Watch ‘SNL’ Spoof ‘Star Wars’ Language Barrier in Cut Sketch
Saturday Night Live tackled one of Star Wars‘ most burning questions – How do all the characters understand so many alien languages? – in a “cut for time” sketch featuring Charles Barkley and J.J. Abrams.
The pre-taped “Star Warriors” sketch opened with Abrams, the director of The Force Awakens and the upcoming Episode IX, introducing the next installment in Star Wars‘ anthology film series, The Mos Eisley Five.
In a scene from the faux film, all the characters converse freely in multiple languages except Barkley’s Jedi, who constantly interrupts a heated negotiation over a capture pilot for a translation or an update on what’s happening in the scene.
“How y’all speak so many languages, this is crazy. I only speak human,” Barkley said. “These aliens are talking to you in their language, you answer them back in our language. Everybody understands each other. Makes me feel stupid. How’d y’all learn all this?”
Barkley’s character is also amazed that the film’s droid and Wookie are able to communicate. “I thought he was just making dog noises,” he said. “Man, I’ve said a lot of stuff in front of him. Private stuff!”
The sketch ends in a shootout where Barkley’s character and the captured pilot are the only ones to survive. The pilot reveals the rest of their mission; however, he only speaks in a language Barkley’s character doesn’t understand.