TheBoost said:
Jake Lloyd was just fine. Find me an actor in all of stage and film who could deliver those lines in a way that DOESN'T make them awful and insipid.
It's definitely possible that with a different director and script, he could have given a good performance. If you only saw Natalie Portman's 'kabuki makeup' scenes, you might think that the mannequin they hung her costume on was a better actress than her, and she has been truly great in the right roles.