EPTSpoiler Warning!
I will assume that anyone who reads this full post has seen the Star Wars movies, so this post is full of spoilers and spoilers the ending. If you have not seen them yet / do not know the story yet, here is the TL;DR version of my post: Watch the movies in this sequence: Episode 4, 5, 2, 3, 6. Do not watch Episode 1, because it's a bad movie and does not add any relevant context. Now get out of here and watch the movies in the above sequence.
I was pointed to an article on a website called "Absolutely no Machete Juggling" which discusses in which order the Star Wars movies would ideally be watched to get the best Star Wars experience. You can read the whole (rather long) article above or read my summarisation here (if you read the article, no point in reading my full post, jump to the horizontal line).
Watching Star Wars in the Machete order:
The article makes the point that the best way to watch all 6 Star Wars movies is to actually only watch 5 of them in the following order: Ep. IV, V, II, III, VI.
This way, you follow the path of Luke Skywalker for two movies, up to the (for first time viewers) surprising and shocking relevation that Darth Vader is Lukes father. Then we leave the current storyline and instead follow Anakin Skywalker for two movies in an extended flashback, which culmulates in the creation of Darth Vader and another surprising relevation that Leia is actually Lukes twin sister (at the end of episode III). Then everything is tied up in episode VI.
This way, the viewer sees much more of the paralles between Luke and Anakin, how they progress and their path to become a Jedi. So in this way, episode II and III actually help enhancing the old triology. Here are two examples (Quotes from other articles):
The first time we see Luke in Return of the Jedi, he’s wearing all-black, just like his father did [in Episode II and III]. He gives R2D2 and C-3P0 to Jabba the Hutt, much to their surprise. Luke isn’t exactly looking like a clean-cut Jedi like he claims. Then, when he finally enters Jabba’s palace, the musical cue sounds a bit like the Imperial March, and the way he enters with the light behind him makes it unclear if he is Luke or Vader. Then, he force chokes Jabba’s guards, something only Vader has done in the series! Nobody else sees him do this.
When he confronts Jabba, he warns him that he’s taking his friends back. He says Jabba can either profit from this, “or be destroyed.” Furthermore, he tells Jabba “not to underestimate my power.” The last time this phrase was used, it was by Anakin when dueling Obi-Wan. When watching Jedi on its own, Luke just seems a tad arrogant during these scenes. When watching Jedi immediately after watching Revenge of the Sith, the message is clear: Luke Skywalker is on the path to the Dark Side.
Why does this matter? Because at the end of Jedi, Luke confronts the Emperor. The Emperor explains that the assault on the new Death Star is a trap and that his friends are going to die, and he keeps taunting Luke, telling him to grab his lightsaber and fight him. The film is trying to create a tension that Luke might embrace the Dark Side, but it was never really believable. However, within the context of him following in his father’s footsteps and his father using the power of the dark side to save people, with Luke’s friends being killed just outside the Death Star window, this is much more believable.
Shortly after, Luke goes apeshit and beats the hell out of Vader, clearly succumbing to his anger. He overpowers Vader with rage and cuts his arm off, just like Anakin did to Windu in Episode III. Having the very real threat of Luke following in his father’s path made clear by watching II and III before VI heightens the tension of this scene, and it actually makes Return of the Jedi better. Yes, watching Revenge of the Sith makes Return of the Jedi a better, more effective film. Considering it’s the weakest of the original trilogy films, this improvement is welcome.
When he confronts Jabba, he warns him that he’s taking his friends back. He says Jabba can either profit from this, “or be destroyed.” Furthermore, he tells Jabba “not to underestimate my power.” The last time this phrase was used, it was by Anakin when dueling Obi-Wan. When watching Jedi on its own, Luke just seems a tad arrogant during these scenes. When watching Jedi immediately after watching Revenge of the Sith, the message is clear: Luke Skywalker is on the path to the Dark Side.
Why does this matter? Because at the end of Jedi, Luke confronts the Emperor. The Emperor explains that the assault on the new Death Star is a trap and that his friends are going to die, and he keeps taunting Luke, telling him to grab his lightsaber and fight him. The film is trying to create a tension that Luke might embrace the Dark Side, but it was never really believable. However, within the context of him following in his father’s footsteps and his father using the power of the dark side to save people, with Luke’s friends being killed just outside the Death Star window, this is much more believable.
