Why You Can't Skip 'The Phantom Menace' (but which movie you CAN)

[@seanparkinson8753]

I think you’re forgetting ATOC is the only entry in the original 6 that gives us an IN-UNIVERSE explanation of a Jedi’s feelings on sand

[@davidmr11able]

Not the Jedis, child slaves in a desert planet 🤦‍♂️

[@SeanWheeler100]

Should anyone really care about sand in Star Wars? It was a poorly acted line.

[@davidmr11able]

@@SeanWheeler100 When the wise man points to the sun, the fool looks to the finger. Should anyone really care about fingers? I guess not 😒

[@8Smoker8]

AotC is the best SW movie. Best worldbuilding, cast, action, coolest characters actually doing stuff.

[@bigtomboye]

Very interesting pov why ATOC can be cut👍

[@skyguysreactions]

It is in my opinion (and George’s) that NONE of them are to be skipped. All 6 films are made to be essential to each other. 6 parts [1-6], 1 film - much like Tolkien’s own book saga in The Lord of the Rings: multiple parts, one book. You cannot have one without the other. Overall, you become the very thing you criticize those who easily dismiss TPM, so do be careful when you easily dismiss AOTC as “not important”. Episode II is setup as a classic chivalrous/Shakespearean romance with a mystery/noir plot in the mix. The point of Dooku was to keep the audience guessing whether he was truly an enemy/villain or if he was just an opposition leader in the galaxy on the brink of war. Which is all there, if you either pay attention, listen to George’s dvd commentaries and/or watch the behind the scenes stuff. Both the dismissals of TPM and AOTC are easily to counteract. TCW also helps enrich the Prequels, even tho they stand fine on their own, while also properly humanizing the Clones and making their story and turn all the more tragic.

[@ToughMartin]

Yeah, maybe I came across too dismissive in the video. AotC was actually my favorite for a few years. I set out to bring some love to TPM but, became the very thing I swore to destroy, heh! I actually wouldn't drop any film from my ideal viewing order. But it's interesting to think of how removing or swapping something changes the overall perception.

[@skyguysreactions]

@@ToughMartin Indeed! And I bear no ill will towards you. Other than that, I genuinely appreciate and loved seeing some positive reinforcement for TPM!

[@haljordan777]

None of George's films should be skipped. That is the Star Wars Saga. If you skip any of George's films, you aren't watching the complete Star Wars Saga. However, if someone really wants to use Machete Order, they should use the original Machete Order which excluded the Disney Sequel Trilogy since they didn't exist yet. Including Episodes VII-IX in Machete Order is weird and nonsensical. Those films don't belong in either Lucas' Star Wars Saga or in Machete Order of the Saga, and they should be viewed separately if at all. Personally, I rewatch The Force Awakens and skip the other two. But even though I enjoy parts of The Phantom Menace, I wouldn't include it as part of a rewatch of the complete Saga or the traditional Machete Order (IV, V, II, III, VI) because what Abrams' character assassination of Han (not his actual death) in The Force Awakens is almost as bad as Abrams bringing the Emperor back in The Rise of Skywalker.

[@skyguysreactions]

@@haljordan777 I pretty much agree with everything you said in the first half of your comment. You lost me at skipping on TPM. And agree 200% with the Abrams statement at the last. Since the Disney Trilogy did not have George’s hand on it (the story treatments given when sold that they trashed/threw away), it most certainly is not Episodes VII, VIII & IX.

[@petersarubbi]

The only Star Wars movies to skip are the horrible ones that disney produced... Episodes 1-6 in chronological order are to be viewed and enjoyed by loyal fans of Star Wars and George Lucas... and not watching Qui Gon Jinn (the greatest Jedi ever played by one of the greatest actors ever) is a crime against humanity...

[@Mr_KFC52]

I’d argue argue you need to see both the Phantom Menace & AOTC. Phantom Menace for the all points you stated, but AOTC really shows Anakin’s temptation with the dark side. You don’t see it in the Phantom Menace, other than warnings from Yoda see his fear, and you only see it once before his turn in ROTS, which is a result of manipulation from Palptine not so much from this rage or need to control the situation. His turn in ROTS is often criticized as being abrupt, it isn’t really because of the groundwork AOTC laid out. Love the video, just wanted to share my two cents (:

[@ToughMartin]

Thanks for the thoughts, my friend. That's true - AotC does hit his fear of loss harder than RotS does. All in all I'd keep all the movies, but it's interesting to ponder how much you could trim without blowing the whole thing up.

[@skyguysreactions]

Never mind the fact Palps directly refers to his slaughter of the Tusken Raider village that kidnapped and tormented his mother.

[@Mr_KFC52]

@@skyguysreactions yeah but that would break a major rule in film making of showing and not telling. It wouldn’t have the same impact as us seeing it like we did. But that wasn’t the only time his dark side shown. He showed it when sharing his political views about making people agree and how he feels that he was being held back by Obi.

[@skyguysreactions]

@@Mr_KFC52 This too! There’s just SO MUCH to unpack with AOTC!

[@daltysmilth]

Let’s not forget that each of Sidious’s apprentices, including Dooku, were basically different prototypes for what Darth Vader would become. Darth Maul was the seldom spoken deadly warrior, Dooku was the elegant master duelist and former Jedi, and General Grievous was a cyborg, once a normal living being, brought back from the very brink of death into almost a perverse parody of what he once was, utterly dependent on technology to keep him alive. Each of them foreshadows what Vader would become, and each of them is necessary for that goal.

[@leonielson7138]

The Duel of Fate in 'The Phantom Menace' also foreshadows Anakin's fall and redemption: Darth Maul wins against Qui-Gon Jinn, but Obi-Wan wins against Darth Maul.

