One thing I like most about Qui-Gon is how he doesn't feel any differently about Jar Jar than most characters do - "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent" being the obvious example - but he steps in to save him in front of Boss Nass anyway, not because he likes him, but A - because it's the right thing to do, and B - because if the Force lead him to this strange creature, there must be a reason for that. Not liking someone and yet showing compassion feels both more realistic and more attainable than just being a generic all-loving hero.
@@Hubert_Cumberdale_ I didn't actually mean that in a negative way either. I'm a full believer in the theory and plan to do a very in-depth video on it one day 🤞
@@Hubert_Cumberdale_ even though it 100% can't be true because in the comics we see Jar Jar became an outcast after the rise of the Empire. Naboo hates the Empire, and blamed Jar Jar for allowing it to happen. He was exiled by the gungans and has to survive as a street performing clown
I was a little kid when this movie came out. Most of the people who hate on Jar Jar seem to have been adults at that time. But me and my brothers and our playground friends honestly loved Jar Jar. Adults can quote lines like “there’s always a bigger fish,” or “your eyes can deceive you, don’t trust them” or “this is how democracy dies... with thunderous applause.” But little kids will quote “Ex-SQUEEZE me!” or “Okee-day!” etc.
hell, why not quote it *all*?! :) i saw the Phantom Menace as an adult and i can tell you honestly that those adults forgot what it was like to watch a movie like these as a kid.. they need to open up their minds and hearts juuust a little bit and open that door that leads to old memories
I still think about what would have happened if the story had been allowed to unfold according to George Lucas’ vision, without the hateful backlash. It would have been the biggest shocking reveal since “Empire”. Nobody realizes who the fool is because they are too busy laughing at /being disgusted with the fool.
@@christiana_mandalynn That definitely plays into the whole idea of Star Wars being mostly structured off of legends and mythical stories. The court fool being ignored as unimportant whilst actually being a driving force for the conflict meshes into that idea quite well.
Thats amazing; "Jar Jar DOES deserve a seat at the table, even if he's annoying. Because, when he's at the table, he reminds us that treating any person as if they have no value simply because they don't behave the way we expect them to, and they put their quirks on display for all of us to see is to risk the doom of our entire civilization." 👍
Tbh, the whole fauna of Naboo was like a Paradise for Dinosaur lovers. I mean, The gungan's mount are duck-billed, two-legged, swamp-dwelling scally beast And then, the giant four-legged saurian ; if this isn't supposed to appeal to dinosaur lover, i don't know what's up
Brilliant. I've said this for some time. There's a reason George Lucas has a Jar Jar in this movie and Anakin is a little slave kid and Qui- Gon talks about midicholorians and the Queen is a 14 year old girl. These elements represent the main theme of the film. Don't disregard anyone because we're all needed to make this thing called life work. The film is called the Phantom Menace. It doesn't just refer to the Sith. You see, the midicholorians are microscopic life forms you can't see. But even though we can't see them we need them to communicate to the Force. In the same way, we're introduced to these pathetic characters like Jar Jar and Anakin and to an extent Padme. And our characters think they need the Jedi and the Senate on Coruscant to help them but really all they needed were these seemingly insignificant friends they found along the way. Jar Jar finds the Gungans. Anakin is the Chosen One and he blows up the robot control ship. Padme the servant girl is really the Queen and she leads and organizes the assault on the Trade Federation. Even ObiWan, who lies on the fringes of this film for the most part is the one who defeats the Sith Lord Darth Maul. Everyone is important, even the people no one sees or acknowledges.
Yes I'm sure anyone could write a 157 research paper on why Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" is actually genius too, given enough time and delusional ideas about what quality means.
This movie has a lovely aura of innocence about it. And that bumbling Gungan fits into it perfectly! Plus, symbiosis is one of the main themes of the film. And the relationship between Gungans and the Naboo is a case in point (midichlorians being another). Thanks for the video!
Which, perhaps, even better shows gradual fall of galaxy to darkness. By gradually subverting this innocence, which being used and destroyed. Anakin and Jar Jar, I'm looking at you.
@@TheGoodLuc I remember a quote someone once said: 'To destroy innocence you first need innocence.' I didn't understand it at first but I think I do now...
He also had severe clinical depression, it makes it more difficult to handle some situations than it does for others. Trust me as someone who struggles with that.
Many of these so-called fandom members can be cruel and toxic. Star Wars is no exception. . These cruel and toxic people haven't learned anything either. They just moved on to Kathleen Kennedy, Daisy Ridley, and Kelly Marie Tran. Unfortunately, when stuff like this happens, their voices are usually the loudest and the entire fandom is painted with these brushes. Sure it's okay to have your likes and dislikes but when you continuously bash and threaten the people behind it and make it impossible for them to do their work or avoid doing something that they like to do (like being on social media), you aren't a fan of anything. You aren't doing it for the good of the fandom or because you are speaking for the fans or the franchise. You for sure are not speaking for me! You are only speaking for yourself. You are being a bully and using the fandom as an excuse to continue being a bully.
Jar Jar is a a country bumpkin who joins the foreign wizards who try to help the Gungan's ancient surface enemy against a common enemy, goes to the Galactic Senate, helps the leader of his peoples ancient enemy by promising his peoples support, becomes a general in his peoples military, helps win the war, brings peace between the Gungans and the human Naboo, and then goes on to be a politician at the Galactic Senate. If that's not a heroes journey, I don't know what is.
You left out two critical elements of Jar Jar’s hero’s journey: Jar Jar is asked by the wizard to lead him to his people’s leader. (Jar Jar’s call to action and where he becomes irrevocably intertwined with the plot) Jar Jar witnesses the failure of the democratic government to protect his people from invasion. (Jar Jar’s point-of-no-return)
To this day, I will never understand the hatred for the Phantom Menace. It’s a solid film with great characters and one of the most iconic bad guys in Star Wars itself.
I totally agree. I can't forget the first time I've saw the Phantom Menace in the theater. People forget how revolutionary everything in this movie was at that time. It was one of the most epic experiences I had in a movie theater to this day. Also, by openly pushing the "Hatred" notion of the prequels, it have been no longer possible to just casually chat about starwars with your nerd friends, especially considering the fact that the ones who were pushing the hatred notion was mostly the snobby intellectual type nerds, who are usually the most loud voiced ones in the group.
@@thesitharchives2387 I loved the lightsaber duel and also loved the pod-racing so much ! Outside from all the beautiful mechs and scenes placed though the entire movie.
@ProfSir1 As much as I love The Phantom Menace, due to exposing myself to Red Letter Media and The Amazing Atheist's reviews I understand why people hate this film. Along with JarJar's antics, you've got the wooden dialogue a political drama that makes up the plot.
I see it as being a case of people conflating what they like with what they think is good, rather than realising the former is emotionally driven and the latter is dependent on what's logically consistent, something that's common when you break down the arguments many have on why they think the prequels are bad. Like other criticisms of the prequels, it's also due to ignoring context as to what Jar Jar's function in the plot is, something those who say "He's bad because he's annoying" always miss.
@@leovincent7417 Annoyance is something that's entirely subjective and purely dependant on what an individual likes, thereby not making it a valid criticism of Jar Jar or any character for that matter.
Exactly! The movie is very self-aware that Jar Jar can be annoying. But his connection ends up bringing the Gunguns and Naboo together. This summed it up perfectly!
