# Why I hate JJ Abrams (nothing to do with lens flare) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 29, 2015, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624 "2015-12-29T05:41:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/41 "2015-12-29T23:11:55Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I just said that I rather liked SW:TFA. I just don’t think my good opinion of it invalidates anybody’s bad opinion, any more than my dislike of GAME OF THRONES means that those who like it are morons. Never called anyone a moron. Melodramatic perhaps… ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/42 "2015-12-29T23:12:48Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Rey can outfly experiences TIE fighters in a ship she admits in movie she had no clue how to fly like that. The Force was strong with her. That’s all the explanation you need, being inexplicably good at piloting is one effect that being strong in the Force has been shown to have repeatedly. > [@](#): > > How Finn a stormtrooper that unclogs toilets doesn’t get killed in 2 seconds using a lightsaber against a trained force user? Multiple reasons. First, Kylo Ren was emotionally conflicted, and that’s important for channeling the Force. He had thought that killing his father would remove the conflict, but it only made it worse. Second, he had just been shot in the side with a freaking bowcaster. That thing’s practically an anti-material rifle, it’s amazing that he lived through that. He was severely injured and it was probably taking most of his focus to just stay standing. Thirdly, Kylo Ren isn’t all that trained, and is actually crappy at lightsaber fighting. His style was sloppy, all anger and charging rage and no style or focus. He’s no Darth Vader, and he knows it. Finally, Finn was on sanitation duty as punishment. He’s actually a trained combatant, part of an elite group, trained with firearms and with melee weapons like the stun baton shown earlier in the movie. Ok, he probably wouldn’t have lasted 2 seconds against Luke or even against a fully focused and uninjured Kylo Ren, but as it was I didn’t have any trouble believing the outcome. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/43 "2015-12-29T23:13:15Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Seriously, _The Force Awakens_ is probably about the best film it was ever going to be under Disney’s iron thumb, and certainly not as much of a disappointment as, say, _Avengers: Age of Ultron_. r I wasn’t at all disappointed by Age of Ultron. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/44 "2015-12-30T00:27:33Z")
I’m disappointed by any Avengers project that doesn’t feature Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/45 "2015-12-30T01:11:58Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I dunno. How does a farm boy whose piloting/gunning experience consists of bulls-eyeing womp rats in his T-16 manage to fly an X-Wing with no training and blow up a planet-sized battle station with one shot? Remember when Obi Wan mentions off-hand to Luke something like, “I understand you’ve become quite a good pilot yourself.”? Now compare that to Finn and Rey’s back and forth that amounted to “How did you do that?!” “I don’t know. I just did it.” One line makes all the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/46 "2015-12-30T01:12:52Z")
Point of order, Star Wars is NOT science fiction and has never pretended to be. It is space opera. Science fiction portrays ordinary people in extrordinary circumstances presented by technological advances or tech advances creating ordinary circumstances out of extrordinary people (aliens, robots, etc.) Second, I was not a huge fan of the movie the first time I saw it, but after seeing it again appreciated it more. I had assumed Rey was possibly Luke’s kid and they were teasing it, but no, she is his child and it makes a few scenes in th4 movie far more powerful. None more so than the end when she meets him on the island. He is broken up at getting to see his grown daughter, the heart broken she has carried the light saber to him. The whole franchise is about destiny and Luke has never wanted to swim in that stream. He thought his destiny was a moisture farmer on tattooine and resented it, found a new path as a Jedi then discovered the father he never knew was skilled with the force but would not change his course. He left and abandoned Rey when the school went to shit because he didn’t want her to face dead or the dark side. When he met her again he discovered his destiny would haunt him no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/47 "2015-12-30T01:16:07Z")
Look I get the EU hatred. The only thing I liked about it was the Thrawn trilogy. BUT if you are going to completely ignore the EU then don’t act like it is brand new when you just change names. Ben Solo/Kylo Ren is Jacen Solo/Darth Caedus. Rey is probably going to turn out to be the Ben Skywalker from the EU. So don’t say he threw out the EU. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/48 "2015-12-30T01:48:20Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > I wasn’t at all disappointed by Age of Ultron. It was a competent actioneer that was well suited to setting up the Marvel Phase 3 storylines and introducing some new characters, if but briefly and often incoherently. As a Joss Whedon film, however, it lacked the typical clever interplay, genre-bending twists, and cracking dialog. It was the _Iron Man 2_ of the _Avengers_ films; a film that wasn’t really justified by its own plot so it had to recreate the previous one. > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I’m disappointed by any Avengers project that doesn’t feature Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. Unfortunately, I think Dame Rigg is a bit beyond putting on the skin-tight suit and taking down villains with her Webley Mk IV while Mr. Steed stands around creeping on her, but her wit is as rapier sharp as ever on _Game of Thrones_. We can be thankful, however, that no one has repeated the mistake of making an _Avengers_ film starring Uma Thurman on Quaaludes. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/49 "2015-12-30T02:15:42Z")