[@PrincessAmanante]

Very insightful. The prequel trilogy gets a lot of flak, so it’s refreshing to hear what The Phantom Menace does well. I really like your point that it shows the pre-war state of the world. A bit of writing advice I’ve heard is “show the normal world”, or something to that effect. The point is to show what’s at stake - if we don’t know what can be lost, we have less reason to care if the heroes fail.

[@ZoomerUnion]

Definitely agree with that writing advice. It's an essential part of the hero's journey: show the "home" the hero is leaving behind. In its most deconstructed form, the plot of a movie simply chronicles a shift in the status quo of something. That's all it really is. Exposition at the beginning shows the way things start out (point A), and the rest of the plot shows how things get to point B, which is fully realized by the time the plot arrives at the denouement

[@OfficialRaveBlitz]

Accordingly, you can not skip Episode II as it sets up Anakin and Padme's relationship, and it shows us Anakin's first steps to the Dark Side. Also we find out what the fate of Anakin's mother is in the film as well as the introduction of Count Dooku. AOTC also gives us the beginnings of the Clone Wars, and answers questions that were developed in Episode I. Every single film in Lucas's saga is extremely important to the overall narrative. If you skip Episode II, you also don't understand how the Clones came to be, or why the Separatists are fighting the war.

[@8Smoker8]

Ep. II is amazing and yes, the whole Kamino part and the beginning of Anakin's fall and of the Clone Wars are extremely important. And the fights of Django, Dooku, Yoda, all the Jedi in the Arena, so cool!

[@Joker22593]

Actually, you can skip episode 2 by watching Tartakovsky's Clone Wars instead. Narratively it does everything 2 needs to do, but better. Also, it fills in details that would otherwise be, albeit insignificant, plot holes in 3.

[@OfficialRaveBlitz]

@@Joker22593 Except no. Episode II is massively important to the story. Did you not read what I said above?

[@stratplayr6997]

And Ep II shows us the seeds of Anakin's dissatisfaction with Obi Wan and the Jedi, and the loss of his mother. These all factor in his migration to the dark side.

[@ThoughtCabin]

Palpatine makes reference to Anakin's mother's death in III so it just becomes an offscreen event that the audience can infer. The basics of the war are explained in the opening crawl. All the other details are only important to folks who care about the universe as-such rather than the basic Skywalker story

[@captainvader921]

I was with you, until you started talking about why Episode 2 can be skipped, which I disagree strongly with. One thing I don't think you mentioned is Anakin's mother. The biggest reason why Anakin turned to the Dark Side is because he had visions that Padme would die, and he was afraid of that because he also had visions of his mom dying. That's part of what made Padme's death hard for him, because he now has a stronger foundation for believing that she will indeed die. If we go from Episode 1 to 3, skipping 2, then we miss this crucial plot point. This is what makes Anakin vow to stop all his loved ones from dying. Yes, Episode 3 does refresh all of this for you, but that's not the same as seeing it. It wouldn't hit the same if we were just told about it. Also, Episode 2 introduced the Lars family, and if we just saw Obi-Wan handing Luke to them at the end of Episode 3, you'd question "where did they come from." At least, assuming you're watching the movies in episode order. If there's any episode that can be skipped, it's literally the entire Sequel Trilogy in my opinion.

[@everettarden2170]

I watched this video without looking at views and subscriber count beforehand, and now seeing 400 views and 22 subscribers I am blown away at the quality of the video for that low of a subscribers. Consider me your 23rd, great video

[@ToughMartin]

Wow thank you so much, my friend! I've been meaning to start this for a long time, so that means a lot.

[@StannisHarlock]

I would suggest that most of the important stuff in Episode 1 is strongly represented in episode 2 and 3, like the corruption of the Republic. In Episode 2, they consolidated all their power under one guy, they noted that Palpatine has stayed in office beyond his term limit, and that a secret clone army had been commissioned for the Republic. But if you go straight from episode 1 to episode 3, you can get this weird idea that Padme had an inappropriate relationship with a 9 y are old kid, and that's why they keep their marriage secret. You have no idea where the clone army came from, and that the Jedi had anything to do with it, and you don't know who the Republic is fighting against (except for the Trade Federation) You have to see when they fell in love, which is why you shouldn't skip episode 2, because essentially, instead of using the prequels to tell a war story, George used the prequels to tell a tragic love story.

[@MDE128]

I 100% agree. TPM is the least important of the six while still being an important film.

[@pavelmatusu4457]

0:10 "Its unique to starwars!" Bro hasnt seen Haruhi Suzumia or FATE Series on which no one can agree on and there is no "official" watch order

[@JackEdgren]

Really GREAT video, i know im a year late to the party but welcome to the Star Wars deep dive space on youtube - best place there is. Love your way of approaching Star Wars in both an analytic and philosophic sense. Keep up the good work man!

[@L1z43vr]

I disagree with having to skip any movie of the trilogies at all. And I also disagree with we not having to see how Palpatine got his emergency powers for one simple storytelling rule: "Show, don't tell." (Which is admitedly something of a contradiction for me, why should you show us something unimportant instead of telling us as a passing remark or tell us something important instead of showing what it is its effects on the world at large? I think the actual rule should be "always show the important stuff and just tell/talk about the unimportant stuff", but I digress), plus, as someone has pointed out, AOTC explores Anakin's temptation with the Dark Side of the Force. If you skip that, Anakin's turn just seems... Abrupt, you know what I mean?

[@ToughMartin]

Yeah, I see what you mean. His turn to the dark side in RotS feels abrupt as it is, and would be soooo much more so without AotC.

[@The116thDoctor]

I find the attack of the clones argument interesting but the real value of this vid imo is your excellent thematic analysis of Ep 1 and the saga as a whole. So good

[@FreemanCanada]

The thing with the Machete order is that you don't have to skip Phantom Menace

[@Byronic19134]

And you shouldn’t dare skip Rogue One which is one of the best movies period.

