With the mention of a Mean Girls 2 being released very soon, it got me thinking about the sequels I own in my DVD collection (both the Good and the bad) and I thought I’d give you some thoughts on them.
I must say firstly about Mean Girls 2, just from watching the trailer, I am extremely unimpressed. I will be giving it a watch, just so I can confirm my suspicions. At best it looks like a film that prepubescent girls will enjoy, at worst yet another dodgy remake. With actresses that are famous for children’s programmes such as Wizard of Waverly Place and Cory in The House and lacking the genius of Rachel McAdams and Lindsay Lohan, I’m feeling that this is going to be lacking in any decent ratings and could possibly ruin the reputation of the original Mean Girls Film.
So Ladies here are my thoughts on the sequels in my DVD collection:
The Good
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde
Yet more genius from Reese Witherspoon as everyone’s favourite blonde. In short the film follows Elle’s journey from home to Washington on a campaign against animal testing and to free Bruiser (her dog)’s mum so that she can attend her wedding. The film combines the serious issues of animal testing and the problems faced by Elle with humour from the sorority girls and her hairdresser friend Paulette, not to mention the gay dogs. Whenever I have a down day I do put on this film to make me smile.
Shrek 2
As always with a sequel I was extremely sceptical of a sequel of a film which I usually enjoy. However Shrek 2 doesn’t disappoint. With the return of the old favourites, Shrek (Mike Myers), Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) as well as the new characters of Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and The Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) this makes for a hilarious tale of a feature many of us have to face, meeting the in-laws. Admittedly this film is more suited to the young at heart however it has been known to melt even the hearts of stone.
The Bad
Grease 2
Whoever had the bright idea of creating a sequel to one of the most famous movies known to man needs shooting. Grease 2 simply doesn’t match up to the standards set by Grease 2. Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield just don’t have the same on-screen chemistry as John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John and the storyline leaves much to be desired. The supporting cast also don’t match up to the original Pink Ladies and T Birds and the songs lack the catchiness of the original. If you haven’t already seen this film my advice would be don’t and keep to the original.
Shrek 3
Yes I am aware that Shrek 2 was in my good section however I cannot say the same about Shrek 3. The storyline failed to grab me and even the presence of the voice of Justin Timberlake didn’t excite me enough to not nearly fall asleep through watching it. It lacked the humour of the first two films and failed to keep me interested for more than 10 seconds at a time. I have yet to see Shrek 4 and so cannot pass judgment on this film; I hope however that it is better than the 3rd instalment of the films.
Return to Oz
Why someone decided almost 50 years after the original to attempt to try and make a sequel to this classic is beyond me. The storyline is pretty inconsistent, meant to be set 6 months after Dorothy visited Oz however the actress cast looks a lot younger than Judy Garland’s character. It can seem dark in places and I can’t say I enjoyed it. I wouldn’t recommend watching it with extremely young children as some of the characters, especially Mombie, who keeps a collection of heads in cupboards, can seem very dark. Maybe judged as a movie in its own right instead of a sequel this movie would seem better however as a sequel to one of my favourite movies of all time I don’t rate it. The first time Disney has let me down.
Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights
We’ve all been there, on drunken nights out serenading our friends with awful versions of the classic ‘I’ve had the time of my life’ and when I first watched the 2nd Dirty Dancing I was expecting the same magic I felt the first time I watched Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray in the original. This however fell short. Although the cameo from Patrick Swayze as the hotel dance instructor did brighten up a dull movie, I can’t say I enjoyed the rest of the film. Set in Cuba in the late 50s during a period of revolution, it tells the story of Katy who falls for a Cuban pool boy Javier, and defies her parents, and the other American guests to dance with him and fall in love. The actors in this film also lacked the chemistry that Swayze and Gray had in the first film and there wasn’t a moment that amazed me and got me on my feet dancing like many parts of Dirty Dancing did. Overall an ok film however a rubbish sequel.
Well you've heard my opinions, I'd love to hear yours, comment and let me know which sequels you rate, and which you hate.
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