Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[camper]

Originally Posted by CinemaBlu

How is JJ Abrams as a director? I've never had any desire to see anything he's directed. He seems like just a successful Hollywood hack. Are his films interesting or unique in any way?

I always hated Star Trek, at least the Kirk crew of it (I loved Next Generation though) and I found his 2 films to be extremely enjoyable and entertaining.

And I was a huge fan of Lost.

Granted, his directing credits are pretty sparse other than a few random episodes, but supposedly Mission Impossible 3 was good--my wife thought it was the best of the lot.

So, I'm very optimistic.

[CinemaBlu]

Originally Posted by camper

I always hated Star Trek, at least the Kirk crew of it (I loved Next Generation though) and I found his 2 films to be extremely enjoyable and entertaining.

And I was a huge fan of Lost.

Granted, his directing credits are pretty sparse other than a few random episodes, but supposedly Mission Impossible 3 was good--my wife thought it was the best of the lot.

So, I'm very optimistic.

I have to get a copy of Star Trek and check it out.

[1blufan]

Originally Posted by CinemaBlu

How is JJ Abrams as a director? I've never had any desire to see anything he's directed. He seems like just a successful Hollywood hack. Are his films interesting or unique in any way?

Hack maybe.
He hasn't directed to many feature films, MI 3, Super 8, Star Trek films. In my opinion he is influenced by Spielberg the most. I enjoyed MI 3, I think it's probably the best installment. I also liked Super 8 for what it was. Star Trek was fine, I've never been a huge fan of the Star Trek universe. Nothing at all wrong with it though.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by CinemaBlu

How is JJ Abrams as a director? I've never had any desire to see anything he's directed. He seems like just a successful Hollywood hack. Are his films interesting or unique in any way?

How can you think he's a hack if you haven't seen anything he's directed?


M:I:III is very good.
Super 8 is very good. He also wrote it.
Star Trek and Into Darkness are very good if you ignore the bellyaching (change is bad!) of the hardcore fans.


The episodes of LOST and ALIAS that he wrote and directed are also very good.

[CinemaBlu]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

How can you think he's a hack if you haven't seen anything he's directed?


M:I:III is very good.
Super 8 is very good. He also wrote it.
Star Trek and Into Darkness are very good if you ignore the bellyaching (change is bad!) of the hardcore fans.


The episodes of LOST and ALIAS that he wrote and directed are also very good.

Most of his films are sequels and remakes. And Super 8 looks like a Spielberg ripoff. He seems like a hack. That's why I'm asking about him.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by CinemaBlu

Most of his films are sequels and remakes. And Super 8 looks like a Spielberg ripoff. He seems like a hack. That's why I'm asking about him.

Super 8 was a Spielberg produced film. It's not a ripoff, it's a love letter to the Amblin films that Spielberg used to make and produce, something that has all but disappeared as far as family entertainment goes. Honestly, I have to agree that maybe calling him a hack upfront is strong if you don't know him, I'd say give his work a chance. He's very good at breathing new life into things that need it, as well as putting a bit of nostalgia and a classic vibe into his films. He's very Spielberg in nature, and it shows.

[Astro Zombie]

Originally Posted by CinemaBlu

How is JJ Abrams as a director? I've never had any desire to see anything he's directed. He seems like just a successful Hollywood hack. Are his films interesting or unique in any way?

He's one of my favorite current directors.

MI:3 was great and the best MI film.
Star Trek '09 is one of my favorite films and is a lot of fun.
Super 8 is a love letter to all those great 80s films like The Goonies, truly wonderful.
STID was just as good as ST '09, one of the best films of 2013.

This probably comes off as biased, I just really like his films and am very excited about his Star Wars film

[Rblu-Dblu]

Originally Posted by CinemaBlu

How is JJ Abrams as a director? I've never had any desire to see anything he's directed. He seems like just a successful Hollywood hack. Are his films interesting or unique in any way?

I enjoy his films. He's not my favorite but what he does, he does well.

You probably shouldn't watch his films if you're going in expecting him to be a hack.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

Super 8 was a Spielberg produced film. It's not a ripoff, it's a love letter to the Amblin films that Spielberg used to make and produce, something that has all but disappeared as far as family entertainment goes. Honestly, I have to agree that maybe calling him a hack upfront is strong if you don't know him, I'd say give his work a chance. He's very good at breathing new life into things that need it, as well as putting a bit of nostalgia and a classic vibe into his films. He's very Spielberg in nature, and it shows.

