2. Jar Jar Binks – Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace gets an awful lot of hate. The reasons behind this are well-documented, and really don’t need rehashing here. However, one of the most common grievances fans have with the movie is the character of Jar Jar Binks.
After arriving on Naboo, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn save the life of Jar Jar Binks, a helpful Gungan. He leads them to the underwater city of Otoh Gunga and then accompanies them on their adventures throughout the movie. Unfortunately, he also stands out like a sore thumb, because he doesn’t fit the tone of the movie at all.
In a film that largely explores the political unrest that eventually leads to the Clone Wars and the conflict between the Jedi and the Sith, levity is a valuable tool. Sadly, Jar Jar Binks only offers this in the form of over-the-top CGI slapstick, and it really doesn’t work. Between the serious story that begins an epic sci-fi saga, Jar Jar is constantly falling and jabbering phrases like “poo-doo”. It’s not hard to see why he’s so irritating: he simply belongs in a much sillier movie.