[@FreemanCanada]

Definitely, I also like the Rebels series as a prequel. I didn't mind Ashoka because it was just an animated continuation but with live actors. Anything that felt out of place was no bothersome, although I hate that Sabine was given Force powers. All of her previous achievements that she did were based on her own merit, but now they can be dismissed as random pop-ups of Force powers.

[@beardykane]

If you do that, then it is no longer the Machete order.

[@more-reasons6655]

​@@beardykane machete as in chopped up, not cut off The series is chopped up to have 4 & 5 start the saga, the prequels go next then end with the actual ending of the saga with ep6 Rogue one is an excellent movie but I don't see any way for it to fit with the machete order. Going before 4 makes it the first film but the film is designed in a way that the audience know what the death star, empire or jedi are Putting RO between 3 & 6 means there's 4 movies between 5 & 6 now which is too long to get back to the main heroes, also the threat of RO was destroyed in ep4 so the movie won't fit

[@orbaitv5991]

@@Byronic19134 Still a 7/10 with some of the worst/weakest characters in the movies.

[@austinmajeski9427]

Wow, putting myself in-place, mentally, as if Episode 1 is followed by Episode 3, actually feels more dramatic and impactful than I ever realized. Thanks for helping me keep an open mind and introducing me to a perspective I have never fully considered.

[@Сайтамен]

AOTC actually tells a great story (Palpatine's rise to power by manipulation Republic and Separatists, Anakin's progression of falling to the Dark Side, start of the Clone Wars), develops characters, shows us real war, new planets, species, ships, droids, world, and has strong connection with 1 and 3. You can't skip it because you won't understand what is happening in ROTS.

[@TheJunmengo]

But how long would that marathon be ? 2 days?

[@Сайтамен]

@TheJunmengo It's 2 extra hours, you can watch 6 movies in 1 day.

[@kaankaraca2001]

The thing with Machete Order was, the aim was to reshift the saga into being Luke’s story rather than Anakin’s, for several reasons I don’t need to get into, and strengthening Luke’s story by emphasizing their parallels; so when looked at from that perspective, yeah TPM isn’t really relevant to that story-just as we didn’t need to know how the Empire came to be, you could argue we didn’t need to know how Palpatine rose to power, or how Anakin was found or how much of an attachment he has to his mother... But within the trilogy it’s in, or when watched in Episodic or Chronological order, of course it’s important. I also don’t agree that you can skip AOTC-as much as I really dislike the movie-ROTS assumes you know everything about the characters and the state of the galaxy, like Anakin having lost his mother and how it affects his fear of loss, all the characters during this war. It’s quite a bit of a whiplash. Meanwhile AOTC reintroduces everyone in a sort of “ten years later” reunion, which works for a newcomer.

[@willowparker-ct3pq]

I’m glad *someone* in this comment section understands this. Everyone who tries to argue you “can’t” skip TPM comes at it from the perspective of what TPM does for the saga. Machete order was never about the saga. It was created because Anakin’s ghost got edited to be Hayden Christiansen, which doesn’t make sense if you only watch the original trilogy. The entire point was to figure out how to contextualize Hayden’s appearance in RotJ while keeping the viewing experience firmly centered around Luke’s story. I actually think TPM is the best film of the prequel trilogy, and it’s great context to the saga as a whole, but it is completely irrelevant to *Luke’s story*, which is all Machete order is about.

[@kaankaraca2001]

@ Exactly. There isn’t even any need for Machete Order if you’re watching the *theatrical* editions with Sebastian Shaw as Anakin. You can just go Release Order: originals, prequels, sequels, then whatever you want. Granted I really do like how watching RotS before RotJ strengthens RotJ, already the arguably weakest of the OT, and if you want to “keep canon” with, say, Ahsoka, Machete works great on both fronts. But then including TPM also messes with the pacing a bit, unless you do something like, 4-1-5-2-3-6 which is even more insane and arguably ruins the Yoda twist. And I don’t even want to talk about fanedits.

[@dededemain]

i disagree when you said that it isn't needed that we know they kept their marriage secret due to the jedi. i believe that part is important as it shows anakin splitting between the jedi order and who he loves

[@ToughMartin]

That's true. I wish Lucas made more of a meal of that part. The Jedi celibacy thing isn't without merit-- still it's interesting to think how much we can trim of the saga while still keeping it watchable. Without 2, we'd probably have no idea that Jedi can't have arrangements at all.

[@ZoomerUnion]

@@ToughMartin Except that it's stated by Padme and Anakin multiple times in Revenge of the Sith, so if in your viewing order you skip II you'll be caught back up on that particular plot thread in III

[@Samos900]

I remember when the force awakens came out, everyone was so excited. When asked; what order to watch them in, someone said 4, 5, 6, .. and 7. And just left the prequels out entirely. Now THAT was funny

[@physical_insanity]

Episode 1 has always been my favourite movie, and I've tried to argue that it's actually the best (mostly for giggles), and I always viewed everyone's antipathy towards it as irrational. It's the one movie that's disconnected from any big overarching conflict and feels a lot like an Odyssey, and it's very unique even for a Star Wars film. When it comes to devising the best watch order, whether it's your first time or 1000th, me and my family have always started with Episode 4 to set the overall mood, and then we alternated between the prequel and Original trilogy. After 4, we move on episode 1 as like a flashback and to give some early context to the rest of the franchise, while also making it feel as if considerable time has passed since 4. Then it's back to 5 advancing the current day story, which then allows you to proceed with the rest of the prequels to properly illuminate Anakin's fall to the darkside before ultimate concluding with the happy ending of Episode 6 after the depressing ending of Episode 3. I can't agree with skipping Episode 2, though. It's like a 2-parter with Episode 3 in that the stories showcase both the beginning and end of the Clone Wars and how both events influence the rest of the Galaxy, but not only that, it gives important context to Anakin's fall to the darkside. The secret marriage is kind of jarring if you're just being introduced to it right in the middle of it, because you're missing the development of their relationship and important context on how Anakin went against the Jedi order, and that's just the tip of the issues with excluding it. Just because Anakin isn't exactly like what Obi-Wan described doesn't invalidate what we see in Episode 2, because it still builds up to his fall in Episode 3, not to mention Jango Fett's exclusion is absolutely inexcusable. 😡 But hey, this was still a good video, and I'm glad to see Episode 1 get some love, so take my approval.

[@ToughMartin]

I'm glad you liked it, thank you! That's a good point about Episode 2 being a two-parter with 3. That's a cool way to look at it. Thanks for sharing that thought. Skipping 2 definitely isn't a clean cut, and honestly I'd keep it in my usual watch through order. Also, I like your tradition of alternating between viewing orders, but starting with 4 each time. It's the same saga, but you get to see it two very different ways.

[@joshtheowl3590]

The Tatooine sequence alone makes AotC unskippable. Vader was born there, however briefly.

[@UrbanSpidey]

As many problems as I have with Episode 1, I have always thought it was strange to skip it in the machete watch order. as you said, there is so much lore and so many starts to character arcs. also, perfect comparison with David's "big things have small beginnings" line.

[@marklechman2225]

If you include 7,8 and 9 in the viewing, it should have a unique identifier, like maybe call it Machete Plus. To me, Machete is a way to view the OT and PT together and was developed before the ST.

[@zachlewis9751]

Of course it’s wrong, you don’t cut Qui-gon.

[@dn22pkkdd476]

You cut Maul instead

[@patriotgamer3386]

My personal favorite viewing order is the original trilogy then the prequels and then skipping the sequels all together and pretending they never happened.

[@Dudewtf527]

If you really can’t stand Jar Jar, listen to The Saga Begins by Wierd Al.

[@Deuteromis]

It's hilarious how people complain about the politics and say the blockage and trade disputes were dumb; when it was straight up Palpatine's plan to become chancellor.

[@Wubster649]

The real moment Anakin is on the path to become Darth Vader was Qui-Gon’s death.

[@IllusionaryFuneral]

That’s actually why the song that plays during the duel with Darth Maul is called, “Duel of the Fates”. Not only was the fight to determine the fates of the combatants in that moment, but also the fate of Anakin, and the subsequent fates of everyone in the galaxy. If Qui-Gon had survived, he would have been the father figure that Anakin needed to overcome his traumas and inner demons. Obi-Wan was more like an older brother to Anakin, which left Anakin without the role model he needed. Palpatine manipulated Anakin by pretending to be that father figure for him after Qui-Gon’s death, which ultimately led Anakin down the path of darkness.

[@falcoskywolf]

Honestly, I have usually preferred release order, not just to keep the mysteries of the prequels for later but also to watch the technical advances in filmmaking, but I might suggest "shuffle order." 4, 1, 5, 2, 6, 3. 4 to start off with no context for Vader/Anakin. Then 1 to give us the first glimpse of the Skywalker family. Then 5 to get to the "I am your father" and see Luke wondering if it's true. Then 2 to give us more CLUES that it's true without spelling it out entirely. Then 6 to see how Luke learned the truth, and then 3 to get the final full picture. (Then explore whatever other films you like.)

[@rickriffel6246]

My preference is all twelve Star Wars movies (including The Clone Wars, Rogue One and Solo) in their chronological order. Each and every one is a pleasure to watch.

[@yurisei6732]

That's 9 total, where are you getting the other 3?

[@rickriffel6246]

@@yurisei6732 Solo, Rogue One and The Clone Wars are the other three.

[@yurisei6732]

@@rickriffel6246 That's nine: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, then Solo (7), Rogue One (8), Clone Wars (9). Where are you getting the other 3? I'm assuming we're not counting the christmas special?

[@rickriffel6246]

@@yurisei6732 The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker -- that's the sequel trilogy, the third of three trilogies.

[@yurisei6732]

@@rickriffel6246 Huh, never heard of that, when did they make those?

[@thestarwarsnerdhank1072]

Cool video. I’ve always watched the movies in release or chronological order but watching in a different order seems like an intriguing way to rewatch the movies and I’ll certainly be trying it sometime soon

[@ToughMartin]

I've heard of some very creative orders, some that try to include *everything* and some that trim a bunch.

[@godjahmit]

I went with my friends to watch Episode 3, but hadn't seen 2. My friend told me it was bad, so it wasn't necessary. I didn't know a few characters, but I didn't feel lost.

[@vetarlittorf1807]

I don't think you can skip episode 2. True, much of its events are highlighted in episode 3, but we need episode 2 for context for world-building and character relationships. Like why the Clone War started, who is Count Dooku, what the CIS is, why Palpatine suddenly has unlimited authority and why Obi-Wan failed as a mentor.

[@NoName_NoTitle]

My favourite viewing order is episodes 4,5,6 and that's it.

[@Sebastian_Niedermeier]

I don't yet know what your take is but myy recommended watch order: In order of release - cause it keeps Vader, the clone wars and so on as a mystery to be explored later. This only counts for the mainline movies though. Skip all sidestories, for they add little to nothing. Also dismiss Riss of Skywalker it was pure BS, and Last Jedi already provided the perfect ending to the Saga. Luke went out as a devoted hero, not through brawns, but through brains, conviction and love. The Resistence is in shambles but not dead. And while the Jedi are gone, the force still works is the universe, as evidenced by the final scene of the child laborour using it. A scene that simbolizes hope. So we have a perfect narrative circle beginning with a new hope and ending with an embracement of hope. Just wonderful. Last Jedi criminally underrated.

[@younggrasshopper3531]

That cut to anakin and obi wan meeting at the end was great. As a fan of ep 1, warts and all, thanks for this!