I realized a while ago that Jar Jar Binks is a gosh darn hero and deserves to be recognized as such. So are the others, sure. Padme and Panaka fought heroically to save their planet. Qui Gon and Obi wan fought more Siths than any Jedi for a thousand years. Anakin and R2 flew an unfamiliar ship into a huge space battle to take on a gigantic battleship. All of these things are characters who risked their lives, risked everything they had, for others, for a cause greater than their own. Even Shmi was willing to give everything that meant anything to her, in order to do some good for another. And Jar Jar Binks? He put himself in the line of fire not once, not twice, but three times. He was banished from the Gungan society, and he went right back there anyway on two separate occasions, knowing that showing his face could get him executed, just because his friends needed help And then, he took on the challenge of leading the Gungan Grand Army into battle, something he had no experience in, but *he still lead the fight from the front lines!*. He got duped into suggesting the use of emergency powers in the Senate, yes. He got blamed by the entire galaxy for the rise of the Galactic Empire. So you know what he spent his elder years doing? Jar Jar Binks, outcast, General, Senator... spent his retirement entertaining street kids in Theed on Naboo. Just to do some more good for the world. Jar Jar Binks always did the thing he believed was the most good, because it was good. Not a single character in the Disney trilogy acts so selflessly.
This is what I’ve always said defines Jar Jar: he is a good person. And that’s all you really need to know. Anyone who hates him in spite of that fact has a lot to learn.
Having a toddler in the house made me realized who Jar Jar is: a kid that never grew up. He's clumsy, irreverent, speaks his mind but never intentionally mean. I can understand his critics: he does take too much screentime but at least he has a purpose in the story.
One thing I liked about the The Phantom Menace PC game is this that in the Gungan city mission, Qui Gon tells Obi Wan to rescue Jar Jar because "He is still a life form and deserves to be free."
Rewatching the prequels last year made me think Jar-Jar didn't deserve the hate. Alot of us know what its like to be ignored, disregarded or feel like we don't belong.
When Phantom Menace came out and this original 1977 Star Wars kid desperately wanted to love it, my defense of Jar Jar was that he was, in fact, me, or anyone else in the audience if we found ourselves plunged into a space adventure. We'd like to imagine if Han Solo threw us a blaster we'd jump for cover and join the fight. But I'd probably drop the blaster, shoot my own leg, then get everyone's names wrong calling for help.
I have been watching these movies obsessively for as long as I can remember but I never noticed Queen Amidala's slight reaction to Jar Jar's mention of an army in that scene. Have a feeling it's gonna be one of those tiny things that stands out to me forever now. Thank you for that
Screw the backlash, he was the whole reason I paid attention to the prequels as a 6 year old kid Wish I could meet the actor who played him and give him my thanks for that
Ever since I was a kid I loved Jar Jar's energy and I couldn't see why people hated him, let alone the prequels. The prequels sewed Star Wars together in a perfect way.
I do love how a lot of the SW fandom has sort of re-embraced Jar Jar.Wether it be through memes or videos like this that analyse and study the point of his character.It's refreshing to see compared to the way SW fans treated the character, George and the actor who portrayed Jar Jar when the Phantom Menace came out years ago.
i think getting to know jar jar as the silly buffoon for 2 movies -- even if you dont like it -- is fully worth it because of his melancholy appearance at padme's funeral. for some reason seeing jar jar like that makes it hit harder. idk its either obvious or its just me but i just thought id share
Jar Jar at Padmé’s funeral is kind of the visual representation of the prequels progression in tone from being lighthearted and happy to being dark and tragic. In the scene were Palpatine is declaring the empire at the same time Anakin is wiping out the Separatist leaders, Jar Jar can be seen in the background in Padmé‘s pod which is really sad considering he probably knows at this point he was the dupe that made the proposal for emergency powers and feels a lot of guilt for everything that happened with the war, which makes the shot of Jar Jar in the funeral even more sad for me.
One of the things I love about Jar Jar is how hes used for a whole bunch of foreshadowing 1. Jar Jar mucking around with droids in wattos shop and anakin telling him how to shut it off by poking it in the nose foreshadows anakin destroying the control ship later on shutting off all the droids when the entire gungan army rejoices pushing over the droids on the battlefield 2. When Jar Jar gets his hand caught in the podracer the one person who immediately opts to help him was Padme (disguised queen of naboo) and foreshadows the gungans coming to the queens aid in the final battle of naboo If this was a film by anyone other than George Lucas I would never even consider those things were related but foreshadowing is a staple of his movie style and always has been
Phantom Menace is the movie that introduced me to Star Wars, to the prequels and to everything. I was a kid. So the exolanation of Jar Jar being a character for children when Anakin is not on screen made perfect sense. I watched this movie nonstop and enjoyed it all. I understand my younger self more now.
When I was a kid, my mom took me to see the phantom menace on opening weekend. Our favorite scene was padme trying to galvanize the senate to action. But we both loved Jar Jar binks, someone who tries so hard to help but everyone sees him as a liability even though he cares so much. We could really relate to that
For me it's the reverse to what many people feel. As I grow older, I like Jar Jar more and more. Maybe it's because now I'm thinking about having kids soon and I see him as an inoccent child, but I even laughed at loud when you showed the clip of that mechanical robot kicking him. The comedic timing is so good in that one!
In line with my reasoning as well. I'm a parent and an elementary school teacher. I've grown to appreciate when movies are made with my children and students in mind.
I never would have imagined that anything would change my mind about Jar Jar, a character whom I've hated for almost 20 years. However. This take on jjb is was compelling that I'm a complete convert now. In under 7 minutes you caused me to change my mind completely. Excellent points put together eloquently.
There was also an episode of Clone Wars where Kit Fisto, Anakin, Padme and others caught off guard in a sea-world Mon Calamari IIRC. They got between a whole Civil War. In that time Republic doesn't have enough army to fight underwater. So they couldn't help. Then Jar Jar went out and got help from Gungans. Jar Jar and Gungans are important. Not just because of he give the emergency power to Palpatine also in a huge extent.
There's also an episode where he puts on s robe as a disguise, and is initially mistaken for a Jedi by Nute Gunray (plus pretty much everyone else there). And due to his natural athleticism and luck, the characters KEEP BELIEVING he's a Jedi for most of the episode. It's funny, it's stupid, and it's utterly glorious to watch.
After thinking about it a lot, as someone who never hated Jar Jar, I wonder if a big reason people so dislike him - even if it's not the one discussed a lot - is because he's essentially a coward for much of the movie. He panics and almost gets himself and Qui-Gon killed in his first scene; whenever danger comes knocking he screams and hides; he freaks out repeatedly in the submarine; he's frequently paranoid on Tatooine that they're going to be "robbed and crunched"... and one thing OT Star Wars never really had was cowardly characters. Even Threepio was brave enough to walk right through a raging firefight within the first few minutes of the original film; and while the other protagonists might have had fears of their own, they never shied from facing danger head-on. The last time I watched TPM I noticed that Jar Jar had less over-the-top comedic moments than I remembered (although several more were depicted in various book adaptions that weren't in the final movie), and what stood out to me more was the number of panicky moments he had: and I think a lot of people don't much like cowardly characters, which set him up as a target even before his first comedy scene. I also noticed, in that rewatch, that the battle on the plains, at the climax, is supposed to show Jar Jar coming into his own and learning to use his clumsiness to his advantage. Something I caught that I'd never noticed before, for example, was in the scene when he gets the battle droid stuck to his foot: he remarkably quickly catches on that every time he thumps it its blaster fires, and deliberately throws himself about with it in such a way as to aim its shots at nearby enemies. Unfortunately, that was the *only* time I'd noticed that, despite it being nowhere near my first time through the movie, which suggests to me that it doesn't read as clearly as it was meant to: it's all too easy to interpret the whole battle as Jar Jar being his usual inept self and his contributions all as convenient accidents, but doing so robs him of the climax of his character development. I think a little more emphasis on the fact that he was more thinking through what he was doing in the battle might have gone a long way to helping the intention there carry through. Jar Jar's not my favourite SW movie character by any means - that title goes to his fellow TPM lead Qui-Gon! - but I can definitely appreciate the role of his character. Thanks for an insightful video! :D
Not to fully dispute your point, but I don't think it necessarily has to do with Jar Jar's cowardice, but rather that the movie doesn't have time to frame his cowardness as sympathetic or at least as sympathetically as it could have been. I haven't seen the movie in a long time so I might just be talking out of my ass though
I gotta admit, I'm impressed. You delved into things I never would have considered and made the most hated character... not as hated before I guess. Kudos mate
Jar Jar is basically the hobbits from Lord of the Rings. What I mean is, he embodies Galadrial's line: "even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Jar Jar is a country bumpkin, the village idiot and outcast no less, who gets hurled head-first into galactic events and inadvertently plays a small but significant role in shaping said galactic events.
