10 Reboots/Sequels That Didn't Know Why The Originals Were Popular
For those who say that lightning never strikes twice...you might be right.
These days, Hollywood has put all their money on the success of reboots and sequels. It makes financial sense, as previously established franchises have a built-in audience and are easy to follow up or remake, but there are storytelling consequences for this decision.
Charismatic actors don't want to tie themselves down to a ten movie series, studio interference can run creative talent into a wall, and sometimes audiences just grow tired of the same movie being shoved in their faces, when no one wants to see Ben-Hur or King Arthur remake. Studios exist to generate revenue, so they prefer to throw out another reboot of a show from your childhood than invest in something risky like an original story.
When Hollywood does put out a compelling film, it has to start a franchise so they can keep coming back to the money vending machine when their pockets feel a little light. Unfortunately, that means that many movies that hit the sweet spot of entertaining and engaging need to be trotted out again, and it isn't so easy to replicate the magic of the original. Some sequels are good, but most can't hold a candle to their predecessor.
10. The Star Wars Prequels
When Star Wars debuted in 1977, fans were intrigued by George Lucas' innovations in the science-fiction genre. Before that point, every sci-fi movie was polished to a shine, a clean futuristic world that just felt fake. Star Wars was dirty, it wasn't refined, but it was a lived-in environment. It was one of the first times that science-fiction felt recognizable.
Part of creating this used universe was employing practical effects in the film making, the use of puppetry and matte paintings, but that was the standard for the time. George Lucas was always leaning towards computer generated imagery, but it wasn't until the prequel trilogy that the technology for what he envisioned was even possible. That meant that when it came time for the prequels, every location in Coruscant or Naboo didn't feel real, and drained the emotion from the scenes more subtle than Darth Sidious' plans.
Furthermore, the original trilogy was marked by actors playing with their scripts. Harrison Ford famously told Lucas what lines he wouldn't say, and Star Wars is better for it, but actors did not do that on the prequels. Lucas was always a better storyteller than writer, and when the dialogue sounds as stilted and fake as the digital surroundings, we can only be happy that he sold the rights to Disney.