If you fix the direction in these movies you fix much of the crap people complain about. I didn't say there were any other problems but IMO similar problems existed in the originals. Lucas never was a particularly good director. He was more of an idea guy...so these new sequels will benefit a great deal NOT having him on the set.
jom
The difficulty with the prequels in many ways was the story and characters. There wasn't much to work with. The original trilogy had at its core a very simple and enjoyable premise, it was a hero's journey set against a clear good vs. evil backdrop. Luke was the clear protagonist, a lead character that most people could relate to. The Rebels vs. Empire dynamic was pretty easy to grasp, underdogs fighting for good against a definitively evil power.
The prequels always had a lot working against them. There's no hero, as the main character is bound to a "tragic" fate of falling from grace. There's no inspiring backdrop story either, as the end result has to be the formation of the Empire and the decimation of freedom as well as the Jedi. Obi-Wan and Padme are not the central characters, and they lack any real story arcs, they just serve as loose triggers for Anakin's flaws. There's no clear good vs. evil, due to the manipulation of Palpatine to empower himself and create the empire.
To me, the prequels were doomed from the beginning due to the decision to focus on Anakin. It would have been interesting to have instead focused on Obi-Wan from the start, and make Anakin and his turning to the dark side a part of Obi-Wan's story instead. Might have given more room to make a better story arc and given the audience a "hero" to root for. I understand what Lucas tried to accomplish regarding the theme of the prequels and Anakin's demise, but I think it was a flawed approach.
And yes, I agree the movies would have been much better with better direction and dialogue. But still, I feel at its core the storyline of the prequels was as big of a problem or more.
