Underrated Sequels

Today is Saturday, which means its time for another general film post. This weeks topic is underrated sequels.

This post is not about the best sequels. Instead I am going to write about sequels I like that have been forgotten about or were critical/financial disappointments.

Escape from L.A. (1996)
I love Escape from New York and like the sequel, which was also directed by John Carpenter. I re-watched this couple of months ago and it is still a lot of fun, although the CGI is noticeably dated. One of the reasons I liked the first one was because it featured many famous and recognizable actors such as Donald Pleasence, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, and Isaac Hayes. The sequel keeps up with this tradition as we have Cliff Robertson, Pam Grier, Steve Buscemi, and Bruce Campbell! This is more of a spoof than the original which turned off some fans, but I still find it to be a fun ride. There is an old rumor that Carpenter would make another movie in the series called Escape from Earth, but since its been 15 years since the last one and Kurt Russell isn't getting any younger, I doubt it will happen now. I just wish that Escape from New York had a true sequel (Escape from Cleveland?!) back in the 80s. It did surprisingly well at the box office when originally released so I'm kinda surprised it took 15 years to make a sequel. Nowadays its not uncommon to get long overdue sequels (Tron: Legacy, Predators, etc.) but at the time EFLA came out it was a bit unusual.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
While I agree with the consensus that Temple of Doom is the weakest of the first three Indiana Jones movies, I still really like it. Of the original three Indiana Jones movies Temple of Doom is probably most like the serials of the 1930s and 40s. I think that its stock has risen since Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has come out. I liked how this one tried to do something different by having an old school horror influence. Sure its pretty dark, probably too dark, but at least its not a rehash. I know that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull tried to do the same thing but with 50s sci-fi, but I feel it didn't work as well for a variety of reasons. Kali Ma!

Predator 2 (1990)
I really like the first Predator but the sequel is surprisingly good. I liked how Predator 2 didn't try to rehash the first film and instead opted for the urban jungle setting of late 80s/early 90s Los Angeles.  Danny Glover is a lot of fun and Gary Busey is crazy as usual. I also liked how this movie gave us more information on the Predators. The alien (Xenomorph from the Alien series) skull in the Predator ship at the end is one of the best Easter eggs in all of cinema!

Robocop 2 (1990)
Irvin Kershner, most known for directing The Empire Strikes Back, directs yet another very good sequel in Robocop 2! The movie has one of my favorite Robocop lines, "Thank you for not smoking!" Another cool thing about this movie is that the title "Robocop 2" doesn't just refer to the fact that this movie is a sequel, but also the the next generation robocop called Robocop 2! I know not all sequels with a number can do something like this but I thought it was clever. A lot of people didn't like the kid Hob, but it made sense to me since Robocop could not harm children. While Robocop 2 doesn't try to rehash the original, it still does a good job of keeping in line with what was set-up in the original even though its not as good. Unfortunately Robocop 3 did not do this, probably due in part to its PG-13 rating. If you've only seen the first Robocop check out Robocop 2 but stay far away from Robocop 3!

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is not only my favorite Star Trek movie, but also one of my favorite movies period. That is a tough act to follow, but as a direct sequel to that film The Search for Spock is a worthy successor.  There is an old wives tale that all the odd numbered treks suck and all the even numbered treks are great. Although this was rule was somewhat true at one point, it has now completely fallen apart since Nemesis was bad and Star Trek (2009) was good. Although Star Trek III got overshadowed by its better and more popular prequel and sequel, it is still a very good movie in its own right. Christopher Lloyd plays the villian, the Klingon captain Krudge. Lloyd is great as always, but his role was very important to the Star Trek universe as it was the first time (other than a brief appearance in the first Star Trek film) that we got to see the new look and style of the Klingons. Lloyd and the other Klingons in this movie created the model for how actors would play Klingons for the next twenty years. Star Trek III does something many good sequels do, which is to inverse the message of the original. For example, in the first Terminator you are a slave to your fate. However in T2 you can change your fate and create your own destiny. In Star Trek II the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one. However in Star Trek III Kirk and his crew risk their careers and lives and make several sacrifices all for the sake of one man, their friend Spock.

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
The biggest complaint with this movie is that it feels like a long Next Generation episode. While this is kinda true, I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. Star Trek First Contact was better, but at least this one tries to be different. The basic plot is shockingly similar to Avatar: a planet contains resources that could help all life across the universe, but to do so the native population would have to be moved and they don't want to leave their home. Another thing I like about Insurrection is that the characters make the film. If Kirk and his crew were in the same situation they would have helped the Federation evict the aliens on the planet because the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few! Picard and his crew obviously take a different approach. Insurrection is my second favorite Next Gen film, ahead of Generations and Nemesis.

