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SALT LAKE CITY — In a move that will shock no one, Disney and Universal are moving ahead with sequels to successful but questionable franchises, while John McClane reverts back to his four-letter ways.
‘Die Hard’
Maybe this a sign that I’m not a true “Die Hard” fan, but I never understood the outcry that occurred when “Live Free or Die Hard” was given a PG-13 rating. I still believe it’s a better film than “Die Hard 2,” and while I get the tonal shift between the original and “Live Free,” I think time, a new director, and scope of story played a bigger part in that shift than the decision to edit out a few catch phrases, or cut away before a character’s graphic demise.
But great news for those of you who do get it — “A Good Day to Die Hard” is officially rated R.
According to Harry Knowles, “ ... all day I've been trading calls with Fox because Bruce Willis apparently wanted to talk to me about the fact that the MPAA had just hit ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ with an R — and how they've all decided that was for the best.”
I’ll choose to believe Mr. Willis until I see the film, but I think rating rarely defines if a movie is good or bad. If this is one of those cases, then high fives to fans everywhere.
‘Jurassic Park 4’ gets the 3D treatment
“Jurassic Park” is a franchise that gets lazier with each chapter. “Jurassic Park 2” managed to maintain some of the original atmosphere before throwing in the “King Kong” and gymnastics subplots, while “III” felt like a shameless, cash-grab, made-for-TV movie.
So it’s not surprising it’s taken 12 years for Universal and Amblin Entertainment to get serious about a release date for the ceaselessly rumored sequel.
From E News: “Universal Pictures announced today that ‘Jurassic Park 4,’ to be shot in 3-D, will tear its way into theaters on June 13, 2014.”
I’m not really sure who wants this sequel — what 3D will add to the experience — or if Steven Spielberg is still seriously considering genetically altered velociraptors. Nothing about this announcement has me excited.
There’s still a little boy in me who’d love to see a great dinosaur film, but I don’t think the Jurassic franchise has anything left to offer. Here’s hoping I’m wrong come 2014.
'Pirates 5' Gets a New Writer
Pirates of the Caribbean is another franchise that seems to be spinning its wheels, but once “On Stranger Tides” crossed the $1 billion finish line, everyone knew the mouse house would be calling Captain Jack Sparrow back to the negotiating table.
What’s interesting about “Pirates 5” — at leastaccording to Variety — is writer Terry Rossio won’t be along for the ride this time. Instead, Jeff Nathanson has been chosen to pen the next Sparrow adventure.
From Ain’t It Cool News: “Nathanson has a mixed bag of projects to his credit with ‘Catch Me if You Can’ being his best, ‘Speed 2’ being his worst, and plenty falling in-between, from the ‘Rush Hour’ sequels to ‘The Terminal’ to ‘Tower Heist’ to a draft of ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’ during that film's development.”
Nathanson’s resume almost makes it sound as if Disney is just pulling a slot machine handle and hoping for the best. However, instead of leaving things to chance, you know what could really give both the “Pirates” and “Jurassic Park” franchises some new life? A crossover film.
Travis has been writing tech and film reviews for Deseret News and KSL.com since 2010, and continues to contribute coverage for the Sundance Film Festival and other live events here in Utah. You can contact Travis at TSPoppleton@gmail.com.
