I think most of the initial positive buzz was in the spectacle of it (like Avatar), plus the movie basically stuck the landing with the Duel of the Fates scene.
The Duel of the Fates music is amazing. Nothing but love there. The actual fight scene is fun, a well choreographed high action lightsaber fight, something that fans had never seen before, and for the spectacle is was pretty amazing, and clearly the best part of that movie.
But when I really think about it, not even that scene really holds up with the original trilogy. In the end, it's just a fight, and the reason of that fight is "I'm the bad guy and I'm gonna fight you now." In the original three, every lightsaber duel was more than just a fight. It was a philosophical discussion. The first scene between Vader and Obi Wan was basically just old men tapping sabers together (giggity) but it felt much more intense because of what it represented. It was the meeting of teacher and student again, it was a clashing of ideologies, of light vs dark. Vader wants to show Obi Wan that he was basically right, that the dark side is superior. Obi Wan then makes a very important choice, he shows his mastery by choosing not to fight. He chooses peace of violence, and ascends to a higher plane because of it, becoming one with the living force. In Empire, Luke is there to save his friends, but the fight, again, is a discussion. Vader is toying with Luke, he wants to show him his power, and he wants to evoke his anger and make him turn to the dark side so that he will join him. Luke fights, and fails, and in the end learns the big reveal, having his world shattered. Then once again, in RotJ, they duel again, and this time Luke is prepared. The fight is, as previous, more than just a fight. They are basically battling for Luke's soul, with the menacing Emperor manipulating him into giving into his anger to become his new apprentice. Like Obi Wan, Luke wins the fight by finally choosing not to fight, by not delivering the finishing blow to Vader.
And so, when you look back on Episode 1's big finisher... it's just a fight. I suppose you could say the ending foreshadows episode 3, but high ground did jack shit for Darth Maul.