Shortly after, Luke goes apeshit and beats the hell out of Vader, clearly succumbing to his anger. He overpowers Vader with rage and cuts his arm off, just like Anakin did to Windu in Episode III. Having the very real threat of Luke following in his father’s path made clear by watching II and III before VI heightens the tension of this scene, and it actually makes Return of the Jedi better. Yes, watching Revenge of the Sith makes Return of the Jedi a better, more effective film. Considering it’s the weakest of the original trilogy films, this improvement is welcome.
from David Pallant's article on Den of Geek
Yoda is powerful. He can lift a spaceship that is 50 time his size; he can sense the revolution of the clones quicker than any other Jedi (and survives as a result of it) and he is the only Jedi that can catch lightning bolts. While Luke is Darth Vader’s equal, Yoda is the Emperor’s, and so when the Emperor defeats him at the end of Episode III, Revenge Of The Sith, he becomes the greatest failure in the entire saga.
Watching the films in the Machete Order gives greater understanding of Yoda’s troubled past. When he warns Luke “Do not underestimate the power of the Emperor”, you realise he is speaking from experience. It’s is a level of reading that would otherwise be missed. As his defeat at the hands of the Emperor happens only one film prior, his words bite with a bitterness that would be commonly overlooked in the more familiar chronological running order.
Yoda is powerful. He can lift a spaceship that is 50 time his size; he can sense the revolution of the clones quicker than any other Jedi (and survives as a result of it) and he is the only Jedi that can catch lightning bolts. While Luke is Darth Vader’s equal, Yoda is the Emperor’s, and so when the Emperor defeats him at the end of Episode III, Revenge Of The Sith, he becomes the greatest failure in the entire saga.
Watching the films in the Machete Order gives greater understanding of Yoda’s troubled past. When he warns Luke “Do not underestimate the power of the Emperor”, you realise he is speaking from experience. It’s is a level of reading that would otherwise be missed. As his defeat at the hands of the Emperor happens only one film prior, his words bite with a bitterness that would be commonly overlooked in the more familiar chronological running order.
Additionally, the flow of the movies works out really well in this order. Episode IV is still the most accessible movie for new viewers. Episode V is often called the best movie of series, and ends with an epic cliffhanger. Then you fit in the two movies that are a bit weaker, but you are so hooked at this point that you really love to see the story of Anakins past and how Darth Vader was "born". Finally you watch Episode VI, where everything is tied up and ends on a high note with the destruction of the second Death Star and the death of the two leader figures of the Empire, the imperator and Darth Vader.
So you might think now: "Ok, I get it, the Machete Order is cool. But why no episode I?"
Because everything that happens in episode I is irrelevant for the rest of the movies or is being explained in the other movies as well. At the beginning of episode two, there is an introduction of all relevant characters. Two of the more important characters of episode I (Qui-Gon and Darth Maul) are dead and are never referenced again (well, Qui-Gon is referenced twice, but in context, and it's not really relevant or confusing for the new viewer). The whole story of episode I is negligible for the rest of the movies. And look at what you gain! For Example:
- Almost no Jar Jar Binks
- no midichlorians
- no pod racing
to only list a few. Add to that that episode I is clearly the worst movie of the six, and there is no reason to watch it with the other five. You can watch it later, as sort of prequel to the Star Wars Quintology, much like the expanded universe stuff, or not watch it at all.
Edit:
I failed to point something out in the original post, so here is the edit with an answer I wrote on page 5:
Only watching 4, 5, 6 is of course a very valid approach. The idea behind the Machete order is that the author tried to combine the old and the new triology in the best possible way. Of course, if you do not like the new movies at all, then the Machete order might not help you there and you better just stick to the old movies.
I actually have not yet watched the movies in the Machete Order, but plan to do so, as I find the article to be very convincing. My wife has not seen any of the movies, and in a few years my kids will be old enough to watch Star Wars themselves. I know now in which order I will let them watch it, as I think it will be the best possible experience available. (Of course I will make sure that the see the original theatralic version of the old movies, not the special edition stuff that I really despise.). Even if my wife might not want to watch it, I'll probably make a movie session in the near future with friends to rewatch Star Wars in the Machete order.
So what do you guys think about this? A good reason to watch the movies again for you? Or do you prefer another order to watch the movies in?
I think there are many younger people outside the geeky/nerdy scene who do not have the same connection to the movies as we do. 
