Hollywood – Has the US run out of ideas?
The latest batch of action thrillers are starting to emerge, and it’s sequel ahoy!
Since the start of the 21st century, it seems that Hollywood’s best attempts at making blockbuster action films have been remakes of classic cartoon series (X-Men, Spiderman, Fantastic 4 etc.) or video game to film conversions (Tomb Raider, Doom, Silent Hill etc.)
But with Superman returns comes a new breed of Hollywood action films. It’s hard to categorise these films, but the name ’sequels to classic film series that essentially mean cashing-in’ jumps to mind.
Let’s look at the facts, by the end of this decade we will witness Rocky Balboa (Aka Rocky VI), Rambo IV, Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard (some sites have already dubbed this as the worst ever film title) and at least 2 James Bond Films (which have suffered greatly from Hollywood’s special effects unit in recent years).
Also rumoured to be in pre-production are Terminator 4, 2 new Star Wars films (prologue and an epilogue), Indiana Jones 4 and a remake of Westworld (ask Mr. Ward).
Now there’s no doubt in my mind that these will be highly successful films as far as box-office sales go, but I can’t help thinking that Hollywood have resigned themselves to coughing up established film franchises to keep the money rolling, as opposed to actually thinking up some new ideas!
But I would like to mention (I say ‘I’ when really I mean ‘Mr. Ward wants you to know’) that whilst Hollywood may be suffering a slight blip, the alternatives in independent and world cinema are steadily on the increase.
In fact, some of the best films this year have come from Spanish film makers, and actresses such as Penelopy Cruz have eclipsed the likes of Keira Knightley in the glossy mags.
Not that I read them of course!
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Good man! Althougji agree with everythign you say i think i am quite sad as i love more or less very film they are remaking or makin a sequel of. Terminator 4? That’s just madness and Star Wars; JUST STOP!!!
As far as i’m concernerd the Rokcy series can continue forever as it is just epic in its beign terrible. Die Hard is simialr and Indiana Jones probably shoudl stop!
Hollywood has been churning out rubbish for years; when was the last ‘good film’ that hollywood made?
The definition of a Hollywood film may as well be: Everything you already know!
Anyway, good article my man!
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X-Men, Spiderman, Fantastic 4 were all comics first, so it’s techinically a remake of a remake.
And it’s trying to be a new medium for these stories, some are quite effective.
Even though Fantastic 4 sucked big time.
The game remakes are the same, i believe that the games companies should have more of a say in the development of the films.
I’m still crying over the Hitman film, which in the game his a bald albino, based on a real actor’s face and voice. Now logic would say that you cast him. Nope..they are using Vin Desiel..Big Sigh..
But i do agree with you on sequels, enough is enough, when i a film is successful leave it at that, unless it is a long story. For example the Godfathers(ignore 3 and the soon to be 4) and Back To The Future. In which case I would class them as one film(like the kill bills) rather than a sequel, which i see as redo a sucessful idea with everything the same. Like Meet the fockers, Die hard, and Home Alone.
And some are made to spoof sequels, like Scream 2 and 3. That are quite effective.
Wierdly, the bloke who wrote the xmen films, does the voice of solid snake in the metal gear games..how wierd is that?
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hey ok i get the whole remake thing because after so meany years of amasing film the writers must be running out of ideas but a remake of indiana jones plz no i mean i am a massive fan of the indi films the 3 origianals and the odd young indi film but a remake if tht happens will they just become another james bond epic were they were origanly set in the second world war or just after but they stay the same age upuntil the modon day and the starwars films maybe but maybe not i mean they might might not work (especialy the prequil i mean starwas episode 1 the phantom menice was the prequil)