So am I the only one here that thinks that Episodes I-III were crap? They're not necessarily crappy movies, but they suck at being Star Wars films (though I did enjoy Episode III more than the other two). First, there were all of these contradictions in the first episode. Back in when Episode IV was made, Obi-Wan said that Yoda was his master. In Episode I, Yoda was not his master. In Episode IV, Obi-Wan said that when he met Anakin, he was a great starpilot. In Episode I, Anakin is a whiny little kid. The list goes on.
Secondly, George Lucas can't tell a good story to save his life. In the earlier trilogy, Lucas worked with other directors and writers. That's why they were so enjoyable. When Lucas made Episodes I-III, he went without aid. The evidence is in the dialogue, just listen. George Lucas may have created the Star Wars universe, but he isn't very good at writing a good plot. He's like the John Carmack of sci-fi films. He can create marvelous worlds, but can't do much with them.
Thirdly, the casting in Episodes I-III blow (aside from Ewan McGregor, he made a good Obi-Wan Kenobi). You don't believe me? Just look at Anakin, but I guess that ties in with the writing. Couldn't we get a little more of a "badass" for the guy who eventually became Darth Vader?
Lastly, I loathe Jar-Jar Binks.