Gaara was amazing in part 1. That's how you write a villain, have them actually be a threat to your main characters. He was the best bad guy in Part 1 after Orochimaru.
Part 1 naruto and a little of shippuden naruto wae being contrilled by the fox anything past 4 tails he didnt recgonize friend or foe. He almost killed jiriryiaDo not agree. Gaara was being controlled by the beast within him unlike Naruto who always used Nine tails chakra under his own control. So, it was more like a fight b/w One tails and naruto+sasuke. I would say they did fairly well.