In JJ we trust....

I am not at all happy with the way VIII turned out, but I really enjoyed TFA. So I'm perfectly happy to have JJ back. He knows the pressure, so that won't be an issue. Unlike Rian (whatever you think about him) JJ is a pleaser. He wants to please the audience and, after the divisiveness of the last 7 months or so, I'd say he is what is needed. Or so I hope, as I desperately WANT to enjoy these films.

 

RJ did a lot of things in TLJ that can't really be "fixed" (for those of us who feel they need fixing). However, I think there is a chance he can deliver a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, I just have my doubts.

I feel no excitement for IX and as of this writing, I would say the odds of me watching it in theaters sits below 50%. Mind you trailers haven't come out yet, along with word of mouth so on and so forth, which could change things exponentially. But right now I can all but guarantee I won't watch it opening weekend. Beyond that will depend on spoilers and word of mouth more than anything else.

I think the key for JJ is to deliver on the mystery boxes in TFA, even those touched upon during TLJ, and make everything definitive. Unless they have something truly planned beyond IX, not introduce any more mystery boxes. Beyond that I'd say he's probably got one of the biggest challenges of his career coming up, I hope he nails it.

 

JJ is not to be known as someone who can end stuff. He's a starting guy. Ironically this makes me more excited for IX because for the first time JJ has to show what he's got. He can't set up anything or he can't use mystery box anylonger. This will be interesting! #InJJWeTrustAgain

 

This.

Moreover I'm really excited to see if he's able to get a better performance out of Daisy (for example). Her performance has been a bit bland and wooden in TLJ compared to what we have seen in TFA. #InJJWeTrust

 

I don't want to turn this into a bash of TLJ. I think she was fantastic in the scene where Luke asks her "Who are you?" when they are in the library inside the tree. I really thought that was great. Unfortunately, I think the writing of her character could have been better and thus her performance wasn't able to live up to that in the rest of the film.

The good thing about JJ, as someone said, is he can't just start this, now he needs to end it. I think he is talented and now he can show that I'm correct. Plus he has a co-writer, something I think RJ desperately needed. Finally, hopefully he will answer some of those questions. Who is/was Snoke? Is Rey truly a "nobody" or is she a Skywalker/Kenobi (just because Kylo say she's no one doesn't mean she really is no one). Was she born of the force like Anakin? How about Finn, is he force sensitive? I'd like to see them jump ahead 5 years and see Rey with an embryonic new Jedi order on Coruscant. Let's see the Knights of Ren and the Acolytes of the Beyond. Let us see some of the Guardians of the Whills, perhaps rebuilding their own order as well.

So much potential. I just hope JJ can reignite my love for Star Wars films. Right now Dave Filoni and Rebels, as well as The Clone Wars are keeping it alive.

 

Dont be naive guys.

Whatever JJ,Kathy and Co do in IX, a lot of people will hate it.
It all simply start with the Leia situation.
Some want her recast, others want her as CGI and others want her have a offscreen death.

JJ can only lose.

 

You will NEVER please 100% of the people. But that doesn't mean he can't make a film that is well received by the fans, and one that is a pleasing finale to the ST.

 

I wish him luck, he will need it.

 

I'm an Abrams fan but he is the one that ended up sticking Luke on the island in the first place. He had Artoo literally under a damn tarp his whole flick and had to be asked to send him to Luke instead of BB8. He also was the guy who created the cheesy fake emperor with no back story and had Kylo fall on Luke's watch.

I'd prefer if Johnson was continuing the story because I think he gets it on a deeper to the soul level, is better with action, and isn't as surfacy a storyteller in general but at least I'm more comfortable with JJ than Trevarro and since his characters have to carry the torch now I do think he writes Rey and Finn better so that is a huge plus.

 

I feel the same about Daisy in TLJ. She was better in TFA for me.

And JJ will deliver us a good movie. It will be a great finally for this saga.

 

She wasn't only better acting wise, no, her whole character was better in TFA. If you look at Rian's filmography you shouldn't be suprised though. He never had a female main characters in his movies. Haha!

 

I mean i agree, in some ways, A lot of people hated The Force Awakens, a lot of people hated Rogue One hell a lot of people hate Return of the Jedi.

A lot of people is how ever a relative term, as the Star Wars fan base is so big, and those films didn't create the hate that we are seeing at the moment.

So yes i think a lot of people will hate what they do, but i think they can if they deliver a good film reduce the hate to the levels of the force awakens or maybe return of the jedi.

 

Well, JJ Abrams has under his belt various fine screenplays with very apt conclusive endings such as Regarding Henry, Forever Young, Armageddon and Super 8 among others... it’s funny that the man is only remembered for the mysteries he planted in Lost, a series of which he only wrote the pilot...

I for one have absolutely no doubt JJ is well able to finish a story.

 

I think he will write an emotional conclusion to the sequel trilogy - and I hope it's a grand adventure, aswell!

John Boyega said (about EpIX): "It's all out war!".
What do you guys think of this?

I, for one, don't really care much for big battle grounds and armies going head to head.
After Braveheart I found them all kinda boring.
Like that big battle in Infinity war - mostly meh to me. Maybe I'm just tired of cgi cannon fodder.

 

I like a good battle that defines the stakes and tells us about character, like the famous battle that opened the film Gladiator. I liked the battle in TLJ a lot because it shows us how much Poe had to learn. Battles that add nothing to the story or the characters and are overly long bore me too.

 

Yeah, I was thinking about mentioning Gladiator. That is a good one aswell.
I just don't like these CGI hordes kinda swarming over the heroes.

 

JJ brought us a good and entertaining movie in TFA. I suspect we will get the same with IX. He has an open canvas with IX. I have liked both ST movies so far and I’m confident JJ can deliver with IX. I think he can create a movie that those who disliked TLJ can enjoy. Not everyone will like IX no matter who is writing/directing, but JJ is more than capable of making a movie most will like.

 

I don't believe that JJ will be able to stick the landing with this Trilogy, as I think it will end up looking like 3 separate standalone movies. I just don't think he has the writing chops to tie this Trilogy with 1-6, and I think he is just giving a lot of lip service right now. It still amazes me that Disney paid 4 billion dollars for the most popular franchise and decided to do 7-9 bringing back icons like Ford, Fisher and Hamill, and had no overall plan for the Trilogy and essentially letting JJ and RJ do what they want?

 

With Episode IX we know what we're getting. I cannot imagine a stuation where IX will be significantly different in filmmaking style and in quality from TFA (outside of a change of director but that's not happening, I hope.) In other words - if you've liked TFA (like I have,) you'll have good time. If not, you have Rogue One, Solo or even The Last Jedi to enjoy and fill in your waiting time for the next SW films to arrive.