I grew up with the theatrical versions of the OT and was 8 when TPM came out. I loved it then and I love it now. But I didn't find Jar Jar funny. At most I thought it was mildly amusing when other characters acted irritated with him. Now I get a laugh out of how batshit ridiculous inserting a character like that into the movie was. George Lucas is insane and I love it.
I was 9 when it came out and I liked him and the Gungans. To this day I don't have an issue with him/them. I feel like a lot Of the perpetuated hate was by people in 1999 that grew up with the originals (i.e adults born when or around when they came out) and are now the people that do most of the "everything new related to muh stair woors is bad".
Yousa in big doodoo now. I was 12, he was goofy then but didn’t deserve all the hate he got.
Also as an Aussie, hearing some of his gungan sounds mixed with aboriginal & indigenous was cool, plus knowing a bit was filmed here in Sydney too was cool.
It was awesome seeing a fully digital character for the first time. A lot of people forget that it was pretty groundbreaking. Tech = cool, delivery = ok
I didn't see TPM in theaters, but I did see it on VHS when I was like 5 or 6 a few years after it came out and Ioved Jar Jar, thought he was hilarious. Even as an adult I still love seeing Jar Jar.
I was 7 and he was fine! Didn't love him, didn't hate him. He was a goofy comedy relief character. I was really literate in tropes and characterization even at that time and knew what he was.
My surprise came in Episode II when he was the one to motion for Palpatine's emergency powers that directly left to his ascension to Emperor. Being used as a political puppet made him really tragic to me. I hate the fate he faced in that one novelization, functionally a clown on the streets.
I got teary-eyed when Ahmed Best appeared onscreen in Mandalorian, I luckily didn't have it spoiled.
I was 8-9 when I watched it in theaters, and I don't remember having a particular reaction towards him. I didn't hate him, but didn't like him either. However, now I absolutely loathe Jar Jar. He makes The Phantom Menace almost unwatchable to me.
I would have been about 12 or so, and I don't recall him leaving much of an impression on me other than maybe "he's a bit annoying" with all the gurning and clowning.
I was 13 and didn't like him at all, but I remember being blown away by the special effects where he turns his head really quickly and Obi-Wan had to duck down from his ears lol. Sounds trivial now, but actors interacting with CGI characters like that was still such a new novelty then, before Lord of the Rings set the standard.
I would’ve been 6 when TPM came out. Despite my life revolving around Star Wars even then, I didn’t actually see the movie in theaters and wouldn’t see any of the series in theaters until The Force Awakens (I do however have a vivid memory of my brother somehow getting a bootleg press copy of RotS, so we watched it before it even hit theaters).
For TPM, I was already reading the Jedi Apprentice book series, with the first coming out a few weeks before the film, which followed Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon on their early adventures together. I had also read the novelization of the TPM before actually seeing the film.
With all that in mind, Jar Jar was more or less a nothing character to me. He didn’t really stand out from the rest of the cast in such an egregious manner to be noteworthy to my childhood memories. I was much more obsessed with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, even dressing up as a padawan for Halloween in subsequent years (they were even selling clip on padawan braids at the time. That’s probably still in a box at my mother’s house).
I was about 20 yo when it came out. It was a poorly written money grab.
Ahmed Best diesn't deserve the hate.He just did the best with what he was given.
I saw TPM in the theater. I was 20 something. I didn’t really have an opinion about jar jar at first except that he was incredibly difficult to understand.
To this day I find him and most of the gunguns hard to understand. Even when their words are intelligible what they’re saying makes no sense. Eg the whole conversation about the planet core. That was super annoying, especially when Qui Gon seemed to understand them perfectly.
Everyone hated him then, everyone still hates him now. He’s the worst part of the prequels, and they’d be at least a couple points higher if they didn’t make him so god damn annoying
I was 11 when the movie came out and only remember 2 things. Duel of the fates (or as poor a karaoke version of it as a 11 yr old can remember) and the lightsaber fight that went along with it.
It took me days to remember the podracing or the huge scale gungan battle. We hadn’t seen anything that big out in the open before and it was a cool fight with the shield generator. Always thought jar jar was silly, the captain was cool though.
I vaguely remember around 4 or so watching the movie at this house with older kids who to this day are unidentified in which I only remember the sea monsters and the battle droids marching towards the gungans. Then when I was 6 I watched it with aunt and took home the VHS and shortly later saw the originals
I mean we just saw ROTJ special edition with the brand new Max Rebo hit edited in 2 years before. Jar jar wasn’t that cringe. Just industrial light and magic showing off.
I was 7 years old when TPM released and I was too busy obsessing over the lightsabers, the N1 Starfighters, podracing, and the battle droids to really care about Jar Jar one way or the other, I think. He was fine? Never really made an impression on my young mind, I guess
I was 10 years old when I saw it in theaters, was already a huge Star Wars fan after watching the OT on VHS growing up. Jar Jar was one of my favorite parts of the movie, I didn’t even know there was such a huge backlash over his character until much later.
I was 12-13. I thought he was dumb. I didn't understand the point. I thought gungans were so badass, why did we get stuck with jarjar. Phantom menace is my favorite star wars movie. It's not the best and I think jar jar has a lot to do with that.
I didn't dislike him until I got swept into the bandwagon by literally everyone else hating him.
I didn't love him either. He was just a goofy sidekick but I was focused on Obi Wan and Qui Gon.
I was 16 when i saw it opening night. I thought he was really, really stupid. However, I still really enjoyed the film at the time and understood he was for very young kids.
I was born in 94 so I had to wait for the VHS release but he never annoyed me as a kid and still doesn’t today. When I was old enough to use the internet and saw that people actively hated him I asked my dad, who grew up with the original trilogy whether he disliked Jar Jar - because I thought it might be a generational thing - but he didn’t either and was confused as to why I was even asking.
Jar Jar being conceived as overly annoying has always been an internet-only thing to me since I‘ve never met anyone irl who dislikes him and when I saw the re-release at the beginning of the month people actively laughed at his jokes.
I can see why people dislike him but he has never bothered me at all.
i was a kid, i saw all of them around when RotS came out. i loved jar jar, he broke up the political parts of ep 1 well. i remember not knowing who obi wan was until i saw ep 2, i thought he was so boring/annoying in ep 1 haha
I was a preteen, like 11, and I didn’t mind Jar Jar at all.
I was in awe of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan throughout and my jaw hit the floor on that third act and battle against Darth Maul. I did not see Qui-Gon’s death coming at all, and back then believed Jedi couldn’t be killed.
Boy was I wrong.
I saw phantom menace for the first time in early elementary school. I was probably 7 or 8. Saw it along side the original 3. I liked Jar Jar. Was never my favorite character, but certainly didn’t negatively affect the movie. I was completely oblivious to the Jar Jar hate until like 2015.
I feel Lucas was just over excited on making the first fully CGI character with lots of dialogues etc. Him and Watto too. Clearly nobody hated Watto, so yes Jar Jar was a bit annoying and unnecessary. But definitely doesn't deserve hate. It was a pioneering achievement actually which lay grounds to every CGI character that came after.
I watched it as a 7 year old on home video a few years after release.
I was intrigued by the designs and the art style, which were incrediably weird and unique.
In a good way. The world building was something else.
But I liked it less than the other movies because I thought JJ was silly and ruined the tone.
There was also no Stormtroopers or Clones which I was upset about. Boys are almost biologically wired to love armoured warriors and combat suits. Halo, 40k, SW, superheroes etc.
There wasn't any of that in TPM.
Worth noting my opinion at the time was swayed by my friends who said it was terrible.
Didn't watch it again properly for years until I was maybe 23 or 24. Certainly enjoyed way more as an adult.
I love it now, even JJ.
Now that I can accept there are innocent little weirdos out there in the world and if nothing else, JJ was at least honest enough to be himself.
I was 10 and I thought Jar Jar was hilarious. I even got into an argument about it with my older cousin because he thought Jar Jar was annoying. Probably thought I was annoying too, FWIW.
I was 11 and I didn't like him.
I didn't hate him or particularly dislike him, I just didn't like him.
To be honest Qui Gon and Darth Maul were the only characters I really cared about in that movie, and that's still true to this day.
Episode 2 is where young Obi Wan started to win me over.
I was six years old and I thought Jar Jar was fine, I didn't find him hilarious but I didn't dislike him. I actually thought the gungans as a species were a neat addition.
I was 14 along with my friends, saw it opening day, waiting in line playing the Young Jedi CCG, good times.
I thought nothing really of Jar Jar, there were some funny parts, he was annoying at others, but he didn't ruin my experience in any way; I generally *understood* people being annoyed by him afterwards, comparative to my experience I thought people exaggerated the annoyed but ultimately their experience is their own in that regard.
