J.J. Abrams - on paper, at least - seems like a smart choice when it comes to directing a new Star Wars flick. After all, he's proven himself technically proficient with movies like Cloverfield and Mission: Impossible III, and has already tackled multiple space adventures in Star Trek and sequel Star Trek Into Darkness. He's been compared to Steven Spielberg on a number of occassions, too, and even made a movie that served as a kind of love letter to his own Spielbergian tendencies with Super 8. The problem is that Abrams has never made a "great" film. Seriously, think about it: Abrams has made several "good" films over the course of his career, but he doesn't have a classic anywhere in his filmography. So what, you say? This could be the first masterpiece, right? Perhaps - but there's a reason Abrams projects always seem to fall short, and it's due to their tendency to defy logic and their willingness to ignore glaring plot holes. Sure, Star Wars is fantasy, but do we want an Episode VII riddled with unexplained plot issues like the recent Star Trek Into Darkness, or TV's Lost, which Abrams sort of abandoned? And now that Abrams has taken on writing duties with Lawrence Kasdan, the risk of us ending up with a confused, convoluted or downright messy narrative has increased greatly. We pray the plot is air-tight before shooting begins, and that the next chapters have been extensively planned.
