Yeah. I always contend that (beyond behind the scenes choices like who wrote the scripts and directed) the single biggest mistake that was made on the prequels was starting off with kid Anakin, for oh so many reasons.
Hayden was one movie down on creating a character. He had to do in one movie what Hamill had two to achieve. He would have probably failed, but there would have been more substance to the character.
Is it just me or does almost nothing of importance happen in The Phantom Menace? Anakin is found and Palpatine becomes Chancellor. That’s about it.