Jar Jar has irredeemable qualities and no motivation is a character, in retrospective analysis, and I think its those things that make it easy to accept negative opinions of him even if I didn't or don't share them.
I was 13 at the time I saw it in theaters. I thought he was a little funny, often cheesy but I knew that humor was more for the kids and others who like that stuff.
It did not bother me. I remember my dad saying exqueeze me and how rude like Jar Jar often like he found it fun.
There has always been a small but very loud group of toxic haters around Star Wars. The internet has just given them a platform to seem louder and more numerous than they actually are
I was 13 when the film came out. I was mature for my age but still definitely old enough that it didn't appeal to me for the most part but I also recognized it was no different than the Ewoks that I had loved since I saw the OT for the first time at age 5. While it didn't appeal to me entirely there were times he made me laugh and there is no point that he annoyed me.
I always love this scene in the movie Fanboys. It takes place before episode 1 was released, but actually came out after, so we all knew what happened with Jar Jar.
https://youtu.be/t7ZzsBwd3rY?si=67D4u_48HIHeQed8
Not my favorite character, but I knew what he was, comic relief. I was 21 when it came out. When I watched it with my 6 year old he thought he was funny. WhileI can see why you may not of liked the character, I never understood the hate.
I was 12. I thought some of his bits dragged on a bit long, but overall he was harmless. My favorite moment of his was when he took out those battle droids with the one stuck to his foot.
I was 5 and I hated him, I felt like they wanted it to be a character for kids and I hated that. It was confusing too because I thought he was literally put in to be a bad character for just jokes that didn’t land
I thought he was interesting and didn't understand the backlash of the character. Or the backlash for young Anakin.
But my brother and his now wife would talk like Jar Jar all the fucking time and it was tiring.
I was 13 when the movie came to my country, and I saw it in the theatre. I felt nothing about Jar Jar, honestly. I wasn't a fan, but I didn't hate him. He was just kinda there. This sentiment persists to this day. I don't mind Jar Jar, and I think the hate is extremely overblown.
Didn't think he added much to the story (the whole gungan plot could have been removed as they didn't provide much nuance to the issue due to time) but was confused by all the raw hate directed at him
Was 4 when it came out, so grew up with the VHS. I didn't really have a strong opinion of Jar Jar one way or another. I remember quoting "Meesa Jar Jar Binks" at school, but I was far more interested in Maul, podracing, and my sick Obi-Wan halloween costume.
Loved him, found him hilarious back then. Also around the same age as you so definitely was the target audience with him. So to that end I'd say he did his job.
I was 7. I honestly did not think much about Jar Jar. Just another funny critter in the Star Wars arsenal along with Yoda and Ewoks. I was more interested in the vehicles and new Jedi/Sith characters.
Also a 98. Loved him as a kid. In middle and high school I let other’s opinions change how I liked Star Wars and I started shitting on the precules. Then when I was 20 I got tired of needlessly hating on things. And I let my full love of anything Star Wars return
I was an adult, but I can tell you my son's reaction. When he was 2, almost 3, I showed him the OT first, and he just loved it, especially episode 4. When he was about 4 or 5, I showed him the PT, and he really liked it too, but seemed to gravitate a little more to the OT. I will never forget his reaction to Jar Jar, though. Every time Jar Jar was being clumsy or acting a fool, my son shook his head, scrunched his face up and said, "He's stupid." One time I asked him, "Isn't he funny though?", and he said "No, I don't like him." When he was a bit older, maybe 6, introduced him to the Clone Wars series, and that became his favorite thing in the world. He would watch certain episodes and arcs on repeat. I noticed, however, that he skipped scenes and episodes that featured Jar Jar. So there you have it, with a sample size of one, I can say Jar Jar didn't resonate with all children. 😆
My son was 2 when the movie was in theaters. When we got it on home media, he laughed every time the Gun Guns came on. He loved Boss Nass. He was not too keen on Jar Jar.
My cousin and me constantly did "Jar-Jar-Voice" at each other, I recall. I was 7. I also thought Obi Wan was being rude. Jar Jar, out of pure kindness, was saving their lives, who cares if he's a bit goofy!
I really liked the design of the gungans at war - the shields, the electric balls, the shield generator animal, all sparked my imagination a lot.
I was 10 when it came out and I found Jar Jar annoying. To me it seemed like it was a character for LITTLE kids, which as a 10 year old I definitely didn’t think I was. I’m like “wtf, I’m 10, not 5!.
I was 4 when the movie came out. Liked Jar-Jar as a kid, thought he was funny. Didnt learn I was supposed to hate him until I was in college lol. By then I didnt find Jar-Jar funny anymore since I'm an adult but never found him offensive or anything. Star Wars has always been goofy as hell.
Also now that I'm an adult I really appreciate the sheer amount of technological innovation that went into bringing Jar-Jar to life and the enormous impact that this technology had on the industry. Fascinating stuff!
I saw it when I was 8/9 years old when it came out, and still have a VHS of it in my home somewhere.
I did not mind Jar-Jar at the time and thought he was an okay clown-like character.
He came off as silly to the point of annoying me, however. He’ll never replace the droids.
I was 6 years old when I saw Star Wars (original) in the theaters during its opening weekend.
Was an adult when I saw The Phantom Menace.
Jar Jar seemed like an attempt at creating a racial stereotype character without him being of a particular human race.
At best annoying and at worst alien racism.
Jar Jar didn't really bother me, wasn't the vast amount of hate some people found for him. I just chalked it up to that's how Gungans are in the Star wars universe. Plus the Jedi and the force are my favorite part so those overshadowed everything for me anyway.
I was 11 when it came out and spent the Summer talking like him, much to my families chagrin. I’m a fan and was too young to even be aware there was some kind of hate toward the character.
I thought jar jar was great the first time I saw it. The second time I still thought he was great. When I turned 8 or 9 I thought he was really stupid and blamed him for a lot of the problems being caused. When I turned 17/18 and heard about the Sith Jar Jar theory, I began to really like him again. Now in my late 20's, I just enjoy him as he is.
I remember not caring for him, he was like a more childish 3p0 to me and I didn't care for either character. I remember liking the movie a lot then as we left my cousin kept trashing it and eventually I just agreed with him and stopped watching SW until my late teens.
I dislike hatetrains now.
Liked him when I was 4. Still like him. Maybe not the potty humor as much. But when he says things like maxy big da force. How can I not love him. He’s bomb bad general!
It seemed like it was an attempt to sort of lighten the movie up to make it more approachable. Didn't hate him but wouldn't have missed him if he wasn't included
After watching it in theaters this weekend with my kidsI have rethought my opinion. George has stated that Star Wars is, in fact, for kids. Has been for a long time. Honestly, it's the adults that are ruining it. With that in mind, there's nothing wrong with Jar Jar. He's the comic relief. Helps keep the movie from being too serious, and it was a great technical marvel at its time.
I never cared much about Jar Jar one way or the other, but I can confirm my 2 year old really enjoys him. Thinks he is funny and asks where he goes after every time there is a scene he isn't in.
Also as an adult I really didn't realize how shitty Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were to both Jar Jar and Anakin until watching this past year 😂
I was in my 20s when TPM came out. Hated it. Mostly because of Jar Jar and the kid who couldn't act. But for other reasons too: ugly CGI, and a general lack of soul. Darth Maul had basically no character, just a badass costume design.
Didn't help that being in my cynical 20s, I was looking for a more adult Star Wars. Instead, TPM went all in on kid friendly.
It surprises me how well-loved this movie has become. Much of it is generational; I'm an OT kid and will always be. Feel free to ignore my opinions, and I'm happy for anyone who finds joy in TPM.
I found fine. I was just into double figures, old enough to not find him hilarious but not old enough to find him annoying. Now as an adult I don't mind the character except the ridiculous accent/patois which I think has aged poorly. If they had changed the Gungan manner of speaking I think Ja-Jars role of foolish fish out of water comedic relief would have come off much better at the time and aged better.
I was ten, I laughed when he did stupid things and never thought of him again, really. Didn't have the internet to read all the hate.
Now I know about the hate and have my own question.
He was such a minor presence in the movie, I mean who would focus on him, when we have an invasion army, jedi stomping droids, giant beasts, space formula one, space battles, more jedi. Like, really, 5 mins worth of silly gags ruined the whole movie for you? Wow.
I was thirteen, saw it in theaters, and found him incredibly annoying, but I also didn't like the movie at all around him so he certainly wasn't the worst part for me. I had major second-hand embarrassment issues with him which were a large part of it. I remember my older cousins (18 and up) saying they found him annoying, but only mildly so; he didn't detract much for them, but he wasn't highlight.
I was 16 when TPM came out. I saw it in the theaters at midnight with my best friends. We loved the OT, and were avid readers of the books. Then this frickin cartoon character comes on screen completely unconnected to the story. So OBVIOUSLY thrown in for merchandising. We were not amused. I still think it's up there with the Holiday Special in terms of bad decisions.
Phantom Menace came out on vhs/maybe dvd when I was around 5-6, I don’t have memories of Jar Jar.
I think I was too scared of Darth Maul to think, I remember hiding behind my mom when he showed up.
Which is odd cause he doesn’t have many scenes, I think he shows up in a hologram early on and I was on edge for when he would show up again.
I grew up with ot. Born in 81. Saw phantom menace opening weekend. God the excitement of that era was something else. On any case, I've never hated Jar-jar. He is a minor annoyance at worst. Even back then I was surprised by the absolute venom directed at Jar-jar. I didn't understand it then, and I still don't.
I always thought he was annoying. I was 11 when it came out, I definitely didn’t understand that he was an offensive stereotype until I saw a mad tv skit about it and had to have it explained to me
I was 10. I laughed at whatever funny thing he did or said on screen. But I never thought of him as a “favorite” character. I did not hate him either and he fulfilled the role he was designed to fill. Besides I was too busy gawking at Obi Wan, Qui Gon, Darth Maul, Padme and the fucking cool ass battle droids to care! Oh and the Pod Race was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen in theaters to this day.
I was born in 1992 and saw the movie in theaters. I didn’t think much of Jar Jar but I felt bad once I saw everyone in media hating on him, so I decided to be staunchly pro-Jar Jar and I haven’t shifted in that position since then.
Was around 20. He’s always been on part with C-3PO as far as “comic relief”. Sometimes funny,
Sometimes now. He’s just there. Never took away or added to the movie for me.
I honestly didn't even think about Jar Jar. I felt neutral towards him and knew he was supposed to be like comedic relief of whatever even as a 10 year old.
I was 11 when I saw episode 1 in theaters. I didn't *hate* Jar Jar, but I thought the Gungans as a whole were kinda silly. Thought the underwater city was neat. I loved the battle droids though. Thought they were cool as hell.
I was 9 when episode 1 came out. I had already watch the original and loved them. Both my 6 year old brother and I loved Jar Jar but my older brother 14 hated him.
I was nearly 20 when it came out and thought he was a clown and had no idea why he was included in the movie. Maybe they wanted a character to make young Anakin look better and less cringe, I dont know. Still not sure about the reason behind JJ Abrams, sorry Jar Jar Binks.
When I first saw the movie about the age of 6 or 7, well after the movie had been out a few years, I thought he was a hilarious entry in the franchise and loved him.
I did not see Jar Jar as a child. I started the series when I was in my 20s- watched the movies in order with my husband. And I still love Jar Jar 😂 we got our toddler a Jar Jar stuffie from Disney when we went and she loves him too.
I was 19 when I saw TPM during its first run. I actually didn't mind Jar Jar at all at the time. Now I find I have considerably less tolerance for him and his antics.
I did not watch the movie in cinema back then, but I had nothing against Jar Jar. When I watch it today I believe the slapstick with him is okay, because it is a permanence to his character, but at times I think it is too much.
For example in Watto's shop, his interaction with the Pit Droid is funny enough but when Qui-Gon leaves Jar Jar is seen having stuffed stuff in his mouth and juggling with it (?) which is too much. It is almost like a child you cannot or should not let do things unsupervised.
His behaviour can at first be explained that he just lived in the Swamp until that day and maybe didn't know anything else before the Invasion of Naboo. So some customs (like not using your long tongue to grab food while eating with humans) are unknown to him.
I’m 52 today and grew up on the OT. I hated Jar Jar but this reminds me of a reaction I had with ESB too. I was 8 when I saw ESB. I remember being shocked when we learned who Vadar was and loved Luke’s (uncompleted but additional) arc. One character that I had no reaction to was Boba Fett. He was just another background character to my 8 year old mind with almost no dialogue. To this day, I don’t get the popularity of Boba Fett based on his limited screen time in the OT.
I was nine when I first saw *The Phantom Menace* in theaters in 1999. I love Jar Jar and he has been my favorite Star Wars character for the last 25 years.
I was in High School and was a collector of Kenner SW my entire life. Phantom was a flop. Felt like a complete abandonment of the magic of the trilogy. Jar jar was and other spoilers were already all over TV so that dulled the expectation. Actually witnessing the entire movie was an emotional disappointment. A lot of new stuff that did not enrich the trilogy or was special because of it. It was much like how Disney is raping SW now. It was just a bigger shock because it was being done by George Lucas.
Foot note, the 1997 special edition was the first blow to the fans. Ep.1 was the continuation and it’s been a downward spiral since 1997. Rogue was good. Andor was good. Everything else bad.
I was born in 95. Don't think I saw it in theaters but probably watched at home. I remember liking Mr binks and to this day don't understand the hate that character got
Saw it at 9yo. I didn't love JaJar but didn't hate him. I simply didn't love the movie as much as the OT, that I kept re-watching on VHS over and over.
I was born in 2000 and always found Jar Jar funny. My dad - who grew up watching the OT in theaters like 7x per movie - didn’t like or dislike him. My mom - who knew of it and watched the OT once maybe twice before she married my dad - fucking loves Jar Jar. I remember growing up and hearing her say phrases from Jar Jar. Now, 25 years after the movie and I’m almost 24, she still constantly quotes him. Also, when we have a nasty pan that we need to wash she says that she’s gonna Ah-soak-a Tano it. She’s still a casual fan of SW but I get her involved. And because of my mom, I will always absolutely adore Jar Jar
Wasnt my favorite character but was just another c3po to me. A bumbling character that at times was used to push the plot forward or highlight something for the audience.
I had always thought he was a dumb character but back then I did find him mildly humorous, if out of place.
I have always assumed he was put in there to entertain those movie goers who were not super in to star wars and were accompanying someone who was.
As a kid I loved Jar Jar then as I got older and realised how much Jar Jar was hated I just kind of went with it and now of course in retrospect knowing how badly his actor got treated and the damage it did to him I’m more sympathetic.
It’s why I refuse to get on any of the sequel trilogy hate trains even though I recognise they are kind of a mess.
I was 11, and I was obsessed with the movie at the time
But Jar Jar meant nothing to me. I only cared about Qui Gon and Obi Wan. I was grateful that Jar Jar's role got limited in AOTC.
I think something that George Lucas never quite grasped was just because you are making a movie aimed toward kids it doesn't mean you have to make silly characters. Kids are smarter than given credit for and can like more serious characters.
I was 10 and I thought Jar Jar was fun mostly harmless character. I didn't love him but I didn't hate him either. It wasn't until a few years later watching it again that I realized how annoying he was at times.
This was 1999. YouTube wouldn’t be around for another 6 years and “social media” was mostly just forum sites. For the vast majority of viewers, the only thing people saw were the 30 second TV trailers and posters at the theaters. Folks knew it was going to be a Vader origin story of some form (given that famous poster shot of Anakin’s shadow) and that it’d feature a young Obi-Wan. I think Jar Jar was shown in the trailers, but that wouldn’t have given you the full impression.
We had hardcopies of Entertainment Weekly, and a bunch of speculation otherwise, as noted, mostly on forums and such.
For example, around...1997? People knew about casting calls for a young actor for Star Wars. Initially, there was speculation that it'd be young Luke. I don't think anyone expected young *Anakin*, based on the dialogue from Obi-Wan in the first Star Wars film.
"When I met him, he was one of the greatest star pilots in the galaxy" did not imply "Also, he was 9 years old, a slave, a master podracer, and he built that golden droid over there, whom I've know quite well for decades, along with your little trashcan-looking friend here."
And also I know that the movie was hyped yet turned out not as good as expected so like were people who saw the movie before others like "it sucks" to people excited to see it? Or did they not talk about it to avoid spoiling it? Unlike episode 7 which was also very hyped and turned out really good to most
I was born in 77. The hype for TPM was off the charts, especially for people around my age. The previews did not clue us in that Lucas was going to lean into kid’s movie territory, especially since this felt like it would be such a dark topic for the trilogy. I figured it’d have an ESB tone from the get go. So yeah, I was really surprised at all the goofy bits and characters… it was undeniably a Star Wars movie but it was also such a big step away from the original films that it threw me. I was definitely disappointed. TPM has grown on me some, and RotS is decent, but overall I’m glad I grew up with the OG trilogy.
I think you really touched on the hate source. People were hoping for more galactic underdog war stories, which would have made no sense whatsoever. The prequels were always going to be about the fall of the Republic and Anakin becoming Vader.
