In the wake of the incredibly divisive Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, writer and director J.J. Abrams has been at the forefront of a fair amount of criticism, mingled, of course, with respect from the fractured Star Wars fanbase. Regardless of how you felt about the movie, Abrams has had a long and successful career, with 69 credits as a producer, 15 as a director, 16 as an actor, and 25 credits as a screenwriter.
The result is a long list of movies, some of which have surprising connections to Abrams. And, while many of Abrams’ films are great, some of them fell short - here are his 5 best and worst movies, according to IMDb.
Worst: The Suburbans (4.2)
Abrams scored a producer credit in this 1999 dramedy fronted by none other than Will Ferrell. It follows a retired ’80s band, who reunites for a wedding. The result is one last night of music until their sound catches the ear of a rising record producer which leads to the band’s subsequent revival. While the film attempts to take a satirical look into the music business, it fails to pull audiences in through lacking dialogue and a story that just is not as funny as it wants to be.
Best: Star Trek Into Darkness (7.7)
The second film in a recent Star Trek revitalization trilogy starring Chris Pine took a completely different take on the decades-old universe. Though it is an exciting movie, it took a sharp turn away from the normal Star Trek storyline, turning into something more like a Bourne movie set in space. It follows Captain Kirk and his crew as they return to Earth after witnessing an act of domestic terrorism. With the Earth in chaos, they set out to stop the man responsible, risking everything in the process. Abrams is responsible for the success of this trilogy; he was able to open up the world of Star Trek to an entirely new audience, all while keeping old fans satisfied.
Worst: Gone Fishin’ (4.9)
Abrams owes one of his many writing credits to this film, which follows two lifelong friends (Joe Pesci and Danny Glover) as they encounter various disasters on a road-trip adventure. While it sounds good in concept, especially considering the star power involved, the movie tries and fails to be funny. It is outlandish, predictable, and poorly executed.
Best: Shrek (7.8)
Shrek was an animation milestone. A timeless film that is relentlessly hilarious for the parents as much (or more) as it is for the kids. It also marks the very beginning of J.J. Abrams’ career. While he didn’t manage to get credited on the final project, he is responsible for its earliest stages. When the project was first being discussed, Jeffrey Katzenberg hired a group of college grads for Dreamworks called the Propellerheads to develop the animation. The group included Abrams, Rob Letterman, Loren Soman, and Andy Waisler. They worked on the project for months but after their initial unveiling, Katzenberg shut it down, marking the beginning of a long and rocky road to the big screen for Abrams. The rest is history.
Worst: The Pallbearer (4.9)
Starring Friends actor David Schwimmer, and produced by J.J. Abrams, The Pallbearer follows Tom Thompson, an unemployed 25-year old who gets a strange phone call from the mother of an old classmate he doesn’t remember. She asks Tom to attend her son’s funeral. Tom decides to go, even though he knows neither the mother nor her son, which sets him on a collision course involving past dreamgirls and strange relationships. It has its moments, though, for the most part, simply falls flat.
Best: Mission Impossible: Fallout (7.8)
The sixth film in a series that is more than twenty years old, yet still manages to be exciting and impactful, Fallout was one of the better Mission Impossible movies. As Ethan Hunt and his team seek to prevent global nuclear warfare, they quickly find that they can trust no one but each other as time continues to run out. J.J. Abrams has had his hand in this series for a while now, having directed the third film in the franchise. However, for Fallout, he had a less hands-on role, merely working as one of the film’s four producers.
Worst: The Cloverfield Paradox (5.5)
The third in the Netflix original horror/sci-fi film series, The Cloverfield Paradox takes place in a distant, dystopian future where Earth is dealing with erratic power failures, leading to several teams of scientists entering orbit in the search for a solution to the energy problem. One group’s mission goes awry when their actions rocket them into some sort of paradoxical alternate reality. The premise was sound, the set is interesting, and the visuals are stunning. But it just doesn’t stand out; The Cloverfield Paradox is a generic and mildly intense action film produced by Abrams that had promise but couldn’t deliver.
Star Trek (7.9)
Marking the first of the recent Star Trek films, Star Trek follows the maiden voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise, serving as an origin story of sorts for Captain James T. Kirk. When the evil Romulan commander Nero threatens to wreak bloody vengeance upon humanity, the crew sets out to stop him, forging lasting friendships in the process. Expertly directed by Abrams, this film is widely regarded as the revitalization the Star Trek franchise needed. It was thrilling and fast-paced, complete with stunning special effects and visuals that supplement veteran actors who are at home amongst the stars.
Worst: The Unauthorized Documentary, Hangover Part II (6.0)
Featured as a thirty-minute bonus film on The Hangover Part II, The Unauthorized Documentary follows an aspiring filmmaker who tries to uncover the truth behind the antics that went on in alleged Bangkok during the filming of the second Hangover film. It features cameos from J.J. Abrams and Morgan Spurlock, but was entirely unnecessary and not nearly as funny as it tried to be.
Best: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (7.9)
After Disney purchased Lucasfilm from George Lucas in 2012 (for more than $4 billion), they set out to complete the rough 9-film outline that had been laid out for the Skywalker Saga. The Force Awakens marked the beginning of this final trilogy, led by writer/director J.J. Abrams. It introduces new characters in a post-Return Of The Jedi world, where the Empire might have fallen, but the First Order has risen in its stead. While the rest of the trilogy was disjointed - due mostly to the intermittent switching of writers and directors - this, at least, was an entertaining sequel to a series that has spread across generations, pulling fans of all ages into the fabled galaxy far, far away.
