In the UK we had to wait about 6 or 7 weeks after you guys in the US to watch it.
So after I read the spoilers by mistake (Qui Gons death for example, which was on the back of th CD soundtrack - well done LFL, well done) I was still excited about watching the first SW film in 16 years.
But my God was I gutted. We went to the pub afterwards, and man was I depressed. Crying in my beer
Even when I went to watch it again the next day I was still gutted.
But...
When it was released on VHS for the first time, it wasn't untill then that I actually quite enjoed TPM.
I think that had a lot to do with the big joint I was smoking at the time of watching the film
But I actually started to like it quite a bit.
AOTC was a better experiance in the cinema for me, because now I knew what direction Lucas was taking with these prequels. So for me it wasn't watching another prequel to the OT, but more like a sequel to TPM. In time though, AOTC has become my least fave SW movie.
Sith I just love.
Thing is, if some people here love the PT as much as I love the OT then I can't see a problem with that. I know alot of 8 and 9 yaer olds who prefer the new films to the old. It makes sense. I'm sure in time they'll see things differently, but guys like Adam who saw TPM before any other SW film and love it..well fair play. (You still need to see the OOT first though man. Can't have an opinion on something you haven't seen)
Jimbo was the same. His passion for AOTC was indeed on the same lines as my passion for ESB, it's just that his views on other matters were just sad.
Anyway, I'm in the middle here. I love, love the OT. I don't mind SOME of the changes in SE.( Cleaned up FX, sharp picture etc) I HATE some of the changes in the SE (The biggest one is Vaders Star Destroyer arrival in ESB being my least fave)
And I don't mind the PT. See now to me Star Wars is Star Wars. There's good films and there's bad films. Yeah, some of us wish things had been different. Man, I've felt like that since Jedi. Although in 83 I thought Jedi was bestfuckingfilm ever made. In time my view changed and Empire became the bestfuckingfilm ever made.
But I don't understand why some here hate the PT so much. They're not that bad IMO. Sure, they're not as good as the OT IMO
, but they are quite enjoyable to watch, although AOTC does tend for me to nod off while watching it