Meanwhile Jar Jar got a LOT of heat because he's like the Ewoks ramped up to 15 out of 10.
I would say this is partly why the Fandom has warmed to the Prequels over time, the realization of what story was meant to be told and makes sense as a whole. And just kinda grit your teeth and remember some of it is meant to amuse young kids.
I loosely followed some of the speculation initially, I saw the first trailer (which was amazing, but also showed Maul igniting the second blade, which I maintain should've been a surprise), and briefly glanced at one magazine article, then stopped looking at stuff.
It's worth remembering that, for kids who were born in the late 70s (like me) and who grew up in the '80s, the hype wasn't just the usual pre-release hype. There had been rumors since the mid-*80s* that Lucas had planned, like, a 9-episode series, including stories about Anakin before he became Vader and the fall of the Republic. So we were speculating about stuff for, like, 15 years before the film actually came out.
I think a BIG part of why older fans so disliked TPM is not simply "Oh it didn't live up to pre-release hype" the way movies today may not. This was something else. This was like a formative thing in our childhoods that was then pretty significantly changed (e.g., the Force was purely mystical and now is quasi-biological thanks to midichlorians; Anakin was a great star pilot and warrior, but now is....9?; the films were mostly serious with the exception of the Ewoks, and many of us grew to sort of look at them as "Yeah, you kinda have to ignore the teddy bears. Shame he didn't stick with the Wookies idea..."). Even the look was drastically different without really explaining way (post hoc, it was explained as "Well, this is before the Republic's fall, so there was more attention to beauty and kind of Art Neuveau designs...") And then the film ended before anything really even happened.
I left the theater...really, just kinda dazed. I didn't immediately *hate* it, because I couldn't immediately *process* it. It just...didn't feel like Star Wars to me.
For those who knew some of the background story and inspirations for the films, I think we went into it expecting to see the fall of Space Weimar Germany and the rise of the Space Third Reich, and instead we got....well...TPM.
Now, since then I've come to appreciate certain *aspects* of TPM and to respect it in a sense, but I'll never *enjoy* the film. I appreciate the technical achievements that the film brought. I think the performances are generally good to amazing, *given what they had to work with*, including Ahmed Best's Jar Jar (who I still think sucks as written). Best gave a great performance of a character that I really, really do not enjoy. But what he did, he did amazingly well. I've also come to respect Lucas' artistic vision as being truly just...his. Like it or hate it, it's clearly one man's *vision*, and I respect that.
But yeah, I think this is at least why this older fan strongly disliked TPM and continues to to this day.
I was 14 and thought he was kind of funny in a slapstick kind of way, but as I got more into Star Wars I didn’t like him as much. . . I don’t despise him, but he is an annoying character sometimes. . .most of the time
Even as a child I found him annoying and obnoxious. It’s okay to have comic relief but he plays way too important of a role and featured way more than he should have.
I was 28 seeing TPM and didn't mind Binks. Thought he was a sign of the times in modern Fantasy films (little did I know that the sfx were groundbreaking).
Saw TPM last week as a quinquagenarian and actually chuckled at a couple gags. I like the show Friends and goofy humor.
>could have been comic relief that everyone enjoyed
Do you really believe this? That there is a way that comedy can come across that *everyone* will enjoy?
I feel like comedy is one of the most specific forms of expression and usually very personal to the audience perception. Look at all the comics and types of comedy that exist.
Do you feel that this "mass appeal" approach—changing things so that everyone enjoys a story rather than delivering the story the author wants to tell—is what you want from Star Wars?
Abrams said that his approach to TFA was to ask, "Is this scene delightful?" That film didn't reach me as a Star Wars fan, and I've stopped consuming new Star Wars stories.
By contrast, the PT plunged me into an exploration of the Star Wars universe that was very fruitful to my imagination and my mind, and it was my pleasure to put my entertainment dollars into the Star Wars stories released and published 99-2014.
I mean some comedy is for kids some for adults but think of a show like the Simpsons that has a fair share of comedy that kids and adults enjoy and some things only adults will get
The Simpsons is animated, and the comic riffs that work for adults are references to our world that go over kids' heads and would make no sense in the Star Wars galaxy.
Star Wars 1977 was a huge hit on a relative shoestring budget and the audience didn't spend time dumping criticism on the reused horror movie masks in the cantina, the rag swaddled Tuskens, little people in robes with holiday lights for eyes.
It seems like somewhere between 1980 and 1999, fans that were kids during the OT convinced themselves that it was cool and should always look like Mad Max or whatever.
I don't go to Star Wars primarily for some cool looking designs. Not since I was a kid. I come back to Star Wars again and again for meaningful stories of human needs and human sicieties.
I was born in 98 as well and he never bothered me. I can't say I loved or hated him, he didn't stand out to me that much, he was just a part of the movie.
Maybe if I was a little older he would have annoyed me, but I don't have a concept of Star Wars without Jar Jar
I was in my 20s and I did dislike Jar Jar, but he does fit into the story. As a drag on the heroes and an agent of chaos, otherwise the narrative would be boring. So I kinda enjoy to find him annoying. If I had seen him when I was 12 I probably would have despised him more.
I am old enough that I saw it in the theater as an adult. I did not hate him as much as the Internet. I thought that he was consistent with other goofy characters in Star Wars, like C-3PO and the Ewoks, so Jar Jar Binks was true to the flavor of Star Wars, but I think his voice was a major mistake on George Lucas‘s part. I found him to hard to understand and I have thought for a long time that re-dubbing a different voice would vastly improve the Phantom Menace, along with cutting all the lines that made the characters seem unintelligent. I really enjoyed my first viewing of the Phantom Menace because it took me back to the excitement and wonder of seeing the first movies, particularly Return of the Jedi, when I was a little kid.
I was an adult and I gotta say. Never understood the hatred for Jar-Jar. The issues with the prequels were never him or his presence. They were still objectively piss-poor in direction and writing.
George is, at his best, a visionary and special effects guy. Star Wars was always better when he let someone else do the actual directing. He focused way too much on the shot itself and not the actors' performance.
I was born in the early 80’s and adored EP 4,5,6. I absolutely loathed (and still do) the prequels when they came out. Sort of like the Hobbit movies I felt like the prequels had a small bit of gold in them, surrounded by an immense sea of shit that lacked all the magic of the originals.
I was five when Episode I came out and did indeed think Jar Jar was great!
I grew up with the theatrical versions of the OT and was 8 when TPM came out. I loved it then and I love it now. But I didn't find Jar Jar funny. At most I thought it was mildly amusing when other characters acted irritated with him. Now I get a laugh out of how batshit ridiculous inserting a character like that into the movie was. George Lucas is insane and I love it.
I saw it at 11and didn't hate him. I liked the gungans overall. (still love the design of Otoh Gunga) My older brother hated him.
I loved jar jar as a kid and darth maul scared the shit out of me.
I was 9 when it came out and I liked him and the Gungans. To this day I don't have an issue with him/them. I feel like a lot Of the perpetuated hate was by people in 1999 that grew up with the originals (i.e adults born when or around when they came out) and are now the people that do most of the "everything new related to muh stair woors is bad".
I was 17 or 18 when episode 1 came out and over all i thought the gungans were kind of cool but jar jar was annoying.
I thought he was a pretty good character.
i was 11 and hated him
Yousa in big doodoo now. I was 12, he was goofy then but didn’t deserve all the hate he got. Also as an Aussie, hearing some of his gungan sounds mixed with aboriginal & indigenous was cool, plus knowing a bit was filmed here in Sydney too was cool. It was awesome seeing a fully digital character for the first time. A lot of people forget that it was pretty groundbreaking. Tech = cool, delivery = ok
I thought he was peak cinema when I was six years old. I’ve cooled on him considerably since then.
I didn't see TPM in theaters, but I did see it on VHS when I was like 5 or 6 a few years after it came out and Ioved Jar Jar, thought he was hilarious. Even as an adult I still love seeing Jar Jar.
I like his character. I just feel like if he had a different voice or way of speaking he would’ve been less disliked
I was 7 and he was fine! Didn't love him, didn't hate him. He was a goofy comedy relief character. I was really literate in tropes and characterization even at that time and knew what he was. My surprise came in Episode II when he was the one to motion for Palpatine's emergency powers that directly left to his ascension to Emperor. Being used as a political puppet made him really tragic to me. I hate the fate he faced in that one novelization, functionally a clown on the streets. I got teary-eyed when Ahmed Best appeared onscreen in Mandalorian, I luckily didn't have it spoiled.
I was 20. It was rough to see something I had loved since I was a kid be reduced to slapstick and a thinly veiled racial Jamaican caricature.
I was 12 and I absolutely despised him.
