It been too long since we have seen Maverick vs the Iceman, one of a few films we should have had a sequel to by now
This weekend we saw yet another horror film go through the sequel process with Saw 3d coming on board, and being incredibly woeful.
But if you look around, most films being screened we have seen before, as Paranormal Activity has go through the sequel machine, and with the predictable results produce a Hollywood friendly version for a decent horror premise, while the boys of Jackass returned on Thursday once again, and this time in the third dimension, with their third installment Jackass 3d.
Now of course it is tradition for horror films, and in this day and age most films, to already have a sequel lined up, so more often than not we are just rehashing the same old premise, just paying 10 per cent more to do it.
However, sometimes, and I know its a rare occasion, some films leave us wanting, no not wanting, demanding a film comes back, as either the story has so much more to tell, the characters are so detailed we want to hear the rest of their story, or overall we had so much fun the first time we want to experience it all over again.
While some films are already in pre-production, and there is absolutely no dramas at all here (we saw how bad drama sequels are, just look at Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) here is the Popcorn Cinema Top 5 for films we should have sequels to by now.
5. Big Trouble in Little China
Many people may have not seen this film, but there is a reason it has become a cult classic. Truck driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) kicks all kind of ass in San Francisco Chinatown, and uncovers a massive underworld where he, once again, kicks some ass.
While this film was not detailed, not a great story, but like most of the film from the late 80s, it was just a lot of fun, and as films like The Expendables has proven to us this year, audience members want to see some fun, balls to the wall action.
The end of Big Trouble in Little China sees Burton and crew escape in his truck, so why not follow up from there, where his enemies take after him, and either have a direct sequel, with the minions banding together and chasing after him for the girl, or bring it forward a few years, or another way for the evil Emperor to break the curse has come forward, so Burton has to come out of ass-kicking retirement to stop him once again. It doesn’t need to be clever, it just needs to be fun.
4. True Lies
While there was a big critical attack against this film, James Cameron made a great action film in the 90s. It was one of Schwarzenegger’s best (other than of course Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Commando and Predator). Full of action, drama, secrets, and a script that delivered just as much jokes as it did explosions, it proved that the actions film genre never died, it just got overwhelmed by sub-par movies.
So why a sequel, because there was so much more left to tell. The whole family became a bunch of spies, and after the massive adventure they had the last time around, they know how to handle themselves. So if the secret’s out, whose left to hide it from? Maybe, and I know its a long stretch, they can take the Christmas theme that Die Hard had, and have a giant family Christmas while trying to avoid disaster. True it could be a hard slog to get the script just right so it doesn’t feel dull and lifeless, but if James Cameron can make the world fall for a blue planet and a big ship, he could at least try to bring True Lies back.
Come on, we sat through Jingle All the Way (at least some of us did), we deserve to see a decent Christmas themed film with Schwarzenegger again. I mean, he doesn’t need the governor’s mansion anymore, what else has he got to do?
3. The Incredibles
Most of the Pixar films have had a rumour of the sequel in one way or another, but one film was tailor made to have a follow on film made up. The Incredibles was a great Pixar film, up there with some of the best, and one of those that left you hanging at the very end, with the Incredible family just harnessing their powers, and the subtle joke of the rise of the mole people.
While the first one used most of the jokes of an average family trying hard to keep their superhero abilities a secret, but they move forward with the rise of the baby Jack-Jack, or even the well-used plot of the family losing their powers, and have to discover how to actually live normally. The story has been told before, but with the clever guys at Pixar behind the wheel, it could be done brilliantly.
If they can bring Andy’s toys right up to the start the college, they will find a way to bring back the Incredible family.
2. Top Gun
Just think, if there was no Top Gun, we would have no idea how frozen Val Kilmer’s acting could be, how awesome Kenny Loggins’ song become when couple with shots f-18 Tomcats, who the hell Kelly McGillis is, and if shot right, how overly homoerotic a volleyball game can turn out to be (even more so than two guys hugging on a beach).
All jokes aside, Top Gun is probably one of the best films to come out of the 80s, great action, great fights, and who along the line didn’t think a little bit about becoming an ace pilot (in fact the American Navy had an 500 per cent recruitment increase for navy aviators after the release of the film), and definitely something we would have come back to.
Of course, followers of movie news would be aware that right now, there are talks to bring back the Top Gun franchise to the big screen (as seen here @cinemablend) the story going around is about guys controlling unmanned drones, so you know the fighting and flying, without actually fighting or flying (for me kind of sounds like a aviation version of Wargames), which is an absolute farce.
What we should have had, and had it ten years ago, was the sequel we deserve. Maverick is still teaching at Top Gun Academy, where a young hot shot flyer of his own comes into play, hell you can even bring in a similar aspect of Rocky IV, and have the hot shot kill of Iceman in the first 20 minutes, making it personal. It would be fast, furious, and something that should have been done 15 years ago.
1. Anchorman
This is one film that has been talked about, begged to had, and above all just needed to become a sequel years ago. Simply put, we need more Ron Burgundy in the world.
When the first one came about, it first was first dismissed, then grew on you, then before you know it, you have quoted a film more than 200 times in one drunken weekend (true story… sad, but a true story). Anchorman, simply put, was pure delight. The characters, the obscure jokes, the fact that you loved every single character on screen (except for of course Champ Kind), and a story that sounded stupid, but the more you watched it, the funnier it became.
So why a sequel, well just think about letting these guys loose after the experience and success they have had since the first one. There is no doubt that Anchorman really made the careers of Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell, and now they have had a few more years harnessing their comedic abilities, and letting them loose with Will Farrell, you know it would be comedy gold.
As for the story, take any angle you want, they have to reform to take on Wes Mantooth, Burgundy needs to come back to save the station, he has hit rock bottom again and the only way back is to regroup the team, the possibilities are endless.
The shame about this is, they actually want to make the sequel, but the production company is not behind. Adam McKay, Will Farrell, Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd are committed in coming back, even saying they would take pay cuts, but 20th century Fox won’t budge on the idea, believing it to be not cost effective. So we are that close to get the news team assembled, but it seems that it will never get off the ground, making the one film that demands a sequel, but will never see the light of day.
What do you think needs a sequel on the silver screen?
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