Still kind of amazed at how well this edit works.

I love how the Anakin/Padme stories seem to come together in the first act and climax with them being sent away in hiding. The feeling is so right-- a palpable curiosity about what this will lead to.

I also love the sequence on Tatooine now-- they really feel romantic and mysterious as Padme is drawn to Anakin's tortured soul, but only the viewers know how tortured the guy really is.

I think if Lucas had followed this cut of the story and followed it through, the film would have many admirers. This is much more the story he wanted to tell.