"All the movies they make now are just reboots." "Why don't they think of something original?" "Another sequel?" Chances are, you have heard someone say something to this affect, or you may have very well have said this yourself. We live in the age of sequels and remakes, with the occasional cliché movie plots of romantic comedies and over-the-top action films. Now, let me make this very clear: I love movies. In fact, it is because of that very love that I despise most of the movies of today. I'll admit, the occasional Marvel superhero film depicting the struggle of an individual blessed with special circumstances who overcomes the villain of the film as well as his own identity crisis can be quite entertaining. Yet, at the end of the day, we know the hero triumphs; more likely than not, he or she is safe and sound after defeating the foe, patiently awaiting the next sequel. Where is the suspense? Where is the beauty of true story telling? Give me a film that isn't just copy and pasted from the last greatest hit.
Surely, I am not alone. There must be plenty of others who groaned inwardly after hearing of the numerous sequels to the "Transformers" series, as well as "Iron Man," "Mall Cop," "Jurassic Park" and "Godzilla," just to name a few. Well, how does one go about trying to change the culture of today? Why are the endless streams of familiar plots with new titles seeming to not have any inkling of slowing down? Simply put, it's our own fault. At the end of the day, filmmaking isn't about story telling anymore or conveying a real message. Movies are only made now with the sole purpose of making money, and make money they do.
We are guilty of Hollywood's production of repetitive and, frankly, bad movies. They know that we give up our money for the same old movies. Success for movies has a formula now, and very few will ever dare to change it. As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." How can we expect anything but the same old stories if all we ever do is keep helping those movies be the top five on the charts every weekend? The moment the big industries of Hollywood realize the same plots aren't selling well, they'll be forced to think of something new, to really stretch out for a new concept and push the boundaries of story telling.
Unfortunately, I know a real change in movies will probably never happen. Like the majority of people, I'm just as guilty of funding these sequel-monsters. And why do I further the very thing I despise? Because I'm just like most people. I like being in-the-know, in the loop, and not seeing what everyone else sees makes me the odd-man out. Even a step beyond that, despite the incredible repetitiveness of all these stories, I still enjoy watching them. I'm caught in the cycle of knowing I crave something better, yet I'll settle for what's already there and popular with my friends. For now, all I can do is hope that one day movies are no longer about money but about being a platform to convey the greatest stories, to contemplate the biggest issues and to inform us of the hidden truths of life.
