Life, the Universe, and Everything

When Separatist forces mistake Jar Jar Binks for a Jedi Knight, humor and action come together in a new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. "Bombad Jedi" premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT Friday, November 21, on Cartoon Network.

Jar Jar Binks and C-3PO team up to save Padmé Amidala from doom at thehands of evil Viceroy Nute Gunray. But the task becomes infinitely morecomplicated when the Separatists assume that the Gungan is a Jedi.

Director Jesse Yeh says Jar Jar's overstated mannerisms and physicality make him a natural for The Clone Wars animated format.

"Jar Jar's looks, expressions and his characteristic personalityallow us to animate him to levels of exaggeration that really stand outfrom the other human characters or two-legged creatures," Yeh says.

"To me, his character is almost right out of the classic Disneyor Warner Bros. cartoons. He is not always completely 'there,' he isclumsy and he seems to have a talent for making mistakes that reallymatter -- sometimes in a constructive way, sometimes in a destructiveway. I think it's easy to be attracted by his innocent, childlike,naive side. He's like a loveable, well-meaning friend -- one you don'twant around when it's a matter of life and death. But once you've livedthrough the crisis, you definitely want to invite him to thecelebration party."

Yeh directs action and comedy with equal skill, but he says it's easierto find inspiration for the latter in his daily activities.

"If you pay more attention to the people around you, you willrealize there's a funny side to everyone -- no matter who that personnormally appears to be," Yeh says. "I actually did put in a lot of'everyday' gags into the episode, and some of the reactions Jar Jar haswere actual reflections of people whom I know in real life. But I amnot telling who they are, of course."

Writer Kevin Rubio (creator of Dark Horse's Tag & Binkseries) says he had fun crafting the first episode of the series thatis driven by humor, and feels Jar Jar was the perfect character toanchor the episode.

"I wanted to find a middle ground between the funny side of Jar Jar andheroic redemption," Rubio says. "He is a fish out of water, and, yeah,he can be goofy and stupid, but in context, it works.

"There's a phrase that I think applies to almost every episodethat I've seen, and I know it influenced me on this episode. It appearsin the prologue to the original Star Warsnovelization: 'They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.Naturally they became heroes.' I think that says it all for Jar Jar."

그런데 중간에 '유머와 액션' 운운하는 부분이 좀 많이 불안한데 말입니다. -_-;;; 분명 자자가 처음 등장해서 엄청나게 욕먹었던 에피소드1 당시에도 자자는 '유머와 액션'을 위해 만들어진 캐릭터였거든요... 뭐, 이건 루카스가 감독하는게 아니니 좀 나을라나...

감독 얘기가 나와서 말인데, 이번 8화 감독이 제세 예라는 사람이군요. 흠.. 성이 예라... 중국계인가?


PS.

http://www.starwars.com/video/view/000727.html

프리뷰 영상을 보고 왔는데 말입니다...