Darren Aronofsky might not be the one to surge some life into this possible reboot of Robocop. For a little while now, Robocop has become one of many 80s cult movies to get the remake status, which is bad for most people who adore the movies. In this case though, it’s not just a mere matter of trying to find the right actor to play John Murphy before and after he’s made into a cyborg, but MGM who needs to find a director to hold onto.

Could this remake potentially go ED-209 and rip it to shreds?

Aronofsky has another project in development, which is the Natalie Portman starring film Black Swan. Although this film will most likely be filmed and readied up for sometime say around 2011, MGM also wants Robocop to be released within that same year. Meaning, he’s going to have to quickly jump from one piece to another lickety split. With the probability that Darren will be able to tackle both of these films seemingly low, MGM already is keeping their eyes out for possible replacement directors to fill the void of the action drama. Who will it be? Who do you think it should be? Do you think they should bother touching Robocop at all? Let us know, we want to hear your two cents on the topic.

How long is too long for a sequel? Really, how long do you think is too long for a sequel before it becomes something it shouldn’t be? 5 years? 10years? 15 years? 20 years or more?

Let me start off with the definition of what a Sequel truly is:

A sequel is a work of fiction in literature, film, and other creative media, that is produced after a completed work, and set in the same “universe”, usually following the events of the original. It continues elements of the original story, often with the same characters and settings. A sequel is similar to a series, in which the same character appears in a number of stories, although the distinction is arbitrary, and some media franchises have enough sequels to effectively become a series, whether originally planned as such or not.

In the last couple of months we have seen a few sequels to well known films pop up. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Lost Boys 2, are just a few of the films being brought back from the dead. Lost Boys 2 is coming to a theater almost 20 years after its first debut. “Indiana Jones” is strapping on his hat one more time after a vacation of 19 years. And how can we not forget about “Terminator” making a come back in 2003 after a hiatus of over 12 years. These are just some of the sequels that make me wonder why?

Stallone has become the king of sequels with 2 films bringing in over 7 sequels all while creating two of the most likeable characters on film in Rocky and John Rambo. We can’t forget Rocky and his latest try for a belt almost 30 years after we first saw him in the ring in 1976.

Should “Rambo” stop killing hundreds of people in a few minutes time? Should “Rocky” stop getting punched so much? It looks like Rambo is coming back around for number 5!!

In my opinion yes! And a resounding “yes!” at that. After Rocky 4 it went downhill. Rambo should of been left alone after the second film.I hate to see a film made just to bring someone back from the “dead” for the sake of money. I know that is what the Studio’s do day in and day out but come on folks!

For all of you “Star Wars” fans out there… dare I say how bad the last three films were? The first three films recently given to us by Mr Lucas in my eyes ruined the franchise. The filming, acting, special effects etc all ruined the original experience after all of those years of loving something for what it was. The gap in between was too big and too long ago for it to be a success.

With actors such as Arnold, Harrison, Bruce (can’t forget the Die Hard series) and Sylvester growing older every second, is this a ploy to bring us the best in entertainment or just to make some extra cash on a name for the big studios?

Pros:

• Name: The name could bring back an audience.
• Story: If the writing was done well and the movie was a hit, why not try and bring back us more.

I think overall a sequel is a sure thing if done correctly with the same people involved as the 1st.

Cons:

• Sequels always have the possibility of going wrong. An actor doesn’t sign back on, the directing and or writing crew is no longer interested or time constraints wont allow for it.
• Lapse in audience. The audience may of outgrown their love or interest of the film or lost touch with it over time.

So when is enough, really enough? After 5 years? After 10 years? I understand there will always be the exception to the rule such as the production schedule or special effects etc, but when has enough time passed when we consider a film “dead” in the best sense of the word?

I know I have forgotten many classic sequels, horror sequels, films that should have not been made in the 1st place, but I have captured some of the characters in my mind that actually have places in the hearts of most movie addicts.
Questions to you, the readers:

What is the ultimate motive of folks involved with a sequel? Do we need a sequel after 30 years? Am I a horrible movie fan?

What are your thoughts? I would love to hear them!

