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!!!!!
MagnoliaFan's edit of The Phantom Menace makes the ball at the end make sense. In his version, though subtitling all Gungan and Neimodian dialogue, he is able to not only make Jar Jar an infinitely better character, but also redo the plot so that Jar Jar was kicked out for failing to protect the Magic Ball from the Naboo, the enemies of the Gungans.