‘Star Wars’ marathon ahead of the big day? Try the ‘machete order’

Before you start that “Star Wars” marathon ahead of the release of “The Force Awakens,” you might want to pause and decide which Blu-ray to put in the player first.

One fan suggests that the order George Lucas intended isn’t the best way to get to grips with the space saga. Whether you’re coming to it fresh or a diehard fan, he suggests you try the “machete order” instead.

Rod Hilton, a blogger and programmer who lives in Colorado, wrote a lengthy post on his blog, Absolutely No Machete Juggling, analyzing the fan-favorite series back in November 2011. In it he suggests that Episode I need not necessarily come first and instead he recommends starting, the way anyone over the age of ten did, with Episode IV: A New Hope.

Eschewing the two traditional ways to watch the series – the order it was created (Episodes IV to VI, followed by Episodes I to III), and the canonical order (Episode I through VI) – he suggests a new order, to create a new, more immersive experience. He also asserts that both the release and episode order are problematic and reveal spoilers for newcomers to the Star Wars universe, including the big one.

Reinventing Star Wars canon

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It’s a compelling argument, and one that has convinced many, including superfan, comedian Patton Oswalt. It suggests that viewers begin with Luke Skywalker’s story, and joining the action when the Rebel Alliance is just striking its first blow against the Galactic Empire, before carrying on with “The Empire Strikes Back,” the second Star Wars movie to have been made, in 1981.

“Putting the prequels in the middle allows the series to end on the sensible ending point (the destruction of the Empire) while still beginning with Luke’s journey” Hilton writes.

At the critical “I am your father” cliffhanger of the second film, Hilton suggests we jump back in time to Episode II, to learn more about Anakin Skywalker, Luke’s father who becomes the ultimate bad guy, Darth Vader.

It’s an extended back story, which culminates in the eventual transformation of Anakin into Vader, setting the viewer up nicely for the finale of “Return of the Jedi” and the defeat of the Empire.

“I think to a lot of fans, Star Wars is Luke Skywalker’s story. Unfortunately, the prequels kind of refocused the entire saga on Anakin and made it his story – which doesn’t work as well because he’s not a sympathetic or engaging character,” Hilton told CNN via email.

“Machete Order includes the bulk of the prequel material… but Luke’s position as the narrative center is restored.”

The full order is: Episode IV, V, II, III, VI.

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Why is BB-8 in a bag? —

And who put him there? Seriously, we need to know. We've fallen for the little guy, and this does not look okay to us. But let's stick to the picture here: Is new face Rey purchasing it from a scavenger? On a desert planet? Could it be that BB-8 is a droid some galactic villains are looking for? Wow, that sounds almost exactly like the beginning of "Episode IV -- A New Hope." Coincidence? We don't think so.

What is the First Order? —

Dang. We thought evil had been defeated, but here we are again. Built upon the crusty remains of the Galactic Empire, the First Order looks like the same thing under a different name, complete with Stormtroopers, spine-chilling iconography and regimented displays of military strength. Expect surprises, though, because several key First Order characters -- including its big boss, Supreme Leader Snoke -- are still a mystery.

Who's going to say, 'I have a bad feeling about this'? —

The running gag of the Star Wars saga, Luke first says this line as the Millennium Falcon gets gobbled up by the Death Star in Episode IV. It's then said later in the same film (by Han) and at least once in every other movie, with minor variations. Who's going to say it this time? Our money's on everyone's favorite galactic scoundrel, pictured above.

What is Kylo Ren up to? —

Unless you've been hiding under a rock on Jakku for the last year, you'll be aware of Kylo Ren. Played by Adam Driver, he's clearly in cahoots with the First Order, and he's up to no good. He wears an iron mask and has built his own fire-spitting lightsaber. He wants to kill Jedis. He's the ultimate bad guy, isn't he? But wait. What if Kylo isn't entirely evil? What if the Force awakens in him? Redemption is a big theme in Star Wars, and we can't imagine anyone more in need of that than this dude.

What took down this Star Destroyer? —

If you were expecting a fresh set of ships, fighters and vehicles, you could be out of luck. Thirty years on, the galaxy still has Star Destroyers and TIE Fighters and X-Wings. Tough economic climate, maybe? Well, we think our toys from the 1970s still look kinda fresh. But speaking of this one Star Destroyer, how did it end up buried in the dunes of Jakku? The word on the street is that we'll find out in an upcoming expansion level for the Battlefront video game.

What happened to C-3PO's arm? —

Poor old Threepio looks like a third-hand car with a door of a different color. Sloppy repair work or outlandish style choice? Whatever the case, J.J. Abrams has confirmed that the red arm comes from the desire to "mark time," using a familiar character to signal the 30-year lapse since the end of "Return of the Jedi." We hear that the full story of C-3PO's limb replacement will be told in a comic book.

Where does Rey fit in? —

We could draw a hundred family trees with the theories surrounding Rey and Finn's back stories. Rey seems to attract the lion's share of speculation, maybe because she's taken a central role in the trailers. So, who is she? Luke's daughter? Han and Leia's? Is she related to Kylo Ren at all? Conspicuously, her last name hasn't been revealed. We're guessing that's because it's Solo.

