ST Your predictions about the reception of the ST

While the scripts for the first 3 movies were terrible they all had a Star Wars feel to them. I totally agree with you about that. I don't understand why fans don't understand that the PT was a time of elegance. More of an English time period, where the ST was more of an American wild wild west time period.

I believe the ST will get a warm reception "if" the Sith are involved. I have total faith that with George Lucas' vision being brought to life by Kasdan & Abrams & with out George writing the screen play or script Episode VII will be a great movie.

If the Sith are not involved then it will NOT feel like a Star Wars movie no matter what the plot is or who the villains are.

 

Your comments show a bit of ignorance on your part. I recommend either reading a book or asking someone who actually understands about such things. Get a more rounded, balanced insight and then come back and have the discussion.

As is the case with most modern action/adventure type films. Digital characters and digital/virtual sets are now the norm... the norm that Star Wars kick started. To criticise the prequels for this would be like to criticise the OT for having too many effects (which some did). Even in AOTC production went to Italy and Tunisia... that's more adventurous than many a modern movie...

 

Clones had Caserta Palace again, as well as the gorgeous Lake Como. Then Seville, Spain, as well as Tunisia again.

 

If I was 9 years old again...without a doubt 110% love all the way.

But since Im a fan.....im going to pick it apart and be all judgemental. Yo.

 

These movies will be better then the prequels but not better then the original trilogy which I would be happy with because its hard to do worse then the prequels and its impossible to do better then the original trilogy.

 

I think there will be a sense of instant gratification with these films (much like Star Trek), as many seem to buy into fast editing, camera movement, etc. over story and charcterisation. And then will come the probable backlash... because if they are not palably as good/better than the OT (which, less face it, isn't likely), then they'll just be Star Trek in the Star Wars universe, and critics/fans will jump on that. The McDonaldisation of Star Wars. However, I'm sure the kids will love it regardless.

 

PJ - do you really think he'll be going the fast editing/ camera movement route as opposed to the traditional sw style? Have you not seen Super 8? That's the feel we're going to be getting. All JJs own comments suggest he will not be using the style he used in Star Trek. You never seem to want to acknowledge this beyond "it's common sense", when I would argue that common sense backed up by actual comments suggests this will not look like his Trek movies.

As for predictions - I think if the script is decent we will see a rash of "SW is back" headlines (which will understandably wind up some fans who feel it never went away) and massive box office. Most critics and a fair amount of the general public will be happy if it is a step up from the PT. I don't thick anyone expects them to be as good as the OT.

The backlash most likely to come is from the hardcore, especially those who feel defensive/ protective towards George. There are already inklings of it.

What will be interesting is how much the story did come from George and how much praise he gets for it. If he's the springboard, George should absolutely get the plaudits if it's a good story.

 

I've never seen anything to suggest that JJ will be foregoing his usual style and, instead, be mimicking the directing style of someone else for Ep VII... and I'd ask you point me to those quotes if I've missed them (as I obviously have). I suspect that's actually more of wishful thinking. I actually fervently believe JJ should stay true to his own directorial style and sensibilities Satipo... whether I like that or not. And the Star Trek films seem to be very much his style (IMHO). I'd much rather him give an honest interpretation of a Star Wars film, that I can appreciate if not enjoy, rather than a 'JJ in the style of...' presentation - which I’ll probably see little artistic merit in. Again, if it's a killer story, that will probably compensate me for some of those stylistic choices of JJ's which I don't like... that's what I'm hoping for.

In terms of being protective to ole’ George... I couldn’t give a damn... As we speak, George is probably drinking shots of a scantaly clad waitress on his own island. Why should I want to defend him when he’s living the good life? I only praise when I see it’s due... and we've had plenty of conversations re. issues I had with TPM (primarily George based) and I'm pretty pragmatic about it (or try to be). Indeed - there’s plenty of directors who I’d rather have seen direct a prequel or two... I’m certainly not precious about that... and that goes double for Ep VII given that I don't particularly rate Abrams. And if other directors had been on board for the ST (obvioulsy the ones I rate), we wouldn’t be having this conversation now. As I’ve said before, there’s plenty of reasons why JJ got the job, but I don’t actually think it was for his ability as a ‘great’ director or 'visionary'. I think he got the job as ‘showrunner’ to coordinate, what is, a very complex production schedule on a set of very expensive effects films... and he's probably very able to do that side of it.

 

It's a very difficult thing to do, but I'm definitely open to the possibility of VII being as good as the OT in terms of overall quality, especially VI.

I want to see the OT be rivaled or possibly beaten. It can be done, but will the ST do it?

 

I believe some will think the ST is better than the OT... just as some think the PT is better or that 'NewTrek' is better than 'OldTrek'. However, for the immediate future, I think culturally/cinematically, the OT will still be seen as definitive Star Wars... and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

I'll need to find the interview - but he stated that he was aware that Trek and SW were different beasts and that stylistically they would not look the same. Pegg's comments about the films being a continuation of the OT further support the theory, as does the idea that he is looking to use the same stock and lenses used during the OT, and also the fact that JJ was quite able of replicating the early 80s Amblin look and file for much of Super 8. But until we see footage, this is probably going to go around in circles.

