Huh, I never really saw it that way. I think it’s more on the terrifying side, since we’re following the POV of 3PO and R2. That scene always scared me to death as a kid - you know, being torture and all. But I can see the sentiment expressed above.
I think it’s the voice of the droid being tortured that makes it feel more like awkward black comedy than terrifying. Add the fact that it’s a Gonk droid, which is the most basic robot in existence and mostly known for its “gonk” sound effect, suddenly being self-aware and screaming with a squeaky voice.