Does anyone out there wish that Jar Jar had a bigger role in AOTC?

I understand where Lucas was coming from in including Jar Jar in TPM, as "the wise fool" or whatever you wanna call him, but he certainly was not wise and he was too much of a fool. He is an annoying character, as executed. I have always thought that he should have had Captain Tarpals' voice, and had less screen time, and have expressed his "foolishness" through dialogue, i.e. saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and things of the like, you know something that was actually witty, instead of bumbling around annoyingly and stepping in crap. I understand, he was there mainly for the kids, and that's fine. However, say what you will about the Ewoks, but their antics weren't nearly as broad as Jar Jar's, and they were there for the kids too. What I'm saying is that there's a way to appeal to children without resorting to silly unimaginative slapstick.

I also always thought that Jar Jar shoulda been banished for something a little bit more believable and relevant than "being clumsy." Perhaps he was a thief and was banished for stealing some food for his family, or he worked for Boss Nass's "court" as a Jester or something, and one day during a council meeting he spoke up out of turn, perhaps by suggesting that they try to make peace with the Naboo, and was exiled. I'm not sure as to what a fitting alternative would be, but the reason for his banishment should not have been for being clumsy. Anything woulda sufficed as long as it was a more valid reason. But I digress.

I do prefer his diminshed screentime in AOTC, because he was annoying, but mainly because the baton was passed on to the character to which the role of comic relief truly belongs, C3PO. However, I did like how Jar Jar was manipulated into giving Palpatine power, which made his character seem more important. I just wish that he had been toned down a little, so that i could like him more.

At any rate, are there any of you out there who DO wish that Jar Jar had a bigger role in AOTC?

 

Heh, I don't think you will find someone who will say yes.

 

Yes I was dissapointed. I liked the fact that Lucas dared to be different with TPM. With AOTC it seemed as if he was giving in to the 'fanboys', one of the ways was to abandon Jar Jar. I would love to hear a quote from Lucas about the reduced role for Jar Jar. I could see Jar Jar accompanying Obi-Wan on his mission to Kamino for diplomatic reasons with banter ala Han and 3PO in ESB. Or Jar Jar letting Padme and Anakin stay at his retreat on Naboo, then going with them to Tatooine, his re-encountering with Watto could have been classic!

 

NO

 

^yeah, that might give the movie some more "perspective" although I really hate that guy. He's the stupit one who gave the Palpy emergency powers... I think he should be in the arena battle to, there was another column left so hang him up and let him be killed by one of those creatures!!! He deserves it!

 

Let's keep this thread on topic and the Jar Jar bashing to a minimum.

 

NO.

 

NO!

 

NO!

"With AOTC it seemed as if he was giving in to the 'fanboys"

It wasnt just the fanboys, the critics hated Jar Jar, along with a lot of casual movie fans.

 

I also always thought that Jar Jar shoulda been banished for something a little bit more believable and relevant than "being clumsy." [b/]

i think 'being clumsy' was an understatement. He must have caused a big disaster like flood otoh gunga or something. And remember, 'being clumsy' came from jar jars mouth. If i did something terrible i wud have said the same thing.

 

No. There was simply no reason for him to have a larger presence than he did.


With AOTC it seemed as if he was giving in to the 'fanboys'

And if Lucas had given Jar Jar more screen time, he would've just been accused of "sticking it" to the fanboys instead.

While I certainly have no love for the character (understatement), it seems like a lose-lose situation.

 

Does anyone out there wish that Jar Jar had a bigger role in AOTC?

YES!



Okay, here me out:

In the first film he did too much. His whining to the jedi in the bongo, his being farted on, his "wesa goin' home!", and especially his cowardness in the end battle.
However, he should've had a larger role in AOTC instead of bringing in 3PO to spout quotes from "The Official 3PO Handbook". I submit that 3PO was subjected to far worse in AOTC than anything Jar Jar did....and none of the 3PO stuff even made any sense within the film.

