Jedi Council Forums - Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?

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Author	Topic: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
rsterling78 Registered: May '02	Date Posted: 3/1 9:05pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	Okay, I know there's already an Official Jar-Jar Binks thread. But other than 10 somewhat off-topic posts for 2008, the last post was in 2006 so I'm going to see if the mods will allow this thread. This thread is not about how Jar-Jar voted Palpatine into power or anything the character did but who and what he was. Except for a vanishingly small following, almost everybody hated Jar-Jar. Obviously, Lucas and company didn't intend for the Binks character to become so reviled. They thought Jar-Jar would provide some lighthearted comedy early on in TPM and would become an unlikely (and rather inadvertant) hero toward the end of the film by helping fight the droid army. In short, Jar-Jar was intended to be somewhat analagous to C-3PO in terms of his "job" in the films. But it all went wrong. Why? My theory is that movie audiences have changed with the times and Lucas didn't really understand that. If technology had allowed Jar-Jar to be included in the original trilogy, I think he might have been better received in the late 1970s and early 1980s than he was in the late 1990s. Science fiction has taken on a harder edge in the last 20 years. Consider the absurdities of LOST IN SPACE and even some third season original series STAR TREK episodes compared to the grittier sci fi entries years later like the films ALIEN and TERMINATOR compared to the unrelentingly dark reimagined BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. I think that modern sci fi movie and TV audiences will accept a bit of well-placed humor -- some scenes in the FIREFLY series, for example -- but with Jar-Jar we were back to a heavy-handed, almost 1960s sci fi TV level of unsophistication. I don't think a great many people thought, as has been argued, that Jar-Jar was a racist stereotype. I think the over-the-top clumsy routine, the baby talk, and the slapstick antics just insulted the audience's intelligence. The PT is the story of Darth Vader. And it is set in "a more civilized time." While the audience hopes for a smile and a laugh along the way, they are watching something much closer to HAMLET than to THE THREE STOOGES. Thoughts?
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Drew_Atreides Registered: Apr '02	Date Posted: 3/2 7:09am Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	Eh, i think the major problem was really the voice they gave Jar-Jar and the speech-patterns. Half the time you couldn't understand what the heck he was saying, and it didn't help that he had a yoda-like speech pattern of using made-up slang and talking out of tense/composing sentences in a non-traditional fashion. The humour was really infantile, too. I mean, farting in a Star Wars movie? Really? -----signature----- Be sure to tune in for the Big Giveaway at 9!
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Go-Mer-Tonic Registered: Aug '99	Date Posted: 3/2 1:00pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	I think Jar-Jar turned out just as he should have. He was meant to be annoying and abrasive to more "adult" people. -----signature----- "...that’s not my job, to make people like my movies. They either like them or they don’t. That’s completely out of my hands.” -Lucas "At least I will have finished what I set out to do, and at least they will have been good to me." -Lucas
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GuNgAnFaN3090 Registered: Oct '08	Date Posted: 3/2 1:07pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	Jar Jar was meant for the kids. Nothing went wrong, all the younger viewers I know loved him. So did I. He was not for adults to enjoy, so it makes sense that most don't. -----signature----- QueenArdnassak is my insane e-girlfriend. Sith Warrior in the "SWC: Acolytes of Darkness" Dark Side Points: 55
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StarWarrior77 Registered: Oct '08	Date Posted: 3/2 1:25pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	GuNgAnFaN3090 posted: Nothing went wrong, all the younger viewers I know loved him. So did I. As did I! (And still do.) -----signature----- "Star Wars is not dead. It's gonna get better and better."-George Lucas "Star Wars is Forever, Roger. And you can Suck it." -Jimmy Mac Visit: http://z3.invisionfree.com/Star_Wars_Online/index.php
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GuNgAnFaN3090 Registered: Oct '08	Date Posted: 3/2 1:39pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	That's what I meant. I will take my love of Jar Jar to the grave. -----signature----- QueenArdnassak is my insane e-girlfriend. Sith Warrior in the "SWC: Acolytes of Darkness" Dark Side Points: 55
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StarWarrior77 Registered: Oct '08	Date Posted: 3/2 2:06pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	Maybe we could make some T-shirts saying "Jar Jar is Forever!" I bet those would horrify Jar Jar haters! -----signature----- "Star Wars is not dead. It's gonna get better and better."-George Lucas "Star Wars is Forever, Roger. And you can Suck it." -Jimmy Mac Visit: http://z3.invisionfree.com/Star_Wars_Online/index.php
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Darth_Laudrup Title: Host: PT Trivia Challenge Registered: Jul '04	Date Posted: 3/2 2:26pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	I don't hate Jar Jar but I feel that he is simply too silly to be funny. In the OT we have R2 & 3PO as the comedy part of Star Wars, and in the PT we get Jar Jar. But as I see it, R2 & 3PO were also usefull and they did their part to bring down the Empire and help our heroes. Jar Jar on the other hand is just an annoying idiot, with no other purpose than selling toys. -----signature----- I love Ellen Page: 5' 1" / 1.55 m tall and very very sexy.
