I hope you guys dont mind my 2 cents. I'm 18. As a kid who grew up with star wars (age 8-11 most vigorous) I watched the original theatrical versions over and over followed by the special editions (this was very exciting but the jaba always looked too fake). When I saw TPM, it was like I had to move on. Sure, I had fun, but I really couldnt get involved with the characters, or fully understand the plot. I blame Lucas for his warped sense of screen writing (I'm no fan of scifi either). At any rate, I've watched TPM less than 10 times since it came out.
Fast forward to last tuesday. I watched Episode 3 and I can forgive the prequels because the whole time I wasn't seeing the entire story. Now, do I enjoy the original trilogy? Yes, but as a young person who broke ties with the story and made my peace with it, I've accepted the changes made to the original movies and the differences in the PT. I don't think that means I'm accepting "crap." To me it's the same crap you can find in the original trilogy. I hope the posters in this forum don't actually believe that the original trilogy is flawless... just that it should be available the same way other classic films are (at least A New Hope). Anyone who refuses to accept, or who isn't in any way satisfied with these new things Lucas has given us may feel this way because of a prolonged worship of these flawed, and somewhat dated films. These films belong to Lucas, and his main objective is to make the story he wanted to, and I think he should have freedom to complete it the way he wants. If it means an extra scene with Han and Jabba, I can accept it because it helps introduce the character who for 3 films previous wasnt seen and is now going to be a main character in the second trilogy. If that means an extra scene with the Emporor in Episode 4, I say go for it. A New Hope as it stands in the vast scheme of things isn't going to flow well with the other movies. As a revived fan, I want to see this story unfold.
What's really important is that the characters, the story, and the music are there. Can anyone really complain about the music in the prequel trilogy? In some respects, I think it's better than the originals. Do I REALLY care that Boba Fett's voice is different? Well, maybe a little bit, but I don't mind that much if it takes me back to Epside 2 for a moment. Maybe what it comes down to is that if you've become attached to something so much for over 20-30-40 years (is this healthy? i'm too young to know), you're not going to want to see these changes. I think that if Lucas really wants to, he'll accomplish the real thing.
Heh. 2 cents is probably easier to digest than that. Take it or leave it.