THE TEN Franchises That Deserve Better
In this month's THE TEN, Marcus lists a few franchises that need some attention

We all love originality in our movies. We all want to be blown away with something new and exciting, but let's be honest for a second—when that actually happens who doesn't want to see a sequel? To have the opportunity to spend more time with the characters, go on another adventure with them, to see where the story might go. The movie franchise is born and we're all on board for the ride even if they do go sour sometimes.
Sometimes a much-loved franchise will hit a point where we’re just watching them for nostalgia's sake or we only want two out of the four movies but end up buying the whole boxset. It almost becomes an embarrassment to say you're still a fan. In this month's THE TEN, I’m taking a look at some franchises that can’t go through this anymore; the ones where the high points seem too far away, the ones that are misusing what they have, the ones that deserve better.

It seems so long ago that the Alien franchise provided us with something to be proud of. After three classic movies (I consider Alien 3 to be just as classic as the first two), the franchise took a mighty fall with Alien Resurrection, which to this day is almost impossible for me to watch without feeling a little sick.
Alien Resurrection brings about some of the most age-old of franchise mistakes: the inclusion of clones, gene splicing, hybrids, and replacing previous great characters with generic ones. Pretty much everything they threw at us with this instalment was everything the franchise didn’t need.
After Resurrection our much loved aliens had a bit of a hiatus from the movie screens, but finally returned in Aliens vs. Predator and an indication that the once respected Alien franchise wasn’t being that well cared for any more. Now I’m not denying that the modern tech to show off the aliens wasn’t a nice upgrade for the franchise and I’ll also say that seeing Lance Henrikson turn up in anything, especially an Alien movie, is more than welcome, but this was just nonsense. An ice pyramid built in ancient times to test young predators? A Queen alien left on ice for years? Facehugger to chestburster gestation in what seemed to be only a few hours? Seriously, what? And what’s worse is this is all on set on Earth.
All of this nonsense raises the question of why the studio didn’t adapt the great original Dark Horse comic books of the classic team up? Why did they think this avenue was a better option for the franchise? Then AVP2 arrived and it made AVP1 look almost passable in comparison. This sequel systematically destroyed any hope I had left that either the Alien or Predator franchises would ever produce anything of worth ever again. This may as well have been called “Generic Horror Sequel” because any of the greatness from the original Aliens movies were gone. These nasty alien bugs deserve so much more.
Reboot Status: Thankfully there’s been nothing about an AVP 3 (so far), but as usual there are the continued rumblings of Ridley Scott wanting to give it another shot with stories ranging from prequels of the Derelict from the original movie to even another Ripley fronted adventure. We can only hope something this epic comes to be... and that it spurs James Cameron on to do another one too.



Predator 2 took to the streets of L.A. with a heat wave bringing the hunt to the LAPD and we got to see this new predator at work. Now I’ll admit the predator here is not as effective with the mask off, with the animatronics of its mandibled face far from the believability of the first movie, but with his mask on and the new spear and net weapons, it was more than great. Beyond that, Predator 2 provided one of the most exciting moments of my early movie-loving life, because when I saw an alien skull on the trophy wall of the predator's ship my teenage mind went wild.
Unfortunately the sequel wasn’t quite enough for the studio to try more sequels and even more upsetting of all, was that all the alien skull on the trophy wall led to was AVP and a stupid over the top attitude toward predators, that bigger and better armour means better (which it doesn’t) and that predators are useless without their shoulder cannons (which they‘re not), so all in all these other worldly hunters really do deserve more.
Reboot status: Robert Rodriguez has announced that he’s working on a reboot movie going by the name of Predators, so the future could be quite bright for this franchise. Now if only they could make a decision on a director...


Too soon? Actually I don’t think so. The X-men hitting our screens in 2000 was a genuinely exciting prospect, but after coming out of the first movie I felt a little flat. It was okay, it had its moments but I couldn’t help but feel we’d been gypped somehow. This wasn’t X-Men. This was Wolverine meets the X-men and that sort of annoyed me. I mean I love Wolverine (who doesn’t?), but this dude was hogging the X-limelight a little too much. The biggest crock however is that only one mutant, Storm, came close to being visually exciting in tune with the comics-when she came up the lift shaft with her white eyes and lightning bolts.
X2 was a vast improvement and is a real genre highlight. Letting the other X-members step forward and have a bit of time on screen, even if the main plot was still Wolvy based. X3, I actually really enjoyed the first time I saw it. The mutants were actually doing big mutants things. Freaky powers, fighting as a team, all the stuff the comics do so well. Ellen Paige’s Kitty Pryde was exciting and probably the closest they’ve got to capturing the feeling of a real X-member and frankly this was a lot of fun. The second watch was an altogether different experience. Wolverine is pretty awful in this one, the Phoenix saga was woefully underplayed and Brett Ratner’s direction just comes with zero amounts of drama and events merely occur. When they all but stated this was the last one I was actually quite relieved.
This year X-Men Origins: Wolverine arrived. Things got worse. After months of hearing Jackman promise Batman Begins style revamps, we got just another X-Men movie, except this time it was just missed opportunity after missed opportunity. Wolverine's origin story is wasted. Weapon X (a movie unto itself) amounted to less than what we'd already got in the X2 flashback. Deadpool (another favourite) was horrifically handled and Gambit was just thrown in the movie but no real use was made of him. Seriously I could list the problems I have with this one all day but I won’t. The X-Men deserves better.
