ST J.J. Abrams to direct and co-write Star Wars: Episode IX (see warning on page 34 before posting)

Trek 2009 didnt require any prior knowledge of Star Trek in order to enjoy it, and even the cameos were from a character who had been in previous entries.
With respect, you contextualising some bits of Star Trek to a friend of yours isnt really equivalent to the idea of a sequel trilogy that relies on an audience being up to speed with novels in order to understand it.
But, canon debates arent really a thing here, so once the old EU was jettisoned, its moot anyway

 

Well, once again I didn't get what I was hoping for. I am very disappointed that JJ Abrams is going to write and direct another Star Wars film. I really didn't like TFA. As a fun, popcorn movie, it was an enjoyable ride. However, as the seventh film in the skywalker saga, I thought it was terrible. Not only did it reset everything backwards to where things were at the beginning of the OT films, but it repeated far too much of what we got in the previous two trilogies. JJ had a completely blank slate, and could have taken the story in any direction, but instead, he chose to just pretty much retell the story we already saw, just using new characters and new names for things like the empire and the rebellion. His story made rotj irrelevant, and completely wiped out all accomplishments of the OT 3.

I really am not a fan of JJ's mystery boxes, as the mystery boxes usually have no resolutions. The boxes themselves are what JJ enjoys putting into his films, but there's really nothing inside of them most of the time. There's no payoff. JJ included a lot of mysteries in TFA, but not only did he not tell the audience what the answers to those mysteries were, but he had no idea himself what the answers were, leaving Ryan Johnson to, hopefully, give us some answers. JJ's forte is definitely NOT concluding or resolving anything, so my confidence in his ability to conclude this trilogy and this nine part saga in a satisfying and compelling way is extremely low. I truly don't think he is a good choice to end this. In fact, there likely won't be an ending at all.

I have many other concerns about JJ. I don't think he's the best writer of original stories. I feel that his world building was weak in TFA. I certainly hope we're not going to get another Death Star. While I thought JJ did well with Rey in TFA, I really don't think he handled Poe or Finn well. He also doesn't seem to know what to do with Luke, so he probably will either kill Luke off early in episode ix, or Luke will have another cameo.

I am really not pleased at all. For me, JJ was probably the worst possible choice. Episode ix will likely make a lot of money, but I am really afraid that I am not going to like the story or many of the characterizations.

 

With all due respect, my friend from China disagrees. She didn't understand the movie at all, and felt she needed to read and watch past material. And I believe her despite what all the reviews etc say. She was the newcomer JJ was supposed to be targeting.

 

Well, the opening crawl states that in Lukes absence, the first order rose from the ashes of the empire... and we dont want a 6 minute monologe in the movie explaining details, so the crawl explains where we're at in broad terms.

If you dont choose to conviniently ignore things that the movie states, thats just what we need. In ANH, obi wan gives almost as much backstory. There were the clone wars and then the empire rose, thats whats relevant for the movie. More backstory can be given in the sequels and other media

 

Hopefully Episode IX will keep Abrams honest about any mystery box elements he set up in TFA that also aren't addressed in TLJ.

 

Imagine they kept CT's script (such as it was) for IX, then hired someone to come in after production had already started to try and finish/fix it. That's basically what happened with BvS. I can't lay that trainwreck entirely at Terrio's feet.

 

I apologize for moving the goal posts again, but I don't see where Han forgives Ben in this scene:

Spoiler: spoiler marked because it's a lot of dialogue

Han Solo: Ben!
Kylo Ren: Han Solo. I've been waiting for this day for a long time.
Han Solo: Take off that mask. You don't need it.
Kylo Ren: What do you think you'll see if I do?
Han Solo: The face of my son.
Kylo Ren: Your son is gone. He was weak and foolish like his father, so I destroyed him.
Han Solo: That's what Snoke wants you to believe, but it's not true. My son is alive.
Kylo Ren: No. The Supreme Leader is wise.
Han Solo: Snoke is using you for your power. When he gets what he wants, he'll crush you. You know it's true.
Kylo Ren: It's too late.
Han Solo: No, it's not. Leave here with me. Come home. We miss you.
Kylo Ren: I'm being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?
Han Solo: Yes. Anything.

I still say the Han Solo character in TFA does fill the roll of the Obi-Wan character. He's a mentor to Rey. He's the one who moves the story forward. He gets killed while his protege looks on helplessly. The only thing he doesn't do, and can't do, is be a Force ghost and tell Rey to 'use the Force' in her lightsaber duel with Kylo.

 

Sad. I would preferred Lucas.

The film will be a huge retread of ROTJ (which was a bit of a retread of ANH) You can't blame JJ. It's in his nature. (Like a scorpion)

Nostalgia will eat itself. I was already seriously thinking of avoiding it anyway. (I only watched TFA because I got a sneak peak showing.) What with Death of Carrie and film death of Han. I am expecting Luke to kick the bucket in Last Jedi or this one.