[@chickenmotherhalo]

How I interpret the central theme of Phantom Menace - sometimes you must to take high risks to succeed in life. Padme takes a huge risk teaming up with the gungans and the jedi to defeat the trade federation. Interesting argument for why Clones could be cut from the lineup. The prequels are flawed but the overall story is cool and part of my head canon for Star Wars. Great video Martin!

[@ToughMartin]

Thanks! That's a very insightful take on Phantom Menace, I never thought of that. Qui Gon takes a huge risk on Anakin for the pod race as well, and Anakin takes a big risk on himself when he leaves his home behind. The cool thing about these movies is that there seems to be an unending amount of gems to find, regardless of their conventional critical quality.

[@tdawgmaster1729]

You can't skip any of the prequels because then you're missing the memes

[@marimars1047]

Literally my main reason for watching them 😂

[@russianoverkill3715]

Is there anything of value other than unfunny memes?

[@Clever_viper]

The one film I believe needs to be skipped and forgotten is episode IX

[@VitaminD-123]

The one detail I wish was different in Revenge of the Sith is that they reveal the twins. I wish they had merely shown that a birth happened and no facts revealed - maybe some wide eyes / reaction but not obvious. Then, the surprise question in Empire Strikes Back would stay powerful as would the answer in Return of the Jedi. What do people think?

[@jaklumen]

Pardon a rather autistic detailed reply and references to the first trilogy: I think it shows the flaws Lucas had in retrofitting ideas that he really had in mind for a long time but refined over time. I mean, if you see the deleted scenes for Empire Strikes Back that were not released with the DVD but were with the Blu-Ray release, you see that Lucas was still running with the idea of Han, Luke, and Leia being a love triangle, and that he really didn't come to the idea of Luke and Leia being brother and sister until Return of the Jedi, which was called Revenge of the Jedi, at first. So I bring all of this up because I think that Lucas wanted to boldly emphasize Luke and Leia's sibling relationship to newer audiences. Believe me when I say older audiences didn't see the first three movies the same way younger audiences did that came to the films by way of television screenings, the Special Edition, and the EU media (which I assure you is a very different caliber and consideration from the books, toys, etc. that were released over the span of the original theatrical runs). Remember too that Uncle George decided to further refine Empire Strikes Back to retrofit the prequels. Ian McDiarmid, who wasn't cast until Jedi in his 30s, was filmed for replacement edits for Vader communicating with the Emperor from his custom Star Destroyer, and the Emperor's interest in Luke was shaded very differently, and a lot of intentional foreshadowing was therefore edited in. Keep in mind too that none of the original movies intially had subtitles for Huttese, not for Greedo in the retroactively titled "A New Hope", nor Jabba the Hutt in Jedi- you only had the reactions of Han Solo and the translations of C3P0 to go on, period. Plenty of surprise and intrigue was effectively worn away in later edits of the films, so George had little reason to hide in RotS what much of the audience had already learned.

[@carter358]

When they came out I was a huge critic of the prequels, but they've grown on me. I'm actually one of their big defenders these days. I still think that some things in them made no sense like Anakin building C-3PO or Anakin's whining and lament on sand (how did any girl fall for this guy? Much less one that six years older than him)and I do not care for the entire idea of midi-chlorians at all but outside of that, they are really good. As for 7, 8, & 9 those dumpster fires have no redeeming value whatsoever.

[@hunterkiller1440]

My order depends on who your favourite character is after watching ANH. If you like Obi Wan, go back to AOTC and go chronologically. If you like Luke continue on with TESB, then use AOTC as a flashback then go chronologically.

[@Vagabond824]

I've never heard this version of dropping episode one. I always heard it was just 4,5,1,2,3, and finally back to 6. Episode one shows us the truest jedi the order had prior to the fall of the republic in qui gon. And how had he survived then anakin probably would have never fallen to the dark side.

[@haljordan777]

You can't skip The Phantom Menace, but you can skip Episodes VII-IX. In fact, they didn't even exist when Machete Order was created so the original Machete Order didn't include them anyway.

[@theoc511]

Non George is non CANON SW

[@SawdustMusic-rd8mj]

@@theoc511unless it’s Rouge One, or season seven of Clone Wars, or Mandalorian, or Andor. You see the problem with your double standards?

[@theoc511]

@@SawdustMusic-rd8mj no double standards...u can throw them all out. But I specifically only mean movies that are Lucas made

[@LairOfLair]

​@@SawdustMusic-rd8mjR1 and Andor just replace all old EU deathstar plans theft badassery chain - Han's gf, Chuck Norris of tGFFA etc. It is at least watchable, compared to other on-screen trash by mouse.

[@LairOfLair]

​@@SawdustMusic-rd8mjtldr: fun shows, still not canon for me.

[@kaygee2121]

I have a hard time understanding why release order is so important to folks other than them wanting others to experience it as they did. With as much Star Wars content as there is now though, chronological order seems to make the most sense for newcomers, in my humble opinion.

[@ToughMartin]

I think it's about getting creative and seeing how your perception of a piece of art can change your experience. At least, that's how it is for me. George Lucas isn't a perfect director, but he's managed to unlock a ton of people's creativity, which is pretty cool.

[@mrmacross]

If you want to get the best understanding of the franchise's historical impact and how the story actually evolved, you should watch in release order. Star Wars is a franchise that's been pretty much made up as things go along. Every succeeding movie retconned the movie before it, for better and for worse. Sometimes, how the story evolved can be just as interesting from a documentation point of view as the actual story on screen. Also, the OT was the pioneers here, and watching them somewhere in the middle doesn't really give you the appreciation of how they contributed to pop culture. IMO, of course.

[@espo221b]

Disney wars is not star wars. Just watch the original trilogy and prequel trilogy.