Reboot Status. X-Men Origins: Magneto keeps getting spoken about (though I doubt it’ll ever happen) and recently X-Men: First Class was spoken about, focusing on, well, the first class of X-Men, which presumably would be Jean, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast and Angel but with the decisions made in this franchise so far, who knows.



In the eighties, the first two Beverly Hill Cop movies were staple action flicks to enjoy on multiple rewatches. Eddie was at the top of his game and the franchise had provided great characters, great action, great laughs and just a great lead in Eddie's Axel Foley. Sadly upon the franchise’s return in 1994 what we got was really not worth the bother. The story was weak, the laughs were thin and Axel Foley felt decidedly out of date. On top of that we had the mid-nineties fascination with weird ass big guns, which just felt cheap in this outing and take a look at the car chase at the start of the film. Parts fall off of it like it’s a clown car at the circus. Slick this wasn’t.
This entry on the list is one that I feel would be the hardest one to bring back. Axel felt out of date in 1994 so I dread to think what he’d feel like now, but with the right screenplay, and Eddie Murphy back on form, it could provide something I’d be more than happy to see. It at least deserves a shot.
Reboot Status: With Quentin Tarantino talking about how he’d like to do the fourth in the franchise, it shows that I’m not the only one who’d like to see this happen. In the land of the more likely to happen, Brett Ratner seemed to be quite active on the Beverly Hills Cop comeback a year or so ago with lots of talk about whether Eddie would come or not. This has all gone very quiet, so who knows if Axel will ever get another trip to Beverly Hills.


Now I know that the mere mention of the green ogre is going to make a lot of you roll your eyes, but its inclusion in this list is one to represent a franchise that should never have been a franchise. It should have stopped with the first, and what I consider a great movie.
The first Shrek is as close to a masterpiece as Dreamworks have got so far. It provided a successful spin on the genre, it had some incredibly touching moments and at the time Shrek and Donkey were just a great combination. As for the story, it totally works. A simple road movie with its two leads becoming friends, meeting other fairytale characters along the way and saving the princess from the dragon as well as the villainous lord of the land. Shrek was a Dreamworks curve ball that struck a chord with a lot of people but then came those sequels.
Shrek 2 and Shrek The Third are just fluff. Shrek 2 just isn’t a good movie. Literally the moment Shrek, Fiona and Donkey leave the swamp and head to the incredibly boring Far, Far Away, this franchise stopped dead for me. Yeah, sure it has a few giggles along the way, but it soon turns into a typical sequel that merely reverses the set up of the first movie (making Shrek change into a normal human guy, how imaginative) and just arrives at a flaccid, dull ending with those boring Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming characters.
The third instalment initially felt a little better, but on repeat viewings it’s just more lazy sequel-ness, even if they did bring back the Shrek and Donkey road trip elements fairly well. In fact, I’ll go as far as saying the only worth in either of these sequels for me was Puss in Boots but even that character is now wearing thin.
Shrek highlights what used to be the problem with franchise endeavours in the eighties and nineties. Having a first movie shine brightly and strongly only to have weak bloated sequels slowly drain the love out of the original and diminish any desire to watch any of them again. Ideally this franchise would never have become a franchise and the first could have sat high in animation history but we’re three movies, a 3D spin off and a TV special in now and for this fairytale monster to find its feet again, it deserves a lot better.
Reboot status: Dreamworks pretty much prints money with Shrek sequels, so the chances of them rocking at the boat at this stage seems slim. With Shrek Forever After on the way, featuring more of those Shrek babies (urghh), it looks like we’re in for another under-cooked sequel but you never know.


In the nineties The X-Files was the most exciting show on TV for me. Mulder and Scully were just the best and the ongoing mythology was something that had its hooks in me as it slowly got more and more tangled. On top of that X-Files had the smarts to edit its multiple episode story arcs into video specials, so essentially X-Files were providing movies a few times a season with ease.
In 1998 X-Files: Fight the Future, the first proper big screen adventure, arrived and I adored it. It wasn’t quite as sharp as the TV show as it had to cater to the non X-Files obsessed, but all in all it managed the step up to the big screen expertly. Big events, flashy effects and Mulder got to swear a bit—awesome. The X-Files had arrived in movie form.
As the show wrapped up on TV (about two seasons too late), The X-Files disappeared for while (even though pretty much every major show on TV has taken elements from it since). Its stars and creators did other things but there was always the hint of more big-screen adventures. In 2008 it actually happened, The X-Files had a second movie and it was about to become a full blown movie franchise. Shame it was a massive disappointment.
For a start X-Files: I Want to Believe is barely an X-File once it’s all over and done with. Mulder and Scully are bang on the money, but everything around them is so weak and unimportant. The entire build up to its release was full of intrigue due to the very secretive production. Hints at werewolves amongst other things all turned out to be a massive rouse to hide the real storyline. Sadly it proved that there really wasn’t anything exciting to hide. I mean really, out of the following two options what do you want from an X-Files movie—a werewolf or a paedophile priest?
The X-Files is a franchise that could go anywhere, do anything, and its core audience will no doubt go along with them, but X-Files: I Want to Believe just didn’t provide anything to believe in for the future of the franchise. Mulder and Scully deserve a better X-File.
Reboot Status: There were hints at a third movie in the press tour for I Want to Believe, but since the movie hit with a dull thud it’s all gone quiet in X-files land.



The second movie took it even further and Raimi provided a sequel that showed us Spider-Man’s greatness with absolute precision. This franchise was fun, this franchise gave us what we wanted, how we wanted to see it, it put Spider-Man at the top of superhero pile and it seemed unstoppable.
