Why Movie Franchise Reboots Don't Bug Me Anymore

Both Fantastic Four and Spider-Man have reboot films coming out. In fact, Spider-Man has already been rebooted once since it came to the big screen. On top of that, a lot of films I loved from my childhood got the reboot as well, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the eventual upcoming Big Trouble in Little China as well as Ghostbusters. The fact of the matter is that the Internet is bustling with discussion on whether or not reboots and remakes are a good thing

I don't know what it is. Maybe it's "outrage apathy," but I every time there's an announcement of a reboot my first inclination isn't to Tweet how much it is going to "sux" or how I'm boycotting whatever popcorn flick is coming out, 6 years down the line. However, that is many people's reaction. It's never something that's angered me because franchises don't owe me anything.

Although it wasn't that long ago, I remember back back in 2011 when it was announced that Columbia was taking a television show from Fox's early days, in the late 80s, and rebooting it into a film franchise. That show was 21 Jump Street, a show I positively hated. However, I was 5 when it came out and anything without laser or robots was stupid to me. But when 21 Jump Street came out, I fell in love with it because it was comical and silly and so loosely based off the original, that the angry 5 year old inside of me didn't care.

Understandably, you may be thinking "what does this have to do with comic books?" We're getting there. We live in a pretty rad era of comic book movies that really started back in 1998 with Blade. Sure, Batman & Robin was around in 1997, but Blade is really the start of awesome comic book movies. The 2002 film Spider-Man really kicked everything into high gear as movie studios realized that comic book films could have a mass appeal, but I don't want to sit here and go over the history of modern comic book films. Since then, Spider-Man had a reboot, Batman had a reboot, the Hulk had a reboot, Superman had a reboot, and Fantastic Four is about to have a reboot.

Reboots aren't a new thing, but out of everything we've seen, the reboots, for better or worse, have been good. They've been fun movies to watch. Are they better than their predecessors? Yes and no. It varies but they've all been at least entertaining and that's what matters.

I don't want the Citizen Kane of superhero films every time I go to the theater. I just want to be entertained and get my mind off the real world for a couple hours. If there's a movie coming out I don't want to see, I just don't go and see it. I think it's important to remember that good and entertaining films will continued to be talked about, long after their release, while bad films are forgotten, unless they're hilariously bad. We still talk about The Dark Knight, Captain America: Winter Soldier, and the plethora of other films that made us laugh, smile, and the other "feels" we got while watching them. When's the last time anyone sat around and discussed anything that had to do with Man-Thing?

With the numerous announcements of reboots like Ghostbusters, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and Big Trouble in Little China, I'm hopeful, not angry. Big Trouble and Ghostbusters were huge parts of my childhood, and I have really fond memories of them. However, there's nothing these reboots could do that would "destroy" said childhood or make it any better or worse.

It's a movie, not a time-travelling, modern-day boogeyman hell-bent on punching the 5 year old version of me in the face.

So thinking about all of that, I've come to the conclusion that there's no reason to be pessimistic about these films. For me, nothing gets accomplished and all I'm left with is anger, which is a waste of a day.

What if these movies actually suck though? Well, the originals still exist and I can watch those whenever I want. A bad remake will never taint the original film. And again, a few years from now, no one will remember it existed.

I'm optimistic for more than seeing a story I'm relatively familiar with on the big screen again. With Ghostbusters, Paul Feig is writing and directing and I loved Freaks and Geeks, and he was one of the writers. With Big Trouble in Little China, Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz are writing and that's one amazing writing duo. Plus, Dwayne Johnson is in it and I'll see anything that guy is in, even a fiber pill commercial.

Don't get me wrong, it's fine to be critical about all of this as well, but there's a line between "critical" and "dismissive." Personally, I'm just going to keep doing what I do and support the stuff I like and ignore what I hate. However, I just don't hate that much anymore. It takes too much energy.

There's also this idea of the "Cry Wolf Syndrome," which may or may not be something I just completely made up. If all I do is complain about every reboot, then who is going to take me seriously about anything mildly important I have to say about anything, even when it's a topic that actually needs to be talked about.

What it all comes down to is that it doesn't matter. Being outraged at the idea of a film based on something else being made is a pointless and fruitless endeavor. It's like screaming at your plants to grow. I understand the vast amount of irony within this piece, complaining about people who complain, but the point is that it's hard to get upset anymore when the original films still exist and all-in-all, it's my decision to see the film.

Film is entertainment and that's all I want. What do you think about films being rebooted? What would you actually like to see rebooted?