At least Jar Jar was an established fool who gave Amidala the idea for the army....which led to the liberation of Naboo.

All 3PO did was prat falls the entire time. He didn't even serve a valuable purpose as comic relief in the new way that Jar Jar did. Like it or not, Binks brought something new to SW. There was just too much of it.
And Lucas should've given him a little more development like he did in the revised rough draft and in the actual script during the ground battle. He manages to single-handedly outmanuveur a droideka! And he also helps unite the Naboo and his people when he gives a small speech in the sacred place.

For AOTC, Lucas wanted a more mature Binks who spoke in basic and not his gunganese. This would've been a great addition to the character as it would show how "intergalactic" he'd become.

Maybe he could've stowed away with Anakin and Padme to Naboo?

But instead of Jar Jar, we got 3PO regurgitating his catch phrases.

3PO was far worse in AOTC than Jar Jar ever was(well, except for the end battle and the fart).

So, not a much larger role than what he had, but a slightly different depiction for AOTC.

 

Sure... as long as it consisted of him being on the wrong end of a lightsaber or a blater bolt.

 

I agree to some extent. A rather small one really. Jar jar's voice, his walk, his face, everything about him is so non-human, giving him more time on screen would have sucked... away from the more human characters we are meant to relate to, sympathize with, the whole bag of marbles. What would he do? He's not running away from a bounty hunter and trying to help his friends while denying he cares for them. But finally here's where I agree.

If jar jar could be just entertaining to a whole family, not just kids. If he could have said witty things or been a loveable dunce and not a retard, maybe, just maybe, maybe, maybe he could have played a bigger role. Threepio was absolutely not needed at all whatsoever in E2. Watching a robot bumble around and get mixed up with another bot was a waste of time.

I hear he was supposed to have a scene with Padme in which they talk to each other about Anakin or his mom. Not only would this have added to the story and shown a connection, (something! throw us a bone), between the droid and his owners, but given us a character to care about rather than an amusing cartoony flip book character, like those stick-figure animations, hmmm... like jar jar.

 

I too think that Jar Jar was shafted because Lucas gave in to the complaints. For a man who says that he doesn't listen to critics, he was sure quick to cut down Jar Jar's time in AOTC to practically nothing. At this rate, we'll be lucky if he has any dialogue at all in ROTS.
It just saddens me to see a promising character arc cut short because of intolerant fanboys and "hipper-than-thou" magazine critics.

 

Deeysew
I hear he was supposed to have a scene with Padme in which they talk to each other about Anakin or his mom. Not only would this have added to the story and shown a connection.

I think that was the scene where Padme puts coverings on 3PO. That was changed during shooting. Originally, 3PO was still "naked" when Anakin and Padme arrived at the Lars' and then Padme finished him while Anakin was gone.

 

Yes.

To tell the truth, I don't know why he was given very little time, and I'm not going to assume anything, but it really does feel like it's in response to the backlash. Which if true is a shame, because no matter what you personally think of Jar Jar, he is a character, he does have a character arc, and he deserves not to have it cut short.

Now, as to what the actual role would be: not a TPM-like sidekick role. It just wouldn't fit into the tone or action of the movie. In fact, I think his position in AOTC is a good one: it shows how he's matured, cements the idea of symbiosis and how the Gungans and Naboo work together in the Senate, and his innocence and idealism serves as a good counterpart to a galaxy and government that's lost its own. That's the direction I would have liked to see him go in: even a scene after Palpatine's established his army (heck, even on the balcony at the end) to show that he realizes that the situation isn't as simple as it looked, and that the galaxy isn't as ideal as he thought.

 

Jar's role was big for he made the decision to give Palpatine emergency powers. That was huge. AOTC was mostly Anakin, Padme, and Obi-1's story. Jar-Jar did well in that he was a repesenative from Naboo. Personally, there's nothing more Jar-Jar Binks could have done.