Then came Spider-Man 3 and by golly it was fall from grace. Once again this was all about the disappointment. After Spidey 1 & 2 (especially 2) Spider-Man 3 seemed a dead cert. It had the black suit, it had Venom and the trailers were just so damn exciting, looking like it would be the superhero movie to end all superhero movies. How wrong that turned out to be. Spider-Man 3 has almost zero re-watchability and trust me I’ve tried. When it’s not being goofy, it’s re-treading over the old ground already covered in Spider-Man 1 and 2. When it’s not putting plot points on hold, it’s throwing another dull scene at you and what’s worse is costumed Spider-Man is hardly even in it, only really turning up mask-less for the most part (a pet hate of mine with the superhero genre—seriously is there anyone left that doesn’t know Spider-Man's true identity in these movies?)
The ultimate insult is just how silly the end is. What with the ridiculously bad news reporter, the stupidly over the top giant Sandman, the “hey buddy, hey pal” change of heart from Green Goblin as well as the obvious showing of Raimi’s “meh” approach to Venom, the Spider-Man franchise goes from being one of the highlights of the summer movie season to one that’s gravitating a little too closely to a Batman and Robin affair. Spider-Man and more so Venom, deserved much more than this.
Reboot Status: With Raimi talking about doing fourth and fifth instalments in the near future, the future's looking bright for Spidey. However with hints at the villains being the Vulture and the Lizard it’s hardly the A-Class of Spidey villains, so we’ll see how this one pans out. There was also a rumour of a Venom movie but that disappeared without a trace.


This one really is something I’d like to see. I’ve never really been a big horror fan, only recently getting into the genre in any sort of depth, and during the eighties and nineties only really watching the big names like Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers with friends who were fans, rather than actively going out of my own way to see them. However the Child's Play series is one I’ve been with since the start and strangely through watching with my mum.
I don’t know how young I was when I first saw the first Child's Play, probably about eleven or twelve, but my mum had rented it and I somehow convinced her to let me watch it with her. I’d seen a few horrors up to this stage but none where I enjoyed the bad guy quite so much. Charles Lee Ray or "Chucky" is a character that Brad Dourif nailed on the first pass and has never slipped since, even if the franchise slipped around him.
Going with my mum to the cinema to see the sequel, which we both loved (this is such a weird thing for a mother and son to share an affection for isn’t it) we were chuffed to have the potty-mouthed ginger doll slashing his way through another movie and even though it wasn’t a great third instalment Childs Play 3 was fairly enjoyable, even if the franchise was showing cracks.
Anyway in 1998 Child’s Play had its first run at a reboot— The Bride of Chucky. Taking Chucky, who was already a darkly hilarious character and putting him in a more tongue and cheek horror that played on the popularity of the Scream franchise. This first reboot worked wonders and Chucky suddenly became relevant again without changing too much of what he was about in the first place. 2004’s Seed of Chucky wasn’t quite as effective and to be honest it was all getting a bit run of the mill by this stage, with Chucky sharing the limelight a bit too much with his girlfriend Tiffany and the gags feeling a little forced and silly.
Chucky totally deserves another swing of the knife on our screens and after a recent cameo in the wildly entertaining Hack/Slash comics, Chucky more than proves he can be used in any sort of reboot that’s thrown at him.
Reboot Status: The last we heard about Chucky was the idea of a retelling of the origin story in a new movie with the intention of keeping Chucky as he’s always been with Brad Douriff voicing as well (if not, frankly why bother at all). This all makes sense considering the popularity of his never ending merchandising lines. So with a little luck we could get a Chucky movie like we’re used to, but on a bigger scale.


It could be argued that Jurassic Park really only works as a one off event movie. To a degree I think this is the case as well, especially considering the watchable mess The Lost World was and the re-tread the same ol’ ground [/i]Jurassic Park 3[/i] proved to be, but at the same time I think that with a little bit of bravery and the right story another Jurassic Park movie could be just what our big screens need.
Somewhere in the mish-mash of The Lost World a seed was planted about the larger intentions of InGen, the company behind the dino creations and where that could be taken in future instalments. Jurassic Park 3 sort of ignored all of this though and ploughed on through with a weak attempt at replicating the original’s greatness.
Now, I don’t even really know where I’d like to see this go, whether it’s a mysterious back to the island affair, or something as crazy as dinosaurs being used for military applications (a story that’s been rumoured as a possible sequel), but there's great potential in the world of Jurassic Park. I don’t know about you but whenever I see a dino on screen, whether it be in King Kong or Land of the Lost, they just feel a bit like pretenders to the throne, so come on Hollywood, we deserve more dinos from the theme park that fell apart.
Reboot Status: With each passing year we hear Frank Marshall say Spielberg is “working on another sequel” and each passing year nothing happens. So who knows how much longer it’ll be?



In my mind the biggest hindrance with what could be the most massively exciting franchise on this list, is what’s come before. I know, I know there’s still lot of love out there for Richard Donner’s Superman vision but it really is time to let it go. It’s time to close that chapter and let the Man of Steel be overhauled for our modern climate.
On a personal note, I never really liked the original movies too much. I have respect for the first two, a guilty bit of affection for the third, a bear with a sore tooth attitude to the goofy as all hell fourth and even though I really liked Superman Returns the thought of sitting down to watch it again sort of bores me. The Superman franchise needs to be doing all those massive comic book inspired moments that we see in other movies. There's been countless movies where I find myself thinking how good their big scenes would be within a Superman story, the Smith/Neo battle at the end of Matrix Revolutions springs to mind as an example (but then I was so bored with that franchise by that point, I was easily distracted).
