The whole plot, from "Do it! to, "Execute Order 66" is driven by Palpatine. McDermaid pretty much carries the whole film, and gives us one of the GOAT Big Bads in any franchise. I was actually cheering him on, he was just so much cooler than the Jedi. I'd rather watch Palpatine than Mary Sue Rey, Supreme Scrotum Face and Emo Ren.
While Portman was her usual annoying self, there was real emotional heft in Obi Wan's arc, having to come to terms with the fact the man he loved as a brother had betrayed not only him but the whole galaxy. Yes, we knew from ANH that Vader was a bastard. But blowing up Aldarin didn't have even half the impact of
that scene with the Youngllings...