I was a kid when this movie came out. Jar Jar never annoyed me, even though I watched this movie dozens of times. I've never met a kid who didn't like Jar Jar. My peers and friends all liked him. When you're little, this character is just funny. When you grow up, you see that this character is not as simple as you thought as a child. And this generally applies to the entire film.
When I was a kid my parents gave me a Jar Jar Binks toy. I had a blast with it. At that time he wasn't that annoying for me so I used it to fight my other action figures.
Good to see some people appreciate Jar Jar as I do. I've always liked that little eyebrow raise Padmé has when he says 'army'. It's like a light bulb just came on in her head. After-all, Naboo's biggest problem, as Panaka mentions, is that it lacks one. Only now she realizes that it has had one all along.
It's something i always thought was obvious: That Jar Jar is MEANT to be annoying to demonstrate how the Jedi treat even such a creature with respect, highlighting their ethics and morals. And with this showing why it is important to do so.
Finally a competent explanation of the most underrated character in all of cinema. In under seven minutes no less! I saw Phantom Menace twice on opening day. Jar Jar seemed a bit off but it's STAR WARS people, that's to be expected. The same movie gave us pod races, Jedi and Sith going at it full speed, huge battle scenes with thousands of characters, Naboo, and Coruscant, etc. The visuals were amazing and yet people seemed so distracted by one character they let it all pass them by and hated the movie. I did not understand the rancor then, I still do not understand it today. Later on I asked by nephew, and niece ( both still single digit ages) which character they liked the most. Both responded rather quickly, and with a big grin, Jar Jar. The kids loved him. That was the whole reason George dreamt him up. It saddens me that the man who gave us so many memorable characters is still maligned today for daring to challenge us with something new. I am genuinely sorry so many missed out. Perhaps this video helped clear matters up for you? We can hope. MTFBWY
George Lucas is beloved now that people have seen what real bad Star Wars movies look like. The bitter arseholes who hated him are in the minority and I think they always were but they had loud voices and people were afraid to speak up until Disney destroyed Star Wars. George had to watch his baby get raped and murdered right in front of him but he's loved more now than he has been since The Phantom Menace was released. He's also still alive to bask in it. Poor Vincent Van Gogh wasn't appreciated until after he died.
@@tomnorton4277 Yeah but I think it's too late for apologizing to Lucas because he felt betrayed by the fandom. Maybe that never looked like a minority to him to begin with. When I say not a minority I mean that they can be anywhere in the world hidden waiting for their chance to attack like cowards. Sometimes I even point out their hypocrisy by asking them if THEY PICKED NOW to be a good fandom
I've always been in the side of rooting the Phantom Menace, but I've learned so much things I've never new before watching this video. Thank you full hearted. It feels like I sould call you the wise Master.
I've noticed that the only people who hate Jar Jar are diehard Star Wars fans or people who parrot the criticisms of the prequels. Everyone else I know loves him or at least genuinely find him funny
I had to come back and watch this amazing essay after screaming of joy during THAT Mandalorian episode, I'm so glad it was thousands of us who felt this way
I recently watched ep 1 again, and if you assume Jar Jar is actually Palpatine's most secret apprentice; then it all makes sense. Jar Jar was placed there to manipulate Qui-Gon and then Queen! Jar Jar moves the story forward in many cases, and he's always making Palpatine look good.
I had a weird experience a few months back I decided to go back and watch the entire series from the beginning and not only did I enjoy the hell out of The Phantom Menace but it was my favorite of the prequels aside from some of the scenes in Revenge of the Sith. I remember when it first came out I didn't hate it but I was among those disappointed but looking back on it I guess now we could just say they were masterpieces
I would have liked to see the Gungans do more in episode II and episode III. Jar Jar could have been tasked at retraining their army in a drunken boxing style or the Gungans been inspired by his “mistakes” on the battlefield to become an elite force. Maybe they fight for the republic, maybe they become part of the empire.
2:05 Getting a little ahead of yourself there, guy. Imperial Senate is still Republic in Phantom menace. Looks like someone's been looking into the Galactic Civil war.
I still laugh every time Qui-Gon says "we're leaving" Jar-Jar trips, screams, and that metal bong sound effect happens. Adults can laugh at slapstick too.
I dont think Jar Jar Binks is a sith lord but I really like the idea of a Jar Jar that is intentionally clumsy in order to get people to underestimate him. Maybe instead of being a jedi or sith he's a force sensitive and martial arts master from whatever planet he's from (naboo?) and he intentionally defeats his enemies while making it look like an accident. He never wants qui gon or the Jedi to catch on to his true nature, not out of evil but out of a desire for privacy and so he doesnt lose the advantage of people underestimating him. I dont actually believe this theory but I find it to be fun to think about.
This is amazing; I've grown to dislike Jar Jar more for each time I've seen Episode 1, but you just made me realize his purpose and more or less flip me around. After reading some of these comments here as well, I came to appreciate him even more. I may not like his personality very much, but it helps to understand his place in the story. Awesome work!
Just finished watching all your videos. As a huge star wars fan and a filmstudent I feel like the prequels are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Hope more people see this. Keep up the good work, I’ll always be back for more!
I love Jar Jar. He’s always been entertaining to me as a kid, and as I got older I see jar jar as a representation of one of the greater themes in the phantom menace. That being, two opposing societies, coming together. You see it between the Naboo and gungans, between a queen and a slave, a Jedi and a slave owner. It’s a really beautiful narrative that episode 1 shows the viewer and Jar Jar is a prime example of this. To qui Gon and Kenobi he seems like a bumbling idiot who they keep around as a guide at first, but then they get to know him and they see that he can be more than that. It’s a reflection of the greater theme that Padmé as the queen makes her people do. They look past their one dimensional view of the gungans and join forces with them to defend their home against a common enemy. The celebration at the end isn’t just a celebration of the droids defeat, but it’s a celebration of unity and peace. The phantom menace is so great, especially cuz it puts this nice large scale twist on the classic Star Wars themes of good vs evil.
In ROTJ the empire was defeated because Palpatine did't even think of the Ewoks as a relevant factor in his plan. Maybe he didnt even knew they existed. In TPM he made the same mistake. In his arrogance he didnt even put them into consideration.
I love channels that break down characters, themes, philosophies etc of the movies I love. My star wars experiences have always been heightened by break downs like this. I've never looked at this character in that light before, or how the other characters really view him. This was fantastic. Thank you for this!
I really liked Jar Jar when I was little, and while my enthusiasm for him has lessened with age, I get it, I get why he's there and how what he does is important. This video articulates my feelings about him better than I could have I think.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this video! I've been trying to convince people for years of exactly the point you make here! The Phantom Menace is Jar Jar's hero journey! And Lucas knew he was setting the most annoying character in the film on the hero's journey! It's right there in how all the adult characters react to him. But Lucas has a running theme that everyone can have a part to play, even the smallest (Ewoks) or most annoying among us. It was a bold move for Lucas to go as far with this as he did with Jar Jar, but he told the story he wanted to tell. And I think it's message of inclusion and the importance of the symbiotic relationship we all have is beautiful. Which is why the accusations of Jar Jar being racist and the theories of him being a sith are both ridiculous and detract from one of the most important messages in Star Wars. I've always thought the subtle reaction Padme had when Jar Jar mentioned the army was brilliant. Her mind is racing, but she keeps her cool. I will sending people to watch this from now on whenever this conversation comes up.