 

Is it really mimicking to stick to a filming style that would be in consistent with all 6 previous films ?

 

Yeah, I agree. It's never even occurred to me that JJ wouldn't adapt his style to fit in with the other six movies.

 

I'm not really sure how that quote works given that, IMHO, Star Trek 09 and Star Trek: ID look absolutely nothing like any other iteration of Star Trek (other than the obviously returning characters and ships)... and that he seemed, to many, to be ‘Star Wars’ifying’ Star Trek... So if Star Trek and Star Wars are indeed ‘different beasts ‘ (and that quote does look familiar), and if he were making 09 and ‘Into Darkness to resemble the ‘different beast’ that is Star Trek... then I think he failed. Which kind of makes me believe that when JJ talks about ‘style’ he is literally talking about pure surface e.g. Wookies, the Millennium falcon, dirty looking engine parts, goofy looking alien etc? Which again, makes me worry that’s he too enamoured with a certain veneer.

I don't know? I never got the feeling that fan favourite, TESB, was a result of Kershner trying to reproduce the aesthetics and directing sensibilities of Lucas. ANH and TESB are chalk and cheese.... and I think that was primarily a good thing wasn't it?

 

Star Trek was being rebooted. It needed a cinematic boost. Star Wars does not need a boost in the same sense. I think in Trek, and this seems fairly obvious to me, he applied his own style because he was trying to inject energy, pace and a sense of fun to win around general audiences (the sense of fun I think is where people make the SW link). He wasn't a Trek fan so he had no intention of honouring a previous style. SW is different, bordering on its own genre. A SW film shot in the same style as the Trek films would not only look completely out of place next to the other six films (which differences in CG technology aside, all look fairly consistent cinematically), but also would look identical (ships and characters aside) to his Trek films. And he's just not going to do that. Again, Super 8 is the pointer here, not Trek.

 

I understand all that... but it makes the Star Wars and Star Trek being 'different beasts' a moot and redundant claim (unless he only meant Old Star Trek and Star Wars?)... because he was trying to make his Star Trek films more like Star Wars in the first place. Ergo, they will be similar. When JJ states they are different beasts, I think he honestly means just in terms of the 'functional' and 'used technology' look of Star Wars versus the established 'buff' aesthetic of Star Trek. I don't actually think he's talking stylistically at all in terms of technical application.

 

He clearly infused the Trek films with certain elements and philsophies from his love of SW, but do you really think he was trying to make his Trek films look like the original SW films?

 

They're chalk and cheese in terms of mood, story, structure, obviously Empires down beat cliffhanger conclusion and it just feels a far more personal film with more at stake for the characters on a personal level but aesthetically and stylistically they are for me very much in keeping, advancements in technology and effects work aside. Kershner wasn't really hired for any of that anyway and I think the film is better for it because it demanded more from the actors and Kershner helped facilitate that.

 

Yes - I think JJ tried to Star Wars'ify his Star Trek films with the exact same type of veneer that some think represents Star Wars. That's my point.

In terms of the directing sensibilities on TESB and ANH. They are as different as they can be... and it's a reason why the films look/feel different.... Of course the films have to, broadly speaking, adhere to an established look and feel in order to maintain continuity . But one only has to look at a comparison of Falcon cockpit shots to see the differences in approach.

 

Abrams rebooted Trek as a modern franchise with a sense of fun and adventure. He will be making a sequel to SW which does not need retooling so much as faithfulness to the source. These are not at all comparable situations.

 

I think the overall reception will be positive if Episode 7 is a good movie. I look at it this way, there are several groups of fans and this is how they will react:

1. SW Loyalists: These fans love anything SW, and will love Episode 7 just like the other 6 movies.

2. PT Haters: These fans will be cautiously optimistic in fear of getting burned again. If its good, they will be pleasantly surprised, if its not good, they will probably walk away from SW forever. The difference is they wont be as vocal of their hate towards the ST as they were towards the PT simply because they didn't set expectations as high.

3. Fair Minded SW Fans: This is the majority of SW fans (including myself). Whether they like it, love it or hate it, they will be the least vocal and take them for what they are.

4. EU Fans: Now this could be the new ST bashers, as I have one friend who is an avid reader of EU books, and is not happy that they are essentially wiping out everything he has read.

 

I'd say if the first of these films tells a decent story and goes some way to recapturing the feel of the OT, there will be a mass outpouring of love in its direction. I really think people want to like SW and for it to be successful, so even if this isn't perceived as being as good as the OT, it'll be well received as long as it gets inside the ball park.

 

I have incredibly high hopes. I hope I'm not setting myself up for a let down, but I think they are going to be fantastic. My only concern is that they might be overdone if Abrams tries too hard. But, the new Star Trek movies he made are fantastic. I mean they don't compare to Star Wars, but I think they can serve as a fairly good guide to how EP7 will be treated by Abrams. PLUS, Abrams is a way bigger fan of Star Wars than Star Trek. It's like a FAN is making the film - He knows what he wants and he knows what we want.

Based on the original post, I'm going to be super optimistic and say that the new trilogy will be at %85 or possibly higher.