ST JJ Abrams to direct Episode VII

My full phrase was "mass audience safe sentimentality." Sure, the series has always aimed to pull in big crowds, but one of the reasons I like it so much is that Lucas has never really favored weepy sentiment delivered via sledgehammer in the manner I often perceive with other highly touted SF adventure names such as Peter Jackson, Abrams, even Spielberg to a degree. And yeah, I stand by the bro comment. Different strokes. Some can't stand Anakin as a whiny teenager, and I'm one who can't help but see way too much annoying frat boy in Abrams' Kirk.

 

What about "Anakin you broke my heart" and all the other melodramatic stuff in the PT?

 

Ya. It was full of melodramatic cheap sentiments/emotions all over the place. Kirk was not a "frat boy" he is a mixture of Bond/Indy. As well as just how Kirk always was.

 

Odd, I seem to remember watching a film in which the love interest dies of a broken heart

 

A little melodramatic, as you say, but in a manner that (imo) is earned as a tragic climax to a trilogy and delivered in a pretty concise yet effective manner. For me sledgehammer sentimentality refers to things like slow motion extreme close-ups and weepy birthing scenes witnessed by dear ol' dad as he pays the ultimate heroic price in going down with the ship three minutes after the film has begun.

 

Funny because I cared more about the characters in the beginning of the ST09 more so then anything in the PT. They earned my respect more then anything else. I felt no one earned anything during that melodrama.

 

How about the big Noooo? Also "concise yet effective"? Or the hamfisted "I was your brother" monologue by Obi-Wan? Man, I could go on and on.

Dear ol' dad in Trek at least went down like a man. Can't say the same thing about Anakin Skywalker.

 

The only concern I have with Abrams is his ability to tell a tale, visually. The work I've seen from him has not yet convinced me that he's a real storyteller with the lens. ST kind of lent itself to JJ's style. It is a franchise based, first, on television and JJ has a good track record on TV. It was a good marriage and it makes sense.

SW on the other hand is a story told on film. I can criticize Lucas for many things, but I think the man knows how to tell a story. He hits all the relevant marks. I hope JJ really does a great job of directing the story for the audience. Finding great ways to help the story come out.

 

If I saw anything as effective as the "we were brothers" exchange in an Abrams film I'd be expecting Episode VII to be one of the best adventure films I've seen.

 

The brothers dialogue didn't work for me at all. It seemed more like OBW wanted to further hurt Anakin verbally, punish him for his deeds, rather then mercifully end him here and there. It made me think of OBW as a cruel, cruel man.

 

I don't believe that they are brothers, the prequels don't convince me of that at all. It's one of the more glaring faults of the films.

 

There was no love or friendship in AOTC, only disgust.

 

Well I don't believe we've ever agreed on anything, so that's not a surprise. I thought it was one of the most emotionally effective portions of all six films, where McGregor displayed a living, breathing element of human frailty that I don't believe I ever got from Obi-Wan in the six films up until that point.

 

OK guys, enough with the PT nitpicking... let's try to stay on topic. Thanks.

 

Just the nitpicking? But it's okay to praise them?

I'm just wondering because one thing we have been doing is relevant to the topic. People are going to reflect back one way or another on the PT and we've been comparing it to JJ and his works as well. I will stop if it's just forbidden at all to talk about it (especially the negative) But I felt it was on topic of what we want/don't want out of the ST. I think it's going to be natural for lots of OT/PT discussion to be brought in. Just from my point of view I guess. But since I've been gone a long time, I may not know how it operates around here in these new times.

 

He's a lucky man. That's for sure. Living out every fans dream.

 

But like most "fans" his vision of what Star Wars should/will be will vary drastically from every other fan. Even though I'd be lying if I said "I don't want to control the fate of Star Wars and make it the I want it", I still don't envy the man. He's damned if he does and damned if he don't. He'll be praised by his fans and anyone that likes his style. But he'll be hated by all the people that feel "let down" by his vision of Star Wars. For goodness sake it happened to Lucas, and he was the creator. He has his own set of haters and defenders.

 

I felt that Super 8 showed that he can slow it down and let you soak in a scene. Trek was suppose to be high adrenaline, that's what they were going for. I think JJ is smart, he knows this. He's already said it's going to be very different from what he did with Trek. He knows these things we notice as well, he's an expert film maker. So I'm positive he is aware he can't do everything the same. But Super 8 really showed that he can slow down a scene, and let it soak.

 

I wonder who is going to make all the decisions that Lucas did? Who is going to decide the design of the set pieces, the monsters, the vehicles and various characters George invented and then hired someone to create? Who will decide the design of the cityscapes, various landscapes of planets and the architecture of the New Republic? Who will fill that role? Is George going to have any impact as creative consultant? I know the treatments and the script will help to answer some of those questions, but who will make all the millions of minor detailed decisions? Will Abrams, as the director, make any of these decisions? How about Kennedy as Executive Producer, or any of the brass at Disney? Are they going to demand the now proverbial, the Wookie needs pants? My assumption is that it will be a creative discussion between Kennedy and Abrams. Toes may get stepped on. Ouch!