Well here's the changes I would make:

First one is obvious....Cut down Jar Jar Binks' Urkel-esque performance.

They could have really used Darth Maul a bit more.

In the case of the Phantom Menace, I think 'less' could have been 'more'. They tried to fit too much into the movie. Maybe they could have focused more on the important things and cut out all the crap.

I was talking to a friend today that I haven't talked to in a while. We got on the subject of the Phantom Menace. He mentioned that he liked it (I did too, just thought it could have been better) but that it was one of those movies that made you feel guilty for liking it. Like if you got caught going to see Babe in the movie theater. It was too much of a kids movie. I would have definitely balanced out the story a little more and made at least some of it aimed towards adults. You figure die hard star wars fans probably saw the first StarWars when it was originally in the theaters. Why make a kids movie when obviously Star Wars core fan base is people between 20 and 40?

I'm also one of those people that won't judge the Phantom Menace alone. When I see all three prequels I'll judge them as a whole, because the Phantom Menace is like part 1 to a really long drawn out mini-series.

mike d