Star Wars: The Math Awakens

[Ogami]

This is a very specific question, and I didn't want to clog up the official Star Wars threads.

 

I was just texting a bro and told him how amped I am for the Force Awakens. He said in reply, "I'm happy for you" and I realized he and I were fundamentally different on the issue of Star Wars. This is his quote: "Scars are too deep there. I have a dead soul regarding SW. 2 out of 6 films being good has burned me."

 

I put the total of good Star Wars films at 4/6. Episodes 4, 5, 6, the last half of 1, and 3, for a total of four.

 

How do you do the math and what does that mean for your love of Star Wars? I was frankly surprised to hear a 35-45 year old American male show disinterest for the new film, especially after yesterday's trailer release.

[Magneto]

Just subtract any Jar Jar Binks parts and any part with Anakin as a whiny or know it all brat and you have your number

[He11blazer]

I put the total of good Star Wars films at 4/6. Episodes 4, 5, 6, the last half of 1, and 3, for a total of four.

 

That makes 4.5

[krighton]

Agree, Subtract Jar Jar & Anakin..SW & RoJ and part of Phantom Menace...so maybe 2.1 movies I enjoyed. you can include the Darth Maul scene where he fights the 2 Jedi as an entire movie if you want, it's the only part I re watch from Phantom Menace.

 

I can't get the scene of Anakin spinning around in that plane out of my head...whoaaaah hold on R2....woahhhhhh.

[DougC]

If you can the Phantom Edit of episodes 1-3 as one movie then my number is a solid 4 with no complaints.

[Ogami]

I put the total of good Star Wars films at 4/6. Episodes 4, 5, 6, the last half of 1, and 3, for a total of four.

 

That makes 4.5

 

3 + .5 + .5 = 4

[Ogami]

If you can the Phantom Edit of episodes 1-3 as one movie then my number is a solid 4 with no complaints.

 

There are a couple of well made edits of the first three episodes to make a compelling case that there is one good 3ish hour film inside episodes 1-3.

 

I read somewhere of the proper way to view SW now. Something about watch last half of 1, skip to 4, return to I don't know- I need to find it again.

 

 

Edit: I'm going to refresh myself on "The Phantom Edit". Thanks for mentioning it.

[Chip Cataldo]

Just subtract any Jar Jar Binks parts and any part with Anakin as a whiny or know it all brat and you have your number

You HAVE to add C-3PO into this list. He ruined AOTC for me...the coolest part (end battles) inter-cut with his corny crapp really pissed me off.

[techtre2003]

I loved all of the original Trilogy. I would be just as happy if the prequels never existed so a 3 for me.

[Ogami]

This link is a good place to start with what Doug and I are talking about. There are multiple ways of watching the series, including different orderings, and excision.

 

 

Doug is talking more about a very specific, well made edit of episodes I, II, and III. I'm talking more about how best to watch the released versions.

 

http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/1520/in-what-order-should-the-star-wars-movies-be-watched

 

 

This is my recommendation:

 

IV

V

I (but only once. Thereafter, start the film at the bay door revealing Maul to Jinn and Kenobi)

II

III

VI

 

This preserves the reveal of Vader to Luke, and ends the series on the high note it deserves. Yub Yub.

 

[H0RR0RSH0W]

It makes me laugh how hardcore Star Wars fans always bash the individual movies yet love them all as a whole more than life itself. Force awakens should be really cool.

 

With that, Lord of the Rings 5 armies comes out on DVD this week.

 

I loved it/hated it; all of them. Definitely maybe; 100%.

[VintageComics]

This link is a good place to start with what Doug and I are talking about. There are multiple ways of watching the series, including different orderings, and excision.

 

http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/1520/in-what-order-should-the-star-wars-movies-be-watched

 

 

This is my recommendation:

 

IV

V

I (but only once. Thereafter, start the film at the bay door revealing Maul to Jinn and Kenobi)

II

III

VI

 

This preserves the reveal of Vader to Luke, and ends the series on the high note it deserves. Yub Yub.

 

Unlike you guys, I had parents who didn't believe in taking their kids to movie theaters so I didn't grow up on Star Wars. I don't think I saw the 1st episode until the early 80's when it came out on VHS.

