I actually thought Lucas had Anakin on a decent path in AotC, despite the horrible dialogue. He talked about how dictatorships could be preferable and wanted the power to end all wars. His mother was killed because the lawless savages were allowed to exist.
It was a fine setup for Anakin falling intentionally, because he thought it would be for the greater good. The climax could have been him giving up his love for Padme in favor of his ideals in setting up the Empire. This would have tied in well with Darth Vader's OT character who is all about ending conflict and bringing order to the galaxy.
Instead we got the nonsense of his bad dreams and getting tricked into being a puppet, followed by killing a bunch of kids for some reason. This scene is complete and utter nonsense, compounded by horrid acting by Hayden. The whole attack on Palpatine was instigated because Anakin himself told them that he was a sith lord, and then Palpatine goes on to tell him that Anakin was the only one with no knowledge of the plot and that the jedi's next move is to slaughter the senate. Not that any of that matters, since his only motivation is saving Padme, which lasts for like a day. It's a complete joke.
It's not about bad dreams and being tricked into being a puppet. That's an unfair oversimplification. It's about a tragically insecure but highly talented young man who is unable to cope with loss and his attachments to the people he cares about.