Saga Has time changed your opinion of Jar-Jar Binks?

I mistakenly posted this as a bashing post for Jar Jar the first time around and it rightfully so got locked. So I'll rephrase...

Came across this article on Screen Rant listing the 15 worst thing's Jar Jar has ever done: http://screenrant.com/worst-most-wtf-things-jar-jar-binks-did-has-done

Bashing Jar Jar has gone from being the standard to a cliche into meme fodder. Now that so many years have passed do you find yourself as much opposed to him as the day Jar Jar first graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine back in 1999 or have you grown to accept him as an intricate part of the sagas and found what humor there is in all the WTF things he's done?

After all, doesn't tragedy plus time equal comedy? Or are some offensives too horrible to forget?

 

My opinion of Jar Jar Binks has been the same from day one, and has never changed. I loved the character from the first time and still do.

 

Sure he can be a bit much, but I think the hate tends to be a bit overblown. But I can understand the backlash he received considering people probably assumed he would be sticking around for the later prequels. I really enjoyed his ppearances in TCW. Would've actually liked to see a bit more of him in that show. His antics are probably better suited to an animated format anyway.

 

I've been Jar Jar neutral for a long time now. I can see what Lucas was trying to achieve with him. He didn't really hit the mark for me but he's ok.

 

Yeah, I never found him hilarious but I never really thought the Ewok antics were funny either. To me, he's just there. I was born in 1997 so maybe that helps. Idk. He isn't the first character that comes to mind in the prequels and it's annoying when people who don't like his character use it to justify their hatred for the entire Prequel Trilogy. I can see not liking him, even 18 years after TPM but if anyone who downright HATES a fictional character is quite silly and childish imo.

 

I think Jar Jar had potential but ultimately ended up being a major detriment to TPM. He has a great visual design, comes from an interesting and unique culture, and is very impressive cgi for 1999. However his over the top silly antics just drag down the movie so much. The battle of Naboo which could have been great ended up being a glorified slapstick routine thanks to Jar Jar, erasing any sense of tension or drama. Jar Jar's brand of humor is incredibly juvenile with the poop joke, fart joke, slapstick, etc. and ends up degrading some otherwise solid scenes throughout the movie. This is all too bad because Jar Jar is actually a pretty likable character antics aside. So yes, I strongly dislike Jar Jar and think he's a detriment to the series but I don't truly hate him. My opinion on him hasn't really changed at all over the years. I've always felt that he's just really lame.

 

i was in my 20's when tpm came out and i never had a problem.

 

Not really. I only had to pretend the Sith lord theory is true to make him tolerable.

 

I never hated him.
Ewoks were no masterpiece, either.

 

Sadly, no. From reading the novelisation of TPM back around 1999/2000, I understand what the point of the character was and why he was there, but its realisation in the film was far too over the top, didn't work, and still doesn't. Too juvenile, as opposed to the much broader appeal of the classic comical interaction between C-3PO and R2-D2 in the OT. Supposedly, earlier drafts had him as a far less goofy character, more a bewildered innocent.

Jar-Jar isn't quite as unbearable as the reaction would indicate, but the real mistake is that he's there for so much of the film. Audiences sitting down to watch the first episode of the backstory to the Original Star Wars Trilogy were suddenly confronted with the relentless slapstick antics of a bizarre new CGI alien - who had more screentime than Obi-Wan Kenobi!!!

FWIW, the droid sidekick in Rogue One appeared to be an attempt in the other direction - a drier, more cynical comical foil - and it didn't work, either. Just as annoying, but not quite as in-your-face. Simply wasn't done well enough.

 

Nope. I never had any problems with Jar-Jar. I liked and accepted him from the first time I saw the movie and wasn't aware of the whole "Jar-Jar haters" trend on the internet.

And frankly, I don't like these internet trends which are accepted as gospel ("prequels suck", "jar jar sucks"...). It's perfectly fine to dislike Jar-Jar, or the prequels, or whatever you want, but I don't like when everyone repeats that as a mantra.

I understand the frustation from the 99 fan perspective, but considering TPM alone (as a stand-alone movie first and foremost, even if it's tied to the rest of the Saga), Jar-Jar's screentime is perfectly justified, as his role is much more important than Obi-Wan's. And of course, we could argue about whethever Obi-Wan should've had a more substantial role (or replaced Qui-Gonn) but I like how Obi-Wan starts the Saga as a relatively secondary character and gradually becomes more important (and you could say the same about Anakin, a boy who doesn't appear until 30 minutes into the movie!).

 

There are moments when I find JJ genuinely funny. "My tongue is numb. I'm stuck." Maybe that scene appeals to me because I've been a mechanic and I can both sympathize and empathize with it.

But overall, his humor is far too juvenile. Potty jokes may be funny to 4 year olds, but not me. And the way his slapstick antics only killed battle droids and not his own soldiers in the big battle, that was far too over the top; my willing suspension of disbelief could not stand up to that.

That's how I've always felt, and the years have not changed my opinion.

 

Not really. I'm indifferent towards him but he is sometimes funny. Never super annoying in my opinion.

 

I think that he is still a stupid character. I don't get angry when I see him but he is still annoying and episode 1 would have better with out Jar-Jar since he is one of the things that I find disappointing about the prequels.

 

Not a one bit.

 

Yes.

He's even more awesome than I thought he was at first.

 

I've never minded him- and I quite appreciate the roles he had in AOTC, ROTS, and TCW. I laugh at Jar Jar and his potty jokes not because the joke is funny, but just at how pitiful Ahmed Best and George Lucas see that now. He didn't mess up the story or anything, so he was just a side thing (yes he helps in the Battle of Naboo, but he doesn't mess up the plot). I have no problem with Ewoks whatsoever by the way (love them a lot).

 

I thought over time I was ok with him until I saw TPM in 3D a few years back. I think the problem was I was forced to pay 100% attention to the movie instead of occasionally being distracted by other things around me, and IMO he gets so obnoxious at points throughout the film.

 

Originally didn't mind him, have grown to hate him. Feels so much like pandering to children and cheap humor to have him on screen. Each Star Wars film is a treasure...a 2 hour window into a beloved universe., and we've only gotten 8 of them! Each second of film time and each character is immensely valuable in fleshing out the SW canon, and I feel like JJB stole much of it portraying a slapstick gag-machine. I watched a fan edit where Jarjar is mostly a silent sidekick and it dramatically changed the tone of the film to a more serious one (for the better). Same with the goofy battle droids. I wish Lucas could've treated the franchise with a little more respect than he did with TPM and (to a lesser extent) special editions edits.

 

I don't know if I can accept an onion's wisdom....

 

He's okay.

 

that's because jar jar is "the fool". "the fool" is way more foolish than any other character.

The Fool

 

Neither were the two droids and Chewbacca, truth be told.