Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker... am I the only one who understood what George Lucas made?

[Alidar Jarok]

Even that I'm OK with when you get to the hinted at revelation in Episode Three that Palpatine probably created Anakin.

Like most things in the Prequels, I think the ideas were way better than the execution, though.

 

[JRoss]

I actually got to where I half believe the Darth Jar Jar theory, at least as far as Episode I goes. It does kind of look to me like he was setting up an anti-Yoda.

Poor Jake Lloyd acted as well as any 9-year-old can be expected to act. GL's deficiencies as a director (he's best as a big-picture story guy) show through. This is also evident in that by RotS the performances from the stronger actors are either phoned in (Jackson, especially in his pronunciation of lines), or just off the rails (Portman). A stronger director could have fixed those two.

 

[Set Harth]

Even that I'm OK with when you get to the hinted at revelation in Episode Three that Palpatine probably created Anakin.

Or Plagueis. Despite the fact that it was Palpatine in the rough draft of the script, I think Plagueis works better in light of TPM. If Palpatine created Anakin it raises the question of why Anakin was just left on Tatooine instead of getting the Maul treatment, and why Palpatine said nothing of Anakin when sending Maul to Tatooine. When I see Maul almost run over Anakin with his speeder in TPM I have a hard time thinking Palpatine would have allowed the situation if Anakin had been his creation.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

My take is the idea that he can shape the forces, but he couldn't necessarily predict the outcome. In other words, that he could create life, but he couldn't specifically create life that would appear on Tatooine.

 

[fireproof78]

So, he was trying to create life and ended up impregnating a woman on Tatooine?

I always found that to be odd, that the Sith would be able to create life but the Jedi either couldn't or wouldn't. It never sat well with me.

 

[The Wormhole]

I always found that to be odd, that the Sith would be able to create life but the Jedi either couldn't or wouldn't. It never sat well with me.

The Jedi don't believe in mating in general, so it stands to reason they wouldn't look into manipulating the midichlorians into creating life.

 

[fireproof78]

The Jedi don't believe in mating in general, so it stands to reason they wouldn't look into manipulating the midichlorians into creating life.

Still doesn't make sense to me.

 

[The Wormhole]

Actually, that has me wondering, what is the Sith's stance on mating? I'm guessing they're not celibate, but then I can't imagine an order which strictly enforces a limit of two adherents approving of procreation. Can the Force act as a contraceptive?

 

[Set Harth]

My take is the idea that he can shape the forces, but he couldn't necessarily predict the outcome. In other words, that he could create life, but he couldn't specifically create life that would appear on Tatooine.

So, he was trying to create life and ended up impregnating a woman on Tatooine?

Ay caramba! Anakin wasn't born on Tatooine.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Where was he born?

 

[The Wormhole]

Where was he born?

On Tattooine, according to Disney Canon. Legends Continuity (AKA the old EU) states he was bon off-world, though they don't specify where.

 

[fireproof78]

Ay caramba! Anakin wasn't born on Tatooine.

So? The location of his birth matters? The Sith could manipulate the midiclorians to create life but have zero idea where that life would occur? That's like saying you could hit the jackpot but have no idea where to collect.

 

[Set Harth]

On Tattooine, according to Disney Canon.

That link doesn't appear to source its claim that he was born on Tatooine. It just states it as fact. What new-canon source makes that claim?

Anakin says in TPM, in response to the question "How long have you been here?", that it's been since he was about 3. At one point that was understood to mean that he arrived on the planet at that point.

 

[JD]

The next sentence, about the Skywalkers belonging to Gardulla the Hutt cites Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, that probably applies to the bit about Anakin being born on Tatooine too.

 

[ichab]

1.) Jar jar's "comedy" was unneccessary. There was plenty of humor in the Star Wars films. Just see the bantering between C3po and Artoo, Han and Chewbacca, Han and Leia. The difference is the humore wasn't juvenile or cheap. Everytime Jar Jar opened his mouth or did something it seemed to be for a cheap laugh. When he did that stuff it would complety pull me out of the movie.
2.) Hayden Christensen is a horrible actor. Granted, Lucas found a way to squander the talents of good actors like natalie portman, samual l jackson and ewan mcgregor, but Hayden just managed to annoy me constantly. I never enviosened darth vader's past as a whiny brat but that's how he came across. Hardly the tragic heroic figure that fell from grace as I had always imagined him.

