Sin #53: Sequelitis

Some movies warrant sequels, others conveniently force them. Good sequels expand their stories, add interesting characters and create a sense of an ever-growing mythology; bad sequels, on the other hand, repeat the same story and instead focus on refining the technical aspects so we get a sleeker packaging.

Something curious occurred to me after the screening of “Iron Man 2”; I sensed a distinct case of “sequelitis” (a common trait where the filmmakers try to give an epic feel to the picture by cluttering the screen with more characters and labyrinthine storylines). While the first “Iron Man” had a clean and crisp story with characters whose motivations we understood clearly, the sequel ads too many characters, a dumbed-down storyline and also crams as much external fluff to prepare us for a movie that’s two years away (“The Avengers”). I was disappointed because I found the original to be a funny and genuinely entertaining summer flick that gave us a terrific performance by Robert Downey Jr; “Iron Man 2” is by no means a terrible movie (some scenes are funny and the special effects are awesome, but the charm and originality are missing). I had a similar feeling with the “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequels; there’s simply too much stuff going on that either doesn’t make sense in narrative terms or isn’t very amusing.

There are, however, good sequels but they’re usually the result of a strong directorial vision. I remember having a blast with Guillermo Del Toro’s “Blade 2” even though I found the first one pretty mediocre. Del Toro understood the concept and elevated the premise with brilliant creature designs and an aggressive pacing that made the film way more fun that we thought was possible (and a lot better than the first and third movies).

Another one of the great sequels is Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunset” which took more than a decade to be released. “Before Sunrise” was far from a hit in theaters but it acquired a new life on video where it became a cult hit. “Sunset” was clearly a labor of love for both the actors (Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke) and its director who actually collaborated together on the script. Both films form an amazing love story that deals with meaningful themes and actually chronicles two very specific moments in the lives of these characters (I’m hoping for a third movie, even if it takes another ten years).

These are examples of good sequels but usually we get terrible retreads. Take for example the ill-fated “Men in Black 2” which basically did everything wrong the same way the first one did everything right. The original was very original and funny and won us over with its story of a bureau than monitored extraterrestrial life on earth. It ended perfectly as Tommy Lee Jones trains Will Smith to be his replacement so he can enjoy retirement as a normal citizen; the second one brings back Jones (in a pointless decision that actually undoes the dramatic arc of the first one) and basically recycles the whole premise, except that the roles are sort of inverted.

Sequels are a tricky business to pull off; since most are cash in movies, writers refuse to give extra effort to story and characters. I felt this way with “Iron Man 2” and many other sequels. Maybe we need people like Del Toro or Christopher Nolan to show us how it’s done.