Mmm, Dissen Loverly

Jar Jar Binks.

These three little words have been used by many people as a summation of everything wrong with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and in some cases the entire prequel trilogy. The mere mention of these words can cause some people to cringe in disgust. A certain YouReviewer has claimed that these three words set black people back 50 years, and these three words alone earned The Phantom Menace 100 "sins" in CinemaSins's "Everything Wrong With" episode devoted to the film.

For me, though, those three words were in the top tier of my "favorite things about Star Wars list" for several years. I was ten years old when I first saw The Phantom Menace in 2005, and although I didn't completely understand the finer points of the plot at the time (this was also true of my first few viewings of A New Hope, FYI) I distinctly remember loving the new worlds of Naboo and Coruscant, the epic Podrace, and especially the new characters. And I remember even more distinctly what I claimed my favorite element of the film to be for at least a year afterwards:

Jar Jar Binks.

Blasphemy, I know. And while he is no longer what I love most about The Phantom Menace, I haven't lost any of my love for this klutzy Gungan more than 11 years later. Even when I watch the movie now, good ol' Jar Jar still brings out my inner 10-year-old who loved him to death from the beginning.

Why?

First off, I was the right age to find him quite funny. I loved his design, I loved his movements, and I sure as heck loved his pidgin-speak. This style of speaking was, in my eyes, a great form of world (or in this case, galaxy) building. While the original films include some characters who speak alien languages entirely, in most cases they clearly understand the Basic English being spoken to them by the humans, and said humans clearly understand their language as well. To me, Jar Jar and the other Gungans represent people in the real world who may learn and understand another language, but will never be completely comfortable speaking that language fluently. How do I know Basic English is not the Gungans' first language? Because when Jar Jar first takes Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn to the underwater Otoh Gunga city, the camera explicitly shows two shocked Gungans exchanging the words: "Hu me gusa?" "Hata hata."

Does the pidgin-speak make Gungans racist? The answer will vary depending on who you ask, but I say, "Heck no!" Yes, the actor playing Jar Jar just happens to be African-American, but that is pure coincidence. There is sufficient filmmaking evidence to show that George Lucas liked Ahmed Best's voice for the character, and also chose him for the part because of how well he was able to physically portray the character in motion capture. Like I said above, I see the pidgin-speak as a more realistic portrayal of the relationships between various alien species in the Star Wars galaxy. (Anakin communicating with both Watto and Sebulba in Huttese improved this interspecies relationship as well.) And while the Gungans may not have a thriving city or connections to the Republic like the humans of Naboo do, they have their fair share of talents that they are in no way prevented from exploiting (unlike many slaves in the real world's history). Their underwater technology, their unique plasma weapons, and their army are clearly thriving freely even before they make their alliance with the Naboo at the film's climax.

What I really love about Jar Jar Binks, though, is the type of individual he represents. He is in many respects a fool, but not by choice. The accidents he causes are clearly accidents, and his curiosity certainly gets him in trouble on multiple occasions, but at his core, he's just an outcast from his society, looking to be useful to anyone in some way, shape, or form. By telling Qui-Gon about the Gungans, he ultimately gets him to Theed in time to rescue Queen Amidala. He helps Anakin prepare his Podracer, despite having no experience with the technology. He offers a friendly ear to Amidala when the pressure put on her overwhelms her. And most importantly, Jar Jar Binks "bring ussen and da Naboo together." Out of loyalty to his new friends and his desire to help, Jar Jar returns to the society he was banished from.

Jar Jar Binks is clearly a very loyal friend, even if he's not the best in a fight or his clumsiness causes unintentional accidents. The same devotion to both of his planet's societies and the Republic in general carry into Attack of the Clones, as he pretty clearly believes giving emergency powers to the Supreme Chancellor is the only solution to saving the Republic, when in reality it brings said Republic one step closer to destruction.

I love Jar Jar. I still think his lines are funny, I love the type of person he represents, and I admire his devotion, even if it can get manipulated. The dude may not be my favorite element of The Phantom Menace for me, but he's still a major highlight.

(NOTE: If you're wondering whether I believe the "Darth Darth Binks" theory that went around last year, I don't. While the whole Emergency Powers thing did help Sidious in the long run, let's not forget that his contributions to the Battle of Naboo temporarily defeated Sidious's major threat to the Republic and set him back a good ten years. As a fellow blogger has also pointed out, Jar Jar Binks set the stage for Sidious's ultimate defeat by simply being himself. I still consider Mr. Binks a foolish hero, and not a secret Sith Lord.)

So all I can say to Jar Jar is what his boss said to him: "Yousa doen grand!"