My last post covered some amazing films that really didn’t need sequels at all, but got them anyway. That’s not to say that all the sequels were bad, but they were generally inferior to the original production. For this post, I’m going to be specifically talking about certain movies that deserve a sequel, but haven’t gotten one. I’m also going to be including movies that while the film may not have been overly successful, a sequel is still a real possibility. Let’s give it a go, shall we?
Power Rangers
When Power Rangers showed up in March, I was very surprised at how good the movie actually was. My expectations for this film were understandably low. What we ended up getting was a very compelling coming-of-age story with teenagers that actually felt like real people dealing with real problems. The teenagers were very 3-dimensional and were very likable. I also liked the fact that they had to earn the right to become Power Rangers. This new film served as a film reboot of the highly popular Power Rangers franchise, and I feel that it did a really good job. The suits were awesome and surprisingly NOT CGI. Certain elements of the suits were, but the suits themselves were built from scratch. The film didn’t exactly flop in the box-office, but the international response was not what the film-makers had in mind. It has yet to open in Japan, from what I understand, but the future of the film franchise is up in the air at this point. It’s a shame, because it is a very good movie. It’s got a great story with fantastic characters and visuals that are pretty decent. The word on the interwebs is that Lionsgate Studios and Haim Saban, the creator of Power Rangers are in talks to try and get a sequel made. It looks very possible that we might get a Power Rangers 2. The original plan was for at least 6 movies, but I’m not entirely sure that will happen. We may get lucky with a trilogy, but I don’t see it progressing further than that if they don’t address some of the problems that the first movie had. I’m actually fairly optimistic about this one, though.
Dredd
This one’s a bit of a heart-breaker, because we know this one WON’T be getting a sequel. It’s too bad really, because the 2012 adaptation of Judge Dredd is a surprisingly visceral and brutal experience that underscores how brutal the character is. This one hurts because the film was universally praised for it’s unflinching and violent take on the character, who was brilliantly portrayed by Karl Urban. They took everything that was great about the character and the world that Dredd inhabits and gave it a very stylistic and bloody look at the world. It was very simple story that had some very extraordinary characters. Unfortunately, the film bombed at the box office. People were rightfully wary that the film was going to be too much like Sylvester Stallone’s film, so that had a lot to do with it. Home video sales didn’t really help much, either. It’s a shame, because it’s such a fantastic action film that pulls no punches.
Warcraft
Here’s another one that I feel needs a sequel and one that may eventually happen. Warcraft, based on the popular video game franchise by Blizzard Entertainment, was met with mixed to negative reviews in the states and was considered a massive flop here. In China, though, the film was a major success. It’s entirely possible that because of the film’s international success, we might see another one. I would certainly hope so. Warcraft was a surprisingly decent movie that was faithful to the game. The sets, the costumes and the character designs all look like they came out of the video game. Now, Duncan Jones, the director of the film, has ideas on where to take another Warcraft film if Universal decides to go for it. I’m not as optimistic about this one as I am about Power Rangers, but I’m secretly hoping that Universal will go for it. There’s so much more story to be told.
Willow
Willow is one of those movies that manages to set up a very interesting movie, but didn’t do much to get a sequel. It’s a shame, because this is a very good fantasy film. The best films are character-driven and it’s no exception here. The characters in the film which include Willow himself, Madmartigan, and even the evil Queen Bavmorda are memorable. Unfortunately, the film was met with a lackluster box-office performance and mixed reviews by both critics and audiences alike. It’s sad, because there was a lot of stuff they could have done with the world of Willow. The movie had it all: Excitement, adventure, comedy and drama. It was a good old-fashioned fantasy film. The effects were stunning and the music by James Horner was truly wonderful. Unfortunately, money talks, and Willow didn’t make enough to warrant another entry. The film did end up with novels that take place after the film, but they were not particularly well-received. It’s tragic, really.
It’s funny: I was expecting to have a lot more movies on this list, but when I started to really think about it, there aren’t a whole of movies out there that need sequels. Some people would argue that most movies don’t need them. That’s a fair enough statement, but sometimes a sequel can open up a film’s world quite a bit more and delve more into certain character backstories. How does one judge that a movie gets a sequel or not? Ultimately, it comes down to money and how well-received a film is, but mostly money. In an industry that is peppered with sequels and remakes, these are the movies that I feel need to get sequels.