Every year, Hollywood decides to remake past successes in an attempt to recreate some of the revenue and praise the movies received. This year, the list is full of big names—Star Wars, Jurassic World, Terminator: Genisys, and Mad Max (to name a few). As always, fans of the original films are doubtful. Most remakes do not live up to the hype and are promptly dismissed. However, the host of films this year is promising, and from what audiences have already seen, they may be the first batch of quality remakes in years.
One of the first reboots to be released this year, Mad Max: Fury Road is a model for reboots looking to do it right. It plays off of fans’ nostalgia for the original movie, but it also has a fresh take on the franchise with a new cast and standalone plot. Instead of relying on the success of the previous movies, it has its own story to tell.
Director George Miller put a modern, feminist twist on the classic 1979 action flick by recasting Max (Tom Hardy) and focusing on a new, female hero, Furiosa (Charlize Theron). Although the 2015 reboot has all the violence and biker appeal of its predecessors, it takes a fresh look at the post-apocalyptic society. The world Max lives in still hits close to home, as it has been devastated by an oil crisis that was more relevant in 1979 but still seems familiar. After escaping from captivity, Max tags along with Furiosa as she helps five sex workers escape their oppressive society. Max and Furiosa make a strong, codependent team, counteracting the usual sexualization of female action heroes. Instead of being simply an attempt at regaining some of the financial success of the original Mad Max: Fury Road stands on its own as a smart, powerful action film.
There is a lot of doubt surrounding Star Wars VII, as many fans believe that the last three films in the series should not have been made. Hardcore fans typically regard the first trilogy (Episodes IV-VI) as the superior films. Thus, VII has a lot of expectations to live up to. It does have nostalgia on its side, though. Even the fact that their beloved characters will return to the screen is enough for some fans.
Terminator: Genisys and Jurassic World face the same problems. Both are famed action franchises. Both feature sci-fi elements, but it is uncertain whether they can successfully appeal to fans looking for a novel thrill.
The former does have Arnold Schwarzenegger returning in a lead role. But the trap that such films fall into is that they rely too much on cheap gimmicks, like giant robots or dinosaurs, instead of actual plot points. These films could be great if they played off of dystopian elements that relate those robots to our technology-dependant society, or the dinosaurs to GMOs. The original themes of Terminator and Jurassic Park are still relevant today, if portrayed the right way.
All of the reboots coming out this year have expectations to live up to. Most of the franchises being rebooted have gradually been going downhill in terms of financial and critical success. These franchises have not seen groundbreaking success since their first film. Some of the films, like the reboot of National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise, are already looking at negative reception.
However, if Mad Max: Fury Road is any indication of how the rest of the films will be, it’s looking like a good year for reboots.