[@Karls_Clips]

You can skip 7 8 and 9, you wont miss anything.

[@votekyle3000]

00:20 that reminds me, Just watch James Bond movies in release order, potential release order by actor. Or random. Or backwards.

[@8Smoker8]

It's insane to skip AotC. Anakin's fall would seem even more forced, and the origin of the Clone Army is a super important nuance. I'd rather skip any other movie tbh, because ep. II adds so much to the worldbuilding and is just the coolest movie overall.

[@Okapi540]

That's very interesting! I agree that skipping II may actually improve III. Personally, when I do the Machete order, I stick Episode I at the start. It sets up this little hero Anakin, and makes the plot twist in V hit harder because by that point it seems unimaginable that little Anakin would be Darth Vader.

[@travisjohnson7065]

What about just...watching all 6 movies? Lucas intended it to be like one big movie in 6 parts. In pretty much any story, there are going to be some parts that you technically *could* skip, but that seems a bit like overthinking it when you could simply let the storyteller tell their story.

[@Duck0fDoom]

As a huge Star Wars fan, II is honestly so boring to watch. Definitely no issue with skipping that one.

[@skylersimpson4692]

Even George said it supposed to be seen 1-6, in order. That’s it

[@ToughMartin]

True. Still, I bet he'd appreciate the fun exercise of cutting or rearranging the chapters. He's always liked to tinker with Star Wars. It's just fun, you know?

[@Makoto03]

Great video. I agree that Phantom Menace does offer more to the Star Wars lore than Episode 2. Though i personally like both.

[@dannyolortegui3776]

AOTC is severely underrated. It's the only film in the PT that if tweaked just a little bit feels closer to the OT. TPM inadvertently set up AOTC for failure

[@classicforreal]

All of the Sequels. You can skip all of the Sequels. Also, Solo: A Star Wars Story. You can skip that too.

[@classicforreal]

I forgot, you can skip the animated Clone Wars movie (though you've probably seen it anyway).

[@slickest123452]

remember, there are no star was sequels.

[@arthurr.r.lucasspublicdoma5621]

I strongly disagree with the notion that you can skip AOTC. Without AOTC, you lose a lot of the context that makes ROTS work so well. Really, all six of the pre-Disney Star Wars movies shouldn't be skipped because they all are necessary pieces of a larger puzzle. In my opinion, the only films you can skip without losing anything are the Disney trilogy. ROTJ is already a good enough ending anyways.

[@OperationBlueprint]

Best Machete order is 1,2,3,4,5,6 then slash off the fan films at the end

[@boscojokey3829]

none of Gorges films should be skipped, if you wanna skip stuff just do yourself a favor and dont watch the sequels

[@Kalleosini]

I don't need to skip phantom menace or attack of the clones. I just need to skip episodes 7-8-9

[@balfizan]

I really wish that there had been someone there to help refine Lucas' ideas for the prequels. His ideas were always good. His execution was at worst mid. His moment to moment writing just absolute butt. But saying you can skip episode two runs counter to your points about the first movie. For the same reason if you're including any of the prequels you need either one or two, maybe not both. I'd like a good parts version of episode one and two.

[@ShiftySqvirrel]

I disagree with skipping AotC, but others explain why better than I can. What I will say is that I don't understand why people criticise the dialogue so much, it seems far more natural to me than the dialogue in most movies. Dialogue in most movies comes off as "perfect" it fits everything just right in a way that is many times unnatural. Most people in real life say the wrong things, or say things in ways that are misunderstood, a lot. At the same time the dialogue in Star Wars is meant to be "unnatural" in other ways, more operatic, being a space opera. And this "clunky" and operatic dialogue in many ways fits real life more, because it holds true to the core of how we speak in real life. We use dialogue in a clunky fashion, and we at times use vocabulary and syntaxes that are odd or archaic for certain effects or situations, and these things just result in a more timeless dialogue for Star Wars. And this became painfully clear with Episodes 7 and 8(I haven't even seen 9, don't care to), where the modern dialogue almost everywhere felt so out of place.

[@TheGodKingOfMusic]

My wife agreed to watch Star Wars with me, probably gonna do machete order ending with ROTJ!

[@ToughMartin]

That sounds awesome! I hope she loves it. You should see how the viewing order shapes her opinion of it as you go.

[@idolizedpluto]

I think the best way to watch the prequels is by watching all of episode 1, then only the parts of episode two that matter (I.E. Obi Wan chasing Jango, Yoda's warnings about the dark side to Anakin, and basically all of Geonosis. everything else can be skipped and we'd save at least 30-40 minutes of runtime) The watch the clone wars movie, the clone wars show (both the 2008 versions since the 2002 version isn't cannon) watch revenge of the sith before the last 4 episodes of season 7 then watch those last 4 episodes and finally round things off with the bad batch show.

[@ToughMartin]

I'd watch that fan edit in a heartbeat

[@bigdoubleu117]

Overall, Ep1 and Ep2 are over hated, but I think are quite good. People pretend the OT had perfect acting, dialogue, and special effects... In reality, the OT has the same issues as the Prequels. Ultimately, 1-6 are made for kids, and people expecting them to be high-end Lord of The Rings type of gravitas, are lying to themselves. It's just the early internet hate train made it popular to hate the Prequels and to spread misinformation about the making of Star Wars.

[@trippen4819]

Skip 7,8 and 9 entirely

[@ToughMartin]

Yeah...I'd probably skip 9 for sure

[@dancooke8811]

I agree

[@dancooke8811]

The True Order is Revenge of The Sith A New Hope The Empire Strikes Back Return of The Jedi The Phantom Menace Attack Of the Clones

[@dancooke8811]

Revenge of The Sith is the true beginning and I wouldn't leave out any of the original 6 STAR WARS Movies they are gold. As for The Sequel Trilogy I'd get rid of the lot of them!😂

[@cultmecca]

I like A New Hope Empire Strikes Back The Phantom Menace Attack of the Clones Revenge of the Sith Return of the Jedi

[@StrawB0ss]

0:15 The proper or for lotr is Fellowship, towers, retourn. And that's it.

