Liam Neeson Was 'Personally Hurt' By The Jar Jar Binks Hate After Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
2024 marks the 25th anniversary of George Lucas' mediocre mega-hit "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace." One cannot understate the enormity of this film's release back in 1999; there were news stories for months postulating its content and what its success levels might be. People camped out for weeks wanting to be the first to buy tickets. When the film's trailer was released, people would pay a full ticket price to watch it and then leave before the feature it preceded. Others would watch the trailer online, but in the days before streaming technology, this took several hours of dial-up-supported downloading.
One also cannot understate how disappointing the movie was. The story was dry and difficult to follow, involving with a trade route blockade, a treaty signing, and a wicked conspiracy with no known conclusion. The characters were either shrill or thin, delivering dull, ridiculous dialogue that felt out-of-place in the slick adventure-forward world of "Star Wars." Everything was wrong. Many Starwoids watched "The Phantom Menace" multiple times, merely in the hopes that it would grow on them. For many, it didn't. Eventually, fans started coming out to say that "The Phantom Menace" was one of the worst blockbusters of all time. It's not, but it's still pretty bad.
The most vitriolic ire was directed at Anakin Skywalker and Jar Jar Binks, played by Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best, respectively. Some critics compared Jar Jar to a racist Stepin Fetchit caricature, and Best has gone on record with the personal, dark feelings the constant criticism instilled.
In a retrospective with Empire Magazine, "Menace" star Liam Neeson opened up about the Jar Jar backlash, feeling that Best did a wonderful job, and how personally hurt he was to see such abuse heaped on his talented co-star.
Jar Jar gets Hate Hate
It's worth noting that "The Phantom Menace" has undergone an intense re-litigation in recent years. It went from being one of the biggest films of 1999 to one of the most reviled films in blockbuster history pretty quickly. Thanks to a string of fan-made video essays — specifically the "Mr. Plinkett" review put out by Red Letter Media in 2009 — "The Phantom Menace" became held up as the prime example of how to foul up a successful media franchise and winnow away the goodwill of the public.
When "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opened in 2015, however, essays began appearing online describing "The Phantom Menace" as "Not bad, really" and "Good, actually." /Film's own Caroline Cao admitted that "Menace" was "deeply flawed," but still managed to get its hooks into her.
The attitude toward "The Phantom Menace" in 2024 seems to be one of smiling, warm acceptance. The film is still bad, but it has accrued many affectionate fans who appreciate its look, its tone, some of its action, and John Williams' "Duel of the Fates" theme. The hate for Jar Jar, especially, has been reconsidered, especially given how rough Best had it for years after the film's release. Lucas felt he wrote a funny character, Best felt he was providing excellent physical support for his digital avatar, and Neeson felt that he was working with a talented comedian. Neeson went on record saying:
"Ahmed was so funny and inventive. Myself and Ewan [McGregor] were personally hurt and offended by the critical reaction to the character."
Neeson has been beating this drum for years, defending Best at every opportunity. He's also previously talked about expecting great things from Best when they were making the film.
The next Eddie Murphy
"He came into a lot of criticism, I mean to the point where it really hurt his career. And I have to say when I was making that film [...] he was probably one of the funniest guys and talented guys I have ever worked with. I remember calling my old agent, and I said 'Listen, I think I've just worked with the new Eddie Murphy.' And I still believe that [...] he had all of us in stitches laughing. Including George Lucas."
Perhaps it was because Jar Jar was transformed into an all-animated, digital character that audiences were unable to see what Neeson and Lucas saw. Whatever the reason, fans and critics attacked both the character and Best specifically. Best was shocked and, as mentioned, fell into a deep depression over the reaction. Jar Jar's role in the subsequent "Star Wars" prequel films was significantly reduced.
In honor of its 25th anniversary, on May 19, 2024, "The Phantom Menace" will be returning to theaters for a limited run. Perhaps curious looky-loos might want to poke their heads in and see what the fuss is all about. Is "The Phantom Menace" one of the worst blockbusters ever made, or has it been unfairly maligned? One can say with confidence that Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best have been unduly punished for their association with the film. Leave those men alone. In fact, apologize to them.