Fright Night Part 2 (1988)
I've written about this one in Part three of my summer round-up so check out that post for a full review. The main reason I feel this is underrated is simply that nobody knows about it, even fans of the first movie. The main reason for this is that the DVD is currently out of print. Hopefully it will get a re-release to coincide with the Fright Night remake.

Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996)
This is the best direct to video movie I have ever seen although that is not saying much. It's nowhere near as good as the first, but still enjoyable. Kevin Bacon doesn't come back but we still have Fred Ward and Michael Gross. If you loved the first like I did, check this out Tremors II. The third one wasn't good and I haven't seen the fourth yet or the short lived TV show.

Cube 2: Hypercube (2002) and Cube Zero (2004)
Cube is a great movie, so I was pleasantly surprised that the sequels (actually a sequel and a prequel) were actually decent. The second Cube movie has a similar premise to the first in that it is about some people trapped in the cube with no idea how they got there who try to escape. Of course this time we have different people and a different cube with new traps. Cube 2 isn't as good as the first, but the concept is so good that doing it again with different types of people in a new setting works. I liked Cube 2 better than Cube Zero. Cube Zero is a prequel, which is a bit disappointing as I was expecting Cube Cubed! Anyway, Cube Zero was not a bad movie, but it actually shows what is going on outside the cube. I liked how the first two films gave some hints, but left the details up to the imagination. The explanation contradicts some things said in the first one about the origin of the cube, which I didn't care for. However, I really like the character of Jax and the idea of a character from the outside actually choosing to go inside the cube. Sure the sequels were unnecessary, but I still liked them and they could have been a lot worse.

The Karate Kid, Part II (1986)
I liked The Karate Kid, but didn't love it like a lot of people. Other than a great Oscar nominated performance by Pat Morita as Mr. Miyagi, its basically Rocky for kids. I liked the second movie in this series because it doesn't rehash the first one. Miyagi goes back to Japan because his father is dying, and Daniel comes with him to continue his training. The different setting and lack of a tournament changed things up, but it works. I liked the subplot about Miyagi's former best friend who is now his rival and wants to fight him. The Karate Kid, Part II is not as good as the original, but not a bad movie at all. On the other hand, The Karate Kid, Part III sucks. I've only seen the Nostalgia Critic's review of The Next Karate Kid and that is all I need to see! I haven't seen the new The Karate Kid with Jackie Chan and don't really plan on it.

I'm not sure what my topic will be for next week, but I think I'll want to get away from remakes and sequels. Come back tomorrow (Sunday) for the weekly round-up.

Bicentennial Man (1999)

Bicentennial Man (1999)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Starring: Robin Williams, Sam Neill, Embeth Davidtz
IMDB: Bicentennial Man

Why I wanted to watch it: Bicentennial Man is science fiction movie I had not seen before. Also it is based on a story by Isaac Asimov, an author whom I enjoy.

Plot Synopsis: Over the course of two hundred years, an android endeavors to become human as he gradually acquires emotions.

Thoughts:
Bicentennial Man felt like a combination between A.I. Artificial Intelligence and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, two films I prefer over this one. My main complaint with Bicentennial Man is its maudlin tone. While the movie shifts away with from this at times, it still comes back to it. It just felt like it was trying to hard to be a tearjerker. Although I understand that this is a character study about how a robot has become "human," I feel that there could have been something more driving the plot. For example, the robot Andrew (Robin Williams) is able to learn and develop a personality without an emotion chip. However, it is never explained why this is possible, other than that "Andrew is special." I feel like this could have been explained  and would have been an interesting subplot. Twelve years after the movie has been released the special effects still look good, but I'm not sure why the movie cost $100 million to make. I guess Robin Williams demanded a large salary! Another thing that didn't make sense to me was why the son of "Little Miss" hated Andrew. She loved Andrew and he was around them since before the births of her children, so it would have been nice if there was a scene or two explaining this. Also the explanation for the granddaughter of Little Miss looking just like her was silly. In Back to the Future I could buy different generations looking exactly the same and I would have let it pass here. But it actually say that she looked like her grandmother because "It skips a generation" was an insult to genetics as no explanation was necessary.