[@Cringeharvester]

Return

[@joshuasgameplays9850]

The proper way is to combine the books together into one with duct tape, as Tolkien originally intended.

[@JordanMSeverns]

you gotta admit that going straight from annakin and padme in episode 1 to "annikin im pregnant" in episode 3 could be pretty jarring to a first-time viewer...

[@ridethelapras]

Not that us fans didn't see it coming however. In "Weird Al"'s song (which was mostly written before Episode I had even come out), he sings: "Ah, do you see him hitting on the Queen, though he's just 9 and she's 14? Yeah, he's probably gonna marry her someday...".

[@TrueLegoXman]

Any order that skips any of the 6 and shows any of the Disney trilogy is inherently wrong. That being said, the reasoning for skipping AotC applies to any of the six movies honestly. For example, we can skip RotS because we can tell that Anakin becomes Vader later on, the Clones become the Stormtroopers, and the Jedi die. In fact, it even leaves a nicer reveal later in ESB!

[@brandonbaggaley2317]

The sequels should be ignored no matter what. They ruin the emotional impact of the Lucas films.

[@theoc511]

WHAT SEQUELS???

[@Strideo1]

I believe they'll be officially dumped someday in the future just like the original Expanded Universe got dumped by Disney. The sequel trilogy is *that* bad.

[@cdub31613]

This is the best summary I’ve heard of the case for “Why Ep. I?”. Tbh, I agree with your summary of EP II and think you can sub in the Clone Wars miniseries instead. That being said, I also agree with the consensus that you shouldn’t skip any of them, and maybe the prequels are all better than we often give them credit for.

[@yurisei6732]

Just the idea of "machete order" and "skipping 1" is stupid. If you can skip 1 because it's irrelevant, then you can skip 7, 8 and 9, which are so irrelevant that Lucas didn't bother making them himself. Plus, the whole order is built on some random guy being upset about a single edit to 6, and is rendered moot by just watching the original versions of the films.

[@Annihilist556]

What edit?

[@roccoborghetti4693]

The battle droid problem is EXACTLY why the “control chips” in the Filoniverse is completely garbage and the old canon where the clones were like the Waffen SS - completely brainwashed “super soldiers” - works so much better. They know exactly what they’re bred for and their sole purpose is to serve the Chancellor/Emperor. Plus everything you said as well as what’s actually dialogue in the films, helps support this because they’re supposed to be critical thinkers and superior to droids. People take the “alterations” the Kaminoans do too literally. It’s not like they’re lobotomizing the clones, nor are they physically taking away any sort of control from the clones. It’s just brainwashing loyalty like we’ve seen throughout our own history time and again.

[@depotheose7890]

i dont really get why people still hate the phantom menace. i understand that when the movie came out it wasnt what peope were expecting but rewatching it now basically solved (at least for me) all of the big problems that i heard mentioned with this movie. Sure the story is not what was expected but now we already know that. sure jar jar is annoying but hes tolerable and theres no longer the fear that he might play a major part in the following movies. sure the introduction was a big shift but now you watch the movie and you barely notice it.

[@depotheose7890]

i actually consider the phantom menace to be my second favourite star wars movie

[@dn22pkkdd476]

No such thing as a bad Star Wars movie. We have 12 awesome films. Funny thing, I showed my friend Phantom Menace since she never saw a Star Wars movie before, and she absolutely loved it.

[@TBKOTOROB]

Me I would do it 4, 1, 5, 2, 3, 6 then skip everything made by disney

[@pickaxe6742]

holy crap I had no idea this was your first video ! This is excellent :D

[@ahetzel9054]

I would never put Disney SW in any watch list 🤣

[@Dendricklystable]

So skipping the phantom menace and understanding what happened through comtext is bad but doing the same thing with attack of the clones isn't? You could apply this logic to literally any film in the saga

[@johannesmusta5746]

“comtext”

[@ALCvideoprofile]

I wouldn't skip any movie, if you skip 2 you miss some good Christopher Lee swordplay and acting. If you skip 1 you miss the podrace and showing how Anakin had amazing reflexes from childhood. (Which also makes him being reduced to a slow clunky frankenstein so sad)

[@jonathanm180]

No. The machete order does not include episodes 7,8 or 9.

[@ajlynch123]

The BEST way to show the movies is 1, 2, 4, 5, 3, and then 6. Saves the best three for the last and gives you some mystery between 2 and 4 that will all come together with 5, 3, and 6.

[@NotWorthToMention]

1:10 had me dying for some reason

[@mrmacross]

What order do you watch Star Wars movies? Release order, and try to catch the actual original films first instead of the re-releases. Introducing someone to Star Wars and saying start on "Episode I" IMO understates the historical impact of the original trilogy and shifts all the blame from the awkwardness of the franchise's many, many retcons onto the original films. Plus, from the perspective of real world technology and the evolution of film-making, it makes so much sense to watch in release order.

[@pasalasaga]

There is only 6 films. Maybe the first-time watch order might be different, but it's only 6 films.

[@trigestigro4707]

Simple answer: 7, 8 and 9 you can skip EDIT: Holy cow, Han Solo movie is a thing and I forgot. Thats how skippable it is.

[@Emberson-9000]

The order I showed it to my girlfriend was as follows. 1, 4, 2, 5, 3, and 6. I wanted to raise questions and save the big reveal in Episode 5 without spoiling it in the third movie. I wanted her to ask how we got to the Empire. What happened to the Jedi? Who is Vader, and once she knew who he was to then ask how it came to this, and then how it all ends. For her first Star Wars experience, it worked wonders.

