Hollywood is sending us sequels to St Trinian's and Alvin and the Chipmunks, yet seldom makes follow-ups to decent films. JOE GRIFFINmakes some suggestions
QUICK, name a recent major Hollywood film that's not a sequel, nor based on a toy, book, TV series or cartoon. It's tricky, isn't it? While franchises and follow-ups have been a long tradition in Hollywood, many recent sequels have been especially lazy: Did 2009 really need Transformers 2, The Pink Panther 2 or a fourth (yes, fourth) Fast and the Furious?
The rush to capitalise on recent successes seems to get exponentially faster: New Moon, for example, hit cinemas less than a year after Twilight, and The Pirates of the Caribbean sequels were filmed back-to-back. But in this rush, promising follow-ups are often left behind.
If film-makers insist on returning to the well, here are some neglected franchises with true potential...
KISS KISS BANG BANG 2: KISS HARDER
Shane Black's underrated comedy noir was like a violent, foul-mouthed Bing Crosby and Bob Hope movie. The smart-ass sort-of straight man (Val Kilmer), the bumbling, loveable rogue (Robert Downey Jr) and the sassy girl (Michelle Monahan, in her first major role) all became a lively team by the time the film ended. It would be so nice to see them solve another case
A POCALYPTO: RISE OF THE CONQUISTADORS
Director Mel Gibson’s phenomenal adventure was set among the ancient Mayans. It showed a young man fighting for his life in the face of – among other things – kidnappings, the threat of human sacrifice and a jaguar. It also established a terrifying world and showed the director’s knack for action scenes. But what makes Apocalypto most sequel-friendly was the time period: the film suggests that the chaos was just beginning, as the Mayan civilisation was in decline and the conquistadors were just about to arrive.
MIDNIGHT RUN 2
Why has Robert de Niro made follow-ups to Meet the Parents and Analyze This but not to Midnight Run? In far and away his funniest film, he starred as scruffy bounty hunter Jack Walsh on a road trip with a troublesome white-collar crook (Charles Grodin). There's endless scope for the character to return and to deal with a pesky new criminal, perhaps played by a comparatively young comedian (Dave Chappelle? Dylan Moran? Eddie Izzard?). Yes, there was a brief TV spin-off starring Christopher McDonald as Walsh, but that doesn't really count.
THE INCREDIBLES 2
Possibly Pixar's greatest triumph, The Incredibles, was an original story and far smarter than many high-profile comic adaptations, including Watchmen and Fantastic 4. It told the story of a dysfunctional family of superheroes: the parents were returning to crimefighting work while the children were coming to terms with their powers. The Incredibles ended with the introduction of a new villain, The Underminer, and the spin-off video game expanded on the film's plot. The rumoured Incredibles sequel seems forever in limbo, but if The Punisher warranted three films, surely The Incredibles deserves at least two?
THE TRUMAN SHOW: REALITY BITES
This oddly prescient 1998 film showed a young man who learns that his entire life was a TV show. The ultimate reality star (played by Jim Carey) found redemption when he took his first steps towards the real world. But what happened next? Did he meet his first love again? Did he make it to Fiji? Did he embrace his life as a celebrity? Did he sue the show's producer (Christof, played by Ed Harris)? The further adventures of Truman Burbank would be a good opportunity to delve further into the issues raised by Peter Weir's film.
SUPERBAD: SPRING BREAK
Laugh-for-laugh the funniest film to emerge from Judd Apatow's stable, its stars have yet to create characters more memorable than Seth, Evan and McLovin. Also, while the original gave a shot in the arm to the high-school comedy genre, the next stage in their education has even more scope for farce. Will Seth and Evan miss each other in their respective new colleges? Will McLovin's attempts at reinvention continue successfully? Will the bumbling cops Slater and Michaels (played by Bill Hader and Seth Rogen) return as detectives? Only a spring break weekend could provide the answers ...
TOP GUN: AFGHAN WINGS
Of all of Jerry Bruckheimer's blockbusters (including Bad Boys, National Treasure and Beverly Hills Cop), Top Gun has to rank as one of the most conspicuously sequel-free. It established memorable characters, launched its lead actor into the stratosphere and, most importantly, is still remembered. Considering that the first film was all about training, it would be fun to see Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Iceman (Val Kilmer) in a real war zone. One of them could play an instructor (they've both aged well and are still reasonably famous), which would make room for some young blood.