Isn't this lightsaber design downright dangerous? —

Yeah, it looks cool, but it makes no sense to have crossguards on a lightsaber unless you're looking for trouble and a trip to the galactic emergency room. The Internet was set ablaze with controversy and ridicule over Kylo Ren's unorthodox design, but we can clarify this for you: The crossguard blades, called quillons, are actually "raw power vented from the primary central blade," according to a plaque that recently appeared in a props and replicas exhibition at Disneyland. (They probably know.)

Who's the Chrome Stormtrooper? —

Behold Captain Phasma, played by Gwendoline Christie, whom you might know as Brienne of Tarth from "Game of Thrones." She commands the First Order's legions of troopers. And some of them are women too, as Abrams has confirmed. But not much else is known about the "Chrometrooper." We'd love to see her come to the light side.

Where are the Sith? —

Here's a recap. The Galactic Empire is now called the First Order, the Rebels call themselves the Resistance, and there's no trace of the Sith. Maybe they also have been rebranded? Fingers point to the Knights of Ren, an evil covenant formed after the events of the original trilogy. That's where Kylo Ren gets his name, as apparently does everyone else who's part of the mysterious alliance. Just like the Sith with "Darth." Still with us?

Is Finn really a Stormtrooper? —

Actor John Boyega's character starts out as a Stormtrooper, appears to have some kind of epiphany and then embraces the ways of the Force by fighting Kylo Ren in the bushes using Luke Skywalker's lightsaber. But not everything is as it seems, Yoda once said. Except he didn't. Which proves our point. What's the deal, Finn?

Whose hands are these? —

This shot from the official trailer shows a lightsaber changing hands, while Luke Skywalker, talking about the Force, says, "My sister has it." The lightsaber in question looks like Anakin's, which Luke inherits in Episode IV. So who's getting it? Well, we think they're female hands. Is that Leia gaining custody of her brother's weapon? Or is she passing it on to Rey? Are there any other female characters around that we haven't seen yet?

What does Darth Vader's scorched helmet mean? —

Thirty years on, the Jedis and the Force are the stuff of legend. So much so that cynical Han Solo has to confirm, "It's true, all of it." No wonder, then, that somebody has started a cult around Darth Vader, the literal Dark Side of that legend. The trailer hints that Kylo Ren is the culprit, as he appears to say, "I'll finish what you started" over the shot above. But who knows, maybe that's just a Jedi mind trick.

Why is Leia crying? —

She fell for a guy who famously answered her "I love you" with "I know," but by the looks of things, Solo's consoling her here, not making her weep. Family quarrels aside, though, the princess looks heartbroken in this very brief shot from one of the trailers. To us, this looks like a goodbye. And that brings us neatly into the next question ...

Who'll die in 'The Force Awakens'? —

Some say that Han Solo will not be piloting the Millennium Falcon during the heated battle sequences shown in the trailers. If that's true, we need to know why. Harrison Ford recently revealed that he had asked George Lucas to kill off his character during the original trilogy. That obviously didn't happen, but there are rumors that his wish might have been granted this time. Then again, maybe no one will die. Or it could be a very minor character. Or could it be Luke? Right, Luke ...

Where is Luke Skywalker? —

And that's the big one, folks. Luke has been notably absent from pretty much all "The Force Awakens" promotional material, even though the image above, from the official trailer, appears to show his famous robotic hand. Where are you, Luke? Have you turned to the Dark Side? Are you in hiding because you're the last Jedi? We'll soon find out, but the mystery runs deep: The fate of the galaxy might once again be in the hands of Luke Skywalker.

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Missing something?

Eagle-eyed readers will notice a glaring omission in the machete order – namely, Episode I. While many Star Wars fans will breathe a sigh of relief at this – it has widely been panned ever since its 1999 release – in his post, Hilton states simply that the first movie is “irrelevant.”

“The opening crawl of Episode II establishes everything you need to know about the prequels: a bunch of systems want to leave the Republic, they are led by Count Dooku, and Senator Amidala is a senator who is going to vote on whether the Republic is going to create an army,” the post asserts.

There are several advantages to starting at Episode II, Hilton says – including the removal of confusing and unnecessary subplots – and one’s a big one.

Skipping Episode I means “Virtually no Jar-Jar (Binks). Jar-Jar has about 5 lines in Episode II, and zero in Episode III.”

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The character is widely derided as an annoying, irritatingly clumsy, goofy and, more darkly, an even racist creation.

Machete order largely removes this irritant by ignoring the episode in which he is most prevalent.

Hilton relates the story of watching the movies in his custom sequence with a Star Wars newbie friend. At the end, he asked if she if she found Jar Jar annoying.

She responded, “who’s Jar Jar?”

Greater sense of coherence

For the fans who don’t want to completely disown the prequels, the order allows an improved sense of coherence between what often seems to be two completely unrelated storylines.

“With Machete Order, the Star Wars-watching experience gets to start with the film that does the best job of establishing the Star Wars universe, Episode IV, and it ends with the most satisfying ending, Episode VI.

“Two films of Luke’s story, two films of Anakin’s story, then a single film that intertwines and ends both stories.”

Hilton says he’s not sure if JJ Abrams’ next installment will invalidate his viewing order, but nonetheless he’s looking forward to the movie coming out.

“I think Episode VII looks pretty good, at least from the marketing material. It seems pretty clear that JJ Abrams is being very mindful of the desires of fans, which I think is going to be well-received.”

And for completionists? Hilton recommends that if the spurned episode must be watched, it be treated as an appendix to the series.

“If you want to watch Episode I, I’d recommend doing so separately, sort of like an ‘anthology’ film.”

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