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Go-Mer-Tonic Registered: Aug '99	Date Posted: 3/2 2:39pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong? - Date Edited: 3/2 2:42pm (3 edits total) Edited By: Go-Mer-Tonic
	It never ceases to amaze me how the people who couldn't handle Jar-Jar believe he had no purpose in the plot. In TPM he was integral to the heroes success several times. 1) Takes Jedi to Oontah Gunga 2) Helps the Jedi navigate the core. 3) Inspires Padme to fight for her people. 4) Takes the heroes to the Gungan's sacred place after they abandoned the main city. 5) Leads a diversionary attack on the Trade Federation's forces to help Padme and Co infiltrate the castle easier. And this isn't even bringing up his central role, to call for a motion to vote the Chancellor "emergency powers", which I would think would be the most obvious contribution to the plot. But no, according to the people who didn't like him, he served no purpose whatsoever. I can appreciate a lot of you don't like them, but he was no more to "sell toys" than any other character in this saga that was made into an action figure. -----signature----- "...that’s not my job, to make people like my movies. They either like them or they don’t. That’s completely out of my hands.” -Lucas "At least I will have finished what I set out to do, and at least they will have been good to me." -Lucas
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GuNgAnFaN3090 Registered: Oct '08	Date Posted: 3/2 2:46pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	StarWarrior77 posted: Maybe we could make some T-shirts saying "Jar Jar is Forever!" I bet those would horrify Jar Jar haters! That would be awesome! -----signature----- QueenArdnassak is my insane e-girlfriend. Sith Warrior in the "SWC: Acolytes of Darkness" Dark Side Points: 55
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Go-Mer-Tonic Registered: Aug '99	Date Posted: 3/2 2:59pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	I can get some of them to cringe just by saying "Meeeesa BACK!"! -----signature----- "...that’s not my job, to make people like my movies. They either like them or they don’t. That’s completely out of my hands.” -Lucas "At least I will have finished what I set out to do, and at least they will have been good to me." -Lucas
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Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon Registered: Dec '00	Date Posted: 3/2 3:14pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	Go-Mer-Tonic posted: It never ceases to amaze me how the people who couldn't handle Jar-Jar believe he had no purpose in the plot. In TPM he was integral to the heroes success several times. 1) Takes Jedi to Oontah Gunga 2) Helps the Jedi navigate the core. 3) Inspires Padme to fight for her people. 4) Takes the heroes to the Gungan's sacred place after they abandoned the main city. 5) Leads a diversionary attack on the Trade Federation's forces to help Padme and Co infiltrate the castle easier. And this isn't even bringing up his central role, to call for a motion to vote the Chancellor "emergency powers", which I would think would be the most obvious contribution to the plot. But no, according to the people who didn't like him, he served no purpose whatsoever. I can appreciate a lot of you don't like them, but he was no more to "sell toys" than any other character in this saga that was made into an action figure. Other than "Inspires Padme to fight" and "emergency powers" (which could both have been done as effectively if not moreso by other characters, perhaps a trusted handmaiden/decoy), all those 'integral' moments have to do with the excessive Jar-Jar/Gungan subplot, which seems to exist purely to show off fancy 1999 CGI. 1) Takes Jedi to Oontah Gunga 2) Helps the Jedi navigate the core. Have the Jedi land within walking distance from Theed and this can all be cut. Even better, instead of the silly planet core sequence have the Jedi steal a speeder or two from the droids and take THOSE to the city. 4) Takes the heroes to the Gungan's sacred place after they abandoned the main city. 5) Leads a diversionary attack on the Trade Federation's forces to help Padme and Co infiltrate the castle easier. No need for Jar-Jar or Gungans. Surely Naboo has enough resistance fighters to mount their own diversion. Of course, that would have necessitated some actual effects WORK having an army of live actors face off against an army of CGI droids, rather than taking the easy way out and doing it all CG. -----signature----- Personally if treating homosexuals with respect and dignity is the definition of 'anti-Christian' then I hope that Obama is the friggin' anti-Christ. - FIDo
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Go-Mer-Tonic Registered: Aug '99	Date Posted: 3/2 3:16pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong? - Date Edited: 3/2 3:18pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Go-Mer-Tonic
	I didn't mean to imply you couldn't have written him out of the script if you for some reason would rather not have Jar-Jar in the movie. I'm just saying he was integral to the plot as he was used in the finished movie. Feel free to hate the ever living crap out of Jar-Jar, just stop making up reasons to not like him. "I just hate things that annoy me" would suffice. Part of the purpose of the Jar-Jar/Gungan subplot was to illustrate a situation where two groups of different people joined together for their mutual advantage. It is an example of symbiosis, which is one of the main themes of TPM. That is if you happen to notice such themes around Jar-Jar's antics. -----signature----- "...that’s not my job, to make people like my movies. They either like them or they don’t. That’s completely out of my hands.” -Lucas "At least I will have finished what I set out to do, and at least they will have been good to me." -Lucas
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Darth_Laudrup Title: Host: PT Trivia Challenge Registered: Jul '04	Date Posted: 3/2 4:16pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	I agree with Jedi_Keiran_Halcyon. -----signature----- I love Ellen Page: 5' 1" / 1.55 m tall and very very sexy.
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Go-Mer-Tonic Registered: Aug '99	Date Posted: 3/2 4:19pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong?
	You agree that the script could have been re-written without Jar-Jar in it? Way to go out on a limb you guys. -----signature----- "...that’s not my job, to make people like my movies. They either like them or they don’t. That’s completely out of my hands.” -Lucas "At least I will have finished what I set out to do, and at least they will have been good to me." -Lucas
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Darth_Laudrup Title: Host: PT Trivia Challenge Registered: Jul '04	Date Posted: 3/2 4:22pm Subject: Jar-Jar Binks: what went wrong? - Date Edited: 3/2 4:25pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Darth_Laudrup
	I cannot help but feel that since Jar Jar gets less screentime in AOTC and even less in ROTS, Lucas has somehow come to realise that Jar Jar was a silly idea. I may be wrong ofcourse. And yes I do think that the story could have worked fine without Jar Jar. It is fine by me that the story includes the heroes getting assistance from the native people of Naboo, but why on earth did he have to make Jar Jar so extremely silly. -----signature----- I love Ellen Page: 5' 1" / 1.55 m tall and very very sexy.
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