Sequels, Prequels, and Re-Imaginings: The Hollywood Cash Cow

Oz the Great & Powerful got me thinking about an interesting subject - that of sequels, prequels, and re-imaginings.  Even if the stories aren't really anything particularly interesting, audiences are still drawn to them because they love the original so much.  It's an intriguing phenomenon, and Hollywood undoubtedly understands the psychology behind this.  Since the 1980's, sequels or similar re-imaginings usually dominate the Top 10 Grossing films of the year.  Do we really need 4 or 5 Shrek or Die Hard films?  No, but we've already spent so much money on the other films that we're at least curious what happens to our beloved characters.  

Some sequels slotted to be released in 2013 (left to right, top to bottom): Red, Scary Movie, Monsters Inc., Iron Man, The Hobbit

It's no wonder why many talented filmmakers have shifted their efforts towards television (ex. AMC = American Movie Classics, known mostly for their award-winning TV series).  With a television series, we follow a group of characters through various different plot lines week to week.  We stay tuned for one reason: curiosity.  What's going to happen next episode?  What hilarious Dwight prank will Jim pull off on "The Office" next?  What will Rick & the gang be faced with next on "The Walking Dead"?  We get to know the characters and care about what happens in their fictional lives.  Movies can do the same to the point where we "can't wait!" for the next movie in a series to come out.  We all experience this.  Hollywood producers have adopted a pseudo-TV-style method of operating - they generate sequels to create interest and then satisfy that interest.

Top Grossing Films of 2012 (from Wikipedia):

1. The Avengers = "sequel" to Iron Man, Thor, etc.
2. Skyfall = sequel
3. The Dark Knight Rises = sequel
4. The Hobbit = prequel 
5. Ice Age: Continental Drift = sequel
6. Twilight: Breaking Dawn pt. 2 = sequel
7. The Amazing Spider-man = reboot
8. Madagascar 3 = sequel
9. The Hunger Games = first in a series based on a book
10. Men in Black 3 = sequel

Top Grossing Films of 2011 (from Wikipedia):

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 = sequel
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon = sequel
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides = sequel
4. Twilight: Breaking Dawn pt. 1 = sequel
5. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol = sequel
6. Kung Fu Panda 2 = sequel
7. Fast Five = sequel
8. Hangover pt. 2 = sequel
9. The Smurfs 
10. Cars 2 = sequel

Top Grossing Films of 2001 (from Wikipedia):

1. Harry Potter = start of series
2. LOTR: Fellowship = start of series
3. Monsters, Inc. = sequel on the way
4. Shrek = start of series
5. Ocean's 11 = start of series
6. Pearl Harbor
7. The Mummy Returns = sequel
8. Jurassic Park 3 = sequel
9. Planet of the Apes = reboot
10. Hannibal = sequel

Movies are increasingly being made more available to the public than each year before it.  Many years ago (in the times before blu-rays, DVDs, and VHS), if you missed a movie in the theater, it  meant you missed the movie.  There were no re-screenings or take home versions until years later.  It, therefore, made no sense for Hollywood to start thinking about generating films that featured "returning" characters.  With the ever quickening availability of films on Netflix, Red Box, and the like, it becomes a race to generate the next film in the series as fast as possible... then get it out to the public quickly in all forms of media possible!  While convenience and availability are certainly on the rise, are originality and innovation taking the back seat?  In some cases, yes.

I certainly do not hate every sequel or re-imagining of a classic movie ever made.  I do think that many of them are complete crap and are designed to be purely cash cows.  The Harry Potter series is anomaly - a movie series that was based on a book series where each film was strong, respectful of the source material, but also unique enough experience to make it an amazing series... which still made a boat load of money!  Quality films can make money, and quality films can result in a quality movie series.  But often times, it's the factory-generated, assembly line sequels that make the most dough.

Joey Kane

04/06/2013

Note: I don't own the rights to any of the photos on this website.  They're copied here from Google images for entertainment purposes only.

  

April 2013 Movie Reviews

"Hold on to your butts."

Jurassic Park - 3D IMAX

• I've honestly been looking forward to seeing this since I heard they were doing it.  Jurassic Park has always been one of my favorites, and it's back in theaters again with one helluva IMAX 3D conversion.  Many people (like me) who never saw the 1993 film on the big screen will likely to flock to see the big dinos on screen bigger than ever before.  For those who have never seen the film, I envy you - you're in for a treat.  The special effects were innovative 20 years ago and hold up today.  It was great sitting in a fully packed theater on 7:00 PM in Boston on Friday for the release.  Audience members sat back and enjoyed the journey to Isla Nublar set to John Williams' brilliant overture, lovingly chuckled at the dated technology in the film (look at that "state-of-the-art" interactive CD-ROM!), screamed during the velociraptor's big on-screen introduction, laughed at the Ian Malcolm quips, and, of course, marveled at the T-rex in 3D.  Jurassic Park is without a doubt the one film I have seen the most.  It's a classic.  Spielberg's film is a masterpiece  of sheer spectacle juxtaposed with intense sci-fi terror.  I would've still been at the theater even if it wasn't in 3D, but for fans of the film, the conversion makes it well worth the journey back to the island.
• Rating: 5 out of 5

"Spring breaaaaaak."

Spring Breakers

• Spring Breakers will likely be the most polarizing film of the year.  People will love it or hate it.  I gravitate more towards the former.  Aside from the gratuitous amount of young adult skin put on display in various obscene ways, the film is brilliantly shot and scored.  The original soundtrack (mainly by Skrillex and Cliff Martinez, who also composed the Drive soundtrack) is phenomenal.  Often, the film intentionally drifts into the realm of music video, with extended shots of partying with the soundtrack roaring away.  I've heard people call our generation (20-something and under) the "music video generation" - favoring quick cuts over long shots, immediate pleasures over long-term loves, the instant answer over the learned knowledge.  Spring Breakers seems to reflect this notion.  The main characters reject any form of structure, formal education, or "civilized" society in favor of violence (including robbery at gunpoint), promiscuity, drugs, and wearing bikinis (or less) throughout almost the entire movie - even during their inevitable court appearance.  The girls oscillate between their various dangerous pleasures until they finally latch onto the one person they feel some sense of connection to - "Alien" (whose name is no accident).  James Franco provides some of the much needed dark comic relief in a powerhouse performance that is guaranteed to be a fan favorite.  It makes for an immensely unique visual & auditory spectacle to say the least, but there's a lot more going on than sheer bikini candy.  Spring Breakers will be appreciated by two types of audience members: those looking for the aforementioned bikini candy (it delivers), and a cult following that will enjoy the film for its combination of music, cinematography, and character study of a reckless lifestyle that when mixed together results in one of the most provocative films in recent cinema.
• Rating: 4 out of 5

"You don't know much about witches, do you?"

Oz the Great & Powerful

• Here's James Franco again in a slightly different role!  The prequel-ish Oz the Great & Powerful makes for a fun, visually delicious that nicely blends elements of the classic Wizard of Oz with modern CGI and 3D technology.  My favorite moments were the old school storytelling and visual trickery techniques that director Sam Raimi adds to the film.  Without them, the film would just be another attempt to recycle a classic movie and modernize it (click here for my discussion of sequels/prequels).  Oz makes for an entertaining beyond-the-yellow-brick-road way of examining the world of Oz.  I really did not buy Mila Kunis in her 2nd/3rd act role at all; it certainly made sense for her character's development so I let it slide a bit.  Overall, it's a fun experience going back to Oz through a different lens.
• Rating: 3 out of 5

Note: I don't own the rights to any of the photos on this website.  They're copied here from Google images for entertainment purposes only.