1. Back To The Future: Part IV
Of all the iconic films released in the 1980's, none was more popular than Back to the Future, which quickly became an international phenomenon. Two sequels were shot back to back and though they didn't perform quite as well as the first film, the trilogy remains immensely popular, even a quarter of a century after it began. Despite a consistent wish from fans for Doc Brown and Marty McFly to fire up the Delorean for another adventure through time, any rumors and speculation about it actually happening have been repeatedly debunked. This is good news, because a fourth film would be a monumental mistake. Producer Bob Gale has cited Michael J. Fox's battle with Parkinson's as part of the reason that the film is out of the question, but has also commented on the fact that another movie just wouldn't live up to the original trilogy. "I'm sure Universal would love it if we were to say to them, 'Hey, let's do another one!' But we don't think we could ever make a fourth one that would live up to how great the first three are, so we're going to leave well enough alone." YES! Finally a filmmaker who knows when to say when. Even Robert Zemeckis has shot down any hint that a fourth film might happen, stating, "There's no Back To the Future IV and there shouldn't be a Back To The Future IV. I don't think there should ever be a fourth sequel to anything. Three is a dramatic number. It's a three-act structure. Four is even. Four is boring." Whereas some filmmakers might say, "Well Bob, that's why you make a new trilogy!" they would be missing the point entirely. It's refreshing to see filmmakers with integrity and enough respect of their work to let it live on its own without rehashing, rebooting, or sequelizing it. I'm sure that someday, far down the line, a reboot may happen. That's just the way it works. But luckily, it's not going to happen any time soon.
What do you think of this list? Is there a sequel you've been dying to see that you disagree with me about? Or should the filmmakers just leave the originals alone? Let us know in the comments below.