First, Jar-jar. Beyond just being comic relief, he actually – if unwittingly – plays a pivotal role in the expansion of Palpatine’s grab for power. Jar-jar may be perceived as a buffoon, but he is quite naive. That naivete comes into play in Episode II. When Padme leaves Coruscant, she taps Jar-jar to stand in her place in the Senate. Palpatine then plays on his eagerness to do the right thing. It’s Jar-jar who casts the crucial vote to allow the formation of the Army of the Republic, which of course becomes the tool of the destruction of the Jedi.

Without Jar-jar’s antics in Episode I, this would lose a lot of its emotional impact. (And it’s indicative of some of the subtleties of the prequels that were unfortunately overshadowed by the flaws.)

Now to the Ewoks. Cute I don’t mind. But the Ewoks never came across as capable of defeating the Emperor’s “legion of crack troops”. Seriously. They drop rocks and sticks from a towering height of eight feet down upon the stormtroopers. And not one trooper thinks to shoot back? Even with the stormtroooper’s fabled inability to hit anyone with a speaking role, they’d have been able to wipe out those Ewoks hands down. (Hell, if the Empire is as evil as the good guys claim, why didn’t they just napalm the valley and be done with it?)

On the other hand, had the Ewoks shown a vicious streak I think it would be more believable. Remember when the troopers discover Leia in the forest? What if Wicket had taken his spear and shoved it into the gap of the trooper’s armor between his head and neck? Would that make you think twice about tangling with such creatures?

I understand that Lucas wanted to show a less technologically advanced society defeating a more technologically advanced society. But the Ewoks just don’t cut it.

Jar-jar is the self depricating stooge. Wrong place at the right time, the foil, decidedly anti-cool!

You take glee in the next malady to befall Jar-jar.
You take glee in watching Han cause that malady.

No, I see Jar-jar as being George’s “March on Moscow” He ignored everyone’s advice and went there, he continued his march despite initial failures that only spiraled into a further mire, and continued to pursue his crazy dreams right up until the point that he fell into a dead retreat back to home in utter defeat.

George we loved your earlier work, now go retire to Elba, please!!!

Peace, Love, and Peanut Butter.

Now, as for Jar-Jar Binks, I will take you to task. I’ve had friends tell me, “take a break on Jar-Jar. He wasn’t there for you, he was there for the 10-year-old behind you.” I won’t give in on this, though. If I had a 10-year-old, Jar-Jar wouldn’t be allowed to associate with them. It’s nothing to do with what Jar-Jar is/was supposed to be, it’s what he turned out to be. Shall we start with the way he speaks? I’m not going to harp on his curious use of “Meesa”, I’m not going to complain about his poor grammar. He’s alien, he’s speaking a language not his own. It would be like making fun of a German kid, because of his accent. That’s not cool. However; If we look at the choices Lucas made historically with his “Comic relief” (i.e. Droids and Ewoks) generally verbal cues are out. We can’t understand a damn thing the Ewoks say, we need an interpreter (C3P0), and we can’t understand a damn thing R2D2 says, we need an interpreter (C3P0). Half of the “relief” in the comedy came from the interpretation of it within the film. Jar-Jar has no straight-man to support his antics, he’s alone. Not only is he alone, we are impressed with the fact that he’s been exiled by his own people. He’s unwanted by the Gungans, he’s unwanted by the Jedi, he’s the 9th wheel. Now, that’s not enough for people’s ire, in fact, some might think it was compelling. Here’s this lonely Gungan, out on his own, trying to make a life for himself on Naboo. Jar-Jar’s story SHOULD have been compelling, but, in making him the obvious object of ridicule, Lucas turned Jar-Jar into a Laughing Stock instead of Comic Relief.

Jar-Jar ultimately turned out to be heroic, but only accidentally. This was supposed to be funny, but I found it insulting. I don’t discount Jar-Jar’s bravery, but in battle, he was a moron, and his succeeding in spite of this wasn’t poignant, it was pitiful. Had Jar-Jar been killed, or in winning the day lost the majority of his companions, then I might have a little more respect for him.

In the end, we can further loath Jar-Jar for being the instrument that placed the Emperor in power. Sure, he was manipulated, but it was the ease of that manipulation that proves Jar-Jar’s failure as a character.

OK. I’m done ranting.

Sorry.