OTF's Blue Publication March 2013
With the news that J.J. Abrams will be directing the new Star Wars movies, a lot of discussion has been generated by both Star Trek and Star Wars fans. Is this a good move for Disney? Will J.J. devote enough time to this project since he is already dedicated to a Star Trek trilogy? Robert Werner and I discuss below:
Robert: He's directing/directed Star Trek 2 and working on a third. Who's to say he has time to do a proper job that the SW Fans deserve?
DeBoe: The proposed release date for the first Star Wars movie is 2015. I'm assuming JJ has a plan already for his next Trek movie, if he doesn't already have most of it finished. That leaves plenty time to work on his Star Wars project. If not, we waited from 2009 to 2013 between Star Trek movies, so the third could take just as long to finish.
Rob: He NEVER watched any Star Trek until he was told he was going to direct it. He admits that in multiple interviews on Netflix and even Star Trek.com.... But he did it anyway, and used the "Alternate Universe" plot to throw away old facts. Basically throwing away the old Generation of fans. What if he does that to the old Generation of Star Wars Fans?
DeBoe: He did his homework, though. You can't say he didn't. As for the alternate universe, it's not a new concept for the Star Trek universe. See these episodes:
TOS: Mirror, Mirror
ENT: In a Mirror, Darkly
In a Mirror, Darkly Part II
DS9: Crossover
Through the Looking Glass
Shattered Mirror
Ressurrection
The Emperor's New Cloak
Rob: He even said in an interview that he didn't want the job at first. He said "I'd rather stay in the seats and enjoy it". If you didn't truly want to do something, why put 110% into it?
DeBoe: Anyone's mind can be changed. If he didn't put any effort into the movie, it would have shown. As for wanting to do this Star Wars project, and whether he is a fan, look at this quote from Sound designer Ben Burtt, who worked with Abrams as sound designer and sound editor on Star Trek and Super 8:
"J.J represents the next generation of filmmakers from those that were making Star Wars when I started. When he was a teen, he was a fan of Star Wars, and a great deal of his love for movies came out of his reaction of that first Star Wars film. You feel that he's already invested so many years in it, and he's going to propel it forward in a new way. In other words, you're having a fan who has grown up and developed tremendous directorial skills finding himself at the steering wheel to take the franchise into the next stage. I feel like I'm there watching history turn over from one era to another."
Rob: Who's to say he won't try to make a dramatic change of facts that might even upset the older generation of SW Fans? In Star Trek (2009) he made it look like Kirk was born in Space, not on Earth. Who's to say he won't make it look like Luke was born on Endor?
DeBoe: Was there really a dramatic change of facts? I'm sure Kirk would have loved to known he was born in space. The alternate timeline allowed Abrams to include discrepancies, as there would be if timelines shifted. This may seem like a lazy excuse to allow Abrams to be creative, but, in Star Trek form, there is some scientific basis in this plot. See, The Butterfly Effect
Will he do the same for Star Wars? I don't think he will, since there is no precedence for alternate timelines/universes and/or time travel in Star Wars as there is with Star Trek.
Overall I'd say that I'll gladly go and watch it. But I'm going to be skeptical going in and hopefully optimistic coming out. I'm hoping for constant facts, good plot, and something to set up the new series of films so the others are just the same (hopefully good) if not better than the others that are soon to come. I predict plenty of special effects, just unsure of facts and plot. Overall I'd go and see it. Maybe not opening night, but after a couple days and person-to-person reviews of what they thought.
Ending remarks by DeBoe:I'm also going to see it, and ever since I had heard Disney bought Star Wars and was making new movies I have been skeptical. But I enjoyed JJ's Star Trek movie so I am optimistic for Star Wars. Disney has proved themselves over the last four or five years in finding good directors for their franchises; Look at the movies they've released after buying Marvel (Iron Man 1&2, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, The Avengers), so I am positive they have found a great director for Star Wars.