People should stop adapting 1980's properties into blockbuster movies, Yay or Nay?

[smallville fan]

Well I finally saw Terminator Genesys and it just adds more substance to an observation I've been seeing for a while now:

Stuff from the 80's like things kids liked for example seem to be more poorly received with each movie Hollywood throws at us. However stuff from the 90's, like say Men In Black 3 was reasonably positive as well as Jurassic World which is an understatement. And before anyone calls me out as a biased millennial, 60's reboots like the Planet of the Apes movies and 70's reboots like Mad Max: Fury Road killed it.

As for the 80's, we all know how people generally react when they hear the word Transformers now, thanks to Michael Bay. I believe Screen Junkies from memory pointed out that every TMNT movie sucks and then there's the Jem and the Holograms movie(Enough said) as well as the G.I. Joe franchise. As much as some people want to sugarcoat Paul Feig's direction, people are trashing the new Ghostbusters movie to the point where Paul Feig gets a death threat a day.

So because of this, a part of me is now strongly feeling that the decade is cursed and we should just stop milking it.

The only real anomaly I see to this are the Jump Street movies which have been mainly attributed to Lord and Miller's direction and style into making it so original it has no connection to the old TV show other than names, some actors and the basic premise.

So is what I'm seeing just a superficial correlation where it's just bad luck and there are other factors I should consider? Or am I onto something here?

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

You need to get that chip off your shoulder.

It's a silly premise, that the "decade is cursed". I'm sorry you aren't getting that BIG BAD BEETLEBORGS adaptation the public is thirsty for, or that MMPR doesn't get the respect it has never earned... But really? This silliness?

 

[dude stannis]

Just make good movies, who cares if they're from the 80's. I'm not going to say no to Shane Black's Predator because Tyrmynytyr Gynysys was an absolute wash.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Just make good movies, who cares if they're from the 80's. I'm not going to say no to Shane Black's Predator because Tyrmynytyr Gynysys was an absolute wash.

I am also sure that the money to be made off of franchises like STAR WARS, with two films from the original trilogy being giant 80's hits, will be ignored by the brain trust at Disney. I mean... What do they know? The decade is cursed! May as well cut their losses and not release THE FORCE AWAKENS.

 

[dude stannis]

Yeah, forget about the grown men crying during the trailers, the 80's where so precious that adapting that era will erase the childhoods of an entire generation!

 

[smallville fan]

But really? This silliness?

lol no chips here, just pointing out an observation I've noticed a lot. There's a good reason that these properties seem to be getting this kind of treatment a lot. And there must be a good reason to why they always fail with the fans and critics.

If Adam Goldberg from the show "The Goldbergs" were all grown up in this day and age he would grow into a cynical old man.

I am also sure that the money to be made off of franchises like STAR WARS, with two films from the original trilogy being giant 80's hits, will be ignored by the brain trust at Disney. I mean... What do they know? The decade is cursed! May as well cut their losses and not release THE FORCE AWAKENS.

Technically Star Wars had its popularity carry over into the 1980's from the 70's. So it doesn't really count here.

I'm making reference to stuff birthed from the 80's.

 

[Marvolo]

One obvious reason that remakes of properties from the 80s are subpar is because they are watered down sanitized bloodless PG-13 remakes. The 80s was known for its excessive squibs, fake blood, violence, action and just general badassery. And a lot of in-camera on-set vfx and prosthetics and makeup. Today however Hollywood is hellbent on wooing teens and do so by cutting out all the stuff that made 80s action films so much fun. Prosthetics and in camera on set vfx are replaced by gooey cgi that doesn't behave in a way that looks real. There is just a general feeling of laziness and cluelessness when it comes to 80s remakes.

 

[smallville fan]

One obvious reason that remakes of properties from the 80s are subpar is because they are watered down sanitized bloodless PG-13 remakes. The 80s was known for its excessive squibs, fake blood, violence, action and just general badassery. And a lot of in-camera on-set vfx and prosthetics and makeup. Today however Hollywood is hellbent on wooing teens and do so by cutting out all the stuff that made 80s action films so much fun. Prosthetics and in camera on set vfx are replaced by gooey cgi that doesn't behave in a way that looks real. There is just a general feeling of laziness and cluelessness when it comes to 80s remakes.

Thought as much.

