Sequels, remakes and Natalie Portman

I have never been a fan of sequels or remakes.  I think its just a lazy way of movie making.  I havent seen any of the 'new' star wars movies because I just think they are trying to mooch more money off people.  There are so many remakes, rehashes and un original things in the work.  Why not try to look for something original!

There are exceptions however.  You pointed out Aliens.. which I was completely infatuated in my teens.  When I got older I even got a tattoo on my calf of one the aliens.  (it just looks cool!).  I pretend Alien 3 and 4 didn't happen.  I like denial.

Another exception is Galactica.  I fought against watching this until one day I had the tv on in the background and a marathon of season 1 was on (before season 2 started).  I could not stop watching this show.  It is one of the most incredible shows ever made!

Sorry but Im not diggin freaky friday and grease 2 remakes!  :-( 

I loved The Professional.  It would be interesting to see what happened after the end of the film.  Maybe she turned into La Femme Nikita ;-) 

I'm nervous about Indy ... I both fear and love it at the same time, and am praying that Mr. Lucas doesn't destroy it like Star Wars.

That being said, I thought that the Matrix sequels got a bad wrap ... my wife and I may be the only 2 people on the planet that like them. Oh well.

remakes are generally a stupid idea. one representation is already present in the minds of the viewer, and almost always has some kind of emotional experience attached. I'm waiting for someone to try to remake ET. JUST LEAVE IT ALONE!

For example - the War of the Worlds - the first, on radio, had an enormous impact for the time and climate when it first aired. Now? Our time is so over-sensitized by special effects and Hollywood "magic" - I think it's safe to say that it did little scare anyone, even though it had great production values, and wasn't too bad for an action movie. But my point - is why not leave the first impression alone? Improvements are completely out of the question. The effect of the first is irreplacable. There is no comparison.

Babe Pig in the City probably is my favorite sequel ... but what can I say, I have a thing for kind, courteous, talented, talking pigs. And singing mice.

Disney has an epidemic of sequels that continue to fade into obscurity - Pocahontas 3? Lady and the Tramp II? Little Mermaid 8.5? PLEASE.

Possible interesting sequel ideas:

The Fifth Element

And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges....

Though I'm no fan of most sequels and most remakes, to me the biggest mistake in moviedom is the TV show turned movie. Sure, there are a few exceptions: The Brady Bunch, Charlie's Angels (1st one), and the Addams Family - but by and large we end up with The Mod Squad and Miami Vice or worst of all, The Dukes of Hazzard *shudder*, not to mention Bewitched. I can't wrap (I mistyped this as 'warp' the first time around) my mind around the tv show turned horrible movie dynamic.

I think a remake or a sequel of any kind has a strike against it before it is even seen. It is always going to be compared to the original.

I wonder how many of those would be judged as harshly if we didn't know the original?

(of course, that's no excuse for just plain bad moviemaking)

I think one of the most successful series of movies that has not been mentioned here are the Harry Potter movies. The books as well as the movies are sterling examples of stories that can stand on their own as well as be part of a whole.

Another interesting one to mention is Gregory McGuire's 'prequel' book. He visits the 2 witches of Oz to see what led them to their destinies. The subsequent adaptation of the book to the Broadway musical 'Wicked' was brilliant.

I agree with the shows listed by prior posters. Good takes on the subject

All this Sci-Fi talk and no mention of Terminator 2...great sequel and I will definately be watching the Sarah Connor Chronicles come January.

This may have been the worst I can think of. Not even a re-imagining of the classic, but a shot for shot camera angle perfect copy. WTF?

anything that is remade from the golden era of film is always going to be bad...for one times have changed...and things are updated to fit the time ...very badly...not to mention most of the time the actors they use in the remade films are always someone who isn't as good as there predecessors..

Battlestar Galactica

The Crow 2-City of Angels

Terminator 2

Resident Evil 2 and 3

Worst and most pointless remake ever: Planet of the apes....No one was waiting for that one.

i liked the 2nd as much as the first and the last one wasn't so bad either.

 the addams family values was better than the first.

As much as i love Natalie Portman, the more interviews with her I read the more I think she comes across as a little too pretentious and snobby, especially given the fact that she has starred in two sequels and is about to star in a remake! There is absolutely nothing wrong with a well done sequel, although granted studios are often cashing in on the back of the success of a first movie it is essentially giving fans more of what they want.

