Can anyone believe that Mission Impossible-III, which was directed by JJ Abrams, was also his debut directorial? He later wowed everyone with his Star Trek movies, which made him a promising big-budget director. After the theatrical release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, JJ Abrams made it to the big league.J.J. Abrams is one filmmaker who is on the verge of becoming the next Spielberg of Hollywood. His next movie – Star Wars: Episode IX – is already a hot topic. Though only five films old as a director, his technique speaks volumes of his talent to hold the megaphone. Before venturing into big-budget action adventures, JJ Abrams was a popular screenwriter and producer. Here is the list of some of the top movies of JJ Abrams (the list also contains movies that Abrams has written or produced):
10. Taking Care of Business
Taking Care of Business was the first movie that credited JJ Abrams as a screenwriter. It was a laugh-riot from beginning till end. Directed by Arthur Hiller, the title was inspired by a song recorded by Canadian rock band BTO. Spencer’s Filofax was praised for his amazing performance and was the saving grace for this movie that was panned by the critics.
9. Regarding Henry
Remember the iconic poster of Harrison Ford and Annette Benning for the movie Regarding Henry? After a lawyer survives a shooting, he struggles to regain his memory and recover his speech and mobility. Directed by Mike Nichols, Regarding Henry was praised for its emotional story, and pitch-perfect direction by Mel Nichols. Regarding Henry was another feather in Harrison Ford’s cap.
8. Forever Young
Science-fiction has always been JJ Abrams’ forte. In the earlier stages of his career, JJ Abrams wrote a screenplay for the Sci-Fi movie, Forever Young starring Mel Gibson and Elijah Wood. Warner Bros. bought the rights of ‘The Rest of Daniels’ for $2 Million, the highest ever for a screenplay. JJ Abrams wrote a screenplay inspired by it, and acted as an executive producer. The movie met with lukewarm reception and was a moderate box-office success.
7. Joy Ride
JJ Abrams was influenced by the Steven Speilberg movie Duel and wrote a screenplay for the movie Joy Ride. Directed by John Dahl, the movie was a horror thriller that starred Steve Zahn and Paul Walker. The movie popularized the villain, ‘Rusty Nail’ (played by Matthew Kimbrough), who remains unseen for most of the film. His voice was given by actor Ted Levine. Owing to its minimal budget, the movie was a box-office success.
6. Armageddon
Based on the book Armageddon by Tony Gilnoy and Shane Salerno, JJ Abrams, along with other writers, wrote a screenplay for a feature film named after the book. Directed by Micheal Bay, Armageddon was an epic disaster drama, that was panned by the critics. Despite such criticism, the movie was a major box-office success, grossing more than $500 Million worldwide. Armageddon was the first major studio movie to involve Abrams. It also helped him the gain the experience to direct a big-budget movie.
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5. Super 8
Super 8 was a homage to the yesteryear blockbuster, E.T. Thematically similar to movies like Stand by Me and The Goonies, Super 8 deals with the story of teenagers who, while filming a movie, witness a creature entering their town after a train derails. Super 8 is the first and only original film directed by JJ Abrams to date. The movie was praised for its brilliant visual effects and terrific performances by the teenagers. The movie worked mostly on the nostalgia it was able to generate to audiences. Produced by Steven Spielberg, Super 8 was a summer blockbuster and, sadly, not anywhere close to E.T.
4. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
If ‘Star Wars’ referred to one galaxy, then ‘Star Trek’, which owes its origins to the TV series that aired in the 1960s, takes place in several galaxies and planets spread across the universe. Even though it got tepid ratings during its initial run, the show has left an indelible mark on popular culture. It has also resulted in thousands of works of fan fiction, including a group of fans called ‘Trekkies’, and is often referenced across cinema and television. The basic premise of journeying across the universe and meeting hostile and friendly aliens has spawned several films. Among the films in the rebooted franchise is ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’, which sees Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) take on the superhuman Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch). Several other popular characters from the franchise make an appearance in the film, including Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock. While Leonard Nimoy, who also played Spock in the original TV series, plays Spock Prime. A stellar performance by Cumberbatch and a new story based on Khan’s abilities and drive to rescue his people at the expense of the crew of the spaceship enterprise make the film a standout offering.
3. Star Trek
The Star Trek television series was a classic with unlimited action and emotional drama, and enjoys following from millions of fans worldwide. JJ Abrams reignited the franchise weaving a strong story with its iconic characters of Kirk and Spock. Starring Chris Pine, Eric Bana, and Zachary Qunito, Star Trek was critically acclaimed for its story backed by brilliant visuals and the chemistry between the actors. Sticking to its popular origin story, JJ Abrams proved why those characters are loved universally with his near-perfect writing and direction.
2. Mission: Impossible-III
Mission: Impossible III was the directorial debut of JJ Abrams. An adrenaline-pumping, edge-of-the-seat action movie, MI 3, was mostly superior to its predecessor movies in terms of many crafts like action, emotion, violence and what not! Unlike many other directors, who tend to gain experience before helming big budget blockbusters, JJ Abrams nailed it like a pro! Starring the superstar Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, and Philip Seymour as Owen Davian, MI 3, was a box office success grossing $400 Million worldwide.The movie was not perfect, but it was 2 hours of non-stop entertainment.
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
After George Lucas sold his Star wars franchise to The Walt Disney Company, there was a vacuüm considering the next generation of the movies. And it was Spielberg who suggested Abrams to write and direct a movie. Star wars was a franchise that defined generations of audiences and made everyone’s childhood into a ‘lightsaber’ing adventure. And after JJ Abrams was making a Star wars movie, the expectations were skyhigh. The genius of Abrams lied in blending the old-fashioned aesthetics into a modern celluloid, keeping in mind the roots of the Star wars franchise. The Force Awakens opened to earth-shattering response went on to become the highest grossing movie in the franchise and also the third-highest movie of all time.
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