Rian Johnson Fired By Disney? Or I Like Jar Jar Binks.

[Havok]

http://nerdreactor.com/2014/06/29/rian- ... ctor-what/

I came across this article, and I have no idea who this guy is, or if it's true or not, or really care, but what I find fascinating is the supposed issue he was fired over: Jar Jar Binks.

I also happen to find Jar Jar a very solid character and one of the few that has any sort of interesting back story actually provided by Lucas and given *gasp* character growth in the movies.
I've regretted the omission of Jar Jar from what his role, based on the 'hero's journey' should have been and it's one of the two big mistakes that I feel Lucas made in the prequels. (The other being the inclusion of a nobody loser bounty hunter named Boba Fett who doesn't know the difference between 'stun' and 'disintegrate'.)

What say you SDN?

[Kreller1]

I didn't hate JarJar like most of the "fattynerds" who raged over his presence in Episode I, but he wasn't my favorite character. It's a risky move using JarJar, but not sure I would "fire" someone over the issue unless he was just going to go ahead with it in spite of what his boss said.

[Gill]

Jar Jar was a convenient symbol for people to attack because they have a hard time expressing their feelings constructively ("Rawr! Jar Jar sucks!"), and it's really is more accurate to say that Episode I's issues ran deeper than that. Getting rid of Jar Jar would have gotten rid of a single annoyance for many, but it would still leave us with largely flat characters that made him stand out in the first place. I mean, his absence didn't help Attack of the Clones! If anything, putting him back in might have made for a better movie, since we would actually have at least one character who could freaking emote without coming off as a whiny teenager.

Though science-fiction in general seems to be populated by pretty flat characters. This can work well for authors like Arthur C. Clarke if you have other strengths that compensate, or it can end up like it did for George Lucas when he returned to the director's chair. That's precisely why Lucas hired Richard Marquand for Return of the Jedi, and why he should have refrained from directing the prequels.

It's also odd, in retrospect, that Jar Jar really was the only character in Episode I with a back story to speak of! Anakin is given a bare bones Space Jesus childhood, and that's it. Why is there a teenager ruling a whole planet, what's her story? Dunno. What's the deal with Liam Neeson's character and the Jedi Council? They had a fight or something. What about Obi Wan? It's just Ewan McGregor making lightsaber noises. Yoda? Old. Darth Maul? He's just there to look at things menacingly and get killed like a certain bounty hunter from the sequels. Not only does Jar Jar Binks get a backstory, but we actually get to seem him bring that up as a relevant point in plot and redeem himself.

Maybe people really hated him because his character was actually done more justice than Anakin, whom the prequels were supposed to orbit around? I mean, the only thing I can think of that, "fans" hate more than Jar Jar Binks is Episode I's Jake Lloyd.

[bilateralrope]

Jar Jar still being alive for episode VIII sounds like it would be really pushing things.

[Purple]

Jar Jar still being alive for episode VIII sounds like it would be really pushing things.

I am not sure about that. With Padme dead he is a good go to replacement as a senator. And Palpatine could have easily schemed him into that place permanently. He could have remained there until the dissolution of the senate upon which there is no need to have him killed.

[bilateralrope]

What about him dying from old age ?

Or do gungans have a longer lifespan than humans ?

[RogueIce]

Why not? Luke, Leia and Han are (maybe) alive, depending on what happens in Ep7 and how much of a gap there is there. Which would make Jar Jar what, a couple decades or so older than them, maybe?

[FedRebel]

What about him dying from old age ?

Or do gungans have a longer lifespan than humans ?

As an aquatic species wouldn't extensive time out of water (filibustered senate debates, diplomatic missions to worlds that don't have a pool handy, etc.) shorten his lifespan.

Plus how "old" was he to begin with? As far as the films he could be the Gungan equivalent of a human 70 year old...with dementia.