The Superman franchise should be big and bright and fun and something that the entire family can take something from. Superman’s character should be explored, his powers tested to their limit. He should be given a Lex Luthor that isn’t surrounded by buffoons while he struggles to make a fast buck in his long white coat. Superman should be treated like he’s treated in the Justice League Animated Series and play on his status. Superman is just too good a character and frankly until we get a better movie, Warner Bros DC comics flicks will always feel incomplete, because if you can’t get Superman right, you’re doing something wrong. He totally deserves better.
Reboot Status: Ongoing Bryan Singer, will he/won’t he direct a sequel to Returns as well as pretty much every comic book writer hinting that they’d like to give it a shot. Also let’s not forget, they are sitting on Superman Returns' Brandon Routh and Smallville’s Tom Welling, both fine candidates to carry on their good work as the Man of Steel. So Warner Bros. have the lion's share of options. Let’s just hope they don’t take such a long to make a decision this time around.

With reboots and remakes being the in thing at the moment and franchises like Bond, Star Trek and Batman proving that with a little bit of love and freedom from its developers these turnarounds can happen with actual positive results, there’s still hope that these ten and more could have the renaissance they deserve. Of course we also face the possibility that things get a hell of a lot worse.
So that’s it. Anyone expecting to see things like Jaws, The Crow, The Matrix, or Planet of the Apes listed here, I’ll acknowledge them by putting them on the “just leave them alone“ list of franchises. They’ve either had their shot, or as with The Crow and Jaws, just be happy the first one was so damn great and move on. As for the recent instalments of Terminator and Transformers, I don't want to shun them until I've watched them again. So, if you have any more suggestions, please feel free to join in the fun on the comments board below.
Editorial by Marcus Doidge
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Existing Posts
they need to redo transformers!!! can michael bay and all his spiney spidery non character developing ways.
would love to see a new hellraiser!
ghostbusters dosnt need a revamp just a new movie.
blade needs a revamp though!
would love to see a new hellraiser!
ghostbusters dosnt need a revamp just a new movie.
blade needs a revamp though!
Hellraiser is also one for me as well.....also the profecy movies....
Maybe they should learn to stop at one!
Maybe they should learn to stop at one!
How about Tales from the Crypt? Great TV series and the first movie, Demon Knight, was pretty good. Well, I enjoyed it. How about another Tales from the Crypt movie? Or reboot it into a new trilogy rather than continuing that 'blood key' thing.
Marcus1138 wrote: I thought Murray had said he'd play a part in GB3, at least that's what I thought they'd said on the new Blu-ray features. By all accounts they'd all have a limited pressence anyway to make way for the new blood, so it's not exactly the Ghostbusters return we all hoped for anyways.
From what I've heard, Bill Murray is willing to come back as long as Ernie Hudson gets equal amount of lines/screen-time.
Marcus1138 wrote: I thought Murray had said he'd play a part in GB3, at least that's what I thought they'd said on the new Blu-ray features. By all accounts they'd all have a limited pressence anyway to make way for the new blood, so it's not exactly the Ghostbusters return we all hoped for anyways.
From what I've heard, Bill Murray is willing to come back as long as Ernie Hudson gets equal amount of lines/screen-time.
isnt the next superman allready in prosces i thought they hired the wanted director to do it?
I thought Murray had said he'd play a part in GB3, at least that's what I thought they'd said on the new Blu-ray features. By all accounts they'd all have a limited pressence anyway to make way for the new blood, so it's not exactly the Ghostbusters return we all hoped for anyways.
I enjoy Ghostbusters 2 aswell Marcus, I'm just sad we never got more movies. The premise of GB had a lot of potential for future films. Maybe this much mentioned new script by the Office writers will be enough to convince them all to strap on their proton packs again. But it will need to be a hum dinger to get Dr Venkman back.
Also its been confirmed Nimrod Antal is directing Predators, he made Vacancy. And its supposed to be set Spoiler on the Predators home planet. Rodriguez is having a hands on role as producer so Fox shouldn't be screwing it up hopefully.
Also its been confirmed Nimrod Antal is directing Predators, he made Vacancy. And its supposed to be set Spoiler on the Predators home planet. Rodriguez is having a hands on role as producer so Fox shouldn't be screwing it up hopefully.
The "Extended Embryonics" and the "Udesky Versus the Raptors" sounds pretty good additions.
As for Ghostbusters, I really don't have a problem with anything from that franchise so far. Yeah 2 is a bit too nineties in places but it's still Ghostbusters great. The game is pretty great too. Even if it's a little undercooked as a game, it's just a blast being a Ghostbuster.
As for Ghostbusters, I really don't have a problem with anything from that franchise so far. Yeah 2 is a bit too nineties in places but it's still Ghostbusters great. The game is pretty great too. Even if it's a little undercooked as a game, it's just a blast being a Ghostbuster.
I hear you Marcus, they are valid points. Particularly with the sudden ending, 80mins just is too short a running time. Heres a link to the deleted material if your interested. Having it back mightn't change your mind but at least it would be a tad longer.
http://www.jplegacy.org/home.php?load=jurassicp...
SimonB wrote: Ghostbusters. Period.