Generation Remix

I love remakes when done well and respectfully.

Upgraded CGI often makes them better.

I have a bent towards nostalgia, but I'm not the type of person who will go bananas over his favorite movie being remade. Some reboots are good, many are not. End of story.

Sux

Reboots annoy me because, like ASM, most of it felt like id seen it before because i had, in Spiderman 10 years before. Yes reboots cant destroy the classic film, but prequels can!

Nice

Reboots are fine when they are actually good, but I prefer more energy put into other characters. There so many characters that deserve their day in the sun. Iron Man proves that you don't need to be the most well known character to work for movies.

In all honesty reboots and remakes are harmless to franchises. I never got why so many people get upset over them. If the movie is bad, you still got the original.

Beata

As a huge horror fan, the remake/reboot thing wave is something I am very familiar with, but unlike most, I welcome them most of the time. They don't bother me, I will only get frustrated about a remake if the movie just turns out bad, but that's only if I legitimately don't like the movie, has nothing to do with it being a remake.

Well I think a crappy reboot is indeed a danger to a franchise. When the broad public starts to remember the crappy reboot from say 2 years ago instead of the classic from 30years ago then studios will be careful before they make another movie. Just because a movie sucked doesnt mean everyone forgets about it, or whats even worse it sucks but turns into a hit anyway completely twisting the franchise (Im looking at you Transformers).

Justice league as evil slaughtering everyone would be nice like in Earth 3

Mad Max: Fury Road was a good reboot.

... Because you sold out. Lol

That's cool....and I agree about most of it.....but Spider-man needs to stop rebooting every time someone catches the clock at exactly 11:11.

I still find it absolutely hysterical that people believe that reboots and remakes are a new thing. Its been going on since long before movies were even invented. That Al Pacino movie that rappers and wannabe gangsters love so much, Scarface, that's a remake. DC has been rebooting since the Silver Age, even ancient mythology was redoing origin stories thousands of years ago.

Great read Mat!

I kind of look at reboots the same way I would when a new creative team takes over a comic book. The main frame work is there, and I look forward to seeing what different minds can bring to the table and add their twist to it and see new stories.

Not comic related, but I saw that Point Break has a reboot coming out! I loved that movie back in the day. Also the Goonies would be a cool reboot!

Comic related- I'm glad Daredevil got the treatment it deserved on Netflix, and my wish more than anything is to see Y: The Last Man make its on-screen debut. Preferably an ongoing tv series.

I look at reboots like this.

Something I liked as a youth has been sitting dormant for years and years. Either 1. The property is going to remain dead and there will be nothing to enjoy or 2. It'll be rebooted and I may or may not like the new take. If I don't like it, crummy but I'll live. If I do like it, great! a property I liked is back for another round.

Either way I will always have the original for my entertainment.

Edit: which is something that Inferiorego noted in his commentary. I should remember to read the full article before I comment.

There's nothing wrong with reboots as a concept, issues usually arise when the reboots come from executives and producers who want to make a movie just for the cash and ham-fist it together with directors who lack vision, aren't interested, simply aren't talented or some amalgam of the three. Higher ups just throwing together whatever they can for a quick hit.

Reboots shouldn't be made simply because they have an established IP and are easier to sell, but because a talented artist has a legitimate vision and feel that they can reinvigorate the series with something new that maintains the spirit that the original/s was/were made in. So many reboots are soulless cash grabs.

i'm usually more annoyed at the people who complain about reboots

I try to make it a point not to go see remakes of movies anymore. People keep saying the reason Hollywood keeps remaking movies is that they ran out of original ideas. Which is not true. There are thousands of great original screen plays waiting to be made into a film, but producers rather make the reboot of Space Mutiny, because the general Audience feels more comfortable going to see something that they already know..... The audience is killing the creativity in movies, not the film makers..... Why bother making something new, smart, and unique when you can make a billions dollars on Transformers 5....

I can't afford to go to movies so I'm not really dismissive: just poor. So when a new film comes out I'm curious but I also know that if I wait long enough it lands in the five dollar bin at Best Buy. That being said I believe we are in an age when creativity is just not there much in comics from the big two or movies. They'll revamp, reboot, recast, re-imagine and re-tell but as to actually coming up with something new and original? Not really. Not often. There's not a lot of money in it.

