Cat Halo Movies on...

[CatHalo]

Not to mention the early video game movies were based on games that had a plot that could be put in a paragraph at most.
The reason why video games haven't translated well is because it tells a story by having the audience do something.  Movies don't offer that ability to the audience so the elements that create the most suspense in a video game can't be recreated in a movie.

You are absolutely right, on both counts.
To your first point, that's where they went horribly wrong with Mario and BattleShip. Simplistic story in the game, and to hang a movie on that simplicity you have to make up a whole bunch of less good stuff.
As to your second point, that is why the First Person Shooter sequence in the Doom movie was so good, it actually got the audience involved. Shame the rest of the movie was so very Meh.

Don't forget to vote for your favorite Game To Movie. Click below and let your voice be heard:)
https://www.facebook.com/questions/334126309974098/

[CatHalo]

With Marvel's Avengers opening in just a few short days, I've decided to watch each of the previous Marvel movies to get myself even MORE excited for it (daily thoughts can be found here https://t.co/D0qutpy2, beginning with the animated Ultimate Avengers)
But that got me thinking... Which is my favorite movie franchise? And why?
For me it's the series that I enjoy the most, despite the lesser movies. Star Wars. I just love the universe, have done since I can remember. Literally. And I know the prequels are not a patch on the real trilogy, but I don't care. I enjoy them too, just in a different way. But I feel that way about other series too, Alien, Indy, Batman.
But what about ye?
So, to find out other people's favorite franchise I've compiled a list of over thirty popular series, and if you have the time I ask that you let your voice be heard. Click...vote...comment...and share. https://t.co/D0qutpy2
Then explain your choices here

[Navarre]

I wouldn't include Batman for myself because I didn't care too much for the earlier films before Nolan began writing and directing.

If we do not count trilogies such as Lord of the Rings or the Bourne movies, I would suppose I would count the Star Trek movies among my favorite franchises. They generally succeed in capturing the intelligence, spirit, and fun of the original series and/or The Next Generation.

I want to add the X-Men movie franchise to the list and will do so, but X-3 makes that a difficult sell.

[Gaumer]

Great question.

In order to be a good movie franchise, for me anyways, a franchise has to be special in ways that are meaningful only to being a movie franchise. For example, I couldn't call Harry Potter, Aliens, Indy, or even the comic book films as the best movie franchises simply because its the source material being so damned good that makes the franchises so damned good, or don't really follow a set story arc that is followed from movie to movie within the franchise. Aliens went all over the place by the time we got to the final movies in the franchise, which continues today, not even mentioning the cross story telling with the Predator franchise that, IMHO, did nothing to benefit either franchise more than the individual franchise could have helped itself.

Where's that leave me? In okay company, I guess.

The Matrix Trilogy -  a great three part story; no source material

The Terminator - even with Salvation, a great series of stories that build off of one another

Toy Story - This would prolly rank highest for me if we are taking out any source material or other criteria (see below)


How do we rank some of these favorites of mine, which I feel just don't fit within my own criteria, yet are still amazing? Is it just that they are different genres that is bugging me?

National Lampoon's Vacation series - Xmas wins over them all, but the whole series (even Vegas) is just an awesome bunch of laughs. Although Meet the Parents and American Pie are great comedy franchises, I don't think they come close to vacation. Can we even throw Ghostbusters in here? I don't think of only 2 movies as being a full-on franchise, but I guess it could be...but then we have to throw the Hangover flicks in there, although I don't know if they would be any more popular than Weekend at Bernie's or Big Momma's House.

Nightmare on Elm St. - If we are going to go the horror route, hands down its this; not that new piece of crap, its impossible to make a child molester popular today the same way they could subtly make Freddy cool in the 80's and that's what made this franchise so cool. The cerebral part of the dream aspect of the movies coupled with Freddy's maniacal yet stylish attitude gives this franchise brilliance even today in ways that, because of the growth of society, just cannot be reached today. But, OMFG there are so many really good horror franchises to choose from, its almost unfair.


But the winner of this is an easy pick. Its Back to the Future. It meets every bit of my criteria; its not bogged down in genre-tizing; it doesn't have a horrible middle act, comparatively (see matrix Trilogy above ).


If I remove the "derived from source material" criteria I've set upon myself, I couldn't choose Star Trek without first removing myself from the source material, simply because the movies did not live up to the spirit of the tv shows enough to really get me, of course, later on in the series, primarily the TNG flicks. Although Trek 1,2,3 were amazing 4 and after just don't live up to the spirit of the series IMHO, or simply move too far away from the timeline (although its been fixed since).

I also have to disagree with Batman as not being cool even with the early ones. I think 1 and 2 make up for 3 and 4, but I agree, it highly debatable, while the Nolan run quite easily makes up for 3 and 4 if 1 and 2 don't . The portrayal of the villains in 1 and 2 is good enough for me to ignore 3 and 4 as much as I do.

Great choice for topic though.

[Navarre]

Why would a movie franchise have to not be derived from an earlier source? It is still a franchise by definition and one can enjoy it with or without having viewed the material in another medium.