My first question going into this film was; Does anyone rent videotapes anymore? Do kids these days even know what they are? Alright, that was two questions. And for the movie to work you really have to suspend that disbelief. Let me back up, there is some more disbelief you will need to be suspending, but I need to tell you the plot first. Mike and Jerry (Mos Def and Jack Black respectively) are taking care of a run down old video store/thrift shop for elderly old Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) while he’s away. Somehow along the way Jerry gets magnetized. Yeah, you read that right, he becomes magnetic. Granted, it’s not as much as a logic leap as a store still renting video tapes, but it’s still a pretty huge hurdle if you’re looking for realism. Aaaaaanyway, Jerry erases all of the tapes in the store by his mere presence. *HEY! That’s why they made them rent video tapes! The plot line wouldn’t have worked if they had DVDs/it this took place this century. * Now, people are coming in to rent movies and these guys don’t want to see the old man’s store go our of business, so they decide to grab a video camera and make their own versions of famous films (Ghostbusters, Rush Hour 2, Robocop and plenty of others). Throw in some evil corporate developers trying to have the store demolished and some evil corporate show biz lawyers trying to shut down our boys and you’ve got yourself a movie.

So what did I think? Michael Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) does a sometimes masterful job directing here. The montage scene in particular is incredibly well-done. There is a whimsical and almost fantastic feel to nearly everything about the film, which somehow works to help you get around the absurd storyline. Even though the movie takes place in a horrible neighborhood that is barely one step up from the projects (maybe just a step over). This is a neighborhood where the thugs merely glare at you rather than beat you into a puddle of your own blood and piss. This is a neighborhood where people still seem to know each other. Alright, that too may be harder to believe than Jack Black becoming magnetized. However, even though I “bought it” I still felt like it was lacking something. It felt like it could have been funnier. Many of the funniest parts have been seen on the trailers, and once you’ve seen a couple of movies get “Sweded” (what they call their movies) the joke has kind of played out. I didn’t get bored, but I wasn’t really busting a gut laughing either. Gondry did do a good job of taking this goofy idea and giving it some soul and meaning, but more on that later.

Mos Def keeps working his way up my “Actors I Really Enjoy, But Don’t Go Out Of My Way To See” list. He’s almost on my “Actors That I Will Be More Inclined To Watch A Movie Because They Are In It” list. I really hope that his real voice isn’t that borderline retarded voice that he used in 16 Blocks (and slipped into a few times in this) though. He brought a simple-minded sincerity to the film without making it too sappy. His initial refusal to do, and later outrage at being part of, the Driving Miss Daisy remake is one of the few (and nicely underplayed) darker moments of the film. Damn, I really wish I had thought of a better way to put that. Jack Black is in good form here. He is a much better sidekick than lead, and in this he gets to slip into that more comfortable skin. Don’t believe me? Watch School of Rock, then watch High Fidelity. See what I mean? In Be Kind, Rewind Black gets to act like his usual goofy self, but he pulls it back a few notches from his more recent performances, and that is a good thing. He and Mos Def have a decent chemistry and his spastic insanity was a nice foil to Def. Danny Glover was alright I guess. It’s hard not to like an actor playing the lovable old man about to get tossed out on his ass by the corporate developers. Mia Farrow is actually still cute. It’s in a crazy old lady kind of way, but anyone that publicly speaks out against Woody Allen is aces in my book. Hell, for that I’ll say she still looks gorgeous. I should mention that Melonie Diaz was great as the woman in their lives. She was realistically pretty, and about as intelligent and savvy as you could expect for anyone from this world.

WONDER TWIN POWERS ACTIVATE

For probably the most commercial movie of Michael Gondry’s career he managed to work some covert anti-commercial messages into it. He is clearly opposed to the gentrification of the movie/video business, or what he sees as his art. The statements run rampant through the film, that what these guys are creating is just as valid, if not more (to their community) as anything Hollywood produces. Our heroes suffer the futility of fighting the system (corporations, lawyers, Hollywood) to be find the triumph of art over adversity (that soul and meaning I mentioned earlier). This was a good movie, but not a great one. I don’t think it really hit on all cylinders, but when it did it nailed it. It could have/should have been funnier, but at least the drama wasn’t over played or out of place. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon all in all.

RATING: 7/10

I swear, you best be knocking that shit off or I will knock dem teeths right down your throats.