Friday, October 5, 2007

Everything I Consume: R. Kelly: Trapped in the Closet: Chapters 13-22

This was a letdown after the first twelve chapters of Trapped. It just didn't have the audacity and energy of the original. The part in the restaurant (the one where you can smoke cigarettes and cigars!) felt endless and the main Sylvester character has been toned down, sort of like the way they make regular characters more likable over time on sitcoms. The worst part is since it ended on a cliffhanger I'm just going to come back for more.

Some of you sequel haters (and I know you're out there) might say all sequels are worse than the original so here's a partial list of sequels that are better than the original:

  • Aliens
  • Empire Strikes Back
  • Bourne Supremacy
  • Superman II
  • Evil Dead 2
This is a rip-off of my brother's obsession. Really, he can go on for hours about sequels that are better than the original movie.

2 comments:

Steve Buccellato said...

Interestingly, I've found that when it comes to comic book movies, the sequels are almost always better than the original. I think it may be true of any kind of story that is serialized because usually the first in a series is bogged down with setting up the concept & characters.

I think sequels that are worth hating are usually forced--designed simply to capitalize on the success of a film that was intended to stand alone.

More good sequels: X-Men 2, The Godfather Part 2, Spider-Man 2.

Your brother must be a genius.

Brett said...

I agree with you. I don't like set-up in general. I prefer to go right into the action. The Entourage pilot is a great example of a show that goes right into the action. I love Deep Space 9 and The Office but their first episodes aren't very good.

You picked some good sequels. I think the ones I picked are definitely better while your are arguably better. Godfather 2 is an interesting example because it is so different from the first movie and yet started the conception of the modern sequel.