My thoughts on the films might be useful. I continually waffle back and forth on whether I like Star Wars or Empire better. Star Wars has a classic simplicity to it. It is also the most fun, especially as a film enthusiast, since the movie basically takes all the standard stories that have inspired western pop culture, and plays mix and match. On the other hand, that makes it difficult to take seriously, being so referential. If Kurosawa, Tolkein, and Buck Rogers had not come before, Star Wars would not exist. Empire is not only a more powerful dramatic work, it is also the point where Star Wars moves past simple homage and grows its own mythology. As for Jedi, it is clearly the weakest of the three, but not too much weaker, and not, I think, by its own fault. It is simply a tall order to be the last part of a trilogy. It doesn't have the luxury of going wherever it wants, or ending however it wants. It is given a checklist of things that must be accomplished and questions that have to be answered. Jedi spends its first half tying up loose threads from Empire, and the second half providing a rousing finale for the trilogy as a whole, and has precious little time to develop its own themes. I think it does admirably under the circumstances, and can be forgiven for a few bizarre choices and a general lack of cohesion.
As for the prequels, I like to say that we've gone from Saturday afternoon serial to Saturday morning cartoon. That pretty much sums up the difference in dramatic tone. In retrospect, Phantom is the most watchable, because it aims low. As simple-minded children's fare, it's not awful. Clones actually tries to be serious drama, and fails with hysterical clumsiness. But of all six, Revenge of the Sith is the worst. By far the worst. It demonstrates such an astonishing disregard for character development - and human emotion - that it occasionally bordered on offensive. Beyond disrespectful to the characters, it became disrespectful to the audience itself, carrying on with a smug confidence while cutting every corner, taking every cheap shot, and trying to foist tears on us that it never even tried to earn. I've been disappointed in Star Wars before, but always with a laugh or a sigh. I think of Revenge of the Sith, and I get angry. I HATE Revenge of the Sith. It is some of the most juvenile, irresponsible, amateurish filmmaking I have ever seen.
Er, anyway. I'm calm now. Hope that was helpful.