Although Star Wars should be viewed holistically because the story it presents is of such epic proportions, I believe the best episode is Episode One.

Of the six episodes, four, five, and six provide the best sense of adventure and a poignancy that only comes through masterful character development.

The newer episodes, however (one, two, and three), due to their later production years and advances in technology, are by far superior in special effects. However, the intimate saber duels that were the showcase of the older movies give way to the sweeping epic battles of the newer ones. Especially in episodes two and three, the large battle scenes can become monotonous for those viewers not highly attuned to the strategies of full-scale war. Clones and droids all begin to run together after a while.

But Episode One showcases the very best in starship dogfights and special effects while still retaining much of the emotional poignancy and intimate battles of the older movies.

If one does not mind the cartoon aspect of them, I would even go so far as to recommend the animated "Clone Wars" over Episode One. The characters of Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, and Anakin Skywalker truly come to life in the ultra-magnified plot sections the mini-series covers.

Learn more about this author, Shandra Lorne.
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