Let's talk a bit about sequelitis

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Lancemc

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Hollywood is practically bombarding us with sequels these days. 2007 was the year of the threequels. Pirates 3 :barf: Shrek 3 :barf: Spiderman 3 :der: and a lot of other sequels, remakes, and adaptations. we've seen 4ths in series as well, with Die Hard 4 this summer and Indy IV set for this coming Memorial Day.

The fall season is looking to be fantastic, and usually is, but as for the rest of the year, it's been suffering from some hardcore sequelitis (side-effects include rampant remake and adaptation outbreaks).

So I ask...

When are film sequels acceptable? When aren't they?

Should they only be relegated to predefined source meterials like The Bourne Films and Lord of the Rings?

Should sequels only be handled by the directors of the first films, or it is better if a sequel it handled by a new director with a fresh take on the setting?

What consitutes a good sequel, and where does one draw the line between the value a series may lose due to a sequel and the entertainment value of the sequel film itself?

How about all those above questions with regards to remakes and adaptations? We're going to be seeing a TON of remakes coming out in coming years.

Also, how about the comic-book craze we're entering? We've seen a shit-load of comic book films already, but if you look at the major studio lineups, we're just getting started, and you can bet your ass the average quality is only going to decrese with a rising number of films being made. Next year does look mildly promising though, with Iron Man and The Dark Knight, and a possibly good take on The Incredible Hulk.

What say thee?
 
Originally posted by Lancemc When are film sequels acceptable? When aren't they?

Sequels should only happen when the original film is enjoyable and fulfilling, yet the characters have room to grow. The 'Star Wars' series was a planned series, so sequels were a part of the overall picture. A series like Die Hard worked 3/4 of the time (I hate DH2) because the character is likable and could translate into other environments

Should they only be relegated to predefined source meterials like The Bourne Films and Lord of the Rings?
No, if the story is good enough, it should be fine.

Should sequels only be handled by the directors of the first films, or it is better if a sequel it handled by a new director with a fresh take on the setting?
It depends, in the case of Alien -> Aliens, and Star Wars -> The Empire Strikes Back, the change of directors worked, but the general creative team stayed the same, and that is what's the key to success. Familiarity with the source material, while still having the creative mojo to move forward and not be a rehash.

What consitutes a good sequel, and where does one draw the line between the value a series may lose due to a sequel and the entertainment value of the sequel film itself?

How about all those above questions with regards to remakes and adaptations?
Remakes/Adaptations have been going on forever, some of the greatest movies of all-time are books, plays, and true stories. Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, The Godfather, Schindler's List, A Clockwork Orange, and Grapes of Wrath all are adaptations, the industry hasn't changed, just the number of adaptations/remakes that are churned out have.

We're going to be seeing a TON of remakes coming out in coming years.

Also, how about the comic-book craze we're entering? We've seen a shit-load of comic book films already, but if you look at the major studio lineups, we're just getting started, and you can bet your ass the average quality is only going to decrese with a rising number of films being made. Next year does look mildly promising though, with Iron Man and The Dark Knight, and a possibly good take on The Incredible Hulk.

What say thee?

We're also getting Watchmen (oh, my, God) and Green Hornet (maybe '09). As long as they're handled well and are true to the source material (Sin City seemed to have set the standard in that regard) or can be made relevant to today (like Iron Man looks like it's going to be) then I'm all cool. When shit like Ghost Rider, The Punisher, and Daredevil come out (thanks Avi Arad) then we have a problem.
 
Forgot about the Watchmen. Though I'm still not convinced Snyder can handle anything close to character development or a deep script. We'll have to wait and see.

And to add more fuel to the debate, I'd have to see that the gravest offender of sequelitis bio-warefare in recent years has been Brett Ratner. That man is a plague upon cinema. He must be stopped.
 
The casting for Watchmen so far has been superb, especially Jackie Earle Haley as Rorshach.

Ratner directed The Family Man, easily one of the most obnoxious movies I have ever seen and he was a large part of the destruction of the amazing X-Men series... fantastic. :|
 
Don't forget Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhatten I believe. Anything with Billy Crudup is worth watching at least.
 
He's a great That Guy. :up:

Jude Law is rumored to be Ozymandias... I've never gotten on the Jude Law bandwagon. His only noteworthy roles have been in Gattaca and A.I., at least for me.

Speaking of reboots, Star Trek with Zachary Quinto/Sylar from 'Heroes' and a casting call for the entire Enterprise crew and J.J. Abrams and Co. sounds completely amazing to me also.
 
I think there NEEDS to be a Die Hard 5. Except this time, Bruce Willis needs to commandeer the super fighter jet after the pilot ejects and use it to kill the terrorist while yelling yippe ky ya motha fucker!!!! TM
 
As much as I generally have a slight distaste for remakes and sequels, the "series Reboot" trend of late has been completely awesome. Hope Star Trek follows the same route.
 
Lancemc said:
As much as I generally have a slight distaste for remakes and sequels, the "series Reboot" trend of late has been completely awesome. Hope Star Trek follows the same route.

It's even stretching to television with Battlestar Galactica and Bionic Woman, I'm pretty sold on that shit.
 
There are enough justifications for sequels as there are major cities in the world to drop the main characters into unexpectedly, bitches.

LOL LETS GO TO FRANCE
 
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