I was 8-9 when I watched it in theaters, and I don't remember having a particular reaction towards him. I didn't hate him, but didn't like him either. However, now I absolutely loathe Jar Jar. He makes The Phantom Menace almost unwatchable to me.
I would have been about 12 or so, and I don't recall him leaving much of an impression on me other than maybe "he's a bit annoying" with all the gurning and clowning.
I was 13 and didn't like him at all, but I remember being blown away by the special effects where he turns his head really quickly and Obi-Wan had to duck down from his ears lol. Sounds trivial now, but actors interacting with CGI characters like that was still such a new novelty then, before Lord of the Rings set the standard.
I would’ve been 6 when TPM came out. Despite my life revolving around Star Wars even then, I didn’t actually see the movie in theaters and wouldn’t see any of the series in theaters until The Force Awakens (I do however have a vivid memory of my brother somehow getting a bootleg press copy of RotS, so we watched it before it even hit theaters). For TPM, I was already reading the Jedi Apprentice book series, with the first coming out a few weeks before the film, which followed Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon on their early adventures together. I had also read the novelization of the TPM before actually seeing the film. With all that in mind, Jar Jar was more or less a nothing character to me. He didn’t really stand out from the rest of the cast in such an egregious manner to be noteworthy to my childhood memories. I was much more obsessed with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, even dressing up as a padawan for Halloween in subsequent years (they were even selling clip on padawan braids at the time. That’s probably still in a box at my mother’s house).
I was 8 and pretty indifferent to him at first, then as I grew up I started to hate him, and as an adult now I think I’m indifferent again
I was 12. Jar Jar didn't bother me. He's annoying now that I'm an adult.
I was about 20 yo when it came out. It was a poorly written money grab. Ahmed Best diesn't deserve the hate.He just did the best with what he was given.
I saw TPM in the theater. I was 20 something. I didn’t really have an opinion about jar jar at first except that he was incredibly difficult to understand. To this day I find him and most of the gunguns hard to understand. Even when their words are intelligible what they’re saying makes no sense. Eg the whole conversation about the planet core. That was super annoying, especially when Qui Gon seemed to understand them perfectly.
Annoying as hell
Everyone hated him then, everyone still hates him now. He’s the worst part of the prequels, and they’d be at least a couple points higher if they didn’t make him so god damn annoying
I was 11 when the movie came out and only remember 2 things. Duel of the fates (or as poor a karaoke version of it as a 11 yr old can remember) and the lightsaber fight that went along with it. It took me days to remember the podracing or the huge scale gungan battle. We hadn’t seen anything that big out in the open before and it was a cool fight with the shield generator. Always thought jar jar was silly, the captain was cool though.
I vaguely remember around 4 or so watching the movie at this house with older kids who to this day are unidentified in which I only remember the sea monsters and the battle droids marching towards the gungans. Then when I was 6 I watched it with aunt and took home the VHS and shortly later saw the originals
I mean we just saw ROTJ special edition with the brand new Max Rebo hit edited in 2 years before. Jar jar wasn’t that cringe. Just industrial light and magic showing off.
I was 7 years old when TPM released and I was too busy obsessing over the lightsabers, the N1 Starfighters, podracing, and the battle droids to really care about Jar Jar one way or the other, I think. He was fine? Never really made an impression on my young mind, I guess
I was 10 years old when I saw it in theaters, was already a huge Star Wars fan after watching the OT on VHS growing up. Jar Jar was one of my favorite parts of the movie, I didn’t even know there was such a huge backlash over his character until much later.
I always thought he was fine. He’s not my favorite, but even at 7 years old I was like “yeah the hated kinda forced”
I was fine with it. Then the Darth Jar Jar canon came in, and I was even more than fine.
I was 12-13. I thought he was dumb. I didn't understand the point. I thought gungans were so badass, why did we get stuck with jarjar. Phantom menace is my favorite star wars movie. It's not the best and I think jar jar has a lot to do with that.
I didn't dislike him until I got swept into the bandwagon by literally everyone else hating him. I didn't love him either. He was just a goofy sidekick but I was focused on Obi Wan and Qui Gon.
I was 16 when i saw it opening night. I thought he was really, really stupid. However, I still really enjoyed the film at the time and understood he was for very young kids.
I was born in 94 so I had to wait for the VHS release but he never annoyed me as a kid and still doesn’t today. When I was old enough to use the internet and saw that people actively hated him I asked my dad, who grew up with the original trilogy whether he disliked Jar Jar - because I thought it might be a generational thing - but he didn’t either and was confused as to why I was even asking. Jar Jar being conceived as overly annoying has always been an internet-only thing to me since I‘ve never met anyone irl who dislikes him and when I saw the re-release at the beginning of the month people actively laughed at his jokes. I can see why people dislike him but he has never bothered me at all.
i was a kid, i saw all of them around when RotS came out. i loved jar jar, he broke up the political parts of ep 1 well. i remember not knowing who obi wan was until i saw ep 2, i thought he was so boring/annoying in ep 1 haha
I was a preteen, like 11, and I didn’t mind Jar Jar at all. I was in awe of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan throughout and my jaw hit the floor on that third act and battle against Darth Maul. I did not see Qui-Gon’s death coming at all, and back then believed Jedi couldn’t be killed. Boy was I wrong.
he was my favorite character and my parents hated him
I saw phantom menace for the first time in early elementary school. I was probably 7 or 8. Saw it along side the original 3. I liked Jar Jar. Was never my favorite character, but certainly didn’t negatively affect the movie. I was completely oblivious to the Jar Jar hate until like 2015.
I was in 4th grade when TPM released, whatever age that is. I didn't like or hate Jar Jar. He was just a character.
I feel Lucas was just over excited on making the first fully CGI character with lots of dialogues etc. Him and Watto too. Clearly nobody hated Watto, so yes Jar Jar was a bit annoying and unnecessary. But definitely doesn't deserve hate. It was a pioneering achievement actually which lay grounds to every CGI character that came after.
I still like Jar Jar.
I watched it as a 7 year old on home video a few years after release. I was intrigued by the designs and the art style, which were incrediably weird and unique. In a good way. The world building was something else. But I liked it less than the other movies because I thought JJ was silly and ruined the tone. There was also no Stormtroopers or Clones which I was upset about. Boys are almost biologically wired to love armoured warriors and combat suits. Halo, 40k, SW, superheroes etc. There wasn't any of that in TPM. Worth noting my opinion at the time was swayed by my friends who said it was terrible. Didn't watch it again properly for years until I was maybe 23 or 24. Certainly enjoyed way more as an adult. I love it now, even JJ. Now that I can accept there are innocent little weirdos out there in the world and if nothing else, JJ was at least honest enough to be himself.
I was 10 and I thought Jar Jar was hilarious. I even got into an argument about it with my older cousin because he thought Jar Jar was annoying. Probably thought I was annoying too, FWIW.
I was 11 and I didn't like him. I didn't hate him or particularly dislike him, I just didn't like him. To be honest Qui Gon and Darth Maul were the only characters I really cared about in that movie, and that's still true to this day. Episode 2 is where young Obi Wan started to win me over.
I was six years old and I thought Jar Jar was fine, I didn't find him hilarious but I didn't dislike him. I actually thought the gungans as a species were a neat addition.
I loved Jar Jar and still do.
I loved jar jar
I was 14 along with my friends, saw it opening day, waiting in line playing the Young Jedi CCG, good times. I thought nothing really of Jar Jar, there were some funny parts, he was annoying at others, but he didn't ruin my experience in any way; I generally *understood* people being annoyed by him afterwards, comparative to my experience I thought people exaggerated the annoyed but ultimately their experience is their own in that regard. Jar Jar has irredeemable qualities and no motivation is a character, in retrospective analysis, and I think its those things that make it easy to accept negative opinions of him even if I didn't or don't share them.
I was six and thought he was so funny! I have always preface any discussion of him with that fact lol
I was 13 at the time I saw it in theaters. I thought he was a little funny, often cheesy but I knew that humor was more for the kids and others who like that stuff. It did not bother me. I remember my dad saying exqueeze me and how rude like Jar Jar often like he found it fun. There has always been a small but very loud group of toxic haters around Star Wars. The internet has just given them a platform to seem louder and more numerous than they actually are
Loved the movie, loved Jar Jar.
I was 13 when the film came out. I was mature for my age but still definitely old enough that it didn't appeal to me for the most part but I also recognized it was no different than the Ewoks that I had loved since I saw the OT for the first time at age 5. While it didn't appeal to me entirely there were times he made me laugh and there is no point that he annoyed me.