Either way, it's a real assault on my childhood. I'd have preferred they never touched Luke, Han and Leia rather than do what they did to them. I mean, Divorced miserable DadHan murdered by his own son? A life of misery and pain wrapped up with the ultimate kick in the gut ending... and he's not a Jedi so that was his last moment. Even Vader got some resolution before death. Han had the second most painful death after the Emperor.

I mean, The Gamorrean guard in ROTJ kinda expected to be eaten by the Rancor. Palps and Han were betrayed by loved ones.

I digress.

Ahem.

UKS

 

A new dark side master pops up out of Parts Unknown* and takes over the remnants of Sidious' Empire. Luke's new Jedi order are wiped out by his nephew, who has been corrupted by the new dark master; as a result, Luke becomes a recluse.

I'd say we've missed quite a bit. Wouldn't you?

*Note: Snoke is the Ultimate Warrior, confirmed!

 

Well, if you miss nuance and need to have everything spelled out, then yes. But if you pay attention, Han placing his hand in Ben's face AFTER being stabbed shows he still loves him and forgives him

 

The part where he lovingly strokes his son's face despite just being stabbed by him.

 

Well, I totally accept that youre friend from China may have found the film hard to understand. Though you'll forgive me for not believing that the sequel trilogy should have been based upon the old EU so that you could then explain it to your Chinese friend and anyone else who didnt get it.

 

I honestly think TFA just failed to explain the political situation well enough. The New Republic is the dominant power with an insurgency of radical neo-Imperials that they are appeasing. The film didn't establish well enough that the New Republic existed as the dominant power and was decapitated with the attack on it's capital.

Likewise I think the Luke being in exile as the last Jedi standing works. ROTJ is the Jedi returning to destroy both the Sith and the Empire. The ST is about, now that the Jedi have essentially won the big war, should they rebuild given people like Ben Solo can fall to the dark side and wreak such havoc.

 

although i just posted a retread of ROTJ, i am slightly optimistic. i don't think that JJA has to do what he did before just because he did it before. and he's not alone in this. and there are lots of choices he made that i liked.

 

But Luke left because Snoke turned Kylo Ren on him. How did Snoke get influential enough to turn Kylo Ren on him?

Snoke was already on the rise before Luke left. After they defeated the Sith. It's not very well explained, and doesn't require a 6-minute monologue. They could do it in one line.

 

I'm ok with JJ

At least now there is a new topic to talk about....

 

I never said the sequels should be based on the EU. Reread my original post--I was just using that as an example, which I dropped immediately once you got upset about it... (I know you said you weren't offended, but it feels otherwise).

I'm looking for Days of Future Past stuff. Specific incidents that made a character go bad. We're told Mystique was captured and tortured, turning her from Jennifer Lawrence to the old movie Mystique. We need something specific to highlight Ben's fall! This doesn't require the EU at all. Make up something! Ben was bullied by students for his dad being a smuggler. He didn't like Luke reinstating the no-marriage rule. Han's smuggled spice turned Ben's girlfriend into a junkie. See?

Not "too much Vader in him."

 

Except he was asked and turned it down.


edit: I see others made the point before me.

 

Well, we've been told TLJ will explore much of the whole Luke/Kylo backstory... would that work for you?

I dont need everything explained in the first chapter of the story, thats why we have 2 more movies

 

I mean, directing JJ will probably deliver a movie that's fine. I'm especially disappointed that he's writing it though.

I'm kinda already expecting Finn to go the Han/Leia route in IX upon hearing this news. I'm not convinced we'll get a movie that does much beyond checking off the major things that need to be resolved. JJ also didn't seem to understand Leia the way RJ does. Basically, I think it'll be like ROTJ in quality without an Ewok/DS2-like element.

 

Yeah, he had to write a sequel to Man of Steel while cramming in The Dark Knight Returns and Death of Superman into it. No easy task. Still, Justice League doesn't look/sound good either.

 

And while Star Wars appreciates the work he has done so far and wishes him all the best going forward, Abrams and Kennedy both cite mutual creative differences as the reason for his departure.

 

People, Episode IX isn't gonna be a rehash of ROTJ, and for two good reasons.

1. ROTJ was pretty much a remake of ANH
2. TFA was already an "OT Greatest Hits Compilation" (The third act is way closer to ROTJ's finale than ANH.)

 

TFA just didn't felt like a SW Movie to me, more like an Low Budget fan Film. It was the biggest disapointment i ever had at the Movies,and i can't imagine watching another SW Movie by this talentless Guy.

 

I don't know. I haven't seen TLJ yet. If the explanation is bad, then I wouldn't understand why it had to wait. If there's an actual reason for why it had to wait, cool. I just still have no idea what's really happening and that's a problem. If it fits in the end, it fits.

But, again, if you're watching from Episode 6 where there's a sense of finality, then get to Episode 7 where not much appears to have changed, it's going to be very jarring when you're watching the whole thing straight through.

 

The mindset that having Luke in TFA would take away from new characters and be problematic is insane to me. If the new characters are good. this should not be a problem.