Careful What You Ask For

We've all heard the phrase, "You can't go home".  It's never the same.  It's never as good as we remember it.  The same can be said for movie sequels.  We've all got a list of movies we'd like to see a sequel to, but when it happens we're generally disappointed.  I saw a headline this morning that simply read, "Titanic II", and I was intrigued.

Obviously I thought it was about a sequel to "Titanic", which got me thinking about how that would work.  The ship sinks.  End of story.  Where could they possibly go with this?  It turns out I was just wrong.  The article was about an eccentric, wealthy man planning on building a replica of the doomed ocean liner.  It still got me thinking about sequels.  As a kid there were a few classics in the Garrett household.  "Blazing Saddles", "Animal House", "Blues Brothers" and anything with John Wayne.

I screamed, pleaded and begged for sequels to these movies.  I learned a tough life-lesson in my early adulthood about being careful what you're asking for.  "Blues Brothers" was remade.  I've still never seen the whole movie.  It was too terrible, and I didn't want to stain the legacy of a comedy classic with a cash-grab by greedy Hollywood producers.  You can never go home.

My wife has always loved "Steel Magnolias", but she was greatly disappointed by the updated version starring Queen Latifah.  She too learned to be careful what to ask for.  Still, some of us never learn.

I'm not saying it can't be done.  A remake of "True Grit" hit the mark.  "Animal House" is remade every time a "Van Wilder" or "American Pie" hits theaters.  There are countless websites dedicated to naming the best sequels out there, but for every good sequel there are many more that swing and miss.

There are still a few movies for which I'd love to see a sequel.  How about you?  For what movie would you like to see a sequel?  What movie is untouchable?  Share your thoughts in the comments section below.