Maz was based on an English teacher from high school, Palisades Charter High School. Her name was Ms. Gilbert, who died recently. Apparently J.J Abrams was her studnet. [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jj-abrams-based-a-star-851128q](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jj-abrams-based-a-star-851128q) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/50 "2015-12-30T02:17:00Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > I wasn’t at all disappointed by Age of Ultron. That’s one that I thought was not very good. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/51 "2015-12-30T02:41:28Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Remember when Obi Wan mentions off-hand to Luke something like, “I understand you’ve become quite a good pilot yourself.”? > > Now compare that to Finn and Rey’s back and forth that amounted to > “How did you do that?!” > “I don’t know. I just did it.” > > One line makes all the difference. When Rey proves her scavenging and repair abilities, recognises a good ship when she sees it, and even says when Finn says they need someone to fly it that they do have someone, meaning herself, that’s all the equivalent of proving she’s a competent pilot. What makes her a remarkable pilot, as things unfold, is her abilities and instincts via the Force. It’s all there, it’s just spelled out differently. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/52 "2015-12-30T03:36:44Z")
Just remember, folks. If Rey had instead responded with “I’ve become quite the good pilot myself”, Abrams would be lambasted for copying Episode IV. ---
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/53 "2015-12-30T05:33:08Z")
I have a massive hatred of JJ Abrams, though I can’t think of a logical reason. I liked both his Star Trek and Star Wars movies. He just strikes me as someone I wouldn’t get along with in real life. Which I base on nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/54 "2015-12-30T14:47:59Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Note that all three criticisms in the o.p. can just as easily onto the original film. Lucas didn’t bother explaining anything in those films, either except as magic and the luck of narrative plotting. When he later tried to give a rational framework for the plotting in the prequels, the result was objectively terrible, notwithstanding the flat acting and terrible CGI. In retrospect, _Star Wars_ is exactly the type of film that J.J. Abrams should have been making all along; one that doesn’t really make much sense or pause to reflect on why its characters are making illogical decisions; that focuses on the characters themselves rather than the ridiculous plot going on around them; and that has things zooming around and blowing up at frequent intervals for no other reason than to ensure the audience isn’t getting bored. In fact, I’m coming around to the opinion that if Marvel wants to make another standalone Hulk film, Abrams is probably a good choice to direct. I agree. Obviously the ideal for a film is to explain enough so things are clear, but not so much that it slows the film down and gets boring. But if you’re either going to have too much unnecessary explanation like the prequels, or not quite enough like in The Force Awakens, I’d rather have not quite enough. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/55 "2015-12-30T18:09:25Z")
It should be pointed out, again, that Abrams is very much a hired gun on this project. He’s not involved at all with any of the currently planned Star Wars films. He has as much say in the overall direction of the Star Wars franchise as Jon Favreau does over the Marvel movies - including stuff like throwing out the EU. If you want to know who to thank (or blame) for what’s going on in Star Wats these days, the name you want is Kathleen Kennedy. Also, Timothy Zahn’s _Heirs to Empire_ has been out of canon since way before Disney got its hands on it. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/56 "2015-12-30T18:15:02Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Instead he must have said, “THAT’S how you make a film.” He takes on SW7 and in the ultimate hubris throws out the Expanded Universe because of course he can do better (he can’t). The “Expanded Universe” is of no interest to 95+% of Star Wars fans and would handcuff every decision they make. “The Force Awakens” is consistent with the events of the MOVIES, which is all that matters. ---
**Author:** ![jonesj2205](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/57 "2015-12-30T18:21:10Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The “Expanded Universe” is of no interest to 95+% of Star Wars fans and would handcuff every decision they make. And the 5% it does matter to will go to the movie regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/58 "2015-12-30T18:31:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > “The Force Awakens” is consistent with the events of the MOVIES, which is all that matters. I do not agree that it succeeded at that. The implications of the end of Return of the Jedi were that the Rebel Alliance was victorious and the Empire was defeated, and that Luke Skywalker had his head screwed on straight with regard to the Dark Side. Episode 7 should not have been about the New Republic being treated like it was still the Rebel Alliance, the Imperial Remnant still being treated like it can secretly build even bigger and more destructive planet killers than the Death Star, and about Han, Luke and Leia failing utterly at raising a child to _not_ be a serial killer. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/59 "2015-12-30T19:35:10Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Get over it. Force Awakens was a good movie. So was the first Star Trek movie in 2009. +1 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624/60 "2015-12-30T20:18:00Z")
Look, I liked The Force Awakens. But we aren’t going to know if Jar Jar Abrams created a movie as great as the original trilogy for another 30 years. > [@Smapti](#): > > I dunno. How does a farm boy whose piloting/gunning experience consists of bulls-eyeing womp rats in his T-16 manage to fly an X-Wing with no training and blow up a planet-sized battle station with one shot? [Are you sure you can handle this ship? Sir! Luke was the best bush pilot in the Outer Rims territories You’ll do alright](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kgl9gmtvZo) The R2 unit probably does most of the flying anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-hate-jj-abrams-nothing-to-do-with-lens-flare/741624.md?page=4)