I did like that Asmiov's Three Laws of Robotics were explained at the beginning of the film. The first 15 minutes of the movie show Andrew adapting to life with the Martin family. While this was necessary to the plot, I'm just glad that the whole movie didn't focus on this type of "fish out of water humor." This leads to the time jumps in the movie. It was fascinating to see how Andrew's world changed over the course of 200 years. I would have liked to seen more on how the human view on robots and androids changed over the years but I did enjoy seeing Andrew "evolve" and develop over the years. To be fair this is really what this movie is about, not society as a whole. Although Bicentennial Man reminded me of Data's entire character arc from Star Trek: The Next Generation, this movie was based on a story that came out years before that show and took it in different directions. For example there is no subplot about a creator who modeled the robot after himself. Also I thought it was interesting how it was tough for Andrew to fully let go of his "robot-ness" in order to become human, which was what he really wanted. Sam Neill put in a nice performance as "Sir," the father and head of the family who buys Andrew and gives him a human education. Embeth Davidtz did a good job as the daughter of Sir, "Little Miss." She played a dual role also appearing as the granddaughter of Little Miss, who Andrew eventually falls in love with. While I didn't like the female robot, Galatea, I think that was the point since she was a slave to her personality chip. Luckily she didn't get too much screen time and I thought what happened to her in the end was clever. I think the casting of Robin Williams may have thrown some people off as the film is humorous at times but not a comedy.

Trivia:
Bicentennial Man was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Makeup category. I'm not losing any sleep that it lost, but the makeup was good, especially on the elderly Robin Williams.
Adam Bryant, a stand-in for Robin Williams in everything from Jumanji to Night at the Museum, appears as the android head as it get puts on the new body.
Isaac Asimov's original novella, The Bicentennial Man, was written with the intention of being in a collection of science fiction stories in honor of the bicentennial of the United States. However, the project never came to fruition and Asimov's story was the only one written. The novella won the both the Hugo and the Nebula award. Asimov expanded the story into a novel called The Positronic Man in 1993. Although I haven't read the source material, according to Wikipedia the movie appears to be surprisingly faithful the Asimov's story.

Score: 6/10
Closing Thoughts: I liked Bicentennial Man but wish it was less schmaltzy and instead focused more on the big ideas it presented under the umbrella of what it means to be human.

Chris Columbus, the director of Bicentennial Man, also directed the first two Harry Potter films. In the next several days I'll be re-watching the Harry Potter series with my brother in preparation for the final film (or second part of the final film!). Since I have seen them before and so much has been written on them I'll just do one special post (in two parts) on all the Harry Potter films.

The Trip (1967)

The Trip (1967)
Directed by Roger Corman
Written by Jack Nicholson
Starring: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern, Susan Strasberg
IMDB: The Trip

Why I wanted to watch it: While channel surfing a few months ago my brother came across this movie and wanted to see it since it looked good in High Definition. When I found out that The Trip was directed by Roger Corman I wanted to watch it too so we finally got around to seeing it today.

Plot Synopsis: Paul Graves (Peter Fonda) recently got a divorce from his wife, Sally (Susan Strasberg). In an attempt to sort out his emotions, he decides to take LSD thanks to help from his dealer (Dennis Hopper).

Thoughts:
This is the fourth Roger Corman directed movie I have seen, all of which have been reviewed on this blog! The Trip was made one year after Corman's Wild Angels. Although that film was about bikers, both movies are centered on trends of youth in the 1960s. As such, we have a some hippie decorated homes which are quite colorful, as well as plenty of hip 60s lingo such as "boppers." It's quite groovy, man! The Trip reminds us that Corman was a talented director as the visuals and cinematography are excellent. I liked how the point of view shifts from what Paul is experiencing on his acid trip to the objective perspective of his sober guide (Bruce Dern). Despite the nice eye candy, there isn't much of a plot. However, The Trip is interesting to watch as an experimental film because you don't know what will happen next. While on his acid trip, Paul goes from a beach, to a cave to a haunted house to a desert, etc. The editing is very good, especially during the montage sequences. The music went well with the movie and it feels like a long music video at times. In this sense The Trip was pretty influential from a technical aspect with its quick cuts and stylish combination of music and images. The lighting, colors, sound effects, and camerawork all make for an interesting experience.
 

