J.J. Abrams vs. Joss Whedon: Duel for Media Master of the Universe

Sterba (Red Photos: Balancing Art and Truth in Contemporary Film), a film professor at College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University, compares the careers of J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon to muted effect. The goal of the comparison is supposedly to determine who will be the next Spielberg, but Sterba admits almost immediately that this competition is simply meant to be a fun way to experience both men’s oeuvres. As a collection of anecdotes about the directors’ early careers, the book works, offering insights into Whedon and Abrams’s early experiences on, respectively, the sitcom Roseanne and the film Regarding Henry. However, Sterba’s analysis hints at a bias towards Whedon. Her criticisms of his work are never quite as sharp, and with both men she ignores certain failings and highlights accomplishments of a similar strain. Her highlighting of Abrams’s casting work in Star Wars: The Force Awakens draws attention to the omission of casting discussion from her section on his previous film, Star Trek: Into Darkness. Sterba says her work is equally for fans, haters, and newbies, but the first group will clearly feel the most strongly about it—and may take exception to any hint of partiality. (Dec.)