Spielberg knows this, that was why he recommended JJ Abrams when approached to direct Episode VII. He probably said to Kennedy "If you still want me to direct, get JJ". Honestly I just want Spielberg to be Spielberg again.

JJ, like Nolan, is okay in my book. They're just slightly above average so that's why I don't worry much, we might see something special who knows.

[Geoff D]

I'm on the fence. Apart from the sweet-natured though heavily derivative (and I don't just mean Spielberg) Super 8 and the first 10 heart-rending minutes of Star Trek '09 his output has verged on Michael Bay levels of big-budget ineptitude when it comes to telling a story, especially Star Trek Into Darkness. (Change isn't bad, it's bad movies that are bad.)

Don't get me wrong, I own all his movies and I enjoy his work on the same 'switch brain off' mode that's necessary to sit through most modern toss. Calling him a hack is a bit uncharitable, perhaps, but it's not too far off the mark IMO. Still, hopefully he'll follow in the footsteps of his idol and step beyond the blockbuster at some point to do something with more dramatic weight and less explosions.

[MCT]

JJ made me a fan of Star Trek. For most of my life I always thought that shit was corny, so that's a big plus for me. And its been said he was never a big Trek fan either. So if he can do that with a property he didn't really have a passion for, I've no doubt he'll knock something he DOES love out of the park.

[Packerfan75]

Everything I've heard up to this point leads me to believe that JJ is going to give us a good Star Wars film. Especially with the physical sets and props he's having made. I've enjoyed just about everything he's done up to this point. Alias and Lost also being 2 of my favorite tv shows. Revitalizing Star Trek was a huge feat as well. I don't see any room to call him a hack at any stretch.
The only thing I can ask is no lens flare in Star Wars please. I know it's his thing but this is Star Wars. It was already overused in Star Trek. Resist the urge.

[Himmel]

Anthony Daniels says that "Episode VII" may finally supplant "Empire" in the hearts of fans, that is no small thing.

Here's his exact quote:

Anthony Daniels ‏@ADaniels3PO Nov 2

"No movie sequel is better than The Empire Strikes Back." You might eat those words for Xmas dinner in 2015. Joy & Indigestion to the world!"

http://www.hitfix.com/motion-capture...e-strikes-back

[MCT]

Please stfu AD. Please.

[camper]

Originally Posted by MCT

Please stfu AD. Please.

But...what if he's right?

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by MCT

Please stfu AD. Please.

You've seen the final movie?


Please describe how he's wrong.

[MCT]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

You've seen the final movie?


Please describe how he's wrong.

Nothing will ever top TESB. Even if this turns out to be great, that shit was legendary cinema. Hyping it up like this can only lead to massive disappointment if it doesn't live up to expectations.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by MCT

Nothing will ever top TESB. Even if this turns out to be great, that shit was legendary cinema. Hyping it up like this can only lead to massive disappointment if it doesn't live up to expectations.

Mmmmm, right now I'll listen to the guy who was actually on set for both films, rather than someone thousands of miles away behind a keyboard. AFAIK Daniels never said anything like that for the others after Empire. He might very well be wrong, but to think Empire is impossible to be topped, especially never having seen any footage or script for VII, is wrongheaded.

[djakrse]

Originally Posted by MCT

Nothing will ever top TESB. Even if this turns out to be great, that shit was legendary cinema. Hyping it up like this can only lead to massive disappointment if it doesn't live up to expectations.

And then it could actually live up to that hype. So many things worked right for SW and tESB, that it seems unlikely. They were so unique and enthralling, both visually and audibly. Yet, Anthony has a unique perspective, having acted in both films. He probably is able to make such claims without any bias, which would certainly be harder for any of us who watched tESB as kids in the theater, for instance. Perspective is a big factor in our decision making. If you're not willing to be open about it, you won't have a chance to enjoy Ep7 like when you were a kid.

[SymbioticFunction]

I'd be shocked as hell if it turned out to be better than The Empire Strikes Back. Highly unlikely to happen imo, I take Anthony Daniels' words with a very large pinch of salt.