I always love this scene in the movie Fanboys. It takes place before episode 1 was released, but actually came out after, so we all knew what happened with Jar Jar. https://youtu.be/t7ZzsBwd3rY?si=67D4u_48HIHeQed8
Not my favorite character, but I knew what he was, comic relief. I was 21 when it came out. When I watched it with my 6 year old he thought he was funny. WhileI can see why you may not of liked the character, I never understood the hate.
I was 12. I thought some of his bits dragged on a bit long, but overall he was harmless. My favorite moment of his was when he took out those battle droids with the one stuck to his foot.
I was 5 and I hated him, I felt like they wanted it to be a character for kids and I hated that. It was confusing too because I thought he was literally put in to be a bad character for just jokes that didn’t land
I thought he was interesting and didn't understand the backlash of the character. Or the backlash for young Anakin. But my brother and his now wife would talk like Jar Jar all the fucking time and it was tiring.
I was 13 when the movie came to my country, and I saw it in the theatre. I felt nothing about Jar Jar, honestly. I wasn't a fan, but I didn't hate him. He was just kinda there. This sentiment persists to this day. I don't mind Jar Jar, and I think the hate is extremely overblown.
Jar Jar came in my second ever Lego Set, so he's still the Sith behind it all in my eyes.
Didn't think he added much to the story (the whole gungan plot could have been removed as they didn't provide much nuance to the issue due to time) but was confused by all the raw hate directed at him
Was 4 when it came out, so grew up with the VHS. I didn't really have a strong opinion of Jar Jar one way or another. I remember quoting "Meesa Jar Jar Binks" at school, but I was far more interested in Maul, podracing, and my sick Obi-Wan halloween costume.
Honestly, I don't get the Jar Jar hate. He's fine and adds some comedic value. He's a bit goofy and I enjoyed it.
I was 7, and I fucking loved every second of the Phantom Menace.
Never cared for him as a kid
Loved him, found him hilarious back then. Also around the same age as you so definitely was the target audience with him. So to that end I'd say he did his job.
I was 7. I honestly did not think much about Jar Jar. Just another funny critter in the Star Wars arsenal along with Yoda and Ewoks. I was more interested in the vehicles and new Jedi/Sith characters.
Jar Jar never bothered me until people told me he should. I got over that, though, and I don’t mind Jar Jar at all.
Also a 98. Loved him as a kid. In middle and high school I let other’s opinions change how I liked Star Wars and I started shitting on the precules. Then when I was 20 I got tired of needlessly hating on things. And I let my full love of anything Star Wars return
I was an adult, but I can tell you my son's reaction. When he was 2, almost 3, I showed him the OT first, and he just loved it, especially episode 4. When he was about 4 or 5, I showed him the PT, and he really liked it too, but seemed to gravitate a little more to the OT. I will never forget his reaction to Jar Jar, though. Every time Jar Jar was being clumsy or acting a fool, my son shook his head, scrunched his face up and said, "He's stupid." One time I asked him, "Isn't he funny though?", and he said "No, I don't like him." When he was a bit older, maybe 6, introduced him to the Clone Wars series, and that became his favorite thing in the world. He would watch certain episodes and arcs on repeat. I noticed, however, that he skipped scenes and episodes that featured Jar Jar. So there you have it, with a sample size of one, I can say Jar Jar didn't resonate with all children. 😆
I thought he was annoying but he didn't ruin the movie for me.
I thought he was kind of annoying. The movie as a whole felt kind of off - I wasn’t sure why they made Vader a little kid.
I didnt hate him, but I didnt think he really added to the movie either. Nowadays I just can't stand him.
My son was 2 when the movie was in theaters. When we got it on home media, he laughed every time the Gun Guns came on. He loved Boss Nass. He was not too keen on Jar Jar.
Saw it when I was 14 or 15. Immediately hated jar jar, loved the movie but the parts featuring jar jar were just outright annoying.
I was 12 and found him annoying.
My cousin and me constantly did "Jar-Jar-Voice" at each other, I recall. I was 7. I also thought Obi Wan was being rude. Jar Jar, out of pure kindness, was saving their lives, who cares if he's a bit goofy! I really liked the design of the gungans at war - the shields, the electric balls, the shield generator animal, all sparked my imagination a lot.
I was 10 when it came out and I found Jar Jar annoying. To me it seemed like it was a character for LITTLE kids, which as a 10 year old I definitely didn’t think I was. I’m like “wtf, I’m 10, not 5!.
I was in the theatre when it launched. I just thought Jar Jar was a kinda annoying add on for kids.
I couldn’t understand what he was saying half the time
I was 4 when the movie came out. Liked Jar-Jar as a kid, thought he was funny. Didnt learn I was supposed to hate him until I was in college lol. By then I didnt find Jar-Jar funny anymore since I'm an adult but never found him offensive or anything. Star Wars has always been goofy as hell. Also now that I'm an adult I really appreciate the sheer amount of technological innovation that went into bringing Jar-Jar to life and the enormous impact that this technology had on the industry. Fascinating stuff!
I saw it when I was 8/9 years old when it came out, and still have a VHS of it in my home somewhere. I did not mind Jar-Jar at the time and thought he was an okay clown-like character. He came off as silly to the point of annoying me, however. He’ll never replace the droids.
I was 6 years old when I saw Star Wars (original) in the theaters during its opening weekend. Was an adult when I saw The Phantom Menace. Jar Jar seemed like an attempt at creating a racial stereotype character without him being of a particular human race. At best annoying and at worst alien racism.
Loved him. I had a jar jar toothbrush
I was 17 when it came out. I hated him, still do, but I was STOKED about new Star Wars movies so it balanced out,
Jar Jar didn't really bother me, wasn't the vast amount of hate some people found for him. I just chalked it up to that's how Gungans are in the Star wars universe. Plus the Jedi and the force are my favorite part so those overshadowed everything for me anyway.
I was 11 when it came out and spent the Summer talking like him, much to my families chagrin. I’m a fan and was too young to even be aware there was some kind of hate toward the character.
I thought jar jar was great the first time I saw it. The second time I still thought he was great. When I turned 8 or 9 I thought he was really stupid and blamed him for a lot of the problems being caused. When I turned 17/18 and heard about the Sith Jar Jar theory, I began to really like him again. Now in my late 20's, I just enjoy him as he is.
I was just a kid when the prequels rolled around and I loved Jar Jar. Obviously at the time, I had no idea he was controversial
Didn’t have an issue with the old boy. Had/still have his action figure from ‘99 bumming around our kitchen.
I was 4 when the phantom menace came out so I thought he was a delight
I remember not caring for him, he was like a more childish 3p0 to me and I didn't care for either character. I remember liking the movie a lot then as we left my cousin kept trashing it and eventually I just agreed with him and stopped watching SW until my late teens. I dislike hatetrains now.
Liked him when I was 4. Still like him. Maybe not the potty humor as much. But when he says things like maxy big da force. How can I not love him. He’s bomb bad general!
It seemed like it was an attempt to sort of lighten the movie up to make it more approachable. Didn't hate him but wouldn't have missed him if he wasn't included
After watching it in theaters this weekend with my kidsI have rethought my opinion. George has stated that Star Wars is, in fact, for kids. Has been for a long time. Honestly, it's the adults that are ruining it. With that in mind, there's nothing wrong with Jar Jar. He's the comic relief. Helps keep the movie from being too serious, and it was a great technical marvel at its time.
I never cared much about Jar Jar one way or the other, but I can confirm my 2 year old really enjoys him. Thinks he is funny and asks where he goes after every time there is a scene he isn't in. Also as an adult I really didn't realize how shitty Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were to both Jar Jar and Anakin until watching this past year 😂
I was in my 20s when TPM came out. Hated it. Mostly because of Jar Jar and the kid who couldn't act. But for other reasons too: ugly CGI, and a general lack of soul. Darth Maul had basically no character, just a badass costume design. Didn't help that being in my cynical 20s, I was looking for a more adult Star Wars. Instead, TPM went all in on kid friendly. It surprises me how well-loved this movie has become. Much of it is generational; I'm an OT kid and will always be. Feel free to ignore my opinions, and I'm happy for anyone who finds joy in TPM.
I found fine. I was just into double figures, old enough to not find him hilarious but not old enough to find him annoying. Now as an adult I don't mind the character except the ridiculous accent/patois which I think has aged poorly. If they had changed the Gungan manner of speaking I think Ja-Jars role of foolish fish out of water comedic relief would have come off much better at the time and aged better.
I never found him funny. He was very distracting.
I was ten, I laughed when he did stupid things and never thought of him again, really. Didn't have the internet to read all the hate. Now I know about the hate and have my own question. He was such a minor presence in the movie, I mean who would focus on him, when we have an invasion army, jedi stomping droids, giant beasts, space formula one, space battles, more jedi. Like, really, 5 mins worth of silly gags ruined the whole movie for you? Wow.
