Jar Jar Binks is the greatest character in cinematic history.

Jar-Jar is a memorable character, but for all the wrong reasons.

 

GL said Jar Jar is the key. I've never written a movie or book. But I'm pretty sure a tertiary character isn't the key to any successful movie or book. It's the plot and the main characters that matter most. If you get those right, the tertiary characters and elements will follow and fall in line.

I think the best part of the Red Letter Media reviews is that in the OT GL used special effects to tell a story. In the PT he used a story to show special effects. That's why it fell flat. And that's why characters like Jar Jar didn't work.

 

Yep he approved the clone army, he got himself exiled from the gungans, lacked leadership in the battle against the droids.....have I missed anything?

 

The quote comes from a meeting with the VFX team. Lucas is setting down which shots will be in-camera, miniature or CGI. So Jar Jar was definitely key to making the new FX approach work. Again, he's not in a story meeting or talking to the cast, he's talking to the VFX team. Pretty obvious what he's talking about. Not that that stopped RLM from cherry picking it and placing it out of context for a cheap shot. And there's a difference between using visuals to tell a story and using SFX to tell a story. Loathe him all you want but JJ isn't a disconnected special effect - he's a character who is threaded through the story, over the first two films he has an arc, he possesses a well defined personality and a consistent psychology. Big difference.

 

So did Adam Sandler's characters in Jack & Jill...

 

So . . . Adam Sandler was a visual effect in that movie . . . ? Ya lost me.

 

C'mon man, don't be obtuse.

You were talking about how Jar Jar was "a character who is threaded through the story, over the first two films he has an arc, he possesses a well defined personality and a consistent psychology." My point, obviously, is that the same can be said of virtually any character in any movie, no matter how god-awful it may be.

Yes, Jar Jar was a CGI cartoon rather than a live-action character. But the fact that he was given a character and a "well-defined personality" doesn't automatically disprove the observation that in the PT Lucas tended to use story to justify special effects rather than using special effects in service to the story. In fact, as I watched the making-of features for TPM years ago, it became painfully clear that Lucas was so focused on CGI creations like Jar Jar that he failed to see that the movie itself didn't hold together very well. The uncomfortable silence that followed the first screening of the TPM rough cut spoke volumes as far as that goes.

 

Yeah, you missed something.

• Jar Jar the Statesman: Jar Jar was promoted from exile to bombad general after single handedly bringing the Naboo and the Gunguns together. His wisdom alone bridged a gap between two species that had endured for generations.

• Jar Jar the Warrior: He shot three battle droids dead with his foot while body slamming a fourth. Let's see Han Solo try that!

• Jar Jar the Courageous: He landed on a moving enemy hover tank and the tank got in the first hit - which happened to be below the belt. Now I don't know about you, but when it's my balls vs. a battle tank, I'd be surrendering pretty quick. But not Jar Jar! He took that hover tank out with nothing but a hand held boomba he was juggling - because real heroes enter battle juggling live grenades!

• Jar Jar the Merciful: While on Tattooine Jar Jar was crossed by an especially dangerous Dug. Jar Jar could have turned the Dug into orange goo, but he mercifully spared the poor creature so his friend Anakin could get some Sith road rage practice in before going full on Imperial March.

• Jar Jar the Strategist: While the Gungans were in full retreat Jar Jar commandeered a wagon full of boombas and launched a counter-attack, expertly rolling the boombas toward the pursuing droid army and single handedly saving the Gungan army and destroying many hover tanks in the process. Muy Muy, Baby!

• Jar Jar the Navigator: He rescued two idiot Jedi and bravely took them to the safety of his underwater home - even though his return meant punishment. Then he calmly navigated the lost Jedi through the gooberfish-infested Core while the lost Jedi were asking the Force for directions - and getting nowhere! If not for Jar Jar's skill as a navigator the Jedi wouldn't have reached Queen Amidala in time to save her.

That's a hero for ya!

 

I missed you buddy.

 

Could a pratical effect Jar Jar could have saved Jar Jar?

My opinion, Jar Jar is "butterfly effect" character of the Star Wars universe.


Pledged his life to Qui Gon... he lost his life.... and then probably by ricochet caused Anakin to be trained by Obi Wan and become Darth Vader.
Was banished from his people, then named Bombad General... then, probably delegate from Naboo and caused the Clone Wars.

 

You forgot this one!

--- Double Post Merged, Oct 21, 2015, Original Post Date: Oct 21, 2015 ---

You do know that even though you made it out to be an april fools gag, Jar Jar indeed is the most awesome character in SW? Never before has any character in SW history brought together so many people who share the very same way of thinking! Never before has a SW character made fans from all races and religions forget their differeances and want the very same think to befall the same character. Not even guys like Luke, Han or Lando have bought together so many equal thinking fans as many may choose one over the other but when it comes to Jar Jar, the answer on almost all SW fans is as clear as knowing if Greedo actually got a shot off!

 

Mesa tinkin, wesa has a marathony at mesa palace as soonas possible!

 

nuff said

 

Take that Gungan

 

Say what you like, Jar Jar's two seconds of acting in ROTS was better than the combined performances of Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman.

 

Here's your answer: