colortv

i have my old m3 discord that im starting to outgrow, i've pretty much got my heart set on a 08/09 skate banana.
i've been told that bindings are the least important of the set-up. boots being first board second and bindings last. friend of mine says that all bindings are are just things to keep your boots strapped to the board. i dont see what the big deal is about bindings. and why its important to have them. what do they do exactly? other than just keep your feet attached to the board and soften your landings, with the help of boots as well.