Unless you've been living under a rock or on Tatooine - HAH STAR WARS JOKE - The Force Awakens is landing in Irish cinemas this Wednesday night / Thursday morning.

Midnight screenings are planned across the country and fans, both young and old alike, are rekindling their love of George Lucas' greatest gift to cinema since Indiana Jones and Howard The Duck.

Not only that, people are most likely planning to rewatch the originals and the prequels to get a flavour for The Force Awakens. But what order to watch them in? And should you watch all of them?

We've taken the hassle out of all that for you and come up with a foolproof system that will ensure maximum enjoyment of The Force Awakens and give you an appreciation for just how groundbreaking the series was in mainstream film.

Take a look.

 

BEGIN WITH... Episode IV - A New Hope

It's got its problems, sure, but you've got to remember that in 1977, this was all groundbreaking. Sure, the sets might look a bit clunky and, yes, some of the dialogue is woeful. But, y'know, place yourself in the mindset of someone from the '70s. Bell-bottoms. Recessions. Nixon. Social realism in films. And then... BOOM.

 

FOLLOW THAT UP WITH... Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Look, let's be real here. If you only watch ONE Star Wars movie, make it this one. You can get by without seeing any of the others, but this is the one that you need to see. Brilliantly shot and edited, there's a reason why people call this one of the greatest films ever made. The soundtrack, the story, Harrison Ford's VASTLY improved performance - it all coalesces into an iconic piece of work.

 

IF YOU HAVE TIME, MAYBE TRY... Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith

Yes, it's a prequel. But, it has to be said, it's the best of the three. Only put this in if you've got a bit of time to spare and you can stomach terrible, terrible acting.  This film is completely optional for your enjoyment of The Force Awakens. Let's say that again - YOU DO NOT NEED TO SEE THIS TO ENJOY THE FORCE AWAKENS. Your life will be much better if you don't watch the prequel trilogy. Only watch ROTS if you absolutely want to. Be prepared for... stuff like this.

 

FINISH IT ALL OFF WITH... EPISODE VI - Return Of The Jedi

Essentially, this is more of a reminder of where all the main characters are and to lead into The Force Awakens. Basically, Darth Vader is dead, the Empire - it would seem - has been defeated, Luke Skywalker's become a fully-fledged Jedi Knight and that's about the size of it. Again, you don't really need to have seen this. You don't need to have seen any of them.

 

Although, yes, Star Wars is one of the most popular films ever made, director JJ Abrams is smart enough to know that a lot of people haven't watched them in years. He's not expecting anyone to know the difference between Darth Sidious or Darth Maul or what type of shuttle the Emperor landed on the second Death Star with. (Lambda-Class Shuttle, btw)

It's not a reboot, it's a legacy sequel. It's working off the assumption that you've a general idea who these characters are, but that's about the size of it. You're probably wondering why we haven't put Attack Of The Clones or The Phantom Menace in the list, right? Isn't it obvious? You don't need to see those. You really, REALLY don't.

Nobody does. We're taking the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull tactic with those two. Simply put, they didn't happen, we've forgotten all about them and nobody needs to think any different. Didn't happen. OK? Good.