As a kid - yeah, i now understand that he was a character for myself and others. I just didn't understand what events are happening, only that they did and he was not far away.
When I was really little, I decided Revenge of the Sith was my favorite, for no reason, really. Then I was TOLD the prequels were bad and that I wasn't allowed to like them, but now I think it's the best, once again.
Honestly, and I am not ashamed of this, _The Phantom Menace_ is my favorite Star Wars movie. Has been since I first saw it when I was 6 years old, shortly after it came out on VHS. I remember that scene when Jar Jar first takes Qui Gon and Obi Wan to the Gungan underwater city and my little kid mind being blown by the visuals and the music as they swim towards the city. Now, I wasn't the _biggest_ Star Wars kid out there- I was too busy reading Harry Potter! But I always liked the movies. We didn't own them though because my dad wasn't a huge Star Wars fan. So besides having _Phantom_ on VHS (and then our tape player broke... sigh) I didn't have access to the other two Prequel movies for over a decade. It took 2020 lock downs and Disney+ for me to rewatch them for the first time in over 10 years. And I'd been well versed in Prequel hate in the meantime. So when I finally rewatched the Prequels, I decided I was going to look at them completely objectively, keeping all the criticisms in mind as I watched so I could really critically decide if the Prequels sucked or not.... ...I absolutely adored them upon rewatching! Seriously, none of the major critiques of the Prequels bothered me at all. I could see how some people maybe didn't like certain things about them, but none of those things bothered me. The acting, dialogue, none of it bothered me. I thought it was all great- and thoroughly entertaining! There were maybe some nitpicks (for one thing, I wish they would have made at least SOME Clone Trooper armor instead of it ALL being CGI. Lord of the Rings did a great job of having prosthetic orcs and then CGI orcs in the background so it all blended together, and I couldn't figure why Lucas wouldn't have some guys in Clone Armor in the battles), but overall I didn't mind it. Not even Jar Jar, the alleged 'worst of the worst' of the Prequels. I genuinely thought he was funny, and based on all the Jar Jar-bashing I'd heard over the years, I thought he had been in them a lot more than he actually was. He's not in every scene. And yeah, he has some eye-rolling moments, but that's what he's there for. But anyway, I could go on and on and on about how much I love The Prequels, _The Phantom Menace,_ and Jar Jar, but suffice it to say that I love them a lot. And again, I can see why some people don't like them, and that's okay. There's things that other people like that I don't either. But I think that if people who allegedly "love Star Wars" took the time to sit and watch the movies both more critically and more open minded, they might like them (and Jar Jar!) a bit more.
I always loved your Jar Binks in the never understood why people hated him with such passion that they would send death threats to the guy who voice acted for him
Really well put together. Love how you brush off the "Is Jar Jar racist" question; it's such a silly notion and didn't deserve more attention than you gave it. And I don't trust anyone who hasn't stepped in poop at least once.
@@gardist he shares some similarities with blackface type archetypes. Honestly... I think that was intentional, but it's not racist. The trade federation are Chinese archetypes and Watto is a Jewish one, every single thing in Star Wars is archetypal.
@@owenmonahan5821 I knew about Watto, the empire (british) and the Neimoidians (who have a japanese accent and not chinese) but Jar Jar was new to me. Thanks for clearing that up
One thing I like most about Qui-Gon is how he doesn't feel any differently about Jar Jar than most characters do - "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent" being the obvious example - but he steps in to save him in front of Boss Nass anyway, not because he likes him, but A - because it's the right thing to do, and B - because if the Force lead him to this strange creature, there must be a reason for that.
Not liking someone and yet showing compassion feels both more realistic and more attainable than just being a generic all-loving hero.
*led
@@mousermind Indeed. My bad.
Well yes he sees the value in people others can miss
Spot on!
if he didn't save jar jar palpatine wouldn't have gotten emergency powers.
Never seen anyone defend his inclusion without using the Darth JarJar defense, nicely done! Hope this video and your channel get more attention.
I love the Darth JarJar theory
@@Hubert_Cumberdale_ I didn't actually mean that in a negative way either. I'm a full believer in the theory and plan to do a very in-depth video on it one day 🤞
th-cam.com/video/oC-NeV0dc6w/w-d-xo.html
It’s not a defense. He truly is the Dark Lord of the Sith.
@@Hubert_Cumberdale_ even though it 100% can't be true because in the comics we see Jar Jar became an outcast after the rise of the Empire. Naboo hates the Empire, and blamed Jar Jar for allowing it to happen. He was exiled by the gungans and has to survive as a street performing clown
It takes a lot of courage to make the first video of your channel about Jar Jar Binks. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
This man needs more subs
This guy has balls of bescar
This guy has balls bigger than the two Death Stars.
I do think Jar Jar gets way too much than he deserves.
“I smile at the silly gungan, maybe he is not so bad after all”
I was a little kid when this movie came out. Most of the people who hate on Jar Jar seem to have been adults at that time. But me and my brothers and our playground friends honestly loved Jar Jar. Adults can quote lines like “there’s always a bigger fish,” or “your eyes can deceive you, don’t trust them” or “this is how democracy dies... with thunderous applause.”
But little kids will quote “Ex-SQUEEZE me!” or “Okee-day!” etc.
hell, why not quote it *all*?! :) i saw the Phantom Menace as an adult and i can tell you honestly that those adults forgot what it was like to watch a movie like these as a kid.. they need to open up their minds and hearts juuust a little bit and open that door that leads to old memories
😊
People seem to forget that George Lucas made Star Wars for children in the first place
I was a kid around then... and hate Jar-Jar.
I hope the teachers did not try and forcechoke you or shoot you in the back for saying those things
"Jar Jar is the key to all of this."
- George Lucas
Darth Jar Jar
“Jar jar is the key to all this”
Jar Jar is a sith lord
@@alinastanescu4430 a Sith Lord? Then our worst fears have been realized. We must move quickly if the Jedi Order is to survive.
@@alinastanescu4430 Jar Jar was literally smirking at Qui Gonn's funeral. With that and all the other evidence, absolutely he was supposed to be!
I still think about what would have happened if the story had been allowed to unfold according to George Lucas’ vision, without the hateful backlash. It would have been the biggest shocking reveal since “Empire”. Nobody realizes who the fool is because they are too busy laughing at /being disgusted with the fool.
@@christiana_mandalynn That definitely plays into the whole idea of Star Wars being mostly structured off of legends and mythical stories. The court fool being ignored as unimportant whilst actually being a driving force for the conflict meshes into that idea quite well.
Thats amazing; "Jar Jar DOES deserve a seat at the table, even if he's annoying. Because, when he's at the table, he reminds us that treating any person as if they have no value simply because they don't behave the way we expect them to, and they put their quirks on display for all of us to see is to risk the doom of our entire civilization." 👍
Yes. That final comment was wisdom, few are capable of.
I'm glad someone else appreciates that quote. Nice writing, S.U.!
That made me get a huge lump in my throat when I heard that. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant 🧡
This part made me almost cry. How beautiful.
But when he had this power he proposed to give Palatine emergency power ..
As a kid, I liked Jar Jar mainly because he looks like a dinosaur. Anything resembling to dinosaurs is an instant win for mesa.
Tbh, the whole fauna of Naboo was like a Paradise for Dinosaur lovers.
I mean, The gungan's mount are duck-billed, two-legged, swamp-dwelling scally beast
And then, the giant four-legged saurian ; if this isn't supposed to appeal to dinosaur lover, i don't know what's up
@@chubibi06 The best part about lizards is that they work for scale.
