Some comments were being made about characters we can identify with in the OT as opposed to the PT. This is one of the fundamentals of good Science Fiction/Fantasy: when you are creating an entirely new world you must have a point of reference for the viewer, someone who is more like the viewer and experiencing the fantastical in a similar way to the audience. It makes the universe more believeable, approachable, and ultimately draws the audience inside the universe. Lucas should know that by now. Actually, judging by his performance, he knows it very well and is trying to find a new way to accomplish it because he scorns formula. Which is a good thing, but to be used properly you must recognize what parts of formula are formula because they WORK, and which are formula because of tradition. Buck tradition, but don't compromise what you're trying to accomplish...
Anyway, Tolkien accomplishes it through Hobbits. The first Matrix has Neo who is an everyday earth dweller experiencing the Matrix. Luke is initially the regular guy thrown into the universe, but as he develops (we DO still identify with him because we have travelled along with his development; as he is absorbed into the universe the audience is as well, but still...) Han is sort of the down to earth guy who doesn't know about all these politics and jedi stuff while Threepio is the one who doesn't fit in the warfare/heroism, so we still have reference.
I bet (as I said) that Lucas figured he would draw the audience in in new ways because it was just too easy to do it the standard way. Jar Jar fills that role on paper, but surprisingly (cough) in execution we don't relate to him.
The result is like the later Matrices. The change from the end of I to the beginning of II was too drastic and we as the audience didn't have a new gateway to enter the new universe so it wasn't as real or involving (although I, as a small minority, loved the Matrix sequels)(not nearly as much as the original, though). Lucas has likewise completely changed the universe and not provided a door for us to follow, and the result is impersonal.