I watch episode 3 on occasion because that is when all the interesting stuff happens, but by and large the PT is a huge missed opportunity and I'm so glad that Lucas os no longer controlling this franchise.

 

[LJones41]

Constantly, I see that a lot of people didn't like the Star War Prequel Trilogy.

One of the main things that was mentioned was Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker being annoying. Though I can understand that for people over 12 years old, but George Lucas had a place for those characters.

Yes, Anakin as a little boy, teenager, and young adult was annoying and controlling, but isn't that how all bad guys start? Some people can't let go. A lot of people who become bullies are annoying, and then they turn to crime. Not always, though...

Jar Jar Binks was meant to be comic relief. He was supposed to be for the kids. He talked funny, and he was goofy. Now, I am saying that J.J. Abrams should have put him as a main character as SW Episode 7? No, but I don't feel either way in terms as a side character. He got more mature as he aged and got used to his position in the Senate. I thought he was really funny as a CGI character in the CGI cartoon The Clone Wars. Maybe some of the hate was for the fact that he was a CGI character who was on screen with real life actors.

All of these things I believe made me feel like I am a horrible person for standing up for these guys.

Don't worry. I share your feelings about the Prequel Trilogy. I'm a big fan.

 

[VulcanMindBlown]

2.) Hayden Christensen is a horrible actor. Granted, Lucas found a way to squander the talents of good actors like natalie portman, samual l jackson and ewan mcgregor, but Hayden just managed to annoy me constantly. I never enviosened darth vader's past as a whiny brat but that's how he came across. Hardly the tragic heroic figure that fell from grace as I had always imagined him.

I watch episode 3 on occasion because that is when all the interesting stuff happens, but by and large the PT is a huge missed opportunity and I'm so glad that Lucas os no longer controlling this franchise.

Didn't you see that Luke Skywalker was whiny? Anakin's inability to let go (and his immaturity) led him to the Dark Side

 

[Set Harth]

I never enviosened darth vader's past as a whiny brat but that's how he came across. Hardly the tragic heroic figure that fell from grace as I had always imagined him.

Didn't you see that Luke Skywalker was whiny? Anakin's inability to let go (and his immaturity) led him to the Dark Side

Yeah, it makes more sense that way. If Anakin was really as noble as a lot of people imagined him to have been, it raises the question of why he turned to the dark side in the first place.

 

[fireproof78]

Didn't you see that Luke Skywalker was whiny? Anakin's inability to let go (and his immaturity) led him to the Dark Side

Luke started out as whiny but grew as a character and moved in a direction. He had good friendships and relationships that allowed him to be shown to be wrong, and to make mistakes and still continue on.

Anakin does nothing but whine about Obi-Wan, about the Council, about Padme, about politics, etc. That's not an endearing character trait that makes me want to actively identify with and not want to see fall to the Dark Side. Or, if he is supposed to be a tragic tale, more Greek or Shakespearean, then I don't see how that tale applies to my life, other than, "Don't get married; don't have kids and don't try to mess with fate because you'll get burned" in this case, literally.

Yeah, it makes more sense that way. If Anakin was really as noble as a lot of people imagined him to have been, it raises the question of why he turned to the dark side in the first place.

Of course it does. That's the whole point behind the prequels. Even GL said that as part of rationale for going backward and not forward in continuity. But, the problem is, he doesn't feel noble at all, but just entitled. He's special and needs to be recognized as being special or else.

I think if Anakin's relationships had been better developed, where he felt like he treated Obi-Wan with an ounce of respect but that Anakin was becoming more and more powerful and neither of them know what to do, and that would explain Anakin's seeking more information and going towards Palpatine.

 

[Set Harth]

But, the problem is, he doesn't feel noble at all, but just entitled.

He's not supposed to feel "noble". No one ever said he was noble. It's just something that fans projected onto the character. If he had really been such a "noble" character it doesn't really make sense that he fell while the other Jedi didn't. TESB said he was full of anger.