We review some of the aftermath less necessary in the history of cinema, in the midst of the era of late continuations, reboots and remakes.
The saying “the second parts were never good” does not always hold true, but there is some reason (this well-worn phrase) when we look at the titles on this list. We could add to this equation the third, the fourth and an infinite succession of cinematographic installments that do nothing more than repeat formulas to try to reproduce some past success, but we are left with these sequels that, seeing them from a distance, we can assure – without fear of make mistakes – that they were not “necessary”.
Basic Instinct 2 (Basic Instinct 2, 2006)
Paul Verhoeven’s film, starring Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas, left its sensual mark on the cinema of the nineties: an icon of the detective thriller with a touch of eroticism. The actress’s crossed legs will remain in the annals, but so will this unfortunate continuation, unnecessary and possessing a scary plot.
The sequel marks the return of novelist Catherine Tramell (Stone) to her old ways who, once again, finds herself involved in several problems with the law, this time in London, where Scotland Yard decides to evaluate her closely and assigns the task to Dr. Michael Glass (David Morrissey), another victim of his influences.
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The Sting II (1983)
Sequel? Remake? Reboot? According to its director, Jeremy Kagan, the film is inspired by the original and expands its story, instead of continuing it; The main characters are based on two famous real-life con artists and, supposedly, are very different from those played by Robert Redford and Paul Newman.
But, despite not being a direct sequel, it maintains a variety of elements in common that can confuse the viewer: the return of three of its main characters, a femme fatal caught in the middle of the trick and a new deception that aims The ultimate goal is revenge, although this time they change racing to boxing.
Maximum Speed 2 (Speed 2: Cruise Control, 1997)
What are the chances of being trapped, for the second time, in a situation that involves a crazy person “setting bombs?” Ok, let’s not count John McClane but, without a doubt, Annie (Sandra Bullock) has a special ability to get into the middle of this type of problem: a girl with very bad luck in love and travel by sea and land.
Director Jan de Bont tries to repeat the event of the dizzying Maximum Speed (Speed, 1994), but he does not realize that luxury cruise ships do not have the same appeal as the freeways of Los Angeles… just like Jason Patric. Seeing the final result, we understand why Keanu Reeves said no to this sequel.
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Dumb, Dumb and Dumberer (Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, 2003)
When it comes to Dumb and Dumb (Dumb & Dumber, 1994), the waters divide. You either love or hate the film starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, but you can’t deny its contribution to the comedy genre of the 1990s. With Troy Miller’s film – which inaugurates the prequel trend in cinema and transports us to the eighties to show us the first meeting between Harry and Lloyd during their time in high school – the verdict is unanimous: it sucks.
Two actors that no one knows, a bunch of misfit students and a director who is going to make their lives impossible are part of this story that is based on the characters created by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, but it fails to make us even half smile.
Teen Wolf Too, 1987
Michael J. Fox was the youth idol par excellence of the eighties, but when he did not want to return for the continuation of Wolf Boy (teen wolf1985), the filmmakers tried to repeat the success by telling, this time, the story of his cousin Todd – a very young Jason Bateman –, a college student who must deal with this apparent family ‘curse’.
Todd is a disaster at sports, but when he discovers his new lycanthropic abilities he becomes an ace, the most popular boy on campus and a winner among the girls. Of course there is a moral, that “with great power comes great responsibility” and that, in the end, only what one is essentially matters.
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