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TheConnection |
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By Andy Calhoun
Almost everybody likes movies, whether it's at the theatre with a group of people you don't know, a giant screen with surround sound, or sitting at home by yourself enjoying one of your favorites. There is only one word about movies can make me cringe unlike any other: sequel. Bad movies don't always have to be a sequel, but most of the time, they are. Let's see, there's the second Batman movie, Batman Forever, then some one decided to make the third movie, Batman and Robin, which was even worse. The Godfather had a great beginning with the first two, but the third movie was horrible. One of my childhood favorites, Back To The Future, was an instant classic, until the writers ran out of ideas, and still produced a third movie. I'm sure anyone can list several movie trilogies that were among some of the worst movies ever seen without taking a breath (except Gigli, but I don't think anyone actually saw that movie). It's obvious that after releasing the second installment of a series, the writers and producers begin to run out of ideas, especially if the first two movies were good. Some movies don't even make it to a third before they turn for the worse. Most people have heard of the Chucky series. I don't think there is a single movie in the series that's worth the money to rent, let alone to own. Most 'scary movies' end up this way, reusing the same villain two or three times even after they have been killed, decapitated or something of the sort. Even some of the funnier movies of our time have gone down hill after the first one. Scary Movie was something new and never done before; it made fun of all of the other supposedly scary movies of our time. The second installment in the trilogy, Scary Movie 2 was something I was looking forward to, until I actually watched it. I thought those jokes were familiar. They were the exact same as the first movie. Very few producers actually have the ability to produce a second or third movie that isn't identical to the first. As always, there is good news for movie buffs; this is not always the case. This fall, the movie fans of the world will get a treat unlike any other; the conclusion to two of the biggest movies of all time. The Matrix Revolutions has already been released in theatres, and judging from all of the hype, it's going to be an ending that's worth watching. The other blockbuster that appears to be the only competition with The Matrix Revolutions is Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King. This may be the first time that Harrison Ford hasn't stared in two series that become hugely successful almost back-to-back (Star Wars Trilogy and Indiana Jones Trilogy). It's obvious that the writers from both of these movies planned, from the very beginning, to make three movies to complete the story, which us usually not the case with sequels. The biggest difference between all of the other movies and the few that I listed above is small to most people, but huge to the success of the movie. The writers planned to make more than one movie, and wrote appropriately. Imagine if Darth Vader had been killed in the original Star Wars. The second movie wouldn't have been quite as big of a success with out the anti-hero. All three Lord of The Rings were filmed at the same time, allowing the writers to plan for the second and third movie, and not give the first two an actual ending. This is really the only way to create sequels. Both movies (Matrix, LOTR) have inspired legions of fans and cults, and to have these movies release dates so close together is usually unheard of. But it's most definitely going to be a treat for anyone who watches these movies as intently as I do. This Page was last update: Tuesday, December 2, 2003 at 4:32:53 PM This site is using the Blue Comet 1.1 theme.
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