[@yoshipilot]

Honestly if you want to have an order that avoids episode 1/2, just watch the originals as its own trilogy. You can also watch episode 3 as its own film, which is obviously inadvisable to a first time viewer, but it perfectly fine to do as a fan of the series that is already very familiar with episodes 1 and 2.

[@ridethelapras]

Or do 4, 5, 3, 6, if you're feeling risky.

[@HustlerHorstRuediger]

Before the prequels there was a time where we didn't own episode 4 - but that worked for me. 😄

[@ToughMartin]

Hey, it shows how strong 5 and 6 are lol Even they can stand on their own apparently

[@mr.sand7899]

1:44 George Lucas when someone tries to tell him he should put Mara Jade in the movies.

[@harrisonbriggsfbihandler3538]

Phantom menace is more substantive and just overall watchable than any of the sequel movies, leaving it out but keeping the three garbage disney cashgrabs is not ideal.

[@tristanmoore9653]

TLJ is ten times the movie TPM is, but I agree, you shouldn’t skip either.

[@Treblaine]

This is a hard position to take but I can see it. The problem with editing is there's lots of good in Episode 2, but you make a great point that it doesn't add enough to the sum of its parts. Though this is easier to appreciate now in a time when we've gotten a larger quantity of Star Wars than ever and far worse quality that I'm far more inclined to a more focused narrative.

[@seabassdigiorno8212]

i like to put phantom menace at the end. Since it is narratively self contained you can watch it while unpacking the amazing saga you just witnessed and dont have to pay too much attention to plot points and foreshadowing and what not. It also does a great job as a sort of epilogue that answers questions and drives home the central message. it makes a nice bow if you will

[@AlexDaeling]

My dad actually watched better call Saul before breaking bad

[@valdotorg]

For those of us who were adults at the time, or just starting to be, Episode I takes on a much greater cultural significance because it has become a metaphor of the pre-9/11 world.

[@Mask60YT]

0:15 actually narnia has this problem as well. personally i like the magicians nephew order (between each book you read magicians nephew, including magicians nephew, so at one point you read magicians nephew 3 times in a row)as you really get the themes of the series.

[@ALUCARDSOULJA]

I havent watched this yet but im gonna go ahead and say all 3 of the sequel movies

[@mmmmythical]

Nice editing, take a sub. I don’t agree with all the points you made but you did make a nice case for TPM. It’s my least favorite of the original 6 and I have been tempted to skip it so this was an interesting take for sure. Though I would argue that the battle of Geonosis (as subtle as it may be in the film) justifies the movie since it inverts the film structure of Empire and tells an interesting tale about the evolving state of the Republic. In Empire, an imperial force drives a rebel army off a barren planet at the start of the film. In AotC, a force that is imperial in nature drives a rebel force off a barren planet, now at the end of the movie. The Republic, now viewed as the heroes, will soon grow into something far worse, beginning with this master-stroke in Palpatine’s plan. It’s subtle and yes it’s not life-saving for the movie but it does have thematic relevance, which was a point you made to justify TPM. You did also includ clips of Attack of the Clones in your examples of these thematic parallels, so to sum up what another comment said, I think it would benefit to keep these both in. Though if you had to cut one out I could see the merit in cutting one or the other honestly

[@ToughMartin]

Thanks for the sub, especially after not agreeing with all my bullet points! I like that take on AotC, where it's inverted from Empire. That's from Circle Theory, right? You're right about AotC's merits and what it brings to the table. It actually does some good stuff, and I wouldn't cut it from my permanent lineup. Ultimately, I do think the prequels are stronger with it, but it makes an interesting watch to see what the trilogy looks like without it and see what's gained

[@mmmmythical]

@@ToughMartin I think so? If you've ever watched SoUncivilized videos on the prequels it comes up there a bit, I recommend checking those out. Yeah it is really interesting to imagine what the trilogy is like when you cut a piece out

[@ToughMartin]

@@mmmmythical I *love* SoUncivilized! It's a shame he doesn't post more often.

[@mmmmythical]

@@ToughMartin ikr? I miss his videos. His rogue one vid was a bit different but I occasionally go back and binge his prequel ones. Your vid definitely gave me the type of passionate vibes he had for Star Wars lore and themes!

[@TC-tl8ie]

Wait a minute. The machete order cuts out Phantom Menace, but keeps the Sequels? WTF!?!?

[@trovulnyan3370]

Machete order was first made in like 2011 long before the Disney movies , idk if there's a modern version of it that includes the sequels

[@wesleyhunt7599]

The creator said Machete Order applies to the first six only. After that, do whatever you want.

[@HOTD108_]

​@@wesleyhunt7599He literally didn't say that lmao.

[@supercrownjosie7732]

New Hope -> Empire -> Phantom Menace -> Sith -> Jedi this has been my preferred order for years now. the Machete order never sat right with me for all the reasons you outlined, and I think AOTC subtracts more from the Saga than it adds. Everything we need to know about Episode II, the other movies tell us.

[@kamixakadio2441]

Here is my take: You can't skip Any movie besides the sequels, crazy take, I know, but Hear me out ... George movie good, Disney Sequel Bad. Smash like if you agree.

[@theoc511]

BASIC COMMON SENSE HAHA TRAGICALLY PPL DONT HAVE THE SAME SENSE U AND I HAVE

[@ProJatior]

Really I’d skip all the sequels it’s not not George. I’d rather watch an edit of II or what I did last time an extended cut because the things cut out mostly hurt the film. If I HAD to skip one prequel I’d be Attack of the Clones for some (not all) of the reasons you mentioned.

[@ToughMartin]

Yeah, same. I'd keep Attack in my lineup overall, but it's fun to think how dropping one thing would change the whole. And yeah, it's hard to watch the sequels and not think to yourself, "Lucas had basically nothing to do with this."