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"This "2" lark"

Last night I was browsing through the film listings for Saturday, in the vague hope something good will be on. Then I noticed something, like a bolt from the heavens no less. How many bloody sequels have we got or going to have this year?

Men in Black 2, Austin Powers 3, Blade 2, Star Wars 2, Red Dragon, Harry Potter 2, Lord of the Rings 2...

It's like Hollywood is running out of ideas. Well, they didn't have much to begin with, admittedly, but I'm sure I don't remember this many sequels as little as two years ago. A major Hollywood studio does well on a film, are they pleased with a good job? Obviously not. We can make more money on a sequel, obviously. And why waste new ideas when we've got all the old ideas lying right there in the first film? Twould be a crime to waste them, after all. Same director will also do nicely, ta. So the world gets Austin Powers again, with no doubt the same lines in. But look, it's got Michael Caine in! Got to be good. He was in the Italian Job and Get Carter after all. This has Mike Myers, and he can do funny voices as well, which means it's BETTER than The Italian Job or Get Carter.

Sod off, New Line.

Saying this, I enjoyed the first two Austin Powers movies. Didn't think they were much cop, but they made me laugh. Star Wars Episode 2 was a excellent film, which showed how bad Phantom Menace was. I loved Men in Black when I was a kid, and will probably go to see MiB2 just to relive that. And I can, because it'll be the same ideas again. Stuck for a lead star to play off Will Smith well, just as well as Tommy Lee Jones did in the 1st one? Nooo problem, bring him back. Er..how? That blinky thing removed all his memory, right? *Shrugs* I'm a Harry Potter fan as well, but I love the series because of the books, not J K Rowling grabbing all the money the WB will give her. But, yet again, I enjoyed the Philosophers Stone. I thought it stayed as loyal to the book as it could. The Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings sequels are an exception really, since they all had storylines prior to the first movie being released. In the case of LotR of course, it was all filmed beforehand. Still, it looks like a massive lot of sequels.

And most of them will be good fun, of course, just like American Pie 2 was. Nah, can't go and see that, so mainstream, and full of pop-punk. Shocking behaviour from a film. But you laughed. Of course you laughed, it's a funny film. We'd all be depressed if the mates came over and wanted to watch a film.

"Suggestions lads, for a fun film?"

"Well, how about David Lynch? I hear Mulholland Drive is a confusing masterpiece. And Afronsky's Requiem for a Dream will make us all think."

How depressed would everyone be if all that was released, ever, was truly original, haunting films? I admire stuff like Requiem for a Dream and Amelie, but in the end I'd probably prefer to laugh at Jim glueing himself to himself. Then, of course, you've got the films that make you laugh thats its OK for a film fan to watch. That means Kevin Smith, or another indie film like Ghost World. And yes, they are funnier than American Pie 2. But there's only so many of those, and you cvan only watch the DVDs so many times. It's hard to come up with original comic material, which is why we get so many Rush Hour 2's.

This brings me onto the actual point of this post - When was the last mainstream original film? I'm not talking about stuff like Mulholland Drive. I'd say Matrix at a stretch...but all that is is fun in shades. Got to be L.A. Confidential. And what a rareity that was. Yadda yadda, Usual Suspects, The Insider e.t.c.

What I'd really like is a compromise between the two. You'll never see a L.A Confidential 2, and thats sodding excellent. But, then again, Rush Hour 3 or Austin Powers 4 is probably going to make me laugh. If thats all I want from a sequel, I'll be pleased. Admittedly, some sequels/prequels can be disappointing, as George Lucas is apt to provide, the bearded git. And what is he thinking with Indiana Jones 4? Is Ford going to bore the nasty Nazis to death with tales of his youth?

So, yeah...Some sequels bad. Some sequels good. The end.

And, of course, the shining gem of 2002 is going to be The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, with Steve Irwin. A modern classic is what it's going to be. The Crocodile Hunter 2'll probably be the same, except he'll fight a bigger crocodile. In Las Vegas. By the Lakes.

Fair point about Godfather Part 2.

But Memento had Guy Pearce in. He is Mike from Neighbours, and rules. Therefore Memento rules. Also it had a superb twisting plot and an excellent scene sequence, but this is beside the point. Mike was in it.

Memento dissapointed me. Although I think the only reason it dissapointed me is everybody raves about it being phenomenal. It was very good, just not as bloody amazing as I thought it would be.

Godfather Part 2 - Only sequel to win a Best Picture Academy Award.

Mike from Neighbours is the man. Memento is amazing. It's got a brilliant plot.

"It's beer o' clock, and I'm buying."

Anyway, what about Amelie? I thought Mr Happy persuaded you to watch it? Or was it Grix..

And O Brother Where Art Thou did rock. So did The Man Who Wasn't There. I like the Coens for those two alone.

"I'm voting for yours truly."
"Yeah, I'm voting for yours truly too."
"...I'm with you guys."

Love it, but Oh Brother came out after and that was the last one I saw that made me feel tingly and happy.

And most of The Matrix was in Memento, another reason I kept getting distracted.
"Mike from Neighbours has just slapped Trinity! And here's Cypher being rude, any minute now Agent Smith will turn up an....eh? I've just seen this scene but from the other end? Where's Bouncer?"

Okay then, The Matrix.

I couldnt get on with that film.

I just kept thinking "Look, it's Mike from Neighbours and he's confused and keeps drawing on himself"

What about Memento?

Stryke wrote:
When was the last good (as in good
> quality, not just eye-candy) modern sequel?

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No idea, but then I can't remember the last time there was a quality modern film - let alone a sequel.

Spiderman was good but, like most McFilms I can't remember much about it.
Chopper is awesome, but a couple of years old already.
Lord of The Rings was alright but just an adaptation of a book, hardly original.

Er...Oh Brother Where Art Thou? is the last one I saw that really made me come out going "I've just seen something I'll remember for a long, long time"

"Oh George, not the livestock"

Terminator 2 was amazing.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was the best in the series.

I'm out.

Sequels that are better than the first film;

-The Empire Strikes Back.
-Back to the future 2.

.....erm.....arh?

O.k. your right. Sequels suck.