George couldn't convincingly direct traffic anymore. The only reason why he was able to pull off ANH was because he was lean, hungry and still fairly fresh out of USC film school. Not to mention the fact that he had a far better director than himself, Francis Ford Coppola, looking over his shoulder and guiding and mentoring him.
Now GL listens to no man and the product speaks for itself.
George Lucas has become, in no small sense, the Palpatine.
Now secure in his power he has declared himself Emperor, and has shut himself away from the populace surrounded by yes-men assistants and assorted boot-lickers.
The only answer Rick McCallum knows begins with "Y" and ends in "es George, that's a great idea." Gary Kurtz would never have been such a toady and that's why the PT films are as bad as they are. Everyone is too afraid to tell Emperor Lucas "No".
I'd say it but then I'd be as out on my arse as Kurtz is.
McCallum is an excellent line producer, probably bar none, however he is not a creative person and is more concerned with job security than art. GL believes his own hype and can't understand why the real fans think the new films suck balls. He thinks it's just because we've grown up and expect violence and expletives from our Space Operas. I'm not going to lie to ya I enjoy a good violence-laden cussfest set in space now and then, which is why I rate Pitch Black and Riddick so highly, but it's far from what I expect from Star Wars.
I expect memorable dialogue, fantastic sets, a rich lived in galaxy with plenty of suggestions of its own history and above all plots and characters lifted from westerns and samurai films.