I'm sure if it's a modern trend, but it sure seems like we see a lot more retellings of famous stories. Movies remake old movies, comics become movies, oral folktales show up in theaters. Yes, it's easy to take something which has already survived the test of time, yet it feels somehow cheap to do so. I love a good story, no matter the medium, and so I approach them all with an open mind.
"X-Men: Apocalypse" is a recent one which takes the wildly popular Apocalypse storyline and puts it on screen--with mixed results to be sure. I enjoyed it for what it was--a popcorn movie where you put your brain in a jar and enjoy the antics in front of you. We are heading toward the "Infinity Gauntlet" story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will be in two movies, and I can hardly wait to see them. Another movie, which is a retread of a whole movie series, is "Godzilla" from 1998. Yes, that Godzilla movie. I enjoy it for what it is--a goofy, utterly silly, monster feature.
Why does the source material have to be taken seriously? Yes, it is popular and well-received originally, but if you simply retell it the same way then what have you accomplished? Stories need to find their own voices, even when that voice is from something already told. Think about any modern story and I'll bet you can find influences from other stories which came before it. We tend to build on what's been successful in the past. It's only natural. But, make sure to find something original within it. Make the story your own. If it excites you, then your audience will feel it in their bones. And, who doesn't want to be thrilled?
- M
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