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SALT LAKE CITY — "The Wolverine" hits theaters this weekend. The X-Men series now has six films under it's belt. Some would argue the franchise is lacking in the same spark the first films possessed. What, then, makes an ongoing franchise worth sticking around for? In an era of sequel after sequel for pretty much any movie that cracks a profit at the box office, how do writers and directors keep things fresh? Here is a rundown of a few long-running franchises that somehow have been able to retain a following and some critical acclaim (or purported acclaim) film after film .
James Bond
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The first Bond film, "Dr. No", hit theaters in 1962. Since it's big screen debut, Bond, James Bond, has grossed over $6 billion in revenue and has produced 23 films. While there have been a few flops in the mix, most of the Bond films throughout the years have held their ground. Many cinephiles debate who has been the best actor of the six who have portrayed James Bond; at the risk of igniting a firestorm I'd like to submit my vote for Roger Moore. I do love Sean Connery, but there's something about Moore's swagger that works so well for the gadget laden, one-line lobbing secret spy.
The Bond franchise has seen it's fair share of turnover in both actors and crew over the years. So what, then, has kept fans flocking to the theaters for over 50 years? Arguably, I think Bond has found a formula that really works for the spy genre; heist, crazy villain, fashionably adept heroine/love interest, lots of high-tech gadgets, and fight scenes that rival none.
Interesting tidbit: Ian Fleming (the author of the James Bond book series) named the elusive spy after a bird expert of the same name saying the name was "the dullest name I ever heard".
Harry Potter
Some might not consider this a classic "franchise" in the sense that the movies are all wrapped up. There could be some ongoing follow ups from other stories author J.K. Rowling might want to conjur up. For now though, there are eight pretty awesome movies to enjoy for years to come. I love watching the evolution of the actors over the years, from those first films when everyone was trying to find their rhythm, to the very mature and seasoned performances from later on.
When the books first started to gain in popularity, movie execs scrambled for the rights. Steven Spielberg was, at one point, interested in taking on the project. He insisted, however, the films be animated and at-the-time popular tween actor Haley Joel Osmont voice the title character. He did not (fortunately, in my opinion) get the gig. Rowling was able to maintain a lot of say in how the movies were made, and was primarily responsible for the strong presence of british actors in the films.
The Hunger Games
"The Hunger Games" knocked it out of the park with the first movie and the series is now slated to make four films total. It might seem strange that a movie about kids hunting kids does so well with families but somehow, with Jennifer Lawrence leading the way, the first installment of "The Hunger Games" pulls it off.
The question remains; will the follow up movies will be any good. Arguably, they used all the best material in the first book and the follow up books don't offer as much rich material to draw on. With film two slated to come out this November, we'll just have to wait and see if crazy hairstyles, lots of star power and murderous adolescents can pull it off again.
Interesting tidbit: the producers of the first film had a hard time finding a company to insure the set while filming due to scenes involving, poison plants, giant bears, arrows, nasty bugs, and a daring pursuit through turbulent water.
Star Trek
This franchise has survived a contemporary re-boot, which is saying quite a bit. The early days of the Star Trek series are pure gold. There hardly goes a year where I don't sit down and have a little marathon of the original movies. "Star Trek: The Voyage Home" is one of my favorite sci-fi flicks of all time.
The re-boot of this series has been surprisingly well-done. Sometimes (most of the time) modern-day reboots of movie franchises fall flat (Spider Man, anyone?) . The newer Star Trek films have been surprisingly fun to watch, although I'd argue the last installment, "Star Trek: Into Darkness", was a little haphazard. Overall, Star Trek seems to be surviving the passage of time gracefully, due largely in part to a die-hard fan base and eternally endearing characters.
Interesting tidbit; the first star trek movie was panned by critics. In an effort to boost interest in the sequel, writers proposed a plot where the crew of the Enterprise would travel back in time to ensure the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The draft was scrapped and "Wrath of Khan" was written. I don't know...I think the first version would have been a pretty interesting watch.
Batman
All right. This is by far my hardest pick. The Batman series has had it's ups and downs for sure. I'm a big fan of the early installments directed by Tim Burton. Many love the newer Chris Nolan flicks (I'm a little on the fence. Commence the throwing of tomatoes). There were a few in the middle that were all but unwatchable. Overall, though, Batman still delivers real suspense and engaging story arcs enjoyed by old and young alike.