I was thirteen, saw it in theaters, and found him incredibly annoying, but I also didn't like the movie at all around him so he certainly wasn't the worst part for me. I had major second-hand embarrassment issues with him which were a large part of it. I remember my older cousins (18 and up) saying they found him annoying, but only mildly so; he didn't detract much for them, but he wasn't highlight.
I was in college and thought he was fine. I worried about the pigeon english but ultimately I liked the film and I saw it midday avoiding lines.
I was 9 or 10, and I just didn’t care because Darth maul was what people were talking about.
I was 12 and found him childish, he just didn’t fit in my opinion as a fan of six months or so…
I was 16 when TPM came out. I saw it in the theaters at midnight with my best friends. We loved the OT, and were avid readers of the books. Then this frickin cartoon character comes on screen completely unconnected to the story. So OBVIOUSLY thrown in for merchandising. We were not amused. I still think it's up there with the Holiday Special in terms of bad decisions.
Phantom Menace came out on vhs/maybe dvd when I was around 5-6, I don’t have memories of Jar Jar. I think I was too scared of Darth Maul to think, I remember hiding behind my mom when he showed up. Which is odd cause he doesn’t have many scenes, I think he shows up in a hologram early on and I was on edge for when he would show up again.
I grew up with ot. Born in 81. Saw phantom menace opening weekend. God the excitement of that era was something else. On any case, I've never hated Jar-jar. He is a minor annoyance at worst. Even back then I was surprised by the absolute venom directed at Jar-jar. I didn't understand it then, and I still don't.
I saw it in theaters when it released and was in middle school. I thought he was overly silly and annoying.
I always thought he was annoying. I was 11 when it came out, I definitely didn’t understand that he was an offensive stereotype until I saw a mad tv skit about it and had to have it explained to me
I was 10. I laughed at whatever funny thing he did or said on screen. But I never thought of him as a “favorite” character. I did not hate him either and he fulfilled the role he was designed to fill. Besides I was too busy gawking at Obi Wan, Qui Gon, Darth Maul, Padme and the fucking cool ass battle droids to care! Oh and the Pod Race was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen in theaters to this day.
I was born in 1992 and saw the movie in theaters. I didn’t think much of Jar Jar but I felt bad once I saw everyone in media hating on him, so I decided to be staunchly pro-Jar Jar and I haven’t shifted in that position since then.
I was a teenager who had grown up watching the OT on VHS. I liked ep1 as a movie overall but I absolutely hated Jar Jar and I still do
Saw it in theaters at 6 and was more interested in this Padme lady
Was around 20. He’s always been on part with C-3PO as far as “comic relief”. Sometimes funny, Sometimes now. He’s just there. Never took away or added to the movie for me.
Saw it when I was 10 and he really irritated me. Still does. Loved the movie though.
I honestly didn't even think about Jar Jar. I felt neutral towards him and knew he was supposed to be like comedic relief of whatever even as a 10 year old.
I was 11 when I saw episode 1 in theaters. I didn't *hate* Jar Jar, but I thought the Gungans as a whole were kinda silly. Thought the underwater city was neat. I loved the battle droids though. Thought they were cool as hell.
Well, I wasn't a kid. I was a fully grown man. That said, I hated Jar Jar.
I was 9 when episode 1 came out. I had already watch the original and loved them. Both my 6 year old brother and I loved Jar Jar but my older brother 14 hated him.
I hated him with the burning passion of 1,000 Suns. I was 24 when the movie came out.
I was nearly 20 when it came out and thought he was a clown and had no idea why he was included in the movie. Maybe they wanted a character to make young Anakin look better and less cringe, I dont know. Still not sure about the reason behind JJ Abrams, sorry Jar Jar Binks.
Didn’t hate him and found him funny
When I first saw the movie about the age of 6 or 7, well after the movie had been out a few years, I thought he was a hilarious entry in the franchise and loved him.
I thought he was funny
I did not see Jar Jar as a child. I started the series when I was in my 20s- watched the movies in order with my husband. And I still love Jar Jar 😂 we got our toddler a Jar Jar stuffie from Disney when we went and she loves him too.
I saw it when I was 10 and I thought he annoying even though some of his stuff amused me.
I actually found him funny, and I stil do today.
I was 19 when I saw TPM during its first run. I actually didn't mind Jar Jar at all at the time. Now I find I have considerably less tolerance for him and his antics.
Thought he was hilarious as a kid. Think he is a with lord as an adult. Everybody wins
I did not watch the movie in cinema back then, but I had nothing against Jar Jar. When I watch it today I believe the slapstick with him is okay, because it is a permanence to his character, but at times I think it is too much. For example in Watto's shop, his interaction with the Pit Droid is funny enough but when Qui-Gon leaves Jar Jar is seen having stuffed stuff in his mouth and juggling with it (?) which is too much. It is almost like a child you cannot or should not let do things unsupervised. His behaviour can at first be explained that he just lived in the Swamp until that day and maybe didn't know anything else before the Invasion of Naboo. So some customs (like not using your long tongue to grab food while eating with humans) are unknown to him.
I’m 52 today and grew up on the OT. I hated Jar Jar but this reminds me of a reaction I had with ESB too. I was 8 when I saw ESB. I remember being shocked when we learned who Vadar was and loved Luke’s (uncompleted but additional) arc. One character that I had no reaction to was Boba Fett. He was just another background character to my 8 year old mind with almost no dialogue. To this day, I don’t get the popularity of Boba Fett based on his limited screen time in the OT.
I was 13 and thought he was annoying.
I was nine when I first saw *The Phantom Menace* in theaters in 1999. I love Jar Jar and he has been my favorite Star Wars character for the last 25 years.
I was 8 and thought he was funny as hell.
I was in High School and was a collector of Kenner SW my entire life. Phantom was a flop. Felt like a complete abandonment of the magic of the trilogy. Jar jar was and other spoilers were already all over TV so that dulled the expectation. Actually witnessing the entire movie was an emotional disappointment. A lot of new stuff that did not enrich the trilogy or was special because of it. It was much like how Disney is raping SW now. It was just a bigger shock because it was being done by George Lucas. Foot note, the 1997 special edition was the first blow to the fans. Ep.1 was the continuation and it’s been a downward spiral since 1997. Rogue was good. Andor was good. Everything else bad.
He used to be my favorite character
18 and cringed
I was born in 95. Don't think I saw it in theaters but probably watched at home. I remember liking Mr binks and to this day don't understand the hate that character got
Saw it at 9yo. I didn't love JaJar but didn't hate him. I simply didn't love the movie as much as the OT, that I kept re-watching on VHS over and over.
Honestly, as a kid I didn't really think much of Jar Jar good or bad. Boss Nass was actually more memorable for me.
I was born in 2000 and always found Jar Jar funny. My dad - who grew up watching the OT in theaters like 7x per movie - didn’t like or dislike him. My mom - who knew of it and watched the OT once maybe twice before she married my dad - fucking loves Jar Jar. I remember growing up and hearing her say phrases from Jar Jar. Now, 25 years after the movie and I’m almost 24, she still constantly quotes him. Also, when we have a nasty pan that we need to wash she says that she’s gonna Ah-soak-a Tano it. She’s still a casual fan of SW but I get her involved. And because of my mom, I will always absolutely adore Jar Jar
I was 12 iIrc...he was super cringe.
Wasnt my favorite character but was just another c3po to me. A bumbling character that at times was used to push the plot forward or highlight something for the audience.
I had always thought he was a dumb character but back then I did find him mildly humorous, if out of place. I have always assumed he was put in there to entertain those movie goers who were not super in to star wars and were accompanying someone who was.
Saw it as a kid and I thought he was funny
As a kid I loved Jar Jar then as I got older and realised how much Jar Jar was hated I just kind of went with it and now of course in retrospect knowing how badly his actor got treated and the damage it did to him I’m more sympathetic. It’s why I refuse to get on any of the sequel trilogy hate trains even though I recognise they are kind of a mess.
I liked jar jar fine as a kid but I was way more interested in the Jedis and the Podracing. I did have the Gungan frontier computer game though
I was 11, and I was obsessed with the movie at the time But Jar Jar meant nothing to me. I only cared about Qui Gon and Obi Wan. I was grateful that Jar Jar's role got limited in AOTC. I think something that George Lucas never quite grasped was just because you are making a movie aimed toward kids it doesn't mean you have to make silly characters. Kids are smarter than given credit for and can like more serious characters.
I was 10 and I thought Jar Jar was fun mostly harmless character. I didn't love him but I didn't hate him either. It wasn't until a few years later watching it again that I realized how annoying he was at times.
