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Jar Jar Binks
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Jar Jar Binks is a fictional character from the Star Wars films The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. His primary role was intended to provide comic relief. Jar Jar was voiced by Ahmed Best. He is almost completely computer generated. He is a Gungan from the planet Naboo.
shed from his childhood home of Gungan City for his clumsiness, the naïve Jar Jar is first encountered while living in the swamps of Naboo.
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Jar Jar Binks is a fictional character from the Star Wars films The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. His primary role was intended to provide comic relief. Jar Jar was voiced by Ahmed Best. He is almost completely computer generated. He is a Gungan from the planet Naboo.
Story
Episode I
Banished from his childhood home of Gungan City for his clumsiness, the naïve Jar Jar is first encountered while living in the swamps of Naboo. In the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi arrive on Naboo, ending up in the swamps rather than the intended destination of the capital, Theed.
Qui-Gon Jinn saves Jar Jar's life as the Trade Federation's droid army advances on Theed, and, as a result, Jar Jar explains that he owes Qui-Gon a life debt (implying that he is obligated to stay by Qui-Gon's side for the rest of his life, or until he is released). Jar Jar is later arrested by troops loyal to Boss Nass when Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan visit Otoh Gunga, and Qui-Gon uses the excuse of this life debt to free Jar Jar from the custody of the Gungan Bosses.
Jar Jar travels with Qui-Gon's party to Tatooine and later Coruscant. It is on the latter planet that he informs Padmé Amidala that the Gungans have a grand army (a term significant later in the Star Wars series - see Grand Army of the Republic), a contributory factor in her decision to return to Naboo and contest the Trade Federation's invasion militarily. After Qui-Gon and his party's return to Naboo, Jar Jar is instrumental in Padmé's brokering a deal with the Gungans for a joint attack on the Trade Federation's occupation forces, leading her and her allies to the Gungans' swamp hiding place. Throughout this ordeal, he befriends Anakin Skywalker, a nine-year-old human whom Qui-Gon believes to be the Chosen One destined to bring balance to the Force. As a result of bringing together the Naboo and the Gungans, Jar Jar reconciles with Boss Nass and is awarded the rank of Bombad General in the Gungan Grand Army. Jar Jar plays a role in the Battle of Naboo.
Many fans claim that Jar Jar is intended to provide comic relief throughout the film, including a number of battle scenes. For instance, Jar Jar accidentally sends a cart of explosive energy spheres into a group of enemy battle droids, which destroys a large number of them.
Episode II
Although he has much less screen time in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Jar Jar plays a pivotal role in the narrative. As Representative Binks, he is a member of The Loyalist Committee. He is deputized by Padmé Amidala in the Galactic Senate, and subsequently manipulated by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and his allies into proposing a bill to give Palpatine emergency powers, on the ostensible grounds that this is what Senator Amidala would do if she were present. These powers enable Palpatine to approve the creation of the Grand Army of the Republic and implicitly mark the beginning of Palpatine's gathering of authority towards his own office. Jar Jar's decision sets in motion the Clone Wars and by extension, the creation of the Galactic Empire.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series
Ahmed Best reprised his role as Jar Jar in episode 8 ("Bombad Jedi") of Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series of 2008. The episode shows Jar Jar and C3PO accompanying Padmé Amidala on a diplomatic mission to the planet of Rodia in an attempt to gain the support of the Rodians and sway them from the Separatists. Jar Jar puts on a found Jedi cloak which causes the Separatists to believe he's a Jedi. Jar Jar's use of the knowledge of the swamp gave him the ability to communicate with a sea-monster which helped the Republic to prevail in their task. Also, he is in a few other episodes.
Episode III
In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Jar Jar only has a cameo appearance. He is onscreen only twice. He is seen in the Senate Chambers with Padmé Amidala as the Emperor cements his power base. He is later seen at Padmé's funeral procession at the end of the film. He has no dialogue except for the phrase "excuse me", heard from a distance. Deleted scenes from the film, available on the DVD, portray him as a member of the Delegation of 2000, a Senatorial committee that later develops into the Rebel Alliance.
Controversy
Upon the release of The Phantom Menace, Jar Jar Binks became the subject of a great deal of media and popular attention, though not in the way his creators intended. Binks became symbolic of what many reviewers such as Brent Staples (New York Times), David Edelstein (Slate), and Eric Harrison (Los Angeles Times) considered to be inherent creative flaws of the film. The character was widely rejected and often ridiculed by sections of the series' hardcore fanbase, who felt that Jar Jar was clearly included in the film solely to appeal to children. One fan, Mike J. Nichols, created and distributed free of charge a modified version of the film, entitled The Phantom Edit, which cut out most scenes featuring Jar Jar Binks. The character of Jar Jar Binks was also lampooned on an episode of the television show South Park entitled Jakovasaurs as well as the parody Star Wars episodes of Robot Chicken. Both instances, Best reprised the role in voice-over form. Jar Jar was even presented as evidence of "Unintelligent design" in the book The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Along with film critics, many fans have also objected to what is perceived as excessive commercialization directed at young children in the Star Wars series (a criticism first levelled with the introduction of Ewoks). Star Wars creator George Lucas stated that he feels there is a section of the fanbase who get upset with aspects of Star Wars because "The movies are for children but they don't want to admit that... There is a small group of fans that do not like comic sidekicks. They want the films to be tough like The Terminator, and they get very upset and opinionated about anything that has anything to do with being childlike."
Additionally, Rob Coleman, who was the lead on the Industrial Light & Magic animation team, warned Lucas that there was concern among the team that the character of Jar Jar was coming across poorly for the team and how the character was to be projected. Lucas told him that he especially put Jar Jar in the film to appeal to small children. After that, the issue was dropped.
Allegations of racial caricature
Joe Morgenstern of Wall Street Journal described the character as a "Rastafarian Stepin Fetchit on platform hoofs, crossed annoyingly with Butterfly McQueen." Patricia J. Williams writes that many aspects of Jar Jar's character are highly reminiscent of the archetypes portrayed in blackface minstrelsy;, while others have suggested that the character is a "laid-back clown character" representing a black Caribbean stereotype..
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