[mezzoforte]

My sister and I are now almost done with a Star Wars marathon, starting with episodes 4-6 and then going through the recent trilogy.
I hadn't seen Phantom Menace since it come out. As a 9-year-old, I remember finding Jar-Jar Binx hilarious, and being baffled at the complaints of adults. Now, each time he appears I am gripped by the urge to stick pins in my eyes and rip my ears out. And in episode two suddenly he's, like, a politician? He's a more terrifying official than George Bush. Every time he begins "Meesa think...", I despair for contemporary film.
As for the originals-- the patch job they did on the original trilogy (with the 2000 era CGI) looks ridiculous. Oh, and I burst into laughter every time anyone describes Luke as complicated, clever, or angry, because he is possibly the drippiest character in movie history. But Han and Leia? So freaking awesome. I've watched their first kiss on youtube probably ten times in the last day.
Han and Leia are awesome enough to salvage the originals, but there's nothing comparable in the prequels. If you're one of those lucky souls who missed them, no need to seek them out.

Side note: does anyone else think Carrie Fisher looks a lot like Stevie? I think there's a very strong resemblance, particularly in the eyes and face shape.