Brilliant. I've said this for some time. There's a reason George Lucas has a Jar Jar in this movie and Anakin is a little slave kid and Qui- Gon talks about midicholorians and the Queen is a 14 year old girl. These elements represent the main theme of the film. Don't disregard anyone because we're all needed to make this thing called life work. The film is called the Phantom Menace. It doesn't just refer to the Sith. You see, the midicholorians are microscopic life forms you can't see. But even though we can't see them we need them to communicate to the Force. In the same way, we're introduced to these pathetic characters like Jar Jar and Anakin and to an extent Padme. And our characters think they need the Jedi and the Senate on Coruscant to help them but really all they needed were these seemingly insignificant friends they found along the way. Jar Jar finds the Gungans. Anakin is the Chosen One and he blows up the robot control ship. Padme the servant girl is really the Queen and she leads and organizes the assault on the Trade Federation. Even ObiWan, who lies on the fringes of this film for the most part is the one who defeats the Sith Lord Darth Maul. Everyone is important, even the people no one sees or acknowledges.
Wonderfully spoken!
Amazing analysis.
P. S.: I can't stress enough how amazing this comment is. Thank you sir!
Wow! What a wonderful comment! I now want to watch TPM again lol
Well said
Yes I'm sure anyone could write a 157 research paper on why Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" is actually genius too, given enough time and delusional ideas about what quality means.
I genuinely dont understand why people dislike prequels and JarJar
This movie has a lovely aura of innocence about it. And that bumbling Gungan fits into it perfectly!
Plus, symbiosis is one of the main themes of the film. And the relationship between Gungans and the Naboo is a case in point (midichlorians being another).
Thanks for the video!
Which, perhaps, even better shows gradual fall of galaxy to darkness. By gradually subverting this innocence, which being used and destroyed. Anakin and Jar Jar, I'm looking at you.
@@TheGoodLuc I remember a quote someone once said: 'To destroy innocence you first need innocence.' I didn't understand it at first but I think I do now...
"Yousa going to the bosses, yousa in beeg doo doo dis time!"
You have a nice take, but it's still my least favourite SW movie
It was designed that way, so that the revenge of the sith would hit even harder as the galaxy goes from bright and colourful to hopeless and grey.
The fact his actor was bullied into almost commiting suicide makes me SO mad. The poor guy is still depressed about it.
Star wars fanbase is really toxic. They clearly didn't learn something and repeated the same with Daisy
@@hassanalkhalaf1115 When Ahmed Best tweeted about it, he said that he faced "a media backlash". He didn't mention the fans, so why blame them for it?
@@georgebailey8179 It was the same for Kelly Marie Tran. The media accuses fanbases of doing the exact thing that they do. It's called projection.
He also had severe clinical depression, it makes it more difficult to handle some situations than it does for others. Trust me as someone who struggles with that.
Many of these so-called fandom members can be cruel and toxic. Star Wars is no exception.
. These cruel and toxic people haven't learned anything either. They just moved on to Kathleen Kennedy, Daisy Ridley, and Kelly Marie Tran. Unfortunately, when stuff like this happens, their voices are usually the loudest and the entire fandom is painted with these brushes.
Sure it's okay to have your likes and dislikes but when you continuously bash and threaten the people behind it and make it impossible for them to do their work or avoid doing something that they like to do (like being on social media), you aren't a fan of anything. You aren't doing it for the good of the fandom or because you are speaking for the fans or the franchise. You for sure are not speaking for me! You are only speaking for yourself.
You are being a bully and using the fandom as an excuse to continue being a bully.
Jar Jar is a a country bumpkin who joins the foreign wizards who try to help the Gungan's ancient surface enemy against a common enemy, goes to the Galactic Senate, helps the leader of his peoples ancient enemy by promising his peoples support, becomes a general in his peoples military, helps win the war, brings peace between the Gungans and the human Naboo, and then goes on to be a politician at the Galactic Senate. If that's not a heroes journey, I don't know what is.
You left out two critical elements of Jar Jar’s hero’s journey:
Jar Jar is asked by the wizard to lead him to his people’s leader. (Jar Jar’s call to action and where he becomes irrevocably intertwined with the plot)
Jar Jar witnesses the failure of the democratic government to protect his people from invasion. (Jar Jar’s point-of-no-return)
Can you imagine if Luke had to get the Hutts' support for the Rebellion in the attack on the Death Star?
Jar Jar is also the one who suggested giving emergency power to Palpatine allowing the empire to take over the galaxy. Some hero.
@@NickShortsAlt I mean, George Lucas listened to the fans and he made Jar Jar do the worst... I want a movie "Return Of The Binks" for his redemption.
@@NickShortsAlt ahh yes and everyone else also knew that palatine was a sith Lord correct?
To this day, I will never understand the hatred for the Phantom Menace. It’s a solid film with great characters and one of the most iconic bad guys in Star Wars itself.
Not just solid its an absolute masterpiece and introduced iconic characters plus it has the best lightsaber duel
I totally agree. I can't forget the first time I've saw the Phantom Menace in the theater. People forget how revolutionary everything in this movie was at that time. It was one of the most epic experiences I had in a movie theater to this day. Also, by openly pushing the "Hatred" notion of the prequels, it have been no longer possible to just casually chat about starwars with your nerd friends, especially considering the fact that the ones who were pushing the hatred notion was mostly the snobby intellectual type nerds, who are usually the most loud voiced ones in the group.
@@thesitharchives2387 I loved the lightsaber duel and also loved the pod-racing so much ! Outside from all the beautiful mechs and scenes placed though the entire movie.
@@albuslee4831 political scenes are masterful too
@ProfSir1
As much as I love The Phantom Menace, due to exposing myself to Red Letter Media and The Amazing Atheist's reviews I understand why people hate this film. Along with JarJar's antics, you've got the wooden dialogue a political drama that makes up the plot.
So true. Never understood the hate of him.
To me prequels are the true Star Wars, where Lucas did all he wanted to do.
TRUTH TO POWER.
I see it as being a case of people conflating what they like with what they think is good, rather than realising the former is emotionally driven and the latter is dependent on what's logically consistent, something that's common when you break down the arguments many have on why they think the prequels are bad. Like other criticisms of the prequels, it's also due to ignoring context as to what Jar Jar's function in the plot is, something those who say "He's bad because he's annoying" always miss.
Because he’s annoying. Really annoying. Along with 3po. They’re both cancer
@@leovincent7417 Annoyance is something that's entirely subjective and purely dependant on what an individual likes, thereby not making it a valid criticism of Jar Jar or any character for that matter.
@@leovincent7417 To you. Never found them annoying. So they are okay in my eyes.
Exactly! The movie is very self-aware that Jar Jar can be annoying. But his connection ends up bringing the Gunguns and Naboo together. This summed it up perfectly!
I realized a while ago that Jar Jar Binks is a gosh darn hero and deserves to be recognized as such. So are the others, sure. Padme and Panaka fought heroically to save their planet. Qui Gon and Obi wan fought more Siths than any Jedi for a thousand years. Anakin and R2 flew an unfamiliar ship into a huge space battle to take on a gigantic battleship. All of these things are characters who risked their lives, risked everything they had, for others, for a cause greater than their own. Even Shmi was willing to give everything that meant anything to her, in order to do some good for another. And Jar Jar Binks? He put himself in the line of fire not once, not twice, but three times. He was banished from the Gungan society, and he went right back there anyway on two separate occasions, knowing that showing his face could get him executed, just because his friends needed help And then, he took on the challenge of leading the Gungan Grand Army into battle, something he had no experience in, but *he still lead the fight from the front lines!*.
He got duped into suggesting the use of emergency powers in the Senate, yes. He got blamed by the entire galaxy for the rise of the Galactic Empire. So you know what he spent his elder years doing? Jar Jar Binks, outcast, General, Senator... spent his retirement entertaining street kids in Theed on Naboo. Just to do some more good for the world. Jar Jar Binks always did the thing he believed was the most good, because it was good.
Not a single character in the Disney trilogy acts so selflessly.