I've also come to recognize a few realities about comic book movies. 1) Actors don't like to wear masks. 2) Actors age. So any resemblance between the movies and the comics I loved as a kid just doesn't really exist. At a moment of crisis in a comic Spider-Man would not pull his mask off as Toby did in Spider-Man 2. Captain America would not charge off to help Iron Man fix the helicarier without his shield in the comics. His mask would not get pulled off. Since these movies are aimed at a young audience the character can't be allowed to age so any Spider-Man is going to have to be a young one.

One of the ironic thing about the modern comic book movie is that they are what I would have loved to have seen back when I really loved marvel and dc characters. Now that I barely like that many of them and actually hate 99.9 % of marvel characters (I cheer the villains, they'r'e more honest than the heroes) the movies have a lot less interest for me. I'll wait for the discount bin.

Crap movies need reboots. Good movies need sequals.

(Really wish Ghostbusters had gone with a 'next generation' route. Or 'the originals have disappeared, the new ones find all this old dusty stuff in an old firehouse' or something.)

So do I buddy, so do I.

especially with Superman. oh yes, how foolish of DC to think it's not to soon to retell an origin story from the goddamn 1970's, not to mention make it even more interesting

Speaking of reboots, with all the rumors flying around about Fantastic Four it will either be a complete trainwreck or it will be salvaged by someone like Matthew Vaughn ghost directing it. Yes, it's gotten to that bad! Director Josh Trank is apparently locked out of the editing room and he was a no-show during some shooting days. If he appeared on set he was drunk and high and on one occasion he destroyed property worth $100 000 during location shooting. The guy got booted off Star Wars too since he apparently made physical threats to someone.

As long as I get a different look at the same characters/universe, I don't care if it's a reboot. Just don't rehash the same origin story for me twenty times.

I like this topic, very interesting.

reboot haters gonna hate

I didn't sell out... I bought in

Couldnt have said it better myself

this article completely misses the mark, unfortunately. the issue is far more nuanced than the author is conceding to in the article. the author is under the false impression that [the hostile] fans are against reboots or remakes, but they are not. this perspective is either not understanding, or willfully not acknowledging that the real issue is dramatic divergence from the source material.

what these fans are against is reboots or remakes deviate from the original source material to an extent that the remake stops being recognizable as the source material or stops embodying what the source material endeared it to it's fans.

there are fundamental elements of characters and their respective story arcs that cannot be changed without transforming them into an entirely different story/character. this level of rework is disenfranchising the fans who have invested time and money and emotion into them over decades.

using Johnny Storm as an obvious example; if a little corn fed blond kid from Iowa connects with Johnny storm because of how that character has been portrayed over 50 something years, that is something to understand and respect. if the character is suddenly made black, that blond kid can't and shouldn't be able to connect with the character in the same way. the truth is that the white experience growing up and coming of age in our world is completely different from the black experience. spontaneously making changes like that attempts to gloss over that harsh reality of the real world and in the process completely disrespects the little blond kid AND the black community and everything they've endured. pretending or denying these problems exist by portraying the experience as interchangeable is revisionist, insulting for everyone involved, and should probably be seen as contributing to race relations problems too.

the controversy behind WonderWoman's new52 origin is another awful example. the rework claimed to "fix" everything that was wrong with the character in the eyes of it's writer. however, those elements which were fixed were intentionally and intelligently written and designed how they were to creative a unique narrative for that character. "fixing" these things completely disenfranchises every fan of the character who got on board believing in what Marston intended for the character and the gender relations narrative being portrayed. and it did this in exchange for a tired cliched uninspired set of tropes that reinforced the exact opposite set of values and ideals the creator intended to put out into the world.

there are plenty of times when reworks do respect the source material or fundamentally work. fans will usually embrace them. Iceman coming out is a good example. initially this was highly controversial. in a way fans had to cope with someone they'd loved for years and thought they knew well, coming out to them in the same way friends and families have to cope with their loved ones coming out to them in real life; which was altogether awesome btw. but rationally speaking it made perfect sense, so fans adjusted. coming out (evolving a character's narrative by exploring their sexuality) isn't the same as retcon-ing someone's race, sexual orientation, or cultural identity though. it completely didn't work with Alan Scott and was horrible and IS completely offensive -- that controversy has died down though because he's mostly a retired character in the public's consciousness.

if a company is convinced that a more diverse interpretation of X character will work; great. they're best served by putting their money on the table and investing in the creation of new diverse characters to carry on that title etc. though. fans are almost ALWAYs receptive to that (assuming the new character is truly appealing).

in the case of DC -- where's the female lantern of Earth? or the gay Lantern of Earth? just call someone worthy. I bet there's tons of worthy gay dudes and women on this planet. it's not hard -- and fans know this. this is why they resent these cheap disrespectful retcons/tactics and are lashing out against them.

