Are Remakes & Sequels Needed?
The D23 Announcements for several upcoming Films has me very concerned. While, I don't necessarily hate remakes and sequels, I do think that a lot of them are cash grabs and sometimes don't add any value to the previous film or films before it. For example, the Fast & Furious franchise has overstayed it's welcome. The action sequences are great and I love the humor, however, when they went away from car races to being about the characters doing ridiculous superhero/spy stuff such as going outerspace, Vin Diesel having superpowers to even characters faking their own deaths, it took away a lot of realism and fun.
So far the only remakes I've enjoyed is the live action Jungle Book. The cinematography, VFX, ensemble cast and Screenplay is absolutely phenomenal. Legacy sequels such as Top Gun: Maverick & Bad Boys: For Life & Ride Or Die prove that sequels can be successful. I'm not the biggest fan of the new Twisters film, however, the cinematography, VFX, soundtrack and set pieces are all great. I've seen the original Twister and Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton just have better chemistry than Daisy Edgar Jones and Glen Powell.
Speaking of Twisters, while I wasn't exactly “excited” about the film, the more I watched the trailers of it the more I was more hyped up by it. Especially considering that Glen Powell is one of the hottest actors in Hollywood right now. I was expecting much more from what the trailer gave me. Ultimately, I was let down by an unlikely main character and misleading marketing. I went to see the film for Glen Powell and him not being the main character in the film was so disappointing.
Alien: Romulus is another great example. I love the score, cinematography, VFX, practical effects, sound mixing, body horror, production design and David Jonsson steals the show. However, it doesn't do anything new with the story, and Andy is the only character I was interested in. The problem with a lot of Disney live action remakes is that there are definitely limitations on certain things. 2020 live action Mulan cut a lot of the musical numbers out, no Mushu or cricket, and the dubbing over Jet Li was atrocious.
A lot of fans want original IP, however, a lot of people aren't supporting it. I can't be the only one who isn't excited about Toy Story 5 or a live action Lilo & Stitch. I'm not opposed to sequels like The Incredibles 3 or Moana 2. I just hope they're able to develop a new story where the audience sees character growth with these beloved characters. There are several original films this year I enjoyed, such as: Monkey Man, Civil War, Hit Man, Love Lies Bleeding, The Bikeriders & Longlegs.
Not sure if a lot of you guys noticed but closing a franchise by breaking the final film into two separate films is kind of getting old and annoying. Harry Potter, Mission Impossible and several other examples. I'm just saying maybe if we want more original IP we should the support the one's that come out. What do you guys think? Are you fine with sequels and remakes? Or would you like something fresh and new?
