Many long-running movie franchises go through ebbs and flows, but it only takes one great movie to bring a franchise back from the brink. These movies rescue franchises that seem like they’re on an unstoppable downward trend, either by taking things back to basics or by innovating with fresh new ideas.
Any long-running franchise is eventually forced to evolve, if only to keep up with the latest movie trends or to create something that fans don’t feel as if they’ve seen before. These moments can make or break a franchise, but they’re infinitely more rewarding than sheepishly trying to retread old ground.
James Bondis one of the oldest major movie franchises, and it had started to get a little stale beforeCasino Royale.Although each era of the franchise has its own flavor, the franchise is also beholden to its traditions for a sense of continuity.This means that it sometimes struggles to innovate.
Casino Royalebrought theJames Bondfranchise into the 21st century.
Casino Royalebrought theJames Bondfranchise into the 21st century, just as it seemed like it was being left behind by the action genre. Once again,Bondwas setting the gold standard for action movies. Although Daniel Craig’s tenure asBondhas its ups and downs, it made some important leaps forward. Unfortunately, thenextJames Bondmovieis under a lot of pressure already, and the franchise’s new dawn may require a similar breakthrough toCasino Royale.
Brian De Palma’s originalMission: Impossiblewas a shot of adrenaline to the spy genre, boldly shooting off in an original direction without paying much attention to the TV series. However, the franchise stagnated a little with its following two entries. BeforeGhost Protocol,it seemed as though the franchise could fizzle out.
Although there are some good moments in both the second and thirdMission: Impossiblemovies,it’s not untilGhost Protocolthat the franchise really reaches its potential.Ghost Protocolhas a clarity of focus, a thrilling narrative, and the kinds of bold stunts that the franchise has become famous for. WithMission: Impossible - The Final Reckoningjust around the corner, it’s worth remembering the movie that made it all possible.
After an explosive first outing, theFast and Furiousfranchise spun its wheels a little. It reached a low point with the fourth movie, so it was clear that new ideas were needed. Fortunately,Fast Fiveis full of them, and it has set the game plan for the rest of the franchise ever since.Fast 11would never be on the cards if not forFast Five.
Fast Fivetweaks the street racing formula, placing more emphasis on heists, which allows the franchise to broaden its horizons. There’s also a broader variety of action on display inFast Five,without neglecting the car-based fun that makes the franchise unique. Of course, it’s also important thatFast Fiveadded Dwayne Johnson to the cast, who helped shape the following movies.
AfterJurassic Parksent shockwaves through the sci-fi genre, it seemed inevitable that a franchise would soon spring up. However, it didn’t take long before the series lost its way. After Steven Spielberg quit the franchise,Jurassic Park IIIlooked as if it might bring everything to a screeching halt.
It took 14 years beforeJurassic Worldarrived to bring the franchise back to life. More than this, it charted a path forward for potential sequels, with a cast of new characters mingling with the franchise’s old faces. History has repeated itself to some extent. AlthoughJurassic World: Dominionwas a commercial success, it suffered dreadful reviews.Jurassic World Rebirthmay need to rescue the franchise once more.
Rockywon the Oscar for Best Picture, but the franchise quickly settled into a groove as a sports franchise following the titular boxer throughout his career. Of course, this concept didn’t have the longest shelf life, even though the franchise tried to keep things going long past the point when Rocky’s days of fighting made any sense.
Rocky Balboawas a surprising return to form for the franchise, but it also seemed like a natural conclusion to the saga after some ups and downs.Creedfound a way to breathe new life into the franchise, with a new character who was just as compelling as Balboa, and Sylvester Stallone doing a great job in a supporting role.
TheBatmanmovies of the ’80s and ’90s generally followed a downward trend, ending in the widely pannedBatman and Robin,starring George Clooney. The franchise seemed like poison at this point, but Christopher Nolan had the vision to revive the iconic hero with a bold new style.
Not only didBatman Beginsrevitalize theBatmanfranchise,it has also had a huge impact on the superhero genreas a whole. By incorporating more elements of crime thrillers, theDark Knightfranchise showed the way forward for more grounded comic book movies.
Predatoris a shining example of knuckleheaded ’80s action, with Arnold Schwarzenegger firing off quips as he leads a group of black ops specialists through a perilous jungle. The sci-fi twist makesPredatorstand out from similar movies of the era, but the franchise hasn’t always delivered the same excitement.
Through some divisive sequels andAliencrossovers, the potential of thePredatorfranchise has always been there to tempt fans back for more.Preyis one of very few movies which capitalizes on this potential, simultaneously taking the franchise back to its roots and delivering something completely unexpected.There could be plenty more movies likePrey,and they would probably be more worthwhile than the other sequels.
The originalPlanet of the Apesnever quite recaptured the magic of the original movie, partly because the power of the twist was impossible to replicate. This is one of many problems which also plagued the 2001 remake, since audiences all knew what was coming.The prequel series has succeeded by ignoring the twist.
Starting withRise of the Planet of the Apes,the prequel series shows the slow process of how Earth came to be ruled by apes. This endpoint is still hundreds of years off in the distant future, so there’s time for plenty of original stories and characters to makeRise of the Planet of the Apesinteresting in its own right. It set up a whole new franchise which has produced four great sci-fi movies so far, and there should be more on the way.
TheMad Maxfranchise was all but dead beforeFury Road,as George Miller had been working on other projects in different genres. 30 years is an incredibly long time to wait between sequels, so manyMad Maxfans assumed that they would never see the Wasteland again. Of course,Fury Roadwas worth the wait, and its success has already led to one spinoff,Furiosa.
Fury Roadwasn’t supposed to take 30 years to make. In fact, Miller was keen on continuing the franchise shortly afterBeyond Thunderdome,but it was held up for various reasons throughout the years. Miller proved that he hadn’t lost his touch withFury Road,andthere could be more sequels in the future.
Shrek Forever Afterseemed like a conclusion to theShrekfranchise, but there was aPuss in Bootsspinoff to follow. After both of these movies, the series lay dormant for many years whileThe Last Wishwas dragged through development hell. When it finally arrived, it surpassed all expectations.
It features a bold new animation style, which exemplifies how it isn’t afraid to break with tradition.
Not only isThe Last Wisha major improvement on the previousPuss in Bootsmovie, it’s also the bestShrekmovie sinceShrek 2all the way back in 2004. It features a bold new animation style, which exemplifies how it isn’t afraid to break with tradition. The first sneak peeks ofShrek 5show that the franchise has been revived with this aesthetic, which underlines howThe Last Wishmade it possible.
