I like them all. I know that the OT was far more revolutionary in the terms of HOW movies are made, and it also totally changed the course of what TYPES of movies were being made at the time.
The OT is far better in terms of actual movie QUALITY.
But, like SMX, I also prefer the PT. Not as a whole, I actually think of them as one whole movie that connects rather nicely, but if I had to pick, I would go with the prequels.
I'm 23 now, and even though I didn't get to see them in the theater, I grew up on the OT, particularly ANH, which like many of the original fans, I simply called STAR WARS.
I used to have this old video cassette with starwars, the old cartoon version of Robin Hood, and some movie of my parents on it that I would watch over and over when I was 5.
At age 8, my grandpa's neighbor converted the entire OT from Super BETA tapes to video, and I can remember when my grandpa Hoppy gave them to me...... I sat down and watched them all in a row.
I fell in love with the adventure, the danger, the lasers,ships, and swords.
I was 14 when the SE trilogy came out, and watching StarWars in the theatre blew me away. (I can still even remember the TRAILER for the SE's coming on at another movie, and I geeked out.)
It was some of the rare time that I spent with my dad in those years, and he told me about going to the theatres in the 70's and 80's as a young man and watchin them.
I love the OT, and I can say for sure that I grew up with it.
But the PT really kicked things into a higher level for me.
I was 16 when TPM came out, and I got like 9 of my stoner friends up at 8 in the morning to take a bus to the light rail to go to another town to watch it on the biggest screen we could find. We played craps against the theatre wall until noon for the first showing on opening day.
I was in awe of that movie... the Jedi kicking all kinds of crazy wheel-droid ass on the ship, seeing young Obi, the invasion of Naboo, the Podrace, Coruscant, the f*cking amazing lightsaber duel at the end.....
I was a little more astute than my buddies, and I knew from the moment he was onscreen that Palpatine was the emporer.
When he said "we will look forward to your carreer with great interest" I was like "Aawwww sheeeeit. Here we go now." And that last frame before the finale song, with all the faces of the major players lined up, Ani, obi, padme, and palps, literally gave me CHILLS.
Alot happened in my life in the 3 years in between films, and I went way down the tubes, got cleaned up, straightened up, and was with my girlfriend who is now my wife.
I was 19 for AOTC. I remember waiting in line since 10 am to see it at 2 in the afternoon, at the Century Winchester 22, a HUGE dome with an awesome curved screen.
People were selling the promotional soda's for the film, with the charactrer's pics on 'em saying "Yoda soda's.. one dollar!".... people were in costumes, some guy had 12in. subwoofers in his truck and was slumping the AOTC soundtrack.....
I had my brother and sister pulled out of school early to come see it with me.
Inside was like a carnival. People punched a beach ball around the sold out place before the trailers came up, and the Yoda soda guy was down at the front of the screen, passing out drinks and candy like a baseball game vendor.
Before the movie was the teaser for Matrix 2 and 3, which really got people hyped, and then we got AOTC.
Which I'm not afraid to admit that I loved. The relationship between Ani and Obi ("you'll be the death of me"😉, the chase, the club, all classic SW. obi v.s. Jango, the asteroid chase, pure gold. I didn't mind the love scenes, I'm glad it was sappy, over-the-top and pushed into one movie.... if only all relationships could be that way. 😄
The middle with Anakin loosing Shmi was incredible.
I gasped inside when he stood against the hut, looking all pre-vader, and the audinece gasped aloud when shmi's head tilted back and she died in his arms.
All the scenes later, with him returning to the homestead, talking in the garage ("not just the men, but the women.. and the children too!"😉, and the funeral were mind-blowing.
I knew that I was watching him fall, wanted to stop it, but at the same time couldn't stop watching.
All the rest, the droid factory fight that looks like a cool LSD trip, the exocution arena, the Jedi coming in ("I don't think so"😉, I mean I felt this like, crazy kid joy in my chest when the camera panned over to the right to show the Jedi charging in a line, Braveheart style with lightsaber's raised.
The Battle of Geonosis was a mind-numbing experience that I could barely keep up with, and the duels at the end were pretty cool ( I cheered inside when anakin told Dooku "I am a slow learner"😉.... but Yoda takes the f*cking cake.
When he came in that room, everybody started cheering, someone yelled "kick his ass, Yoda" and everybody laughed,... when he ingnited the sword I sat up in my chair, and when he jumped up yelling "rrrarrrh" or whatever, I chuckled/giggled out loud like a five year old who sees a Toys 'R Us and is told to get whatver he wants.
EP2 WTFpwns and I don't care what anybody else says.
(I used my first date with my wife as a good excuse to go see it for the second time.)
As for ROTS, well I won't bore with my thoughts on the movie, except that I believe it to be the best of the Prequels, easily, and I'm sure you would know which parts and why.
I love the OT, but the seeing the PT made me a Starwars fan for life.
Funny thing is though, I picked EMPIRE as the best film because I know in my head that it is.
I'm sure part of it has to do with how I experienced seeing them, but my heart will always be with the Prequels.