I love movies, I love to watch and judge and re-watch and judge some more. Chick flicks, super heroes, action, drama – I love it all. But you know what I don’t love? Sequels and remakes. Why why why? And how often are these ideas actually successful? Now I’m sure sequels often fair better than remakes, but lets examine both.
Sometimes – and only sometimes sequels can work. The Godfather Part 2, the Dark Knight, Toy Story 2 & 3, Karate Kid II, Mission Impossible II & III (I liked them!) but I honestly have a hard time and have to seriously consider which sequels I’ve actually enjoyed. But then I think about the ones that haven’t and my mind can’t stop going – the Hangover 2, Bridget Jones 2, Sex & the City 2, Clerks II, Oceans Twelve, Speed 2, any Joel Schumacher Batman, – in many ways I feel these sequels to a disservice to their originals.
Then there’s sequels many years later, that you know are only being made because the people involved need the money – recently announced coming sequels will be: Austin Powers 4, Jurassic Park 3, Bridget Jones 3, Ghost Rider 2 (I mean, really?!) There’s no need for any of these movies to be made, (or for anyone to keep giving Nicholas Cage a job) especially since it’s been quite a few years since we’ve even seen an Austin Powers or a Bridget Jones in action.
Now for the remakes. Past awful remakes include: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (sorry Johnny Depp, even I couldn’t love you for this), Get Smart (sorry Steve), and as of late a new version of Footloose has been made. It’s the exact same story, same music, same character names – they are even re-creating the Kevin Bacon-tan top-dance sequence. This movie was (at least somewhat) a reflection of the time in which it was made. Looking at it now, it just doesn’t work. It looks like that movie Step Up where dancing is illegal. I hope Kevin Bacon was wise enough not to have a cameo in this.
This week it was announced a remake of Dirty Dancing has been green lit. Didn’t Dirty Dancing – Havana Nights do enough damage? At least it had a Patrick Swayze cameo! No offence to Jennifer Grey, but if she gets the cameo with her nose job and all – it’s just not the same.
What are they doing to our beloved originals? It perverses these movies and why we love them. Are we out of original ideas that we are doomed to a life or continuous recycling? Why do we need them? DO we need them?
Also set for release this Christmas – A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas. Come on.
cautiously optimistic 