this is so great
a smaller, more assholish version of Chewie
I believe his character worked so well because he was instantly recognisable as your neighbour's big dopey dog. You knew what to expect after a half minute of him onscreen and that made it very genuine and believable. Same with Yoda and unlike something like Jar Jar Binks which is just an amalgamation of random stereotypes and animals.
I really hope they pay close attention to creature designs in the new movies. Sometimes more isn't better, especially when it comes to main alien characters. The more that can be conveyed with character and the less with actual English speech the better.