time - and briefly developed into the concept of twins (which was always out there somewhere in his overall vision as a concept in general to be used in some way), and according to the book (which is actually pretty astounding in how it lets things "all hang out") eventually they just split the character into two. Now, once they actually started making the films, it seems that concept was dropped, until RoJ when Lucas found himself needing to resolve the "no, there is another" plot hole and he went with an easy way out.

So, while they were actually making the first two, it wasn't actually intended to happen in RoJ - but in a way, it was true that it was part of an earlier concept, so it wasn't quite as "pulled out of a hat" as it always seemed...from a certain point of view. ;-)

[RandyK]

Originally Posted by animefan77

Well, I will always recommend watching in order of theatrical release. So watch the original trilogy, then watch the prequel.

I was planning to do that, then I found an article that said a good way was to do IV, V, I, II, III, VI. Treating the prequels as flashbacks and ending on a more upbeat note (the way he described it).

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by RandyK

I was planning to do that, then I found an article that said a good way was to do IV, V, I, II, III, VI. Treating the prequels as flashbacks and ending on a more upbeat note (the way he described it).

If you want to end on a good note then just watch them in Episode order. Forget the whole flashback idea. I'd still watch them in theatrical order though personally, but I don't think it'd hurt anything to see Episode I-III first.

[Gold Ranger]

Episode 7 will reveal that Leia is somehow not the Leia Twin, but a different Leia!

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by stvn1974

It was obsolete before they even started manufacturing the discs.

I think you'll find way back in this thread if one dares to venture there, that there were a few of us who pointed out from the beginning that this was far from a definitive set because of content alone (since we had no clue more films would be coming ever). We took some flak at the time from folks who didn't want to hear it, but once the sale of Lucasfilm came out it all made so much sense.

Assuredly Lucas was already planning for a sale at the time, which makes a great deal of sense as to why this set was far from exhaustive yet at the same time had so much "filler" (all the parody stuff, etc.) - he knew full-well that he was going to sell the company, and the films on home video are one of it's crown jewels because of their constant income and ability to be re-released every few years and buyers buy them all over again. The Blu-ray release at once proved the continued viability of the films as an asset, as well as left so much unreleased supplemental material (Empire of Dreams not being included is the biggest evidence of why this was wholly intentional, not to mention other known filmed but deleted scenes) that it left plenty of room for a truly extensive box set to be released by whomever bought the company.

It was pretty brilliant, actually. I fully expect a new box set of the original six films including much more supplemental material for holiday 2015 timed with the release of Episode VII, and I'd be willing to make a wager that they will indeed include the original cuts of the OT (cue folks saying it will never happen, LOL).

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by RandyK

I was planning to do that, then I found an article that said a good way was to do IV, V, I, II, III, VI. Treating the prequels as flashbacks and ending on a more upbeat note (the way he described it).

Yeah, that just seems...weird to me. Ending on a cliffhanger, and then going back and then forward again - even Lucas didn't propose it get that convoluted LOL.

I'd say there are really only two ways - Episode order or Release order. For kids I'd do Episode order, for various reasons, and for an adult I'd do release order. Anything else is just...weird, kind of like how they have retroactively gone back and re-numbered the Chronicles of Narnia (though they were written out of order to begin with, personally the new order makes less sense than it did originally even though it purports to be chronological now).