[J m HofMarN]

Simple nitpick here. I know the problem of the stupid glowing ball of something has been brought up at various times, but I think this thing deserves a topic of its own. We all know that the pathetic and weak ending of ep1 (or at least one of its endings since there were a few) was some fat gungan giving a glowing ball to the queen of Naboo. Naturally this is a rip off of the end of ANH. However in ANH we knew where we stood. The heroes got medals for having saved the rebels.

However, in TPM, Padme didn't do a damned thing. She ran around some halls and acted snotty to the viceroy. The Gungans beat the TF. And Boss Nass does not seem like the kind of character who would give all the credit to the human leader after his people do all the work. Moreover, why is Padme celebrating??? Didn't thousands of her people die and get herded into concentration camps? Wouldn't it have been more moving for her to tour hte destruction of her planet? Wouldn't images of her comforting her people made her a more likable character?

Moreover, if she were an ELECTED monarch, couldn't the TF have just forced a new election and made people vote her out of office, thus completely neutralizing her?

Into this debacle is tossed a bright glowing beach ball. If Boss Nass had given her a medal it would have made sense, but oh no, Lucas cant be too clear on the fact that he has no new ideas. so a bright shiny medal is turned into a bright shiny ball.

The problem is a scene like this, with an unearthly and uncommon award (the ball) has to be explained in order to properly resonate. For instance, with JRR Tolkien's work, Aragorn is not given a sword by Elrond, he is given Anduril, the reforged version of Narsil, which cut the ring from the finger of Sauron and is passed from generation to generation of the Dunedane royalty. The audience can understand that there is significance to this. Can you imagine what it would have been like if Elrond had just flung a scimitar at him and said "here have a sword!"? Or if Obi Wan had done the same thing for Luke when they were at his home on Tatooine?

It may be another topic all together but this actually does happen. Even with all of Anakin's talk about how cool lazer swords are we never see him being given one. What the hell? He just suddenly starts wielding a lightsaber and Lucas chooses to do this off-screen? When a warrior takes up their sword the audience should be allowed to see this. What a missed opportunity!

But back to the subject, what do you all think it is?

Maybe it's symbolic of peace and love?

Maybe it's food?

Maybe it's a bomb, but when it goes off their intelligence blames it on disgruntled spice miners!!!!!

[Mnesymone]

It's one of those static-charged balls that amaze kids at science displays...

It was a pretty graphic symbol that the PT are being sold by digital effects - rather than by talented writing, directing, or acting.

[ernesttomlinson]

When the fat Gungan holds up the glowing ball he shouts, "Peace!" Peace between whom? The implication seems to be that it's peace between the Gungans and the, er, Nubians. (The humans, anyway.) There are hints elsewhere in the movie of conflict between the two. Why would the Gungans have an army, for example? Why would the accord reached between the two (inexplicably attributed to Jar Jar's brilliance) have been such a big deal otherwise?

I agree that the whole affair is mainly spectacle. But I confess that I like the music.

[J m HofMarN]

Shouldn't he have said "victory" instead? And it's pretty clear that the Nubians have just a slightly larger army than the republic, so if there was so much conflict why didnt the gungans just own their hominid asses?

[Mnesymone]

Ahhh... the armies...
Naboo has the Queen's guard, and some pilots with dicky helmets - and they have a speeder... mmmm, speeder....

the Gungans army is bigger, or smaller - depending on whether or not you can see digital images - they've got shield-bearing brontosaurs, amphibious rabbits riding chickens, and amphibious rabbits with medieval-shape force fields and blue rocks...

They probably came to peace out of embarassment - if they'd declared unending war out of simple distate for one another - the Naboo have all the manpower of a Fernwood gym and the only Gungan weapon are blue balls of some magnetic material - they'd get tired before they got hurt.

[SithAvenger]

I don't know why everyone hates that ball. I think it's cool. And the big toad screams peace because they are no longer in war.

[Bohrok Awakener]

Everyone has the wrong idea about the word Nubians. This describes something from the planet Nubia. Someone or something from Naboo is just called, er, Naboo. So Amidala is a Naboo, and so on... I admit it's lame, but it's the truth.

Everything was lame about the ending to TPM except the music, because it was the only forshadowing that was immediately obvious to the viewer. Only after a few viewings did I realise that it's the Emperor's Theme from ROTJ but sung by kids.

[SithAvenger]

I always thought that Nubia has to be a ship company like the Ford or Chrysler car companies here on Earth.

This post has been edited by SithAvenger: 16 June 2005 - 05:46 PM

[Darth Player]

As you onserved, the glowing ball is probably a mega ton explosive charge, similar but more powerful than the ones Jar Jar accidentially releases becoming a "hero" due to his clumsiness. Maybe its a subliminal message by Lucas saying he shouldn't have done the PT and things should have ended then and there.

Why do creatures like the Gungans who live underwater need a land army?If theor physical make up in dicates their species does better in watery areas, then why not lure the Federation Army into the swamp areas where they have an advantage, instead of a grassy plain with no water obsacles?

[Despondent]

I don't know why everyone hates that ball. I think it's cool. And the big toad screams peace because they are no longer in war.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I forgot about that!

But it was still better than that, that OTHER line.

[SithAvenger]

I forgot about that!

But it was still better than that, that OTHER line.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What other line?

[Despondent]

ehhnnNNNOOOOOOOOO!

--

ppuhHEEEEEEAAACCEEE!

[floppydisk]

I think the ball represented triumphing in the Face of Adversity!

*stares off into the distance*

[Hari Seldon]

I think the ball represented triumphing in the Face of Adversity!

*stares off into the distance*

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Or just fast-food-for-the-brain-of-the-simple.

"Wow! So purty!"

[SithAvenger]

Or maybe it's the magical Eye-Candy-Ball!