PT The Phantom Menace as a stand alone film

I think that TPM would have a bit of a cult following. I actually think it'd be generally more well received due to the lack of expectations and would possibly still have been a big movie when it released due to its cast. People might praise it for its boldness and scope.

As for whether or not fans would be interested, I'm sure that the answer so that would be a resounding yes. I mean, if TPM is the first Star Wars movie you've ever seen, how you can not want more of that universe? You can tell that it's much bigger than it seems in the film, and it already seems huge. I think it's a fantastic start for the saga, even better than ANH. But...that's just my opinion.

That being said, I think that AOTC's reception might be less warm than it is now if it had been made after TPM. It does have a very different tone from the previous film.