While the imagery is cool, it is mostly nonsensical. One example that really stood out was the dwarf on a merry-go-round who shouts "Bay of Pigs!" If you watch The Trip, be prepared to see plenty of Peter Fonda's ass! Oh, and how could I forget the woman with the pink, blue, and orange boobs during the club scene! While I did like The Trip for the overall experience, it is random and lacks focus. I did like the revelation of the two riders who follow Paul, although I wish there was more symbolism and less bizarre randomness. Here is my brother's description of The Trip: "its as if the nightmare sequence of the boat of horrors from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was expanded into an entire movie." I concur, although it surprisingly works! The movie is interesting to watch and not boring, even though some scenes do drag on a bit.

Trivia: Roger Corman claimed to have taken a "trip" of his own while doing research on the topic. Corman wasn't the only one involved with the film to take LSD, as Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson went on a "group trip" to prepare for the movie.
Jack Nicholson wrote the script which he based on his experiences with LSD as well as the end of his marriage to Sandra Knight. And just in case someone out there doesn't know, yes this is THAT Jack Nicholson!

Score: 6/10
Closing Thoughts: The Trip is a well made movie that was influential for its groundbreaking techniques as well as taking on a taboo subject matter. Just keep in mind that is is weird as hell and there isn't really a story. But its groovy, man!

Weekly Wrap-Up

I'll start the Weekly Wrap-Up with movies I have seen this week but not reviewed yet. Some I have seen before and some I have not. After that I'll wrap up with the movies I have seen this week and already reviewed.

Heathers (1988)
Since my brother recently graduated from High School I wanted him to watch this movie as it is one of my favorite comedies both for its humor and how well it is made. Heathers is a satiric dark comedy about social cliques in high school, and really in life in general. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater are fantastic as the leads, but even the background characters are great such as Veronica's parents, the cops, and the minister. This time around I noticed that Heathers is even better made than I thought. Plot elements such as the Moby Dick book and the fact that Veronica can perfectly imitate Heather Chandler's handwriting are set up very early on. Also Veronica and all three of the Heathers have color schemes that follow them throughout the movie. Veronica is blue, Heather Chandler is red, Heather McNamara is yellow, and Heather Duke is green. Everything from their croquet balls, to clothes, to bedrooms and even the lighting around them follows this pattern. And when Heather Duke takes over Heather Chandler's place, she also takes over the color red! I absolutely love Heathers and its too bad its director (Michael Lehmann) and writer (Daniel Waters) haven't done much of note since. Lehmann has directed some movies but has mainly done TV work since, most recently directing some episode of True Blood. Waters wrote the screenplay for Batman Returns but has only worked on two movies since 2001. Also Heathers did not get much attention when it was first released, it now has a sizable cult following.
9/10

The Tree of Life (2011)
Before I get into my mini-review I just want to saw that I had the pleasure of watching this movie with Nate of Forgotten Classics of Yesteryear!
2001: A Space Odyssey is one of my all-time favorite movies. So when I heard that Douglass Trumbull who did the special effects for that film as well as Silent Running, The Andromeda Strain, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Blade Runner was involved with The Tree of Life I knew I had to see it! Directed by Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life reminds me of 2001 and not just for the "birth of the universe" segment. The two films complement each other and are both up to the interpretation of the viewer. The Tree of Life is about, as Douglas Adams would put it, life, the universe, and everything. I feel that an alternate title for the film could be "A Human Odyssey." As great as it was to see Trumbull back to work in a post-CGI world, the 1950s story was also done wonderfully with great performances by all, especially the child actors as it truly felt like you were watching home movies of their lives. Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain put in fantastic performances as the father and mother of the family. The Tree of Life is not for everyone since its events are not linear (we have one of the biggest time jumps in all of cinema!) and everything is not completely explained and tied up with a bow at the end. However, if you want a film that will challenge you, make you think and wonder in awe, then I highly recommend you go experience The Tree of Life right away!
10/10

Dreamscape (1984)
I have watched this before but saw it again with my brother who was watching it for the first time. My opinion did not change. I still like it and still think Christopher Nolan saw it before making Inception. There are a lot of recognizable actors in this movie from Christopher Plummer to Max Van Sydow to the guy who played Norm on Cheers! By the way, I love how this poster looks like an Indiana Jones movie, I guess because Dennis Quaid looks and acts like Harrison Ford. The movie isn't like that as it is a thriller about entering the dreams of others, mostly to help them get over psychological problems and bad dreams.
6/10

