Was Jar Jar Binks valuable?

Cruising around the boards I've seen alot of Jar Jar bashing.

But after watching TPM Jar Jar wasn't too bad a character. Yes he got on everyone's nerves. Yes you walked away from the movie disliking him. But if you really stop to think he was the one that brought the Naboo and the Gungans together driving the Trade Federation off Naboo.

If it hadn't been for him telling Queen Amidala what brave warriors they are and how they (the Gungans) wouldn't give up without a fight, the idea for combining these two nations wouldn't have been hatched.

He was the ambassador between these two nations. They all worked together for a common cause.

 

I enjoyed the character alot when i first watched the movie however i was kid then at the age of 11. When i watch the film now i can see what my older brother kept telling me back then he is annoying, and his humour is just out of place. I would have prefered the gungans to be wookies to be honest, or someother species that doesn't look so cartoonish. There are alot of things i don't like about TPM, but it's been 5 years and there is nothin that i can do about it. So i have just learnt to live with Jar Jar.

The whole Gungan and Naboo issue i think never came across well. I would have rather seen some sort of racism by the naboo people against the Gungans, to get the point across that the two don't get along. However this would have been dangerous ground to tread for a kids film. But i think the film suffers as the two species differences aren't pointed out, the film could have taught children a valuable lesson about just because people look different on the outside doesn't mean that they aren't the same on the inside.

I don't think Jar Jar was that valuable, he could have introduced Qui Gon and Obi Wan to Boss Nass and then just be taken away and "punished" and then cum bac for the final battle when Qui Gon and Obi wan would return to the city to get the help of the Gungans. He could have been shown in shackles along with of criminals carry ammo and weaponary into battle and then been given a gun and sent to the front line. This would have added depth to both the Gungans and Jar Jar, it might of made people care about Jar Jar as they would feel sorry for him and it might have shown the Gungans to be more than just cartoonish.

 

Why would they have done that?

It was Jar Jar's statement to the Queen that gave the Queen the idea of the Gungan's help in the first place.

Boss Nass said he didn't care for the Naboo and waved off Obi-Wan's reply that what would effect one would effect the other. The Gungans could've cared a less. No doubt that they would've sprung into action but it would've turned our differently if it hadn't been for Jar Jar being there with them on Coruscant in the first place telling Queen Amidala how brave they (the Gungans) are.

 

The claim that Jar-Jar brought the two nations together is tenuous at best.

All he did was make a comment. Which sparked an idea in someoneone else. Which led to negotiations of a temporary alliance between formal political bodies. Which, in turn, because the battle was successful (in reality thanks to a third, heretofore unmentioned party) became a formal alliance between the two peoples.

For him to get all the credit for "uniting the two peoples" is absurd.

For that matter, so is the whole Gungan/Naboo issue. The planet is named after the colonizers, instead of the native intelligent species??? Moreover, despite the claims of enmity between the two cultures, only the Gungans ever appear to be isolationist or dismissive, while Amidala on behalf of the people of Naboo is always open and compassionate. Consequently, it looks more as if the Gungans are the cause of the problems between the two species than the Naboo are, when in fact Lucas tries to imply that it is the Gungan's who are the oppressed. How exactly is the audience supposed to bear such contradictions?

In short, I feel like it might have been a good idea, but it was poorly executed in many of its aspects. Enough so that overall, Binks wasn't really that valuable to the story.

 

I didn't mean to insinuate that he should get all the credit in uniting these two peoples.


That's ok. Everyone here is entitled to their own opinion. This is a discussion board and I respect other people's opinions and posts.

 

Was Jarjar binks valuable?

No. He has zero purpose to the story and the trilogy. Although he did introduce amadala to boss nass in order for her to convince him naboo needed gungans help. But Jarjar could have beeen left out previously until then.

 

No it is all very simple. Jar Jar is a result of the mainstream nature of the new Star Wars. No longer does Lucas care about the quality of the movie, but instead it the money he'll make. So he moved the Star Wars target aduience down so everyone could watch. This damaged the film greatly but got the desired results. How many little kids have Star Wars merchandise and have seen the movie and buy the games? Most adults do not buy the merchandise so the little kids were targeted that will get all this stuff for christmas or birthdays. Thus a character that the kids can identify hence Jar Jar was created. Jar Jar is an idiot that even 6 year olds can laugh at. He took away much of the seriousness and atmosphere from this movie. Its quite sad. Star Wars was sold down the river for the extra money. Jar Jars place could be filled very easily, He was not that important, Lucas could have worked another less blatentley insulting characeter such as Jar Jar in. The industry raped this film as well as Lucas directing. PLZ do not compare Jar Jar to Han Solo! they have nothing incommon.

 

Here we go again...

My opinion: I think he was necessary. Not only did he help to balance the feel of the movie out a bit, but without the diversionary army I dont think jedis would have had much luck.

