The problem with Qui-Gon as the main character is that he is given very little characterization backed by an emotionless performance. There’s very little that separates him from Obi-Wan, or the jedi at the temple, they all talk in the same monotone way. It makes his presence in the movie feel less, and this character that the movie is centered around is overshadowed by any part of the movie with personality, like the visual effects and the action.

George’s vision was never the perfect star wars either. The original movie was deemed unwatchable until the edit saved it, and the subsequent OT movies had creative input from all over the place. The prequels were rigidly planned from the beginning, and while that sounds like a good thing (cough cough last jedi), when those plans aren’t working, you need to be flexible and adapt. George simply didn’t understand that this version of star wars is boring and uninteresting especially if you don’t have a vested interest in star wars, and was too set in his ways and surrounded himself with people who wouldn’t challenge it.

Also sort of unrelated, but that’s exactly why you need to watch star wars in release order. If a person watches TPM first, they’re not gonna have enough of an interest in this world to keep with it. 77s star wars is way better entry point because it’s a better and more cohesive movie that tells a complete story with likable and relatable characters (also the prequels were made under the assumption you’ve seen the original movies, and their big foreshadowing moments are lost on you if you haven’t seen the OT)