The Cable Guy (1996)
I had seen part of this movie years ago and since my brother wanted to watch it I felt it was time to see the whole thing. While I found the movie quite funny at times, it felt like it needed a re-write as the plot wasn't focused and the cable guy acted out of character near the end. It was hard for me to root for or against either Carrey or Broderick since they were at times sympathetic then did things which would make you not care for them. Broderick's character is generally considered the protagonist but the movie is named after Carrey's character so who knows. The Cable Guy was directed by Ben Stiller and I actually think it could have been better if he played the role which ended up going to Matthew Broderick. Although The Cable Guy performed well at the box office, I can see why it got mixed reviews and didn't do as well as Carrey's previous films. The Cable Guy has a quirky sense of humor as well as a large amount of film references which would not appeal to everyone. Despite its flaws I still found it funnier than most comedies.
6/10

Movies I have seen this week and already reviewed:
Fright Night Part 2 (1988)
Solid horror comedy sequel. I wrote more about this movie in Summer Round-up Part 3.
6/10


Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Fun horror movie with some dark humor. Check out my full review posted Wed. June 29th.
7/10

First Blood (1982)
good action thriller that is not like the Rambo sequels. Check out my full review posted Fri. July 1st.
8/10

Summer TV Round-Up

I didn't get to the weekly round-up yesterday, so to make up for it, you get two posts today! This one will be about some TV shows I have been watching this summer. The next post will be the weekly round-up and should be up later today.

Lookwell (1991 TV pilot)
Lookwell on IMDB
When I went to the Philly Comic-Con a few weeks ago I attended a Q&A session with Adam West and Burt Ward! It was an entertaining and informative event with some great questions being asked, such as what was it like to work with Bruce Lee on the Batman/Green Hornet crossover. Adam West has done many TV pilots over the years and when someone asked which pilot was his favorite that never got picked up, he responded with Lookwell. Adam West told us how disappointed he was that it failed since the main reason it didn't get picked up was due to a regime change at NBC. Lookwell was written by Robert Smigel and Conan O'Brien and is about struggling actor Ty Lookwell, whose most famous role was that of a cop on a weekly TV series. However, Lookwell now thinks that because he played a police officer on television years ago that he can actually solve crimes! The show is hilarious and it is a shame it was never picked up as I think it would have been successful.
Lookwell can be seen on YouTube here. Check it out!

Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1
One of my favorite TV shows is Space Ghost: Coast to Coast. So naturally I like Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a spin-off show made by mostly the same creative team. Aqua Teen Hunger Force is about the surreal adventures of a Milkshake, a bag of french fries, and a piece of meat. Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 is a re-branding for the 8th season, apparently to keep the food from getting stale. The main change is a new intro, although there is a recurring gag that the Aqua Teens have moved to Seattle. Despite the "move," nothing has changed except from a subtitle at the beginning of the episodes that says "Seattle." They still live in the same neighborhood! If you are a fan of the show you will enjoy the new season, but if you didn't get it before don't expect this season to win you over as it is still the same show.

Jon Benjamin Has a Van
I've been watching this show because I am a fan of voice actor Jon Benjamin. Unlike most of Jon Benjamin's work, this is not animated but a live action show. Jon Benjamin essentially plays himself in a mock news show with some short skits in between. The show has been hit or miss so far, but I'll probably watch the whole season.

Wilfred
I usually don't watch shows based solely on commercials for them, but I did in this case since it reminded me of Harvey and Donnie Darko. The show is about a young man named Ryan (Elijah Wood) who tries to commit suicide on a drug overdose only to later find out just he took a lot of sugar pills. The next morning his new neighbor, the lovely Fiona, asks him to take care of her dog, Wilfred, for the day. However, Ryan sees Wilfred as a man in a dog suit while he appears as a normal dog to everyone else. Wilfred is actually based on a TV series of the same name from Australia. While most US shows based on shows from other countries tend to fail (notable exception being The Office), the actor who played Wilfred on the original show also plays him in the American version. The pilot brought in a lot of viewers for FX but we'll see if they stick. So far only two episodes have aired but I like it so far. As you can tell from the premise, the show is quirky and not for everyone. There is some dumb sex and toilet humor but luckily not much and its still a bit different since it usually involves Wilfred and how Ryan sees him.

Later today I'll post the weekly round-up.

Remakes I want to see

Last Saturday I discussed remakes. This week I'll talk about three movies I would like to see remade, as well as why I would like to see more "re-imaginings" than remakes or reboots.

