The scene in question is probably my favorite in the film. The irony you point out cannot be missed; similarly, my favorite scene in Episode II is the Dooku/Obi-Wan scene. Great actors can make something out of anything, and these scenes are examples of that. A pity there wasn't more McDiarmid, Lee, and McGregor (and Neeson) in the films instead of Jar-Jar, Boss Nass, and General Grievous. But we have to work with what we're given.
The scene in question is probably my favorite in the film. The irony you point out cannot be missed; similarly, my favorite scene in Episode II is the Dooku/Obi-Wan scene. Great actors can make something out of anything, and these scenes are examples of that. A pity there wasn't more McDiarmid, Lee, and McGregor (and Neeson) in the films instead of Jar-Jar, Boss Nass, and General Grievous. But we have to work with what we're given.