 

Well said, QueenLeia, couldn't agree with you more!

 

QueenLeia: I didn't compare Jar Jar to Han Solo. And would never compare the two. That's not even relevant to what I posted originally. I was afraid of this happening. The title thread was asking a question, Was Jar Jar Binks valuable?

Everyone got a little upset at what I had posted. I'm not saying that he was the most valuable. I was just asking if he was in some small way.

I'm really sorry that I did post this question. Everyone got upset at this and that's not what I had intended.

 

Im not upset sweetcaroline. You asked an honest question and I put my 2 cents in. Queenleia also summed it up pretty good. I would NEVER compare jarjar to han solo. Thats SW sacrilege. Jarjar simply doesnt belong, he's a waste of CGI and screentime. The PT is about the fall of the republic and why it happened. Not about a clumsy amphibian character supposedly to bring laughs and $$$$. Screen time should have been spent exposing the weaknesses of the republic and the maneuvering of Sidious to greater power. And I dont mean 3-4 sentences describing, like what we really got. No jarjar, more central plot=greater Prequal.

 

I understand what you're saying hoth and I do respect what you and the others said. And yes 3-4 sentences on this really doesn't help what I was saying.

 

Jar-Jar rules. Anybody who says otherwise has killed their inner 6-year-old.

Strilo edit: Comments like this are not acceptable. Discuss the films not the fans.

 

"Anybody who says otherwise has killed their inner 6-year-old."

I haven't killed it, Lucas has. My inner childhood will be completely buried come Sept 21st!

 

sweetcaroline, oh. Well in that case I misunderstood you.

I think he was valuable in a few ways. Most importantly, he provided some comic relief and a character the children could relate to. He was also useful as a "guide" to Naboo for the Jedi, and he has an undeniably important, if brief role in AOTC.

Mostly, though, I'm just a bit frustrated with the character. He could have been used to show (or mend) the tense relations between the Naboo and the Gungans, but he wasn't. He could've been a more effective comedic relief, but it was over done. It's stuff like that that I dislike about him.

 

Thanks DarthBoba

Jabba-wocky: I understand what you mean about that character. It was just that having been around here I have seen alot of hatred towards this character. The original post was meant as a sort of, "hey, he isn't too bad I guess if you look at it that way". I didn't really put alot into that post to really sell my idea so to speak.

QueenLeia: Try to enjoy the DVD's when they come out. I understand about being upset about certain changes with the movies, I really do!

 

i would have to say that jar jar was really valuable charector because he did bring better peace to naboo by uniting the gungans and the people of naboo together.that is why he become a naboo representetive,but he also became a general in the trade federation battle at naboo.(even though he was very clumsy.)that is he was very valuable in t.p.m.

 

of course it couldn't work just to remove Jar Jar with no replacement. He's vital to the storyline.
The thing is; that would never happen, if Jar Jar wasn't there either the stoyline would be different or someone less annoying would take his place.

*Praying for a timemachine and a GL who never lost his marbles* [-o|

 

Yikes! Now there are two of them!

Jar Jar is a valuable character. The Gungans reflect the Ewoks. They both have a tradition and use their axient weapons to defeat the modern threat. They use their will.
That's classic mythology.

 

I don't think Jar-Jar is any more or any less 'valuable' than any other character. The only problem with him is that he acted childish as opposed to childlike and it was too difficult to make out what he was trying to say most of the time.

If he were a childlike character, he would be fun to watch rather than tiresome. It is his childish antics that make him annoying.

GL's mistake was in giving Jar-Jar a childish personality.

 

Jar Jar is a valuable character. The Gungans reflect the Ewoks. They both have a tradition and use their axient weapons to defeat the modern threat. They use their will.
That's classic mythology.

But the Gungans lost. They had surrendered; it was Anakin who defeated them. That pretty much makes the Gungans entirely pointless.

 

sweetcaroline
I too don't understand fan's hatred of this character. I mean why are fans so upset with him? Binks was an asset IMO.

It made TPM an enjoyable movie. Imagine if he wasn't in it. It would have been pretty *blah* with out him.

 

But the Gungans lost. They had surrendered; it was Anakin who defeated them. That pretty much makes the Gungans entirely pointless.

Fantastic. Normally battles that are a diversion are supposed to be won.

The droid armies were supposed to be led out of the city so that Amidala and gang will have less opposition to face when they try to take over the palace and corner Nute.

Many Gungans were expected to be killed in this "battle", and Boss Nass understood that, but they decided to play a part. Anything to stop the destruction of what "the two societies have worked so hard to build".

 

So they weren't supposed to win? Kinda flies in the face of Billy's point, no?

Jar Jar is a valuable character. The Gungans reflect the Ewoks. They both have a tradition and use their axient weapons to defeat the modern threat. They use their will.

 

FYI, not the place to discuss the upcoming DVDs.

Carry on...