The Last Starfighter (1984)
This movie is ahead of its time because its plot works better in 2011 than it did in 1984. The basic story is that aliens who are losing a space war to an evil dictator send video games for sentient creatures to play all across the universe, in hopes of training pilots to help their cause. Earth is one of these planet, and teenager Alex Rogan gets the high score on his arcade game. Therefore he is picked to represent Earth and fight as a pilot! Since this movie was made in 1984 the video game is an arcade system. But if remade today this could be done through the online gaming and our hero could literally be the best player in the world! It could easily be a PC game but I am sure Sony or Microsoft would love to pony up some cash if a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 was used. Another reason I would like to see this remade because the special effects are dated. The Last Starfighter was one of the first movies to use computer generated visual effects. While the CGI looks great considering when it was made, to viewers in 2011 it looks like a Wing Commander game from 1997. A modern day remake could fix this by using more practical effects, or at the very least with better CGI. I would also like to see this movie remade because the villain, Xur, sucks. He is supposed to be the worst person in the universe but when you see him he's just laughable and it doesn't make since how this guy got any power in the first place, let alone was able to get so many followers. I would either seriously re-tool the character or just scrap Xur completely. If this ever does get remade I would like the main theme to come back as it kick ass. Check it out here!

The Last Starfighter was a minor success and with the recent trend of pretty good 80s movies that did pretty well at the box office getting remade (Footloose, Fright Night, etc.) this one would fit right in. I also wouldn't mind if Hollywood went the route of TRON: Legacy with this one and have a sequel that takes place in the same universe about 30 years later. If that happened I would like to have cameos from some of the original cast (specifically Lance Guest and Mary Catherine Stewart), as long as the focus is on the new characters and story. Although if the plot of the sequel was about Lance Guest passing the torch that could work to and his would then be in a role similar to that of Centauri in the original. If you haven't seen The Last Starfighter yet I recommend it, as its a fun 80s action sci-fi movie that often gets overlooked due to unfair Star Wars comparisons.

Here is my dream team for a The Last Starfighter remake:
Director: Jon Favreau
Alex Rogan: Anton Yelchin
Maggie Gordon: Emma Stone
Centauri: one of Robert Downey Jr., David Tennant, Johnny Depp, Christopher Lloyd
Grig: Ron Perlman

Timecop (1994)
I re-watched this again with some friends a couple of months ago. Although I still like Timecop because the concepts of "time crimes" and "time enforcement" are so good, I found the movie to be more boring the second time around. Apparently Timecop is based on a Dark Horse comic but I've never read it. While I still kinda like Timecop, I'd love to see a more serious take on this plot without a guy like Van Damme (no disrespect to the guy, but he felt out of place. I am guessing they only got him because Schwarzenegger was unavailable!) as the lead.

What frustrates me the most about Timecop is that sometimes it is a smart sci-fi thriller while other times it is stupid as hell. To illustrate what I mean, I love the unique idea of having a politician use time travel to raise funds for his presidential campaign in an attempt to buy the election. I thought the idea of a guy going back to the stock market crash of 1929 and short selling all the stocks was brilliant! However, the movie ruined these interesting ideas by making some dumb decisions, such as the most random scene of full frontal nudity I have ever seen. I guess they REALLY wanted an R rating!

A couple of the time travel rules make no sense, which really hurts the movie. For example, if you travel through time you can't touch your "other" (past or future) self. While I can kinda buy that because it might create a paradox, I still don't understand why if you do touch your other self, it causes both of you to explode violently. Another rule I can't wrap my head around is that you can't go to the future because it hasn't happened yet. But if I went back to say, 1860, that would now be my present so how come I can go back to the future? Characters in the movie are allowed to go back to the future so it seems like the makers are assuming that the universe views the current date as "the present" which doesn't make a ton of sense. Not to mention the fact that if time travel is ever possible, scientists believe it would be much easier to go to the future than the past. I think the reason for this dumb rule was that the makers of the movie didn't want people wondering why they couldn't go to the future and just get more powerful weapons. A remake would fix these issues and allow the movie to be a little more serious.

Here is my dream team for a Timecop remake:
Director: Christopher Nolan or Duncan Jones
Walker: Daniel Craig or Christian Bale
Melissa: Marion Cotillard
McComb: Sam Rockwell
Matuzak: Bruce Campbell
Fielding: Zoe Saldana

The Thing (1982)
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love The Thing and would not change anything about the film. My reason for wanting a remake, or maybe the proper term for what I really want is re-imagining, is because of something I noticed about John Carpenter's classic film. But before I get to that, I need to talk about the prequel.