JarJar proves that a character does not have to be cool in order to be good. He is annoying and clumsy, but his heart sure is in the right place.
This is what I’ve always said defines Jar Jar: he is a good person.
And that’s all you really need to know.
Anyone who hates him in spite of that fact has a lot to learn.
Darth jar jar
Panaka is a funny guy
Interesting enough Jar Jar gets a line in the newer version of ROTJ at the end.
Having a toddler in the house made me realized who Jar Jar is: a kid that never grew up. He's clumsy, irreverent, speaks his mind but never intentionally mean. I can understand his critics: he does take too much screentime but at least he has a purpose in the story.
One thing I liked about the The Phantom Menace PC game is this that in the Gungan city mission, Qui Gon tells Obi Wan to rescue Jar Jar because "He is still a life form and deserves to be free."
Rewatching the prequels last year made me think Jar-Jar didn't deserve the hate. Alot of us know what its like to be ignored, disregarded or feel like we don't belong.
When Phantom Menace came out and this original 1977 Star Wars kid desperately wanted to love it, my defense of Jar Jar was that he was, in fact, me, or anyone else in the audience if we found ourselves plunged into a space adventure. We'd like to imagine if Han Solo threw us a blaster we'd jump for cover and join the fight. But I'd probably drop the blaster, shoot my own leg, then get everyone's names wrong calling for help.
I never in a million years thought that any video would convince me of the value of Jar-Jars character. You did the impossible
“Get the memo, Jar Jar. No one likes you!”
Queenie Julia: “Am I a joke to you?”
Clone wars ah oooh
I just finished that episode 😂
Jar jar actually had a nice dynamic with Mace in those episodes, one time I didn’t find him annoying
@@willmungas8964 ikr. the arc was good
I've never hated jar jar..I think I quite like him..
Neither did I, because for all of his faults, he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.
@@ryanschrafel9576 why did i read these comments like qai gon and obi wan.
Way better than the sequel trilogy characters
Maybe... weesa bein friends
I have been watching these movies obsessively for as long as I can remember but I never noticed Queen Amidala's slight reaction to Jar Jar's mention of an army in that scene. Have a feeling it's gonna be one of those tiny things that stands out to me forever now. Thank you for that
Screw the backlash, he was the whole reason I paid attention to the prequels as a 6 year old kid
Wish I could meet the actor who played him and give him my thanks for that
Ever since I was a kid I loved Jar Jar's energy and I couldn't see why people hated him, let alone the prequels. The prequels sewed Star Wars together in a perfect way.
its bitter boomers, dont mind them
people who lose their childhood find it easy to be close-minded, bitter and hateful
I never even knew that people didn’t like him until now. I think he’s great. He’s hilarious and adorable, not annoying
I do love how a lot of the SW fandom has sort of re-embraced Jar Jar.Wether it be through memes or videos like this that analyse and study the point of his character.It's refreshing to see compared to the way SW fans treated the character, George and the actor who portrayed Jar Jar when the Phantom Menace came out years ago.
More like the people, who saw Phantom Menace as kids, have grown up. Just like the dislike for Return of the Jedi died down with kids growing up.
Quigon is the main character
Padme is the main focus
Anakin is the future focus
JarJar is for bringing naboo and everyone together
As jar jar is also the joke character we love just like Dan hibiki from street fighter
Jar Jar in episode I: *saves the day*
Jar Jar in other episodes: WHY NOT WE GIVE ALL EMERGENCY POWERS TO DARTH SIDIOUS
Then again, in episode 1, Padme gives Darth Sidious control of the senate.
In retrospect, I wasted years of my life not appreciating the prequels and I’m ashamed
"Some people don't like The Phantom Menace"
We call those people jaded assholes. I always liked Jar Jar
An Absolute W
Jar jar is my favorite, my daughter was rolling around laughing everytime jar jar was there. He put a big smile on her face, I thank Lucas for that.
Jar jar needs some love… he’s so * a w e s o m e! *
I did not expect that quality when i cliked on this vid.
Subscribed
i think getting to know jar jar as the silly buffoon for 2 movies -- even if you dont like it -- is fully worth it because of his melancholy appearance at padme's funeral. for some reason seeing jar jar like that makes it hit harder. idk its either obvious or its just me but i just thought id share
Jar Jar at Padmé’s funeral is kind of the visual representation of the prequels progression in tone from being lighthearted and happy to being dark and tragic. In the scene were Palpatine is declaring the empire at the same time Anakin is wiping out the Separatist leaders, Jar Jar can be seen in the background in Padmé‘s pod which is really sad considering he probably knows at this point he was the dupe that made the proposal for emergency powers and feels a lot of guilt for everything that happened with the war, which makes the shot of Jar Jar in the funeral even more sad for me.
One of the things I love about Jar Jar is how hes used for a whole bunch of foreshadowing
1. Jar Jar mucking around with droids in wattos shop and anakin telling him how to shut it off by poking it in the nose foreshadows anakin destroying the control ship later on shutting off all the droids when the entire gungan army rejoices pushing over the droids on the battlefield
2. When Jar Jar gets his hand caught in the podracer the one person who immediately opts to help him was Padme (disguised queen of naboo) and foreshadows the gungans coming to the queens aid in the final battle of naboo
If this was a film by anyone other than George Lucas I would never even consider those things were related but foreshadowing is a staple of his movie style and always has been
Hi Nomz.
Phantom Menace is the movie that introduced me to Star Wars, to the prequels and to everything. I was a kid. So the exolanation of Jar Jar being a character for children when Anakin is not on screen made perfect sense. I watched this movie nonstop and enjoyed it all.
I understand my younger self more now.
When I was a kid, my mom took me to see the phantom menace on opening weekend. Our favorite scene was padme trying to galvanize the senate to action. But we both loved Jar Jar binks, someone who tries so hard to help but everyone sees him as a liability even though he cares so much. We could really relate to that
This. You've summed up why I've always taken Jar Jar seriously in about 6 minutes. Meanwhile my dad still thinks Jar Jar is a stain on the franchise.
I already love jar jar binks
He fits well with the serene tone of Episode I.
For me it's the reverse to what many people feel. As I grow older, I like Jar Jar more and more. Maybe it's because now I'm thinking about having kids soon and I see him as an inoccent child, but I even laughed at loud when you showed the clip of that mechanical robot kicking him. The comedic timing is so good in that one!
In line with my reasoning as well. I'm a parent and an elementary school teacher. I've grown to appreciate when movies are made with my children and students in mind.
I never would have imagined that anything would change my mind about Jar Jar, a character whom I've hated for almost 20 years. However. This take on jjb is was compelling that I'm a complete convert now. In under 7 minutes you caused me to change my mind completely. Excellent points put together eloquently.
How could you hate jar jar?
jar jar is great
There was also an episode of Clone Wars where Kit Fisto, Anakin, Padme and others caught off guard in a sea-world Mon Calamari IIRC. They got between a whole Civil War. In that time Republic doesn't have enough army to fight underwater. So they couldn't help. Then Jar Jar went out and got help from Gungans. Jar Jar and Gungans are important. Not just because of he give the emergency power to Palpatine also in a huge extent.
There's also an episode where he puts on s robe as a disguise, and is initially mistaken for a Jedi by Nute Gunray (plus pretty much everyone else there). And due to his natural athleticism and luck, the characters KEEP BELIEVING he's a Jedi for most of the episode. It's funny, it's stupid, and it's utterly glorious to watch.