I would have been majorly disappointed if Milla Jovovich had a no sequels rule and didnt make Resident Evil 2 & 3, 2 being one of the best action movies of all time IMHO.

Then of course there's Terminator 2 (a close second on the best action movies of all time list), and Aliens and Alien Ressurrection, American Pie movies - 2 was even funnier than 1, Pirates of the Carribean - all are worthy sequels. Of course there's a whole swag of sequels out there that are nothing short of excrement but for every one of those, there's one that really rocks. I would honestly go and see the sequel to Eragon just because of Sienna Guillory (not that there will be one I think).

Now remakes are a touchy subject, often they are a bad idea, Planet of the Apes, Sabrina!!! (dont even mess with Audrey y'all!!!!!), but there have been a few gems like BSG.

of me (cause most people do...) but i like grease 2 more than the first. i just have more fun watching it.

Am I the only one who likes this trilogy? I admit 2 is weak, but I do like #3, but I'm not sure it's better than the first one.

Others ...

Underworld - I'd say the first is better, but I like the 2nd one too. Kate Beckinsdale kicking ass, that's enough for me.

Tomb Raider - I don't know which one I like better, but again, a woman kicking ass does it for me. Plus Angelina looks buff, not like the stick she is now.

Die Hard - Loved 1 & 3, hated 2, haven't seen 4.

I like all the Lethal Weapons movies but it's been so long since I've seen them, I can't pick which one is the best.

Beverly Hills Cop - #1 is by far the best and the sequels pale in comparision, esp #3, but I watch them all anyway because Axel Foley amuses me.

The Mummy & The Mummy Returns - love them both. But I'm nervous about the third installment - Maria Bello?? That role is Rachel's dammit.

For my son, I have to mention all the Jurassic Park films - he's made me watch them countless times since he was 3 or 4. Yes I let him watch them when he was that age, and no he wasn't scared. Besides which, this is the same kid who at age 6 watched Castaway over and over and over and over again and thought it was the best movie ever - he was obsessed with Fed Ex trucks after that. Anyhow, back to Jurassic Park - I like them all for different reasons, though the third is my least favorite mainly because I'm not a fan of Tea Leoni and her characters tend to annoy me.

I like both Shrek 1 & 2, and think the second one best ... haven't seen the third but my son insists it's good.

Toy Story 1 & 2 are equally good - and I'm looking forward to the 3rd one even if it is a ways off.

Continuing with "children's movies", I liked Zathura just as much as Jumanji. Perhaps not a true sequel but they are related.

As a Star Trek TNG/Voyager geek - I have to say I like the movies, but the second one, First Contact is the best of the lot. Lilly & Picard are great together, plus we get a drunk Troi and of course, there's the Borg Queen. I'm still holding out hopes for a Voyager movie sad and pathetic as it may be. In the meantime, there's my fanfic to write which should keep me busy for now.

Though I don't like Ben Stiller, I did manage to like Meet the Fockers and I think it is heaps better than Meet the Parents.

Grumpier Old Men is just as funny as Grumpy Old Men and the rude sex comments from the grandpa have me laughing so hard every time.

The Whole 9/10 Yards - I thought I'd dislike these movies when I saw the premise, I was very actually very surprised to find that I like them both.

Tremors 1, 2 ,3 & 4 .. okay so 3 & 4 are crap, but 1 is great and has not only Val and Earl (Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, surprisingly good together) but it has Reba who is hilarious as a gun-toting Texan extremist. And 2 has Helen Shaver as Kate - the scene where she shows Earl the pose she did for a magazine gets me every time.

I could go on .... procastrination is my friend, but I'll spare you the agony.

Oh and ... If These Walls Could Talk 2 was better than the first. :D The fact that the movies aren't techinally true sequels since the content matter was different is beside the point.

 

On the whole...Remakes are far more useless than any sequel...(Take all the recent remakes of John Carpenter movies: Was that remake of "Halloween" really that much better because they showed more gore and blood???)...Of course, what's truly disrespectful is the concept of making sequels to remakes(While everyone loves Jordana Brewster; did we really need to see her in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning"???)!

Still, every now and again; a remake does surpass the original(The previously mentioned "Battlestar Galactica"); as will a sequel("Terminator 2"/"Aliens")...So, in the end...I suppose, it depends on who is making the sequel/remake...And, more importantly: Why do it!