[Sea Skimmer]

Given that the Gungan cities were dry on the inside, not wet, it seems implausible that this is a problem. Plus you'd kinda figure a member of the Galactic Senate in a galaxy that can build death stars and a solid city planet as a capital could afford a portable inflatable swimming pool if it were essential to living!

As for the original topic, interesting things could be done with jar jar, but I don't blame Disney one bit for not even considering taking a risk like that on its several billion dollar and counting investment.

[bilateralrope]

What's the best estimate we have for how much time passes between episode 3 and episode 8.

[Gill]

Given that the Gungan cities were dry on the inside, not wet, it seems implausible that this is a problem. Plus you'd kinda figure a member of the Galactic Senate in a galaxy that can build death stars and a solid city planet as a capital could afford a portable inflatable swimming pool if it were essential to living!

Interestingly enough, Inside the Worlds of Star Wars series actually depicts the Senate as having an extensive series of aquatic habitats for the Quarren representative and his staff. It's also implied hotels on the city could cater to such exotic requirements.

Though moving around in a tank filled with the appropriate medium ala Dune's Guild Navigators wouldn't be inconceivable. I'd actually be surprised if there hasn't been a species in the Extended Universe depicted with having to move around with such constraints.

[Havok]

The funny thing is if Lucas had used Jar Jar the way he was supposed to fit into the "hero's journey", people would have been able to revel in his death as Anakin turned on him and more than likely killed him. They may have even liked him by that point.

As for his age, I'm guessing he was pretty young in TPM, like around 18-19 and still a screw up, being 28-29 around AOTC and while much more mature, still susceptible to being played, not that being played by Palpatine is a list only idiots are on. And how old is Yoda or Chewbacca? Longevity among species in Star Wars isn't all that uncommon.

[Havok]

What's the best estimate we have for how much time passes between episode 3 and episode 8.

55-65 years.
Luke is born and ages to 18-21. Then you have the what, 3 years the OT takes place over, then the 30ish until the NT starts with Ep. VII. Ep. VIII probably won't be more than a year or 2 after, unless they do the 10 year jump like the PT did, which I doubt.

[Channel72]

It's true that Jar Jar is one of the only characters in the Prequels who had an actual "character arc" - he grew from an incompetent buffoon to a courageous general.

Still, who cares? He's still a badly conceived comic-relief character. His entire "act" is basically slapstick buffoonery, the kind that isn't really funny after you're 6. Maybe I just don't appreciate slapstick as much as some people - but at least the 3 Stooges had somewhat funny personalities, along with cartoony violence that seemed to make their antics more universally absurd and less juvenile. But Jar Jar basically just slips and falls, gets electrocuted, or drops shit. It's not that funny, and is missing a lot of the key ingredients that made classical slapstick (like 3 Stooges/Looney Tunes) funny - which is funny personalities (Daffy Duck and Moe said some witty shit!) and cartoony violence.

The point is, for slapstick to work, it can't really exist in any kind of normal dramatic Universe with normal physics. Star Wars definitely needs some humor, but slapstick really doesn't fit. I much prefer quit-witted Han Solo one-liners, or Han Solo/C3PO/Leia bickering to a CGI clown that slips on shit or like, bumps into walls or whatever.

I always thought the best way to introduce some nice humor into the Prequels would be witty one-liners traded between Anakin and Obi-Wan, or Anakin and Padme. They sort of did that, just not enough - with too much fallback on slapstick.

[Metahive]

I think the whole Gungans vs. human Naboo "subplot" was a wasted opportunity. The animosity between those two groups is brought up, amounts to nothing relevant and is then resolved with a handwave.

What if the Trade Federation had deliberately pitted both groups against each other through subversive means as a pretext for its invasion? "There's mounting civil disorder on the planet, we must go in and restore order (and annex the planet while we are at it)", in the tradition of that other big, evil trading organisation, the British East India Company. There, an immediate opportunity for the diplomatically minded Amidala to actually shine.

[Elfdart]

It's true that Jar Jar is one of the only characters in the Prequels who had an actual "character arc" - he grew from an incompetent buffoon to a courageous general.

