4. Star Wars
Its an odd concept to grasp now, but after Return of the Jedi and before the rise of novel spin offs in the early nineties, all was quiet on the Star Wars front. For a good eight years minimal activity was made, because there was nothing current to merchandise. Then along came Jurassic Park with its realistic CGI and a disappointing bank statement and Lucas quickly returned to his franchise with the prequels. Now the prequels are far from the terrible films that many make them out to be; they simply couldn't match the hype their release carried with it. While many stalwart fans were left let down, the films (along with the oft criticised special editions) succeeded in their primary goal of bringing the Star Wars universe to a new generation, in turn paving the way for the ongoing Clone Wars TV series. The initial Clone Wars movie was a dire adventure so far removed from the original trilogy it didn't feel like Star Wars. The subsequent series has been uneven, with some big ideas but an inability to translate them onto the screen. The latest series even went as far as to resurrect Phantom Menace antagonist Darth Maul, but without any of the menace that had previously imbued the character. The Star Wars series used to fresh and groundbreaking. It is now contrived and behind the times. I dont think anyone would disagree in letting this one die.