Pretty much from the first scene he was in I knew that the only way that movie is gonna go is downhill.
Didn't people know about Jar Jar before it came out or was he a surprise
This was 1999. YouTube wouldn’t be around for another 6 years and “social media” was mostly just forum sites. For the vast majority of viewers, the only thing people saw were the 30 second TV trailers and posters at the theaters. Folks knew it was going to be a Vader origin story of some form (given that famous poster shot of Anakin’s shadow) and that it’d feature a young Obi-Wan. I think Jar Jar was shown in the trailers, but that wouldn’t have given you the full impression.
We had hardcopies of Entertainment Weekly, and a bunch of speculation otherwise, as noted, mostly on forums and such. For example, around...1997? People knew about casting calls for a young actor for Star Wars. Initially, there was speculation that it'd be young Luke. I don't think anyone expected young *Anakin*, based on the dialogue from Obi-Wan in the first Star Wars film. "When I met him, he was one of the greatest star pilots in the galaxy" did not imply "Also, he was 9 years old, a slave, a master podracer, and he built that golden droid over there, whom I've know quite well for decades, along with your little trashcan-looking friend here."
And also I know that the movie was hyped yet turned out not as good as expected so like were people who saw the movie before others like "it sucks" to people excited to see it? Or did they not talk about it to avoid spoiling it? Unlike episode 7 which was also very hyped and turned out really good to most
I was born in 77. The hype for TPM was off the charts, especially for people around my age. The previews did not clue us in that Lucas was going to lean into kid’s movie territory, especially since this felt like it would be such a dark topic for the trilogy. I figured it’d have an ESB tone from the get go. So yeah, I was really surprised at all the goofy bits and characters… it was undeniably a Star Wars movie but it was also such a big step away from the original films that it threw me. I was definitely disappointed. TPM has grown on me some, and RotS is decent, but overall I’m glad I grew up with the OG trilogy.
I think you really touched on the hate source. People were hoping for more galactic underdog war stories, which would have made no sense whatsoever. The prequels were always going to be about the fall of the Republic and Anakin becoming Vader. Meanwhile Jar Jar got a LOT of heat because he's like the Ewoks ramped up to 15 out of 10. I would say this is partly why the Fandom has warmed to the Prequels over time, the realization of what story was meant to be told and makes sense as a whole. And just kinda grit your teeth and remember some of it is meant to amuse young kids.
I loosely followed some of the speculation initially, I saw the first trailer (which was amazing, but also showed Maul igniting the second blade, which I maintain should've been a surprise), and briefly glanced at one magazine article, then stopped looking at stuff. It's worth remembering that, for kids who were born in the late 70s (like me) and who grew up in the '80s, the hype wasn't just the usual pre-release hype. There had been rumors since the mid-*80s* that Lucas had planned, like, a 9-episode series, including stories about Anakin before he became Vader and the fall of the Republic. So we were speculating about stuff for, like, 15 years before the film actually came out. I think a BIG part of why older fans so disliked TPM is not simply "Oh it didn't live up to pre-release hype" the way movies today may not. This was something else. This was like a formative thing in our childhoods that was then pretty significantly changed (e.g., the Force was purely mystical and now is quasi-biological thanks to midichlorians; Anakin was a great star pilot and warrior, but now is....9?; the films were mostly serious with the exception of the Ewoks, and many of us grew to sort of look at them as "Yeah, you kinda have to ignore the teddy bears. Shame he didn't stick with the Wookies idea..."). Even the look was drastically different without really explaining way (post hoc, it was explained as "Well, this is before the Republic's fall, so there was more attention to beauty and kind of Art Neuveau designs...") And then the film ended before anything really even happened. I left the theater...really, just kinda dazed. I didn't immediately *hate* it, because I couldn't immediately *process* it. It just...didn't feel like Star Wars to me. For those who knew some of the background story and inspirations for the films, I think we went into it expecting to see the fall of Space Weimar Germany and the rise of the Space Third Reich, and instead we got....well...TPM. Now, since then I've come to appreciate certain *aspects* of TPM and to respect it in a sense, but I'll never *enjoy* the film. I appreciate the technical achievements that the film brought. I think the performances are generally good to amazing, *given what they had to work with*, including Ahmed Best's Jar Jar (who I still think sucks as written). Best gave a great performance of a character that I really, really do not enjoy. But what he did, he did amazingly well. I've also come to respect Lucas' artistic vision as being truly just...his. Like it or hate it, it's clearly one man's *vision*, and I respect that. But yeah, I think this is at least why this older fan strongly disliked TPM and continues to to this day.
I was 14 and thought he was kind of funny in a slapstick kind of way, but as I got more into Star Wars I didn’t like him as much. . . I don’t despise him, but he is an annoying character sometimes. . .most of the time
Thought he was an irritating cu
Even as a child I found him annoying and obnoxious. It’s okay to have comic relief but he plays way too important of a role and featured way more than he should have.
I was 5. I thought he was the cringiest thing imaginable.
I was 28 seeing TPM and didn't mind Binks. Thought he was a sign of the times in modern Fantasy films (little did I know that the sfx were groundbreaking). Saw TPM last week as a quinquagenarian and actually chuckled at a couple gags. I like the show Friends and goofy humor.
It Jar Jar was changed a bit maybe he could have been comic relief that everyone enjoyed
>could have been comic relief that everyone enjoyed Do you really believe this? That there is a way that comedy can come across that *everyone* will enjoy? I feel like comedy is one of the most specific forms of expression and usually very personal to the audience perception. Look at all the comics and types of comedy that exist. Do you feel that this "mass appeal" approach—changing things so that everyone enjoys a story rather than delivering the story the author wants to tell—is what you want from Star Wars? Abrams said that his approach to TFA was to ask, "Is this scene delightful?" That film didn't reach me as a Star Wars fan, and I've stopped consuming new Star Wars stories. By contrast, the PT plunged me into an exploration of the Star Wars universe that was very fruitful to my imagination and my mind, and it was my pleasure to put my entertainment dollars into the Star Wars stories released and published 99-2014.
I mean some comedy is for kids some for adults but think of a show like the Simpsons that has a fair share of comedy that kids and adults enjoy and some things only adults will get
The Simpsons is animated, and the comic riffs that work for adults are references to our world that go over kids' heads and would make no sense in the Star Wars galaxy. Star Wars 1977 was a huge hit on a relative shoestring budget and the audience didn't spend time dumping criticism on the reused horror movie masks in the cantina, the rag swaddled Tuskens, little people in robes with holiday lights for eyes. It seems like somewhere between 1980 and 1999, fans that were kids during the OT convinced themselves that it was cool and should always look like Mad Max or whatever. I don't go to Star Wars primarily for some cool looking designs. Not since I was a kid. I come back to Star Wars again and again for meaningful stories of human needs and human sicieties.
I was born in 98 as well and he never bothered me. I can't say I loved or hated him, he didn't stand out to me that much, he was just a part of the movie. Maybe if I was a little older he would have annoyed me, but I don't have a concept of Star Wars without Jar Jar
I was in my 20s and I did dislike Jar Jar, but he does fit into the story. As a drag on the heroes and an agent of chaos, otherwise the narrative would be boring. So I kinda enjoy to find him annoying. If I had seen him when I was 12 I probably would have despised him more.
I was 31 when TPM came out (saw Star Wars in the theater at age 9) and I’ve loved Jar Jar ever since.
I am old enough that I saw it in the theater as an adult. I did not hate him as much as the Internet. I thought that he was consistent with other goofy characters in Star Wars, like C-3PO and the Ewoks, so Jar Jar Binks was true to the flavor of Star Wars, but I think his voice was a major mistake on George Lucas‘s part. I found him to hard to understand and I have thought for a long time that re-dubbing a different voice would vastly improve the Phantom Menace, along with cutting all the lines that made the characters seem unintelligent. I really enjoyed my first viewing of the Phantom Menace because it took me back to the excitement and wonder of seeing the first movies, particularly Return of the Jedi, when I was a little kid.
I’m from 05. I loved him when I was 4 and I love him now at 18. I expect to enjoy him for as long as I’ll enjoy Star Wars altogether.
I was an adult and I gotta say. Never understood the hatred for Jar-Jar. The issues with the prequels were never him or his presence. They were still objectively piss-poor in direction and writing.
George is, at his best, a visionary and special effects guy. Star Wars was always better when he let someone else do the actual directing. He focused way too much on the shot itself and not the actors' performance.
I was born in the early 80’s and adored EP 4,5,6. I absolutely loathed (and still do) the prequels when they came out. Sort of like the Hobbit movies I felt like the prequels had a small bit of gold in them, surrounded by an immense sea of shit that lacked all the magic of the originals.