10 Unintentionally Funny Moments In Star Wars
Original, sequels, or prequels: They've all got their "I hate sand" moments...
Look, we all love Star Wars.
It goes without saying that Indiana Jones co-creator George Lucas’ space opera saga is a landmark not only of genre cinema, but also of Hollywood blockbuster history. Encompassing the nine film Skywalker saga, countless Expanded Universe properties including books and video games, and recent television megahit The Mandalorian, the Star Wars franchise is a titan of cinematic achievement and one of the definitive pop culture phenomena of the last century—not to mention the most successful merchandise moving machine in human history.
They’re also rightfully beloved movies in their own right—outside of their huge financial success and immeasurable impact on cinematic culture, the Star Wars films are widely adored for being fun, dramatic fantasy epics which combine an engaging saga of good vs evil with a loveable cast and iconic characters ranging from Yoda to Chewbacca to… Jar Jar Binks?
Oh yeah. That’s the other side of the Force, the Star Wars that brought us Ewoks, Watto, and Jar Jar, as well as the Stormtroopers running headfirst into doorframes and the Star Wars Holiday Special. Star Wars has always been plagued by moments of unintentional hilarity, whether it’s the original trilogy, the prequels, or even the most recent trio of cinematic releases.
With that in mind, it’s time to comb through the franchise and find ten of the most galling moments of unintentional comedy coming from a galaxy far, far away…
10. The Death Of An Ewok
R.I.P to a real one, pour one out for a lost comrade, etc—the
onscreen demise of this unnamed Ewok during the battle of Endor is an
unexpected inclusion in the battle sequence, and by all logic it seems intended
to be a tragic moment displaying… the senseless brutality of war? The human (or
Ewok) price of necessary revolution?
Okay, so there’s no knowing for sure just why the filmmakers felt the need to include this brief vignette, which looks more like a Care Bear/ Platoon crossover than a Star Wars scene, but the inexplicable sound effect that accompanies this poor Ewok’s loss of life is what propels the scene from strange and a little misjudged, to into unintentionally hilarious territory.
Interestingly, various factions of the fandom have since attempted to discern the name of this fallen hero, with Benjamin Harper offering one in a trivia book, only to be rebuffed by the creators, and Toys ‘R’ Us simply settling on “Nanta”, since that’s what his mourning mate says when trying to revive him (or her).