 

[psylockolussus]

If they have a good script/crew and cast in mind, go ahead and do the remake.

 

[Mysteryman]

If they have a good script/crew and cast in mind, go ahead and do the remake.

Perfect Logic.

 

[James]

I've never had an issue with remakes, reboots or rewhatevers. If you're not interested in something, don't watch it, the new version isn't going to magically delete the original from existence.

 

[Airwings]

Stuff from the 80's like things kids liked for example seem to be more poorly received with each movie Hollywood throws at us. However stuff from the 90's, like say Men In Black 3 was reasonably positive as well as Jurassic World which is an understatement. And before anyone calls me out as a biased millennial, 60's reboots like the Planet of the Apes movies and 70's reboots like Mad Max: Fury Road killed it.

Although created in the 70s, Mad Max is more tied to the 80s.

 

[Napoleon]

Depends on whether it stays true to what the original was about and has a decent script and cast or not.

 

[Jochimus]

I don't mind adaptations/remakes/sequels of '80s properties so much (because, really, Hollywood's not going to stop)...it's the CRAPPY adaptations/remakes/sequels that are the real problem.​

 

[Kane52630]

I think we should start adapting 80s breakfast cereal into movies.

 

[Jochimus]

I think we should start adapting 80s breakfast cereal into movies.

Eh, give'em time, they'll get there.

 

[StarLord]

I think we should start adapting 80s breakfast cereal into movies.

Spielberg already did that.

 

[Jochimus]

Spielberg already did that.

Wow, I remember that. It was better than C-3POs, that's for sure. (Then again, EVERY cereal was better than C-3POs...)

 

[3dman27]

Depends on whether it stays true to what the original was about and has a decent script and cast or not.

agreed

 

[Lencho01]

Saw this a few days ago. Only one film has not been remade/had a sequel...

[YT]Wf39eB1YGUo[/YT]

 

[Teelie]

It's not like the 80's were the first or only decade of getting remakes of movies. It's been going on since there were movies to remake. But I do think the majority of 80's remakes have failed to live up to their original, or to redeem the original in some cases.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

One obvious reason that remakes of properties from the 80s are subpar is because they are watered down sanitized bloodless PG-13 remakes. The 80s was known for its excessive squibs, fake blood, violence, action and just general badassery. And a lot of in-camera on-set vfx and prosthetics and makeup. Today however Hollywood is hellbent on wooing teens and do so by cutting out all the stuff that made 80s action films so much fun. Prosthetics and in camera on set vfx are replaced by gooey cgi that doesn't behave in a way that looks real. There is just a general feeling of laziness and cluelessness when it comes to 80s remakes.

You win this thread

 

[smallville fan]

It's not like the 80's were the first or only decade of getting remakes of movies. It's been going on since there were movies to remake. But I do think the majority of 80's remakes have failed to live up to their original, or to redeem the original in some cases.

True. And there's got to be a better reason than the "director/writer just happens to be a hack" out of sheer chance.

 

[Shikamaru]

TMNT is a comic book property the same way everything at Marvel and DC are. Started out that way too, unlike other properties like Transformers. I don't see why it should be discarded from the big screen for the same reason I don't see why other superheroes should be discarded from the big screen.

If anything, IMO, that sort of mindset is exactly what's hurting the TMNT. People don't acknowledge it for what it is, associate it more with 80's television shows than with what it's meant to be, and that lets directors like Bay get away with whatever they do to it. In the Golden Age of Comic Book Movies nevertheless. In a way, they've practically become the "kicking boy" of mainstream comic book properties.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

One obvious reason that remakes of properties from the 80s are subpar is because they are watered down sanitized bloodless PG-13 remakes. The 80s was known for its excessive squibs, fake blood, violence, action and just general badassery. And a lot of in-camera on-set vfx and prosthetics and makeup. Today however Hollywood is hellbent on wooing teens and do so by cutting out all the stuff that made 80s action films so much fun. Prosthetics and in camera on set vfx are replaced by gooey cgi that doesn't behave in a way that looks real. There is just a general feeling of laziness and cluelessness when it comes to 80s remakes.

If there is just one trend in modern film that I could do without, it is the insistence on PG-13 ratings. Die Hard, Terminator, Robocop, etc. in PG-13 are just completely neutered.