After thinking about it a lot, as someone who never hated Jar Jar, I wonder if a big reason people so dislike him - even if it's not the one discussed a lot - is because he's essentially a coward for much of the movie. He panics and almost gets himself and Qui-Gon killed in his first scene; whenever danger comes knocking he screams and hides; he freaks out repeatedly in the submarine; he's frequently paranoid on Tatooine that they're going to be "robbed and crunched"... and one thing OT Star Wars never really had was cowardly characters. Even Threepio was brave enough to walk right through a raging firefight within the first few minutes of the original film; and while the other protagonists might have had fears of their own, they never shied from facing danger head-on. The last time I watched TPM I noticed that Jar Jar had less over-the-top comedic moments than I remembered (although several more were depicted in various book adaptions that weren't in the final movie), and what stood out to me more was the number of panicky moments he had: and I think a lot of people don't much like cowardly characters, which set him up as a target even before his first comedy scene.
I also noticed, in that rewatch, that the battle on the plains, at the climax, is supposed to show Jar Jar coming into his own and learning to use his clumsiness to his advantage. Something I caught that I'd never noticed before, for example, was in the scene when he gets the battle droid stuck to his foot: he remarkably quickly catches on that every time he thumps it its blaster fires, and deliberately throws himself about with it in such a way as to aim its shots at nearby enemies. Unfortunately, that was the *only* time I'd noticed that, despite it being nowhere near my first time through the movie, which suggests to me that it doesn't read as clearly as it was meant to: it's all too easy to interpret the whole battle as Jar Jar being his usual inept self and his contributions all as convenient accidents, but doing so robs him of the climax of his character development. I think a little more emphasis on the fact that he was more thinking through what he was doing in the battle might have gone a long way to helping the intention there carry through.
Jar Jar's not my favourite SW movie character by any means - that title goes to his fellow TPM lead Qui-Gon! - but I can definitely appreciate the role of his character. Thanks for an insightful video! :D
Not to fully dispute your point, but I don't think it necessarily has to do with Jar Jar's cowardice, but rather that the movie doesn't have time to frame his cowardness as sympathetic or at least as sympathetically as it could have been. I haven't seen the movie in a long time so I might just be talking out of my ass though
I gotta admit, I'm impressed. You delved into things I never would have considered and made the most hated character... not as hated before I guess. Kudos mate
This video and this channel are a gift.
Jar Jar is basically the hobbits from Lord of the Rings. What I mean is, he embodies Galadrial's line: "even the smallest person can change the course of the future."
Jar Jar is a country bumpkin, the village idiot and outcast no less, who gets hurled head-first into galactic events and inadvertently plays a small but significant role in shaping said galactic events.
A Goofy Movie is one of the best movies of Disney Animations, by the way
Jar Jar definitely worked as an audience stand-in for me as a kid. I wasn't aware of how many people hated him until I got older
I was a kid when this movie came out. Jar Jar never annoyed me, even though I watched this movie dozens of times. I've never met a kid who didn't like Jar Jar. My peers and friends all liked him. When you're little, this character is just funny. When you grow up, you see that this character is not as simple as you thought as a child. And this generally applies to the entire film.
When I was a kid my parents gave me a Jar Jar Binks toy. I had a blast with it. At that time he wasn't that annoying for me so I used it to fight my other action figures.
Good to see some people appreciate Jar Jar as I do.
I've always liked that little eyebrow raise Padmé has when he says 'army'. It's like a light bulb just came on in her head. After-all, Naboo's biggest problem, as Panaka mentions, is that it lacks one. Only now she realizes that it has had one all along.
this isn't the video we deserved its the video we needed
It's something i always thought was obvious:
That Jar Jar is MEANT to be annoying to demonstrate how the Jedi treat even such a creature with respect, highlighting their ethics and morals. And with this showing why it is important to do so.
I love that you referenced Rick Worley. His Star Wars essays are works of art. Thank you for your work so far, it's wonderful.
Finally a competent explanation of the most underrated character in all of cinema. In under seven minutes no less! I saw Phantom Menace twice on opening day. Jar Jar seemed a bit off but it's STAR WARS people, that's to be expected. The same movie gave us pod races, Jedi and Sith going at it full speed, huge battle scenes with thousands of characters, Naboo, and Coruscant, etc. The visuals were amazing and yet people seemed so distracted by one character they let it all pass them by and hated the movie. I did not understand the rancor then, I still do not understand it today.
Later on I asked by nephew, and niece ( both still single digit ages) which character they liked the most. Both responded rather quickly, and with a big grin, Jar Jar. The kids loved him. That was the whole reason George dreamt him up. It saddens me that the man who gave us so many memorable characters is still maligned today for daring to challenge us with something new. I am genuinely sorry so many missed out. Perhaps this video helped clear matters up for you? We can hope. MTFBWY
George Lucas is beloved now that people have seen what real bad Star Wars movies look like. The bitter arseholes who hated him are in the minority and I think they always were but they had loud voices and people were afraid to speak up until Disney destroyed Star Wars. George had to watch his baby get raped and murdered right in front of him but he's loved more now than he has been since The Phantom Menace was released. He's also still alive to bask in it. Poor Vincent Van Gogh wasn't appreciated until after he died.
@@tomnorton4277 Yeah but I think it's too late for apologizing to Lucas because he felt betrayed by the fandom. Maybe that never looked like a minority to him to begin with. When I say not a minority I mean that they can be anywhere in the world hidden waiting for their chance to attack like cowards. Sometimes I even point out their hypocrisy by asking them if THEY PICKED NOW to be a good fandom
I love that the ending is commenting on George Lucas as well as Jar Jar Binks
these videos are great, I have binged them alot
I always loved Jar Jar Binks as a kid. I had a toy of him and i loved it
I want more jar jar Binks
I've always been in the side of rooting the Phantom Menace, but I've learned so much things I've never new before watching this video. Thank you full hearted. It feels like I sould call you the wise Master.
I've noticed that the only people who hate Jar Jar are diehard Star Wars fans or people who parrot the criticisms of the prequels. Everyone else I know loves him or at least genuinely find him funny
I had to come back and watch this amazing essay after screaming of joy during THAT Mandalorian episode, I'm so glad it was thousands of us who felt this way
I recently watched ep 1 again, and if you assume Jar Jar is actually Palpatine's most secret apprentice; then it all makes sense. Jar Jar was placed there to manipulate Qui-Gon and then Queen! Jar Jar moves the story forward in many cases, and he's always making Palpatine look good.
The Darth Jar Jar theory is nonsense, fyi
@@LordVader1094 FINALLY, SOMEONE WITH SENSE!
I had a weird experience a few months back I decided to go back and watch the entire series from the beginning and not only did I enjoy the hell out of The Phantom Menace but it was my favorite of the prequels aside from some of the scenes in Revenge of the Sith. I remember when it first came out I didn't hate it but I was among those disappointed but looking back on it I guess now we could just say they were masterpieces
This is an elegant channel for a more civilized age.
I would have liked to see the Gungans do more in episode II and episode III. Jar Jar could have been tasked at retraining their army in a drunken boxing style or the Gungans been inspired by his “mistakes” on the battlefield to become an elite force. Maybe they fight for the republic, maybe they become part of the empire.
I like him because his high jumps in Lego Star Wars are really helpful
2:05 Getting a little ahead of yourself there, guy. Imperial Senate is still Republic in Phantom menace. Looks like someone's been looking into the Galactic Civil war.
Agree, until he's manipulated into proposing in the senate to give Palps full emergency powers and sets in motion Palpatine's takeover.
I still laugh every time Qui-Gon says "we're leaving" Jar-Jar trips, screams, and that metal bong sound effect happens. Adults can laugh at slapstick too.
I loved that idiot gungan from the get go, because he reminded me of myself.
I've always loved the phantom menace it's just very entertaining
That was shockingly deep.
I dont think Jar Jar Binks is a sith lord but I really like the idea of a Jar Jar that is intentionally clumsy in order to get people to underestimate him. Maybe instead of being a jedi or sith he's a force sensitive and martial arts master from whatever planet he's from (naboo?) and he intentionally defeats his enemies while making it look like an accident. He never wants qui gon or the Jedi to catch on to his true nature, not out of evil but out of a desire for privacy and so he doesnt lose the advantage of people underestimating him.
