Editor’s Note:  This review has been updated with our second look at TVC…

Original Review:  Chris - 8/20/2012 6:37 PM

In 1941, Konrad Zuse developed the world’s first fully programmable computer as part of a secret Nazi government program.  Fifty eight years later, George Lucas used a computer to create Jar Jar Binks.  It’s debatable as to which should be considered the most evil use of a computer in history. 

Continuing a recent trend, I’m not going to jump into the figure right away.  I want to talk about the character first.  The younger crowd tends to bristle at the older set constantly putting down the Prequel Trilogy, and no single prequel character engenders as much OT fan hatred as Jar Jar Binks.  The younglings will tell you that Star Wars is and always has been a kids’ movie, so a slapstick sidekick is just par for the course and those who grew up with the Original Trilogy need to get over it.  However, it’s not about what Jar Jar Binks is, it’s about what he failed to be.  Even without George Lucas’ behind the scenes commentary about the PT and OT serving as rhyming verses, it was clear that Episode I was striking some familiar beats.  So with whom did Jar Jar Binks rhyme?  Well he is a non-human sidekick who has incurred a life debt to one of the heroes.  He’s forms a pair with Chewbacca.  He is no Chewbacca.  In my generation, kids could accept a ferocious wolfman who would deal you a traumatic amputation after a dejarik loss.  Apparently Lucas thought some 22 years later that kids couldn’t deal with a “hero” of such initially ambiguous morality and decided to replace him with the biggest putz in the history of cinema.

Now to my fellow children of the 70’s and 80’s who view Jar Jar Binks as a violation of their childhood, we really need to get over it.  Jar Jar happened.  Despite Lucas’ penchant for reworking his films, you can’t unring this bell.  You can either choose to ignore or accept the PT, but Jar Jar Binks appearing on a Vintage Collection card is not one of the great crimes in this history of humanity.  If you are like me, you accept the PT as an (inferior) part of the entire Saga.  As an entire movie, The Phantom Menace is pretty horrible, but somehow still better than Attack of the Clones.  However, if you view the Prequel Trilogy movies as a collection of scenes, there are several chapter stops on the discs that are classic Star Wars.  If you want to immortalize some of those scenes in your collection, you likely going to need a Jar Jar Binks figure.  And you’ll naturally want the highest quality best articulated Binks you can get.  Thus the Vintage Collection.  This is entirely too much typing to get to the point that I was very much looking forward to replacing the very dated Episode I line Jar Jar Binks figure in my display.

This finally leads us to the question of whether or not the figure excels as a replacement.  The 1999 figure is so thoroughly dated, that replacing it with the new version is a no brainer.  In terms of aesthetics, articulation and deign, this figure is far and away superior (in one of the biggest “no duh” statements in the history of the internet), but is this figure a home run?  I don’t think so.  The figure does have the standard super articulation (and then some), but it suffers from useless articulation, something that is nearly as bothersome as no articulation.  The neck has two ball joints.  Yes two.  One at the upper neck where the head attaches and one at the lower neck were it joins the torso.  Despite this unprecedented level of cervical articulation, the head does not have a great range of motion.  Another wasted point of articulation is at the ankles.  I assume they are ball joints, but would have to dissect my figure to find out for sure.  The feet can rotate laterally 360 degrees, but there is zero vertical movement in the feet.  The Discover the Force Gungan Warrior had limited vertical movement in the ankle joints, but at least it had some.  This figure has none. 

I do however like the detailing and aesthetics on the figure despite some unpainted visible joints.  I think the use of soft goods is commendable.  The pleather-ish material provides for range of motion and looks more accurate to the on-screen representation than a simple cloth treatment would have been.  If I recall correctly, the intricate Gungan arm design has returned for the first time since the Power of the Jedi Gungan Warrior.  (When is that shield going to come back in something?)  This is a figure I feel you should add to your collection if you collect Episode I figures, but it’s not the end-all-be-all Jar Jar Binks.  7 out of 10.

Updated Review:  Bret - 9/29/2018 07:05 AM

There isn’t much to add to Chris’s thorough figure review and generational examination.  It’s only been 6 years since that review, but so much has changed.  Two of three films in the sequel trilogy, along with 2 standalones, have dramatically altered the playing field.  It would seem the passage of time has been somewhat kind to the PT, and even Jar Jar.  Fans have refocused their hatred on the sequels, and Jar Jar and the Prequels have benefited from this. 

But that doesn’t do anything for the figure itself.  While obviously far superior to any previous iterations, the shortcomings covered by Chris are still significant.  The lack of range of motion of several of the joints is a real bummer.  We sometimes refer to the articulation beyond standard (such as ball jointed hips, wrists, or waist) as “Jedi Articulation” because it should be standard for those types of figures.  Jar Jar is no Jedi, but he is a very physically dynamic character.  On top of the the poor range of motion of the ankles, the lack of more modern hip articulation is something that should be addressed down the line.

Chris mentioned the extra effort that went into the neck articulation, which was wasted.  A resculpted Jar Jar should fix this, and while they’re at it, include an alternate head with his tongue sticking out so we can put the POTJ version to rest as well.  Or maybe not.  That figure is still pretty good for what it was meant to be.  I’m inclined to bump this figure down a notch because of the poor articulation, especially by today’s standards.  6/10.

This is the best Jar Jar figure available, and looks great, but the poorly executed articulation makes this figure not even close to definitive.  The figure was released in TVC and also in the alternate “Lost Line” look.  Both versions, as well as loose figures, go for moderate prices on eBay, so there is some demand there.  Hasbro should consider upping the ante on the articulation, and maybe adding some different accessories, like that Gungan shield that Chris loses sleep over.