I agree on that point, though I think Ghostbusters 2 soured Bill Murray on making another. I would recommend the Ghostbusters video game, it is essentially Ghostbusters 3. I've had a big grin since playing it, its funny and a joy to have the guys back again, albeit in a game.
http://www.jplegacy.org/home.php?load=jurassicp...
SimonB wrote: Ghostbusters. Period.
I agree on that point, though I think Ghostbusters 2 soured Bill Murray on making another. I would recommend the Ghostbusters video game, it is essentially Ghostbusters 3. I've had a big grin since playing it, its funny and a joy to have the guys back again, albeit in a game.
Ghostbusters. Period.
SUPERMAN RETURNS was a good film. Much better than given credit for. I thought that it was "new" to see the strongest man on earth reflect on his life and his powers. It sure beats the c**p out of the concept "just make it big and with lots of action" (because frankly that just doesn't hold up - just look at Transformers 2 *yawn*). Thank you Brian Singer for giving us a movie that was intelligent. Hope they bring ya back to do the next one (and Routh ofcourse)!
As for a franchise that deserves better... what the hell went wrong with TRANSFORMERS??? Even lackluster 3 was better than Salvation.
As for a franchise that deserves better... what the hell went wrong with TRANSFORMERS??? Even lackluster 3 was better than Salvation.
jmcclane 88 wrote: Jurassic Park 3 is another one that needs some of the deleted scenes reinstated, to bolster the running time and give the film some breathing room. Once they arrive on Site B they have too many action scenes all at once. I'd love to see another JP film but it looks unlikely at present. No Michael Crichton now to write another novel.
The problem with JP3 for me is the way they get Sam Neil to the island is weak, the spineasaurus is a big load of rubbish with it's ringtones and it's wobbly beak and the ending comes out of nowhere. It's literally over just as it starts getting good. oh and the raptor's knowledge of human anatomy is ludicrous.
It's a fun ride, with some good moments but it has that whiff of a franchise on the skids.
The problem with JP3 for me is the way they get Sam Neil to the island is weak, the spineasaurus is a big load of rubbish with it's ringtones and it's wobbly beak and the ending comes out of nowhere. It's literally over just as it starts getting good. oh and the raptor's knowledge of human anatomy is ludicrous.
It's a fun ride, with some good moments but it has that whiff of a franchise on the skids.
Personally I really like Spider-Man 3, I don't think it was the massive failure that many believe it is. I actually think it could benefit from an extended version that includes some pretty important scenes. Something more thorough than Spidey 2.1. But roll on Spider-Man 4, this time with full Sam Raimi control. Drag Me to Hell was fantastic btw.
Jurassic Park 3 is another one that needs some of the deleted scenes reinstated, to bolster the running time and give the film some breathing room. Once they arrive on Site B they have too many action scenes all at once. I'd love to see another JP film but it looks unlikely at present. No Michael Crichton now to write another novel.
X Files IWTB was a fine episode of the show, I understand how that might have short changed some fans. I'd love to see more films but I want at least one more movie to conclude the invasion storyline, perhaps in 2012??
Jurassic Park 3 is another one that needs some of the deleted scenes reinstated, to bolster the running time and give the film some breathing room. Once they arrive on Site B they have too many action scenes all at once. I'd love to see another JP film but it looks unlikely at present. No Michael Crichton now to write another novel.
X Files IWTB was a fine episode of the show, I understand how that might have short changed some fans. I'd love to see more films but I want at least one more movie to conclude the invasion storyline, perhaps in 2012??
MrMike wrote: Rob Zombie successfully rebooted Halloween with a no holds-barred brutal take on Michael Myers.If anything, 'Halloween' deserves better than Zombie's crayon-scrawled endumbening of the story. His 'Halloween' is a 'Halloween' for adolescent Slipknot fans and their ilk, his Myers is a Myers for people who equate "bigger" with "scarier". It makes you wonder why he didn't simply have Godzilla stomping through Haddonfield, roaring expletives at the townsfolk.
Roll on 'Halloween 2', it looks like it's going to be unintentional comedy gold. I'm sure the reviews will be the most br00tal thing about it.
Roll on 'Halloween 2', it looks like it's going to be unintentional comedy gold. I'm sure the reviews will be the most br00tal thing about it.
Mad Max - 1st was awe-inspriring, groundbreaking, put the Australian film industry on the map, had the best cars EVER in movies, put Mad Mel on the (Anarchy) road to Jesus and up until the awful Blair Witch Project held the world record for Budget to Profit ratio ever!
Mad Max Road Warrior - took the whole shebang from the 1st and times'd it by the power of ten. It showed that a sequel CAN be better than a fantastic original (Aliens, anyone?) and leave you wanting so much more. The Last of the V8's, the Dogs of War, The Mighty Wez, the sharpened boomerang, The Gyro Captain, the vehicles, the Last of the V8's etc etc.....
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Starring Tina Turner. 'Nuff said.
Please Mr Miller, can we have Fury Road and it be more The Lord Humongous and not Babe Kids In The Desert? Cheers!
Mad Max Road Warrior - took the whole shebang from the 1st and times'd it by the power of ten. It showed that a sequel CAN be better than a fantastic original (Aliens, anyone?) and leave you wanting so much more. The Last of the V8's, the Dogs of War, The Mighty Wez, the sharpened boomerang, The Gyro Captain, the vehicles, the Last of the V8's etc etc.....
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Starring Tina Turner. 'Nuff said.
Please Mr Miller, can we have Fury Road and it be more The Lord Humongous and not Babe Kids In The Desert? Cheers!
