I thought 'In The Beginning' was totally freakin' awesome when I saw back in the day (Still holds up now).
The Lucas reference is an interesting one in that it's a prequel that doesn't depicts events we've already been told about. But the difference is that the B5 prequel was action packed, exciting, emotional and was actually better than what I'd imagined these events to be like.
As for continuity Straczynski had a huge 5 season arc TV show with flashbacks, future visions and time-travel combined with lead actors leaving and the Network f*ckin' with it. That it has as solid continuity as it does is to be marvelled at. Lucas had a mere 3 films, that he had total ceative control of and he still ballsed it all up.
Something with speeches written like this has to be good...