Abrams set to direct Star Wars

Well, it’s official! J.J. Abrams won’t be directing the next Star Trek film, and is now set to direct the upcoming Star Wars flick. Apparently the fans are rejoicing with this news. I am not exactly sure why! Maybe it’s fans of Star Trek that are rejoicing? Since now, they will actually be able to watch the next Star Trek movie without having to squint through a barrage of lens flares. Perhaps the rejoicing fans are fans of Lens Flares in general! Maybe, they are so excited about the idea of a possible light saber duel that can’t be seen because it’s entirely blotted out by one giant lens flare!

Surely the rejoicing fans can’t be fans of Star Wars right?  Apparently they are! Again, I am not sure why the rejoicing! Am I the only one who seriously finds Abrams over-use of Lens Flares to be more than a little annoying? Sure, his directing isn’t bad in general! I mean, I genuinely enjoyed LOST, but that was before the whole flare fetish thing kicked in. It’s now gotten to the point where his love of all things bright has ruined his actual talent as a director. At least to me, and judging by response of the Star Wars community, I maybe the only one in this mind-set.

I just think they could have went with better directors. Zemeckis would have been good,  Jackson would have been great, as would Spielberg! Hell, I would have even settled for Burton, granted I would have to tolerate Johnny Depp as a sith lord, with claymation troopers doing his bidding on a planet with a bunch of curly leafless trees, but it’s infinitely better than lens flares!

I’m not saying Abrams is the worst possible choice! There are plenty of worse directors for Star Wars! They could have stuck us with Woody Allen or Quentin Tarantino. However, just because there are worse choices, does not make the current choice a good one! Will he ruin Star Wars for me? Doubtful! If he didn’t completely ruin Star Trek for me, I doubt if he could possibly ruin Star Wars. He could however make the experience of watching it, highly unenjoyable.

Related articles

• Star Wars Episode VII: New Director Revealed (news.sky.com)
• J.J. Abrams: Being A Part Of The Next Star Wars Is ‘An Absolute Honor’ (kotaku.com)
• Disney says JJ Abrams to direct next ‘Star Wars’ (miamiherald.com)

JJ Abrams Trek

Image via Wikipedia

I re-watched the JJ Abrams Star Trek movie the other day, and it is better the second time around I suppose. I’m not saying that I now find it enjoyable, in fact quite the opposite. I really don’t like it, but at least I don’t despise it. I know, a lot of people love it! Most people think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, and I am thrilled that they enjoy it. I however, do not.

So, why do I dislike the movie? To begin with, it makes no sense! Don’t get me wrong, I am not stupid, or ignorant to Sci-Fi plotlines, I get what they were trying to do, and if it were in an original setting, I wouldn’t have an issue with it.
To begin with, it’s established that when Nero and Spock travels back in time, they cause the timeline to split, and create an alternate reality. I get that, and I understand the multiverse. Hell, I theorised about the multi-verse before I even knew there was a name for it, So I get it! I really do. However, it has already been established in Star Trek, that time travel does NOT create alternate timelines, it modifies the prime timeline.

Let me give some examples!

1) In the movie First Contact, When the borg traveled to the past, the Enterprise followed after them, and got caught in the wake of space/time. Before they slipped back into earths past, they saw that the earth had been assimilated, but they weren’t affected cause they were in the wake. That alone, says that prime space/time is modified from the actions of time travel.

2) There is a Temporal Integrity Commission, whose purpose is enforcing the Temporal Accord treaty, which basically prohibits the use of Time Travel to change history. There’s a set of rules and procedures apparently in place so you don’t contaminate the timeline. Now, I ask you, why would any group go through all that trouble, if changing the timeline had no affect on the timeline? If it just created an alternate reality, then the point of this group is moot and pointless.

I could give several other instances, but you get what I am saying!

I am also sure that there are other instances in Trek history, where traveling back in time created a split timeline, though off-hand I can’t think of one, other than the JJ Abrams movie, but like I said, I am sure they exist.

I realise Star Trek is fiction, and I shouldn’t think too much into it. It just seems like a show that created the Klingon Language, would have some rules regarding how time travel works and affects the timeline in place! Maybe I am missing something? I am not the most avid Star Trek fan, So it is entirely possible that I missed an episode or three that actually does help all that make sense.

Related articles

• ‘Star Trek 2′ Delayed Until Holidays 2012 with J.J. Abrams Set to Direct? (screenrant.com)
• ‘Star Trek’ News: JJ Abrams ‘Hopes to Direct’ the Sequel (moviefone.com)
• STAR TREK 2 pre-production, J.J. Abrams’ involvement and Romulans (geektyrant.com)