I think you’re correct that JJ knows his way around the craft of directing, I think the reason his directing projects fall flat to me is because where he really excels is as a producer. He’s a natural at creating intriguing and exciting ideas/premises, but when he’s in the role of flushing out the resolution and details, he’s proven time and time again that it’s just not his strength
One of my biggest issues with TFA was the removal of Korr Sella who in deleted scenes worked closely with Leia but dies when Starkiller Base destroys Hosnian Prime. All of her scenes besides her death were removed because they wanted Leia's first scene to be with Han for extra fanservice. Thankfully she's still a major character in Bloodline by Claudia Gray which is a great Leia political thriller that is a good setup for the sequel era. Another script removal I'm also not a fan of was hiding the implication that Snoke and Hux went behind Kylo's back to make Starkiller Base a planet destroyer. Kylo was supposed to be visually upon seeing the lazer fired, but they thought the scene looked cooler if he had a helmet which left his thoughts on Starkiller Base unknown. Thankfully this character detail was once again implied in the canon novelization.
My revisions: -Snoke/whoever is a human explicitly stated to be the child of Palpatine, explaining how he took control of the Empire. It can keep the Empire name or be reordered into the First Order. Either works. -Rey's individual talents are either removed (such as mechanical ability and possibly translation) or present yet toned down (good but not great pilot, strong with the Force yet untrained, and some level of combat experience from years of scavenging). She'd show some sass and resistance to Keylo Ren when captured but need Finn and Co's help in escaping. -Have the Empire/First Order do LITERALLY ANYTHING OTHER THAN "TOTALLY NOT DEATH STAR NUMBER THREE"! -When Kylo Ren and Rey have their duel, Rey gets a solid hit in showing that she has potential, but this results in Kylo Ren stops toying with his prey and instead taking things seriously. He clearly gains the upper hand, but Rey uses her cunning to escape to fight again another day.
Bro I absolutely geeked the eff out that you put the movie sequence from The ATHF Movie on this one! Phenomenal creative choice my friend, you are truly a man of culture. 3:23
Honestly I really like your take and if it had to be this way I would pick Mara Jade as the supreme commander but I would hint at at and only conform it in the next movie as a twist.
I agree! JJ Abrams is a great director, he just made some odd choices. I kinda got the feeling he wasn't as big as fan of Star wars as he is with Star Trek, but I think Star wars could have been worse. Great take! Keep up the good work and I can't WAIT for your next video ❤🎉
I actually didn't start to enjoy TFA until I realized I had to view it as *not* a "Star Wars" movie. It's just a good sci-fi flick, the way Marvel's second attempt at FANTASTIC FOUR wasn't really a Fantastic Four movie but just a good sci-fi/horror movie. "Luke Skywalker has vanished" killed the movie for me right away because I knew right then and there that Mark Hamill would not be appearing until the closing scene(s). Of all the original characters, it's Luke whose growth over the years we'd want to see most, and they ripped that away from us with the first line of the scroll.
I think it could possibly have worked better had the movie been more about him. As it is now, the movie loses focus in order to shove a Death Star plotline in there. Had they gotten rid of that and had the story revolve around what Luke means to these characters and the galaxy at large, his absence wouldn't have felt as glaring.