Still, who cares? He's still a badly conceived comic-relief character. His entire "act" is basically slapstick buffoonery, the kind that isn't really funny after you're 6. Maybe I just don't appreciate slapstick as much as some people - but at least the 3 Stooges had somewhat funny personalities, along with cartoony violence that seemed to make their antics more universally absurd and less juvenile. But Jar Jar basically just slips and falls, gets electrocuted, or drops shit. It's not that funny, and is missing a lot of the key ingredients that made classical slapstick (like 3 Stooges/Looney Tunes) funny - which is funny personalities (Daffy Duck and Moe said some witty shit!) and cartoony violence.

I know, I know. They included a goofy character as a sop to the little brothers and sisters of the target audience. What a crime.

The point is, for slapstick to work, it can't really exist in any kind of normal dramatic Universe with normal physics. Star Wars definitely needs some humor, but slapstick really doesn't fit.

You mean it was wrong to include R2 falling flat on his face and screaming "WEEEEAOOOOOOW!" repeatedly, or to have Theepio getting knocked over or his head slammed against door of the Falcon? Or Han getting a toolbox dropped on his head? And since when is the GFFA a "normal dramatic Universe with normal physics"?

[AndroAsc]

Thank god, this guy is trying to bring back Jar Jar Binks? Firing him is letting him off pretty well. Seems that Disney is off to a good start!!!

[Elfdart]

You do realize that's a joke website, right?

[bilateralrope]

What's the best estimate we have for how much time passes between episode 3 and episode 8.

55-65 years.
Luke is born and ages to 18-21. Then you have the what, 3 years the OT takes place over, then the 30ish until the NT starts with Ep. VII. Ep. VIII probably won't be more than a year or 2 after, unless they do the 10 year jump like the PT did, which I doubt.

Ok. So Jar Jar surviving is plausible. Him still having a similar enough personality to the PT that we can recognize him as Jar Jar, that's a different story. Giving his appearance a point in the story beyond a cameo, that's a bigger problem.

[Havok]

Jar Jar in AOTC was nothing like Jar Jar in TPM.
Imagine a wise Jar Jar giving advice to young Jedi and Senators warning of history repeating itself.

I mean an old silly talking alien giving advice in Star Wars? UNHEARD OF!!!

[Adam Reynolds]

And since when is the GFFA a "normal dramatic Universe with normal physics"?

You know, normal physics with faster than light travel and supernatural abilities.

[Elheru Aran]

And since when is the GFFA a "normal dramatic Universe with normal physics"?

You know, normal physics with faster than light travel and supernatural abilities.

Because slapstick never happens in the real world. You've never stood up too fast inside a space that was too small and hit your head? Never had anything dropped onto you? Never walked into something you didn't notice? Never been startled by someone and jumped?

Frankly, a universe with zero slapstick would be a boring one. Even Scotty walked into the Enterprise's door frame by accident.

[Napoleon the Clown]

One could argue that Jar Jar's entire purpose was to be slapstick and use that as a reason to hate on him. Personally, I've never overly cared about Jar Jar. Beyond a loud, high-pitched voice there's nothing about him that gives me reason to hate him.


It could be interesting to have a Jar Jar that's seen all the bad shit that ended up going down thanks to him. He got the vote going that gave Palpatine power and he likely realizes this. Jar Jar could be used as a character that's scared to put his voice behind anyone. Say, have him be in a leadership position on Naboo and refuse to join the reformed Republic. You could actually make an interesting character like that, exploring the effects voting in a despot would have on someone.

[Borgholio]

Beyond a loud, high-pitched voice there's nothing about him that gives me reason to hate him.

Just this:

He got the vote going that gave Palpatine power

That's enough of a reason to hate him.

[Patroklos]

I just can't imagine he survives the Imperial era. After a few decades where overt racist humans were looking for reasons to hate aliens his popularity amoungst outside observer humans of no particular ideological bent doesn't speak well to his survival in that world.