Yes, The Thing (1982) is actually getting a prequel which is scheduled to come out October 2011. And in case you were wondering, it is also going to be called The Thing which is just going to confuse the hell out of people. As a huge fan of the first film I'm not interested in the prequel. First of all, we know what happens. The ending must be the beginning of the 1982 movie, unless they do something really stupid. Second, nobody from the first film is involved which is usually a bad sign. Third, the prequel is supposed to follow the Norwegian team who encountered the Thing before the Americans. Keep in mind that the movie is supposed to be an American, English language film. How?! I am guessing there will have to be an American in their camp who doesn't speak Norwegian, typical American! Although I'm kinda curious about what exactly happened to the Norwegian team, that is why I like the 1982 movie. We don't know the details about what happened to that team, which does not bode well for our heroes. Plus whatever we imagine happened to that team is probably more horrific than anything that would be filmed. Who knows, maybe the prequel will surprise me and turn out to be good. Even if it sucks, at the very least some good will come of it since more people will know about The Thing.

The Thing is a remake of The Thing from Another World (1951) which is in turn based on a short story, "Who Goes There?" written by John Campbell in 1938. Since the basic story has already been told multiple times, why not remake it again? That said, I haven't read the original story or seen the 1951 movie yet.

One of the things I found interesting about John Carpenter's The Thing is that the cast is entirely male, and the only female presence is a computer. Even most of the crew working on the movie was male. So I wonder,  what would happen if the same thing happened to an all-female team? And the movie was made by a female director, writer, and predominately female crew? How would things play out differently? I've seen plenty of sci-fi shows and movies with mostly male casts (everything from Star Trek to Inception). But not many are made up mostly of females. Sure Ripley is the main character in the Alien series, but she is always surrounded by men. I know it will never happen, especially since a prequel is in the works, but I'd love to see a remake of The Thing with an all-female cast and mostly female crew. I'd really be interested in seeing a female take on this story, since we were Carpenter's version was a story about men. In this sense it would not be a true remake, but a re-imagining. I'd like to see Hollywood do this more often instead of remakes. That way they can do something original that is influenced by an earlier work, instead of just rehashing for a blatant cash grab.

Here is my dream team for an all-female remake of The Thing:
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
For the cast I'll suggest some combination of Linda Hamilton, Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, Ellen Page, Emma Stone, Camilla Belle, Scarlett Johansson, Thora Birch, Kristen Bell, Evan Rachel Wood, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jena Malone, Olivia Wilde, Marion Cotillard, Emily Blunt, Cate Blanchett, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Carrie-Anne Moss, Famke Janssen, Heather Graham, Kelly McDonald, Nicole de Boer, Emily Mortimer, Winona Ryder, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez, Michelle Yeoh, Lucy Liu, Salma Hayek, Tilda Swinton, Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon, Frances McDormand... you get the idea!

I would not even mind a Back to the Future re-imagining, as long as it is under the right circumstances! I would actually like to see a remake in 2015 in which a 2015 (just for the record I mean OUR 2015 and not BTTF Part II 2015) teen goes back to 1985! Imagine all the great jokes they could do! Arnold Schwarzenegger instead of Reagan, cell phones, computers, "Who the hell is Barack Obama!" etc. I'd keep the basic plot but get rid of all the details so it would be more of a re-imagining than a remake. The dance could be replaced with something else, the DeLorean could be another vehicle, skateboarding would be something else, etc. Maybe the clock tower event could even be replaced. Hell, I'd even think about doing what I discussed with The Thing, and inverting genders! That would really shake things up and force the writers to come up with something different and original.

Some movies I don't want to see re-made, but would like to see closer adaptations of the novel they are based on. We now live in a post-Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Watchmen world where movies can now be pretty close to the books. For example, I don't want to see a Blade Runner remake, prequel, or sequel, but I'd love to see a Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? movie if done right.

Tomorrow (Sunday) I'll post the Weekly Round-up.

First Blood (1982)

First Blood (1982)
Directed by Ted Kotcheff
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna
IMDB: First Blood

Why I wanted to watch it: Rambo is an iconic character, so I felt it was one of those movies I had to see.

Plot Synopsis: A mentally unstable Vietnam war vet, John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), begins a one man war after being abused by a small town's police force.