@longbowhunter: I think you stated it best.

I think they don't bother me because I enjoy the interpretation of characters, mostly for the way certain actors and directors just have the heart for the either campy or morose.

I think about it in terms of having a romantic relationship with a superhero. Maguire was uneventful. Garfield was certainly bad timing. This new guy might be the one, but we'll see how he swings. As long as he kisses me. The end.

Agreed

I gave hoping movies would be good a long while ago. At least the comic books don't suck.

@ips: All too accurate.

Also, his line quote "the franchise doesn't owe me anything", you personally? No sir but the fans, yes, because said franchise would not exist without the fans or certainly wouldn't thrive without them and to claim that our opinions of characters we've grown up with and have become a part of our lives do no matter is incorrect. No, the studios shouldn't listen to the whims of every fan but nor should they openly ignore them either.

There's nothing wrong with reboots if the franchise has been around a long time and become stale or gotten stuck in the wrong direction.

But I don't want to see a franchise like Spiderman rebooted every 9 years.

They should use the Jame Bond paradigm. Don't reboot the franchise just because you have a new actor playing the role. Plan the franchise for the long haul. Don't try and condense 50 years of comic book history in only 3 movies where they use comic stories where major characters die. (i.e. don't kill off someone like Jean Grey or Cyclops after only 3 movies without us getting to know the cinematic version of them better).

1.) Okay, first off people actually write suck as sux? That's not even the same sound.

2.) *Sigh* And YET again X-men is overlooked as one of the most important superhero movie.

x-men (2000)

Spider-man (2002)

I agree with you. Reboots are often necessary because their topics are often interesting and one can visualize them better than in the past.

Personally I was no fan of Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and I didn't want to see Garfield as Spidey. But as I saw the trailer of Rise of Electro, I was hyped. It looked so much better than the old movies (and even Parker looked better). It's sad that Garfield does not continues his role, but thanks to the occassion, that Marvel helps Sony with the movie, I know that the new Spider-Man will be spectectular.

About the Fantastic Four: I liked the movies. Especially the Storm siblings. But would I watch the movies now, I could not. Because they're to old for me. I need somehting fresh. And after I saw the first trailer, I could also left the rumors about this movie by side, because it looked great to ME. Who cares what I'm watching? Nobody. So I can watch whatever I want.

And I hope, they will fulfill my last wish for a reboot. The third X-Men movie. Kingberg said they couldn't make it that dark as it is in the comics. Well, but now is a different world and I hope somebody will take the try.

What i'm annoyed with is when people complain when directors do new things. "James Cameron should do more Terminator movies instead of more boring Avatar movies" shut the f**k up at least he's doing something new. If everyone does sequels and reboots then the movie industry is going down. Same goes with Prometheus, which is a great movie. "Oh, he actually did something new instead of soing the same crap over and over? i don't like that" *sigh*

Don't like it don't watch it. It's that simple. People act like complaining does anything. Money talks bullshit walks...

While it is a peeve of mine that Gen X, having inherited control, decided that what everyone wanted was what they grew up with I don't see any real harm in reboots (though Spider-Man's new surely-a-historical-record reboot is kind of ridiculous).

What I do find amusing is the whole "killed my childhood" argument lol, it makes no sense - get real people.

Blergh...I'm personally against reboots. I think there's a lack of original content in Hollywood these days, and the reboots are getting out of control. Constantly remaking and rebooting movies is a sign that the creativity of movies has already reached its peak.

I want to see something fresh, something new that will captivate the world in the same way that Star Wars, Star Trek, Die Hard, etc. did when they first came out.

I look at movie reboots like writer runs on comics, each represents a particular creator's vision. But just like having lackluster writer runs, you can have bad reboots too. I'll skip what doesn't appeal to me. However, my biggest beef with comic book movies is when they start to have ramifications on the comics. I don't expect the movies to follow the comics but I also don't expect the comics to be changed to match the movies either.

I also no longer care about reboots being a problem. Although I feel like there should be a respectful amount of time between them. The time between the Garfield Spider-Man and the new one, and between Nolan's Batman and the new one, seems too fast, even though I understand the practical, universe-building reasons behind both.

I don't mind reboots or remakes except for the new ghostbusters movie the casting is horrible. I really hope they make a new indiana jones film Ik they kinda confirm it but I would like to know when

YEs MAt agreeeee

~MiB