I can agree with a lot of this except a couple things.. OPINION incoming:
Politics (taking a significant amount of time, mind you), aside from advancing the story/enhancing the plot, largely don't belong in a space adventure, which is the heart and soul of Star Wars. Too much of it kills momentum and detracts from its simplicity. That kind of stuff is more fit for an EU or canon novel.
On Anakin and Padme.. do you not see how not liking either of them or not giving "two shits" about their characters is a massive issue (this has been reoccuring sentiment from lots of fans)? It's not like they're side characters who have little screen time. The prequels were built AROUND their rise and fall as partners/lovers. If we don't care for either of them, how can we care about anything they say or do, or what happens to them? This is the biggest issue I have with Ep. 1-3. Sure, their interactions are most interesting in Ep. 3, but had we cared for Anakin and Padme BEFORE the climax, the payoff could have salvaged what ultimately became the end product.
You're wrong about disliking Anakin being the "whole point"; we are SUPPOSED to like him so we can feel for him and his internal struggle. That doesn't mean we have to like every decision he makes, but part of the heartbreak should have been a character we love fall to the dark side. That's the whole point. In Anakin's case, there is no black or white; he was always conflicted, even as Darth Vader. We're not supposed to like him once he turns, but the point was to suffer his struggle with him, as an audience. Otherwise, what was the point of the prequels? They were centered around how and why Anakin fell to the dark side. Star Wars was never centered around the wars themselves, but rather around a family and their place within the galaxy.. even when George was in control.
You're damn right about Anakin storming the temple with clone troops. Visually and metaphorically.. that was the best scene in the entire 3 episodes by FAR. Loved it.
