Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

[ChrisMC]

No, I don't blame him. It's well known he's a bigger SW fan than he ever was a ST fan. Of course he would jump at the chance.

[Bryancd]

No, I don't blame him. It's well known he's a bigger SW fan than he ever was a ST fan. Of course he would jump at the chance.

Sure, and denial is not just a river in Egypt. :)

[ChrisMC]

Yeah yeah.  Lay off, turkey.

[Bryancd]

I appreciate he's a fan and that's a good thing, I just don't worship at the alter if JJ. I loved STAR TREK, I thought Super 8 was pretty good, I thought Cloverfield was totally overrated as was Lost. I really have never got the hero worship around him.

[moyer777]

yeah, I think he is cool, and modern and all, but... I don't know. 

[Rico]

Well, that's an interesting turn of events.  I'm actually pretty ok with it.  JJ loves "Star Wars" and he knows the universe.  I've enjoyed just about everything he's been involved with from "Alias", to "Trek", to "Fringe", etc. so I'm sure he'll do a great job with this.  Exciting times.

[Bryancd]

My only issue is that I personally don't want a reboot of STAR WARS. I want new STAR WARS to be like old STAR WARS, if you get my meaning. JJ was great to reboot STAR TREK and he applied his specific aesthetic to it and that was fine and worked well. What I don't want is to be watching STAR WARS and have it scream "Directed by JJ Abrams", and I don;t just mean the lens flare. I want don't want to be even thinking "Gee this looks like a JJ Abrams film" while I am watching it. I hope he can reign some of that in.

[Bryancd]

Well, that's an interesting turn of events.  I'm actually pretty ok with it.  JJ loves "Star Wars" and he knows the universe. 

I'm surprised to hear you say that after what you said on the podcast. You seemed to really want him to remain with Trek.

[ChrisMC]

His style is so different from what we have seen in all previous SW films. Personally, I would have liked to see Speilberg take a crack at it, but I guess they want to go "young and hot". I hope the story is there.

[Bryancd]

His style is so different from what we have seen in all previous SW films. Personally, I would have liked to see Speilberg take a crack at it, but I guess they want to go "young and hot". I hope the story is there.

Well that's just it, I want STAR WARS, not STAR WARS as done by JJ. Spielberg would have been great but I think Joe Johnson would have been even better, as he respects the source maerial, was there during the filming of the OT, and doesn't have a "style" that will be all over the film. GL wasn't a great director, but he understood kinetic storytelling and editing.

[ChrisMC]

His style is so different from what we have seen in all previous SW films. Personally, I would have liked to see Speilberg take a crack at it, but I guess they want to go "young and hot". I hope the story is there.

Well that's just it, I want STAR WARS, not STAR WARS as done by JJ. Spielberg would have been great but I think Joe Johnson would have been even better, as he respects the source maerial, was there during the filming of the OT, and doesn't have a "style" that will be all over the film. GL wasn't a great director, but he understood kinetic storytelling and editing.

I hear Johnston has been pitching a standalone Boba Fett film. He helped create the look of him, and it's be co to get some badass back into Fett. His prequel origin always bugged me.

[Bryancd]

Kind of funny reading this now:

"Speaking to Empire magazine, Abrams said he will be sticking to the "Star Trek" franchise. "I guess the franchises could go up against each other, but I'm not thinking that far ahead! I'm a huge fan of Star Wars, Empire and Jedi, and the idea of the world continuing is exciting and will be amazing. Kathy Kennedy is a friend and there are no smarter producers. It's in great hands."

He added that "there were the very early conversations and I quickly said that because of my loyalty to Star Trek, and also just being a fan, I wouldn't even want to be involved in the next version of those things. I declined any involvement very early on. I'd rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them."

[Rico]

I think you guys are being a bit premature.  JJ Abrams has done a lot of great stuff over the years and I find it quite different and exciting to watch most of the time.  He is not developing "Star Wars" from the ground up like he did with many of his TV series and several film projects where his "style" was very evident.  Most importantly, JJ knows how to direct actors.  I'll debate anyone on this point.  And that's what "Star Wars" will need - in my view.

[ChrisMC]

Kind of funny reading this now:

"Speaking to Empire magazine, Abrams said he will be sticking to the "Star Trek" franchise. "I guess the franchises could go up against each other, but I'm not thinking that far ahead! I'm a huge fan of Star Wars, Empire and Jedi, and the idea of the world continuing is exciting and will be amazing. Kathy Kennedy is a friend and there are no smarter producers. It's in great hands."

He added that "there were the very early conversations and I quickly said that because of my loyalty to Star Trek, and also just being a fan, I wouldn't even want to be involved in the next version of those things. I declined any involvement very early on. I'd rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them."

[Bryancd]

I think you guys are being a bit premature.  JJ Abrams has done a lot of great stuff over the years and I find it quite different and exciting to watch most of the time.  He is not developing "Star Wars" from the ground up like he did with many of his TV series and several film projects where his "style" was very evident.  Most importantly, JJ knows how to direct actors.  I'll debate anyone on this point.  And that's what "Star Wars" will need - in my view.

Oh, I don't think he's a poor director, not in the least. The films of his I have seen, even when I didn't like them like Cloverfield, were interesting. I'm not sure what exactly you are referring to, but my comment only directed at what I consider the aesthetic quality of his films, the visual imprint, style, ect. Like you know a Spielberg film right away. I don't always feel he makes the best choices in this regard whereas a Spielberg does. With STAR TREK, as it was a reboot regardless of what others may call it, that worked great as it was new. I want these films to feel like the OT of STAR WARS never ended, because they were magic despite the fact that GL isn't a great director. I want JJ to get the best performances out of the cast, another place GL failed miserably in the PT, but not over power us with his style, if you get my meaning.