If George does feel like he kind of ruined things with the PT, I wish he would just give up on Star Wars and go makes some films. I would like to see him redeem himself as a serious director, perhaps become a real life version of his Darth Vader, pull off the mask that is the SW franchise and come back to the lightside of the director's chair. Proving to us once again, like he did back in 83, that it is never really too late to turn back from any chosen path.
Regardless of criticism, he should have put out the movies he wanted to put out. I think that is the true mark of any good story teller, to tell the story THEY want to read or watch. It is obvious this was the case with Star Wars (1977), Lucas make a film with elements from all the television serials and movie he watched while growing up. He wanted to make his own vision of the kind of fantasy stories he liked.
There is an essay by C.S. Lewis titled "On Three Ways of Writing for Children" in which he explains that when he writes children stories he does not write down to his intended audience or try to find out what kind of books are popular, rather he writes a story he would like to read. I think that is why so many adults love Lewis' Narnia books and his Ransom Trilogy. In both cases Lewis wrote the kind of story that he himself would be interested in reading, rather than trying to come up with something children might like. In fact, let's look at J. K. Rowling, a relatively new author who poped up out of nowhere to have her name know all over the world. I think it is quite obvious that with the Harry Potter books she is writing the kind of story that interests her very much and was very close to her, not nessicarily the kind of book she thinks would be popular or that she felt would sell a lot of copies. I really felt that all throughout the PT that Lucas was trying to change things to make people like them more. What? You don't like Jar Jar? Fine I'll give you less Jar Jar. What? You didn't think there was a good enough villian in the second film to live up to the standard of Vader and Maul? Alright, I will make a really great half man half robot who uses light sabers! What? Not enough violence? Not mature enough? Okay, I will make it more mature. How does decapitation, lots of amputations, the slaughtering of children, and someone being burned alive sound?
This is why we have such a disjointed trilogy, one film you have filled with cartoony characters and fart jokes, then by the last film you have the murder of kids and Anakin being burned alive on screen.