One doesn't have to have read the Harry Potter book to enjoy the Harry Potter movies.

[Gaumer]

I agree with you, but there is always that genesis that comes into something that is so very popular as to be deemed an amazing film franchise. I just choose to remove those to remove any argument before it even comes into play, and to set apart those franchises that are purely and solely part of film.

I don't generally fall under this train of thought, but the purists out there, and there are many, will surely argue that a primary reason for the success of film franchises that are derived from other media is the popularity of that source material drives the movie. Logically, it would impart an unfair advantage to the success of the first of the movies, which was necessary for there to be a franchise to begin with, Eragon being one that comes to mind.

I'm just bringing it up for the sake of pushing the discussion a bit, and to narrow down my own choices, with further explanation here. Its still, no doubt, a movie franchise, but if we are talking from a pure film perspective, I think a difference can be made, at least to some extent. The Spidey movies, while of arguable quality, would not have been nearly as successful had the character not been viable from the start. The mere idea of a franchise taking off based on a time-traveling car or a virtual world of human slaves in the backdrop of a machine/man world seems like a much tougher sale.

But, again, I'm not saying HP or LoTR or anything else us terrible in any way, shape or form simply because it was based off of something else, just making a distinction I think can be argued in some cases.

[Navarre]

The movies' popularity is definitely propelled by the loyal readers of the source material. But that also has nothing to do with me evaluating the quality of the film franchise itself.

If we are discussing "success" then, yeah, I get where you're coming from. But if we are discussing quality (and not meaning that by way of comparison to the source material) then it is irrelevant.

But I get what you're saying.

[CatHalo]

Thanks for the compliments on the topic. I aim to please
What qualifies... Well, by my thinking, any series of movies that is a trilogy or more, so LOTR, Bourne etc all qualify. But not Ghostbusters Also, i don't think it really matters where the material comes from, be it book, comic, game or original material. As long as there are a series of (primarily) theatrically released movies they are eligible. If you'd clicked my link, https://t.co/D0qutpy2, you'd see the list I put together  
Personally, I don't much care for the Matrix movies. The first one was pretty cool, pretty clever, and pretty, but I don't think it's as good as people make it out to be. And I really don't care for the sequels, being less cool, clever and pretty than the first one. I do like the AniMatrix though.
National Lampoon's Vacation hadn't occurred to me, and will be added to the poll list presently.
So far the Alien series seems to be getting all of the votes, so not even the terrible AVP movies can detract from a great flicks that came before.

[Navarre]

Personally, I don't much care for the Matrix movies. The first one was pretty cool, pretty clever, and pretty, but I don't think it's as good as people make it out to be.

Whu??...Whaaa?? *splutter*...What??   

Oh noez, you wound me, sir.

[Gaumer]

Personally, I don't much care for the Matrix movies. The first one was pretty cool, pretty clever, and pretty, but I don't think it's as good as people make it out to be.

Whu??...Whaaa?? *splutter*...What??   

Oh noez, you wound me, sir.

Yeah, me too. I *heart* The Matrix movies, and I secretly (not so much now) wish they would redo them in 3D, even though I harp on 3D all the time. I rewatched them the other day and there are scenes simply begging for the 3D makeover.

We have a thread somewhere around here that, I believe Nav and I get pretty deep on the whole Matrix story. I think Nav's ears ending up popping somewhere on the way down though


Thanks for the Vacation movies addition. Its so freaking funny!

Godfather, anyone?

Also, Pirates?

I like both of those so much.

[CatHalo]

I didn't mean to offend with my declaration about The Matrix. But keep in mind, I like the Star Wars prequels But I would be interested in a 3D'd Matrix, much as I enjoyed the 3Dified Phantom Menace.
The Godfather and Pirates movies are there, but have got no love yet. Pirates is an interesting one. I love the first one, kinda like the second, and can happily live without the third and forth. Much like so many franchises, they start so well and loose their way...

[Navarre]

HA! Not offended, Cat. Everyone has the right to their own opinion about anything. I don't think not being a Matrix fan is the same as supporting Hitler or something.

So I support your right to not be a fan of the Matrix...no matter how wrong you are. 

The PotC movies are a pretty good franchise. Sometimes I think they started to try too hard as they went along but that happens with a long of franchises. It's a lot of visual fun though.

[Gaumer]

The PotC movies are a pretty good franchise. Sometimes I think they started to try too hard as they went along but that happens with a long of franchises. It's a lot of visual fun though.

Agreed, Kiera Knightly in every scene would have been...wait that's not what you meant

[Navarre]

The PotC movies are a pretty good franchise. Sometimes I think they started to try too hard as they went along but that happens with a long of franchises. It's a lot of visual fun though.

Agreed, Kiera Knightly in every scene would have been...wait that's not what you meant

Maybe it is, my friend...Maybe it is. 

[CatHalo]

Agreed, Kiera Knightly in every scene would have been...wait that's not what you meant

Knightly's cleavage is the best CGI in the whole POTC series.