MrMike wrote: I love Star Wars, The Original Trilogy. I tollerate the Prequel Trilogy. So why not hire some fanboy writers like they did with Star Trek and pen the long gestated Episodes VII, VIII & IX.
It won't happen because Lucas will NOT give up his control over the franchise.
When Tartovsky's Clone Wars series turned out to be hugely popular and developed a following all its own, Lucas stepped in and started churning out his own ones, developing a whole new stream of merchandising potential.
Lucas has spent over half of his life tied to Star Wars and with the conclusion of the Prequel Trilogy, he just wants to put his feet up and just oversee any other projects as an Executive Producer - he has no interest in producing or directing any more live-action feature films and he will not let anyone else do it.
The Wilson Bros
It won't happen because Lucas will NOT give up his control over the franchise.
When Tartovsky's Clone Wars series turned out to be hugely popular and developed a following all its own, Lucas stepped in and started churning out his own ones, developing a whole new stream of merchandising potential.
Lucas has spent over half of his life tied to Star Wars and with the conclusion of the Prequel Trilogy, he just wants to put his feet up and just oversee any other projects as an Executive Producer - he has no interest in producing or directing any more live-action feature films and he will not let anyone else do it.
The Wilson Bros
triply wrote:
And Brandon Routh should be the guy playing him. I have seen Tom Welling in a couple of episodes of Smallville and I think he seems a little too much like a prick to be Superman.
Welling's always been a great Clark in Smallville, even when the show was at it's most unwatchable. He totally deserves a shot in the cape. Though how'd they pull off the secret identity at this point is anybody's guess.
Routh was great too but I don't know how easy it's going to be to do a reboot with him in it and ignore Superman Returns. Unless they write Returns off as the most ridiculously expensive Elseworlds story ever
Shadowmoses wrote: ...but mostly I just wanna see an epic fisticuffs battle in a Superman movie.
Totally! Glad to see I'm not the only one. Did his hands even form a fist in the whole of Returns?
And Brandon Routh should be the guy playing him. I have seen Tom Welling in a couple of episodes of Smallville and I think he seems a little too much like a prick to be Superman.
Welling's always been a great Clark in Smallville, even when the show was at it's most unwatchable. He totally deserves a shot in the cape. Though how'd they pull off the secret identity at this point is anybody's guess.
Routh was great too but I don't know how easy it's going to be to do a reboot with him in it and ignore Superman Returns. Unless they write Returns off as the most ridiculously expensive Elseworlds story ever

Shadowmoses wrote: ...but mostly I just wanna see an epic fisticuffs battle in a Superman movie.
Totally! Glad to see I'm not the only one. Did his hands even form a fist in the whole of Returns?
I loved the writeup. It was a very nice read. My thoughts:
1. Alien - The first 3 were great, the 4th was disgusting. Only Winona provided some kind of reprive. After getting f'ed by Aliens in 3 movies, Ripley finally f'ed one for real in the 4th!
2. Predator - Classic first one. Never saw 2 or the AvP movies. But the Predator vs. Batman comics were really good, especially the first one.
3. X-Men - Never was a fan of the comics. Wasn't a fan of the movies. The only thing I liked was the assassination attempt on the president by Nightcrawler.
4. Beverly Hills Cop - Haven't seen any of them! I plan to catch up on them soon. I was too distracted by Lethal Weapon.
5. Shrek - Loved the first one, didn't like the second and loved the third. I'm not a big fan of animated movies, but I when I do watch them, I somehow end up watching more Dreamworks than Pixar - Shrek, Madagascar and Kung-fu Panda.
6. X-Files - I liked the series, but wasn't a die hard fan who followed everything. I saw the first movie and it seemed like more of the same. I didn't watch the second one.
7. Spiderman - Couldn't stand any of the movies. In the movies Parker is portrayed as a loser. Atleast in the comics he had a sense of humor. I saw Spiderman 3 out of morbid curiosity and couldn't figure out why people didn't like it. For me, it was as bad as the first 2.
8. Child's Play - I liked the first one, but I tuned out much before the female showed up.
9. Jurassic Park - Groundbreaking first movie followed by a lackluster second. I didn't bother with the third.
10. Superman - I personally felt that Superman did get better with Superman Returns. It wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but it was lovely. I just hope Singer makes the next one. And I hope Warner doesn't go "dark" on Superman like what they plan to do. Superman is always the ray of hope and the world's biggest boy scout. That is his appeal and that is how he should always be. And Brandon Routh should be the guy playing him. I have seen Tom Welling in a couple of episodes of Smallville and I think he seems a little too much like a prick to be Superman.
1. Alien - The first 3 were great, the 4th was disgusting. Only Winona provided some kind of reprive. After getting f'ed by Aliens in 3 movies, Ripley finally f'ed one for real in the 4th!
2. Predator - Classic first one. Never saw 2 or the AvP movies. But the Predator vs. Batman comics were really good, especially the first one.
3. X-Men - Never was a fan of the comics. Wasn't a fan of the movies. The only thing I liked was the assassination attempt on the president by Nightcrawler.
4. Beverly Hills Cop - Haven't seen any of them! I plan to catch up on them soon. I was too distracted by Lethal Weapon.
5. Shrek - Loved the first one, didn't like the second and loved the third. I'm not a big fan of animated movies, but I when I do watch them, I somehow end up watching more Dreamworks than Pixar - Shrek, Madagascar and Kung-fu Panda.