 

I finally watched the entire run for the first time about 7 years ago when I was out with a bad back but I can't really remember which order I watched them in or which movies I liked best.

 

I think I enjoyed the 1st and ROTJ the best. That would put me at two memorable movies. for this franchise.

 

I found the 4th one disappointing and boring the first time I saw it on video, shortly after the theaters. I think I actually fell asleep during the movie.

[Ogami]

You are old.

[Ogami]

It makes me laugh how hardcore Star Wars fans always bash the individual movies yet love them all as a whole more than life itself.

 

This is so true. And also, how little consensus there is.

 

Loving 1-6 of the first six movies, with every degree represented, is an odd fandom indeed.

[He11blazer]

I put the total of good Star Wars films at 4/6. Episodes 4, 5, 6, the last half of 1, and 3, for a total of four.

 

That makes 4.5

 

3 + .5 + .5 = 4

 

So the last halves of 1 and 3 then. I considered you might have meant that, but I felt your sentence was sufficiently ambiguous to take you to task.

[Chip Cataldo]

In Episode 1 I can only watch the lightsaber fight at the end and that's it. I can't stomach anything else between Jar Jar and that little twit.

[retrothecollector]

The total for me is 6.

 

All this boils down to peoples interpretation of the films and how critical people can be about them. No one can change a persons mind about how they feel about these movies. These movies strike the heart of the most die hard fans of the franchise. I being one of them.

 

I remember being 5 when episode V came out, and falling in love immediately and have never turned my back on SW. Burying little figures in the mud as I reenacted the Dagobah scene and as I got older dedicating about 45 hours of tattooing my body with star wars themes.

 

All the movies have something that I can enjoy, I agree some parts had their moments where they were completely irrelevant to the story and could've been left out especially from the prequels. But you have to understand that these movies are amazing to watch to me. Think Louis CK when he talked about taking things for granted. This is relevant.

 

I'll break down what I loved from the prequels.

 

E1

Seeing Darth Maul and the introduction of the Sith and the Emperor

Watching Obi wan as a Padawan.

Quigon was amazing and Leim Nessien was great

Learning about how Anakin was born and the Midi-chlorians

The battle of Naboo and the epic fight sequence with Maul and Obiwan.And watching Obiwan instantly becoming a Jedi cause he killed a Sith.

 

E2

The fight scene between Obiwan and Jango Fett

Learning about how the clones where made

The anger building in Anakin

Yoda hearing Quigon and thus beginning his training about become a force ghost

The fight scene with Anakin and Count Dooku

The gladiator dome scene with all the Jedi

Jango's beheading

 

E3

This whole movie was awesome

6, I believe, Lightsaber duels.

Grievous

Wookie battle scene

Yoda and Sidious fight

Order 66

Anakin taking a knee to the Sith Lord

Anakin taking out younglings and Padawans and practically the whole Jedi order

The epic epic epic battle between Obi and Darth Vader (not Anakin)

Obi wan saying "You were my brother, I loved you. It says that you were to destroy the Sith not join them" POWERFUL!! Ewen Mcgregor was amazing.

 

 

P.S. JJ is gonna nail E7 (thumbs u

 

[krighton]

I stood in line for Star Trek The Motion Picture around the block...but somehow skipped all the Star Wars movies in theaters.

[Doc McCoy]

I'm old enough to know that Han shot first and remember the original trilogy before the "Special Editions", so 3. There are parts of the prequel trilogy I can appreciate, but I'll never love them they way I did the original trilogy.

 

Jar Jar was much more palatable in Clone Wars. Both actors cast as Anakin in the movies were annoying. Boiling the Force down to Midi-chlorians was a terrible idea. I thought there were just some giant plot holes there.

 

Anakin turns his back on the Jedi Order because he was promised by Palpatine that he would be given the secret to preventing Padme's death/having her live forever, then his own actions result in here death and Palpatine just goes: Well, I don't really know how to make here live, but we can try to find out the secret together. Yeah, I'm really sticking with that guy!

 

Plus this:

 

[revat]

but we can all agree that any scene with padme and Anakin is unwatchable right?