I dont actually believe this theory but I find it to be fun to think about.
"Jar Jar speaks up."
That is beautiful. When the clown stopped saying stupid stuff, even the queen listens.
This is amazing; I've grown to dislike Jar Jar more for each time I've seen Episode 1, but you just made me realize his purpose and more or less flip me around. After reading some of these comments here as well, I came to appreciate him even more. I may not like his personality very much, but it helps to understand his place in the story.
Awesome work!
Just finished watching all your videos. As a huge star wars fan and a filmstudent I feel like the prequels are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Hope more people see this. Keep up the good work, I’ll always be back for more!
I love Jar Jar. He’s always been entertaining to me as a kid, and as I got older I see jar jar as a representation of one of the greater themes in the phantom menace. That being, two opposing societies, coming together. You see it between the Naboo and gungans, between a queen and a slave, a Jedi and a slave owner. It’s a really beautiful narrative that episode 1 shows the viewer and Jar Jar is a prime example of this. To qui Gon and Kenobi he seems like a bumbling idiot who they keep around as a guide at first, but then they get to know him and they see that he can be more than that. It’s a reflection of the greater theme that Padmé as the queen makes her people do. They look past their one dimensional view of the gungans and join forces with them to defend their home against a common enemy. The celebration at the end isn’t just a celebration of the droids defeat, but it’s a celebration of unity and peace.
The phantom menace is so great, especially cuz it puts this nice large scale twist on the classic Star Wars themes of good vs evil.
In ROTJ the empire was defeated because Palpatine did't even think of the Ewoks as a relevant factor in his plan. Maybe he didnt even knew they existed. In TPM he made the same mistake. In his arrogance he didnt even put them into consideration.
I was 10 when I first watched episode 1 at the theaters... as a kid, I really liked Jar Jar Binks
“Phantom Menace is a more of kids film.”
*Darth Maul kills Qui-Gon*
...Your point?
Good characters always get killed in kids movies, like Lion King, Princess and the Frog, Deadpool.
@@KeyleeTamirian How is DEADPOOL a kids movie?!
@@rickyrackey7930 Remove all violence and any adult themes from it's story, what will you get?
@@KeyleeTamirian Still tho.
The creation of Jar Jar was the begining of the most greatest enemy of the Star Wars Franchise: Toxic Fandom
taxation of trade routes is mentioned in the novelization of the A New Hope. I don't understand people complaining about it.
I LOVED Jar Jar as a kid. I drew pictures of him constantly
I love channels that break down characters, themes, philosophies etc of the movies I love. My star wars experiences have always been heightened by break downs like this. I've never looked at this character in that light before, or how the other characters really view him. This was fantastic. Thank you for this!
Don’t forget: he also had the important (albeit disastrous) role of suggesting the senate give the Chancellor emergency powers.
I really liked Jar Jar when I was little, and while my enthusiasm for him has lessened with age, I get it, I get why he's there and how what he does is important. This video articulates my feelings about him better than I could have I think.
They should be thanking Jar Jar, if it weren’t for him, Palpetine wouldn’t be the Emperor
Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this video! I've been trying to convince people for years of exactly the point you make here! The Phantom Menace is Jar Jar's hero journey! And Lucas knew he was setting the most annoying character in the film on the hero's journey! It's right there in how all the adult characters react to him. But Lucas has a running theme that everyone can have a part to play, even the smallest (Ewoks) or most annoying among us. It was a bold move for Lucas to go as far with this as he did with Jar Jar, but he told the story he wanted to tell. And I think it's message of inclusion and the importance of the symbiotic relationship we all have is beautiful. Which is why the accusations of Jar Jar being racist and the theories of him being a sith are both ridiculous and detract from one of the most important messages in Star Wars. I've always thought the subtle reaction Padme had when Jar Jar mentioned the army was brilliant. Her mind is racing, but she keeps her cool.
I will sending people to watch this from now on whenever this conversation comes up.
finishing with "is to risk the doom of out entire civilization" kinnda made me go: "woah... that got kinnda dark"
As a kid - yeah, i now understand that he was a character for myself and others.
I just didn't understand what events are happening, only that they did and he was not far away.
As a kid I loved Jar Jar. When I went on the internet and found a lot of old head Star Wars fans hated him I just didn't understand.
Same here.
When I was really little, I decided Revenge of the Sith was my favorite, for no reason, really. Then I was TOLD the prequels were bad and that I wasn't allowed to like them, but now I think it's the best, once again.
I wish I could like this more than once
Once again I've found someone online who can say what I've been thinking far better than I could ever say it. Not just for Jar Jar, but Quai Gon too
Honestly, and I am not ashamed of this, _The Phantom Menace_ is my favorite Star Wars movie. Has been since I first saw it when I was 6 years old, shortly after it came out on VHS. I remember that scene when Jar Jar first takes Qui Gon and Obi Wan to the Gungan underwater city and my little kid mind being blown by the visuals and the music as they swim towards the city.
Now, I wasn't the _biggest_ Star Wars kid out there- I was too busy reading Harry Potter! But I always liked the movies. We didn't own them though because my dad wasn't a huge Star Wars fan. So besides having _Phantom_ on VHS (and then our tape player broke... sigh) I didn't have access to the other two Prequel movies for over a decade. It took 2020 lock downs and Disney+ for me to rewatch them for the first time in over 10 years. And I'd been well versed in Prequel hate in the meantime. So when I finally rewatched the Prequels, I decided I was going to look at them completely objectively, keeping all the criticisms in mind as I watched so I could really critically decide if the Prequels sucked or not....
...I absolutely adored them upon rewatching! Seriously, none of the major critiques of the Prequels bothered me at all. I could see how some people maybe didn't like certain things about them, but none of those things bothered me. The acting, dialogue, none of it bothered me. I thought it was all great- and thoroughly entertaining! There were maybe some nitpicks (for one thing, I wish they would have made at least SOME Clone Trooper armor instead of it ALL being CGI. Lord of the Rings did a great job of having prosthetic orcs and then CGI orcs in the background so it all blended together, and I couldn't figure why Lucas wouldn't have some guys in Clone Armor in the battles), but overall I didn't mind it. Not even Jar Jar, the alleged 'worst of the worst' of the Prequels. I genuinely thought he was funny, and based on all the Jar Jar-bashing I'd heard over the years, I thought he had been in them a lot more than he actually was. He's not in every scene. And yeah, he has some eye-rolling moments, but that's what he's there for.
But anyway, I could go on and on and on about how much I love The Prequels, _The Phantom Menace,_ and Jar Jar, but suffice it to say that I love them a lot. And again, I can see why some people don't like them, and that's okay. There's things that other people like that I don't either. But I think that if people who allegedly "love Star Wars" took the time to sit and watch the movies both more critically and more open minded, they might like them (and Jar Jar!) a bit more.
I always loved your Jar Binks in the never understood why people hated him with such passion that they would send death threats to the guy who voice acted for him
Really well put together. Love how you brush off the "Is Jar Jar racist" question; it's such a silly notion and didn't deserve more attention than you gave it. And I don't trust anyone who hasn't stepped in poop at least once.
This comment sums it up.
There is such a thing as being unintentionally racist but alright
I never even heard about the ''is jar jar racist'' question. Why is it asked? He doesn't seem racist at all
@@gardist he shares some similarities with blackface type archetypes. Honestly... I think that was intentional, but it's not racist. The trade federation are Chinese archetypes and Watto is a Jewish one, every single thing in Star Wars is archetypal.
@@owenmonahan5821 I knew about Watto, the empire (british) and the Neimoidians (who have a japanese accent and not chinese) but Jar Jar was new to me.
Thanks for clearing that up
I’ve always been absurdly fond of Jar Jar, and now even more so. Thanks for the in-depth look into his character!