6. X-Files - I liked the series, but wasn't a die hard fan who followed everything. I saw the first movie and it seemed like more of the same. I didn't watch the second one.
7. Spiderman - Couldn't stand any of the movies. In the movies Parker is portrayed as a loser. Atleast in the comics he had a sense of humor. I saw Spiderman 3 out of morbid curiosity and couldn't figure out why people didn't like it. For me, it was as bad as the first 2.
8. Child's Play - I liked the first one, but I tuned out much before the female showed up.
9. Jurassic Park - Groundbreaking first movie followed by a lackluster second. I didn't bother with the third.
10. Superman - I personally felt that Superman did get better with Superman Returns. It wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but it was lovely. I just hope Singer makes the next one. And I hope Warner doesn't go "dark" on Superman like what they plan to do. Superman is always the ray of hope and the world's biggest boy scout. That is his appeal and that is how he should always be. And Brandon Routh should be the guy playing him. I have seen Tom Welling in a couple of episodes of Smallville and I think he seems a little too much like a prick to be Superman.
I second both Robocop and X-Men. I liked the first two X-Men movies and really hope Bryan Singer and co. to come back and write another with a stronger Cyclops(yeah, bring everyone back and undo what happened in X3).
I love Robocop. Then again, I loved the over-the-top violence it had, like almost every other movie by Paul(Starship Troopers, Total Recall, etc...) Couldn't really care about the sequels.
I definitely like to see Interview with a Vampire back. Get Anne Rice back to do the screenplay and continue on from where the first one left off with the original actors returning. Forget what ever happened in Queen of the Damned.
Evil Dead is another. After seeing Drag Me to Hell, I think Sam Raimi can do another Evil Dead movie. I just loved seeing the deadites and the crazy special effects it had. Remake it, continue from the third or make a spin-off. At least something about the cabin in the woods with deadites :p
I love Robocop. Then again, I loved the over-the-top violence it had, like almost every other movie by Paul(Starship Troopers, Total Recall, etc...) Couldn't really care about the sequels.
I definitely like to see Interview with a Vampire back. Get Anne Rice back to do the screenplay and continue on from where the first one left off with the original actors returning. Forget what ever happened in Queen of the Damned.
Evil Dead is another. After seeing Drag Me to Hell, I think Sam Raimi can do another Evil Dead movie. I just loved seeing the deadites and the crazy special effects it had. Remake it, continue from the third or make a spin-off. At least something about the cabin in the woods with deadites :p
Firsts, I agree on the Crow...leave it alone.
Second, I wanna see the Death of Superman story played out and build it around his comeback in the follow up, have the imposter Supermen play their respective parts...but mostly I just wanna see an epic fisticuffs battle in a Superman movie.
X-Men movies could literally go anywhere. I, personally would like to see the Genosha story made real, I just want to see the X-men battle the Sentinels really, but i think the mutant holocaust is a great angle and could be an effective way of introducing new characters cameos or actual roles.
Second, I wanna see the Death of Superman story played out and build it around his comeback in the follow up, have the imposter Supermen play their respective parts...but mostly I just wanna see an epic fisticuffs battle in a Superman movie.
X-Men movies could literally go anywhere. I, personally would like to see the Genosha story made real, I just want to see the X-men battle the Sentinels really, but i think the mutant holocaust is a great angle and could be an effective way of introducing new characters cameos or actual roles.
I like the Shrek movies. Not so much, the third one, but it was alright. Even the 30 minute Christmas special was good. Good enough to be included on my last stuff I want for Christmas list last year.
I would love to see another Jurassic Park but I'm not sure what I would want to see. A prequel perhaps?
As for the others... I would love to see more X-Men movies but I'm more interested in other heroes getting their share of screen-time so I'm okay will just a Wolverine sequel.
I really want to see another Spider-man movie that would eventually lead to a Sinister Six team-up down the road.
The X-Files deserve another movie since the second one was enjoyable but rather limp.
As for Superman... I don't know. I always wanted to see Smallville become about Metropilis and then eventually Clark as Superman but most people I know and most people they know and so on gave up on this show. Superman Returns was fun but nothing special so I guess a reboot would work but who wants to see one with Superman's origin being retold again and more Lex? I would but I would think most people's reactions would be a giant yawn. (Unless they do something "crazy" and do a mini-movie about his origin to pump people up for the movie in theatres and have it on video as the extended edition. I would go for that!)
As for the others... I would love to see more X-Men movies but I'm more interested in other heroes getting their share of screen-time so I'm okay will just a Wolverine sequel.
I really want to see another Spider-man movie that would eventually lead to a Sinister Six team-up down the road.
The X-Files deserve another movie since the second one was enjoyable but rather limp.
As for Superman... I don't know. I always wanted to see Smallville become about Metropilis and then eventually Clark as Superman but most people I know and most people they know and so on gave up on this show. Superman Returns was fun but nothing special so I guess a reboot would work but who wants to see one with Superman's origin being retold again and more Lex? I would but I would think most people's reactions would be a giant yawn. (Unless they do something "crazy" and do a mini-movie about his origin to pump people up for the movie in theatres and have it on video as the extended edition. I would go for that!)
Saw Ice Age 3 today. Add that to the list. First one was great, now it's just Shrek in the snow.
Robocop.
Lethal Weapon.
Lethal Weapon.
I think if we get a total reboot we need Luthor, though if handled with a bit of Nolan/Batman savy his build to ultimate villian could come over a few movies - so that could include other baddies for Superman to knock about holding off for that.
