Star Wars Into Darkness
by Mark Bishop
1/30/13



J.J. Abrams isn't a bad writer, I liked 'Forever Young,' and he's not necessarily a bad director. I just don't think he's the right choice to helm iconic franchises like 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars.' He might not even be cut out for sci-fi at all, as the disappointing 'Super 8' would seem to bear out.

His approach, at least with 'Star Trek,' was to change things simply for the shock value, as well as the need to indulge in his own peculiar filmmaking style. Lens flare, red matter MacGuffins, the destruction of Vulcan, Spock's relationship with Uhura, all certainly helped to prove the ad campaigns claim that it wasn't your fathers 'Star Trek.' But I felt like it wasn't really 'Star Trek' at all.

However, an even bigger fear of mine is what Abrams will do to the 'Star Wars' universe if he joins forces again with Damon Lindelof.

Responsible in large part for the disappointment that 'Lost' became, as well as the absolutely awful 'Prometheus,' Lindelof could really hurt the 'Star Wars' franchise. His use of the tired time travel plot device in 'Star Trek,' simply to create an alternate timeline where all bets were off, could empower Abrams to turn 'Star Wars' into something completely unrecognizable.

I think a line from Wikipedia's entry on Damon Lindelof sums it up - "Lindelof has built a reputation for himself as a writer who does not hesitate to introduce confusion through the use of plot devices that have no real explanation." Combine that with the self-serving filmmaking style of J.J. Abrams, and we might all feel a great disturbance in the force.

Who knows, maybe J.J. will redeem himself with 'Star Trek Into Darkness' this May, but I have my doubts. I mean, just look at the picture of Abrams above. He's giving us all the finger!