A work of art is inherently tied to it's context and time.

Revisions yank it away from it's context and the revision is not the work of art.

I actually like your forward-looking stance. But SW:R is not Star Wars. It will never be. It's collaboration of the filmmakers and Adywan.

I really don't see how going forward and preserving artwork are mutually excluding. We can and we should do both. We do not need to cast away the feeling that our heritage should be preserved to move forward. On the contrary, the leaps we have made in preserving things, even things we thought were lost forever are HELPING US MOVE FORWARD.

Realizing that Star Wars has dated effects has improved fx work in general. Sure, there has been some terrible CGI but BY LOOKING BACK filmmakers are starting to take note that practical effects PLUS CGI can produce amazing stuff, somthing that neither method could produce on their own.

Had we cast aside emotions and feelings we have for good old practical effects and focusing solely on CGI, I for one wouldn't be all too excited by the upcoming ST. Since I know that the makers have realized that CGI alone doesn't really fly, I think we may see something truly amazing soon.

I don't think anything could evolve without the past which is the base. Even if you use yesterday as the base you build upon, you are still looking back. Not much but back nevertheless.