RE: Superman - do we really need to see Luthor in EVERY movie? How about one of Kal-El's other big foes - say for example Braniac. Or maybe even the Superman Revenge Squad?!?
Gabe Powers wrote: I still think the 'Evil Peter' bits were the best part of Spider-Man 3, and probably the most Raimian bits to those puzzles.
I also like those parts - but I don't think we needed both the strut and the dance scene to sell the point. Not sure what one I'd lose though.
I also like those parts - but I don't think we needed both the strut and the dance scene to sell the point. Not sure what one I'd lose though.
Rob Zombie successfully rebooted Halloween with a no holds-barred brutal take on Michael Myers. His Halloween II looks to carry it on, I hope he will consider doing Halloween III and theirfore Michael Myers reboots will have a proper trilogy.
I love Star Wars, The Original Trilogy. I tollerate the Prequel Trilogy. So why not hire some fanboy writers like they did with Star Trek and pen the long gestated Episodes VII, VIII & IX using perhaps Timothy Zahn's first sequel books HEIR TO THE EMPIRE / DARK FORCE RISING / THE LAST COMMAND as a proper swan song to this franchise. You can still use Mark Hamill who has aged into his Jedi Master role, and you don't really need Fisher and Ford. Hell the preview trailer for the new SW game looks badass enough, if only we could get another trilogy that badass.
Highlander - 1 is a classic, 2 was a good concept just wrong instincts, 3 was a mixed bag, 4 was OK, and 5 gives me the s**ts.. There is hope of a remake set for 2012.
I love Star Wars, The Original Trilogy. I tollerate the Prequel Trilogy. So why not hire some fanboy writers like they did with Star Trek and pen the long gestated Episodes VII, VIII & IX using perhaps Timothy Zahn's first sequel books HEIR TO THE EMPIRE / DARK FORCE RISING / THE LAST COMMAND as a proper swan song to this franchise. You can still use Mark Hamill who has aged into his Jedi Master role, and you don't really need Fisher and Ford. Hell the preview trailer for the new SW game looks badass enough, if only we could get another trilogy that badass.
Highlander - 1 is a classic, 2 was a good concept just wrong instincts, 3 was a mixed bag, 4 was OK, and 5 gives me the s**ts.. There is hope of a remake set for 2012.
I still think the 'Evil Peter' bits were the best part of Spider-Man 3, and probably the most Raimian bits to those puzzles.
All X-Men has to do to save itself is adapt Grant Morrison's New-X-Men run as directly as possible.
I'll add Terminator. The fourth film was boring and had no right being so.
All X-Men has to do to save itself is adapt Grant Morrison's New-X-Men run as directly as possible.
I'll add Terminator. The fourth film was boring and had no right being so.
leigh1975 wrote: The Blade franchise. NOW.
oh yes....even though i liked Trinity, i do think it was the worst of the three and didnt feel as cool. maybe they could try using that abandoned idea of making it in the future where vampires are pretty much ruling the world. that could even be the start of a new trilogy or series of movies keeping it in that world.
of course wesley isnt getting any younger and i think this is one of those cases were you can't recast, the actor is just so tied to the role. of course they already recasted him for the tv series but just saying. lol
oh yes....even though i liked Trinity, i do think it was the worst of the three and didnt feel as cool. maybe they could try using that abandoned idea of making it in the future where vampires are pretty much ruling the world. that could even be the start of a new trilogy or series of movies keeping it in that world.
of course wesley isnt getting any younger and i think this is one of those cases were you can't recast, the actor is just so tied to the role. of course they already recasted him for the tv series but just saying. lol
I think "Pirates of the Caribbean" should deserve better.
The Blade franchise. NOW.
Great list. Matrix was disappointing, but it didn't fail, and I find it highly entertaining and imaginative.
I think you said it best for Superman when you said, "even though I really liked Superman Returns the thought of sitting down to watch it again sort of bores me," which is a shame, because I thought they were going to nail it after seeing the scene with the airplane.
I don't know, I'm ready to move on from the superhero phase. I think it got too big too fast, and things are just getting shoved out without the proper care. Marvel cares too much about constantly putting out superhero movies, leading to c**p. DC doesn't see it as a priority, failing to gain any momentum for projects (Batman is an exception). Dark Knight was the climax (for now), and they shold give us a break now before they ruin another icon (like Batman).
I think you said it best for Superman when you said, "even though I really liked Superman Returns the thought of sitting down to watch it again sort of bores me," which is a shame, because I thought they were going to nail it after seeing the scene with the airplane.
I don't know, I'm ready to move on from the superhero phase. I think it got too big too fast, and things are just getting shoved out without the proper care. Marvel cares too much about constantly putting out superhero movies, leading to c**p. DC doesn't see it as a priority, failing to gain any momentum for projects (Batman is an exception). Dark Knight was the climax (for now), and they shold give us a break now before they ruin another icon (like Batman).
Superman really does deserve better, they have two completely viable options (big-screen Smallville or a Superman Returns sequel) but haven't done anything yet.
Hellraiser. Clive Barker's original is one of the greatest horror films ever created and Hellbound is pretty good. Starting with Hell on Earth though, the series started... well, going to hell.
On the positive side, Hellraiser is getting rebooted by Martyrs director Pascal Laugier. There is one negative about that though: Dimension Films is producing it. They have a history of screwing over fans.
On the positive side, Hellraiser is getting rebooted by Martyrs director Pascal Laugier. There is one negative about that though: Dimension Films is producing it. They have a history of screwing over fans.
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