Thoughts: I was not expecting this coming into First Blood, but what struck me the most was how many beautiful shots there were for an action movie. The film takes place in the Pacific Northwest and was shot on-location in British Columbia. The landscape and gorgeous backgrounds are almost their own character. Most of the movie takes place in the woods and it is fascinating to see how Rambo adapts to and then uses this environment to his advantage. Jerry Goldsmith puts in a good score which complements the scenery, although the song sung over the end credits felt a bit out of place. The directing was quite suspenseful, as this is really more of a thriller than an action movie. Much of the movie is about Rambo trying to survive as it is about him fighting the police and National Guard. The focus shifts from Rambo's point of view to that of the police force and national guard, so that we don't know what Rambo has in store for the police force. We see Rambo making preparations but since we never get a good, long look at what he is doing, we don't know exactly how he will fight back. The way Rambo used the landscape to fight against, or really hunt down a large group, reminded me of Predator. How is there not a Rambo vs. Predator comic?!

First Blood has a lot of great lines such as "Hunting? We ain't hunting him, he's hunting us!" "God didn't make Rambo, I made him!" and "a good supply of body bags!" My favorite had to be when Rambo takes a solider driving a truck at knife point and says: "Don't look at me, look at the road. That's how accidents happen."
At its core First Blood is a film about the Vietnam War.  However, it is not a war film and takes place in America years after the war. Besides the treatment of Vietnam vets, another theme is that of generational conflict. When it boils down to it, this movie is really Rambo vs. Sheriff Teasle (Brian Dennehy).
Something else I noticed was that the portrayal of Rambo in popular culture seems to be taken more from the sequels than from First Blood. First Blood is a suspenseful thriller and not "war porn" like the sequels may lead you to believe. The film has a shockingly low body count (one death and Rambo isn't even directly responsible, although there are several injuries). The movie doesn't contain that much blood or gore given the subject matter. I think if First Blood came out today it would be rated PG-13 since that rating did not yet exist when the film was released in 1982.

Col. Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna) enters the story late for a main character as he doesn't appear until about a third of the way in. However this works since by this point in the film we know Rambo, but not much about his background other than the fact that he fought in Vietnam. So when Trautman is introduced we are instantly intrigued as we want to know more about the man who trained Rambo and served as him commander in Vietnam. Trautman also adds to the plot's conflict and suspense. While we want to know if Rambo or Teasle will win, we also want to know if Trautman can get Rambo to stop his crusade against the town.

Stallone puts on what is arguably his best acting performance. He does a good job of bringing the character emotion, especially in the final scenes. John Rambo is human, not just a mindless killing machine like the popular image of Rambo, which is parodied in everything from UHF to Robot Chicken.
Although I liked the film, it is not without its flaws. How was Rambo not more seriously injured when he jumped off the side of a cliff and used a tree to break his fall? That said, I have a feeling this movie is still a lot more realistic than the sequels. Also, I don't understand why Rambo starts walking back to the town after the sheriff drives him away and tells him to leave. I know he was trying to prove a point, but couldn't he have a least waited until the sheriff drove away? I think the answer is that Rambo had to get revenge once the sheriff kicked him out of town for no reason. In the words of Rambo, Teasle "drew first blood" which forced Rambo to retaliate. Still, this could have been more clear as it took away some of my sympathy for the character at the moment.

Trivia: Although most people don't know it, First Blood is actually based on a book written by David Morrell. In the book Rambo dies at the end, as well as Sheriff Teasle. On a similar note, the original ending of the film was that Rambo would kill himself with Trautman's gun. However, test audiences found the ending too depressing so it was changed. It would have been hard to make the sequels had they kept that ending!
While its hard to believe, Ted Kotcheff is actually the same director who brought us Weekend at Bernie's!
A lot of big name actors were considered for or turned down roles in this film. Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Nick Nolte, John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, James Garner, Kris Kristofferson, Michael Douglas, and Terence Hill all could have been Rambo. Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall turned down the role of the sheriff, while Lee Marvin, Kirk Douglas, and Rock Hudson all declined the part of Col. Trautman.
David Caruso has a minor role as Mitch, a young officer in the town's police force. Caruso is well known for his role as Lt. Horatio Caine on CSI: Miami.

Score: 8/10
Closing Thoughts: First Blood was a pleasant surprise as I liked it more than I thought I would. The directing, cinematography, and acting were all better than I expected. I'm glad that the focus was on the characters and not the action. Unfortunately this does not appear to be the case in the sequels.

On Saturday I'll discuss some movies that I actually would like to see remade! Then on Sunday I'll post the Weekly Round-up.