What’s In A Reboot?

We now live in an age when CGI is so advanced, almost anything a movie studio wants to put on a screen can be created.

If you’re under twenty five, this might not seem like such a big thing, but it is. Watch any sci-fi film or television show from the 1970s or 1980s and you’ll see how far we’ve come. With such technological advances, TV networks and movie studios are mining the archives for stories to revamp, retell and reboot.

Is this a good thing?

The answer to this question depends on how two more are answered:  

1) Are those that are mining the geek scriptures, mythos and archives being respectful to the original core principles?

2) Or are they simply taking the formof a franchise and disregarding the substance at its heart?

The most recent example of a reboot gone wrong…very, very wrong… would be Man of Steel. Many have gone “Oooooh!” and “Ahhhhh!” over the special effects sequences. But when one looks at the core of the Superman mythos, he does not kill. He just doesn’t. That fact defines the son of Krypton.

 

So, feeling really, really bad about killing someone is supposed to make it ok? Mmmmmmm…no.

 

Having unlimited power and being physiologically superior to humans are not the only characteristics that make him “super”. He embodies truth and dignity and respect for life. And even though it may please many currently sitting in theaters, his snapping of a bad guy’s neck was a complete and utter betrayal of all for which the character has ever stood. Also, what many seem to have not noticed about MOS  is that in previous incarnations, Superman would do everything possible to battle the bad guys away from areas where large populations could come to harm. Yet in MOS, hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage occurred and tens of thousands of lives had to have been lost and it appeared that the Man of Steel wasn’t even giving it a second thought.

The character of Superman has never been about stooping to the lowest common denominator. He has always been about inspiring others to be as noble as he. And that’s where the creators of MOS screwed up. They went with form, but not function. They tried to make Superman fit into a Rambo mold. It is the geek equivalent of making a ham and cheese sandwich for a Rabbi or asking a member of Occupy Wall Street if they’d like to donate to a Karl Rove CPAC.

Prometheus (2012, Dir. Ridley Scott, starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron) is an example of a reboot that’s somewhere in the middle-ground. When I walked out of the theater after seeing it, I was left with the feeling of “Meh. It was beautiful, but that was supposed to fall into the same paradigm of the Alien trilogy?” (note:  And it is only a trilogy. That fourth one? With Winona Ryder? It doesn’t count. I said…IT DOESN’T COUNT.)

Ok, so she’s not Ripley. It’s ok. Let it go. Life is change.

However, being a hi-def visuals geek, I still picked up Prometheus on Bluray. Upon second viewing, I started to see things I hadn’t noticed in the theater. And by the third viewing, I realized how well done it was and what had been a major obstacle for me.

No Sigourney Weaver.

My mind had become so accustomed to having her involved in anything featuring the Xenomorph, that I let it hamper my enjoyment of Prometheus, which I now view as one of the best science fiction films of the past decade. A full review of it is the beyond the scope of this article, so I’ll simply put forth that if you’re ever hard up for something to watch some weekend, give it a second shot. If you keep in mind that it would be impossible to include Ripley in every flick, you’ll discover a whole new realm to appreciate.

And although some die hard Trekkies were down on J.J. Abrams’ reboots, and although many non-Trekkies didn’t dig them either, it’s fair to say that Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) were both amazing on many levels. Twenty years from now, when Man of Steel has fallen into obscurity, Abrams’ efforts will still be studied and enjoyed by film students and sci-fi geeks alike.

Another successful reboot? The Dark Knight Trilogy (Dir. Christopher Nolan). The Batman franchise was almost completely destroyed by Hollywood cheesiness in the 1990s. And then Christopher Nolan figured out two things. First, Batman should never be seen standing up straight. And second, he should almost never be seen in daylight. He understood that Batman was about fear and darkness and drama.

Sorry. We generally avoid graphic and disturbing imagery on Action A Go Go,
but this image had to be shown. Never again. I say, never again!

And possibly one of the best reboots ever made? Before I go into detail, watch this video. Although created for comedic purposes, it holds much truth.

The very essence of the power of the series is best summed up in the lines:

 

Her: So, I lost my job.
Him: One more episode?
Her: Yah!

I have watched the complete series three times and own it in its entirety on Bluray.

When Ronald D. Moore rebooted Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) he created what many consider to be the very definition of science fiction purity. He took the basic themes of the original, expanded upon them, creating new depths of character and storyline. Camerawork and visuals constantly challenging one’s ocular range and capability. Music that was unique and compelling and haunting.  Plot twists that rip one’s heart out and that give one hope.

And although the form was changed, some ways subtle, other ways major, he still stayed true to the essence of the original series. Humans figuring out what it means to be human and trying to find a new home.

So, when the topic of reboots and remakes arises in conversation with friends, my mind as of late has wanted to just block out any and all neural pathways that may be storing knowledge of the existence of Man of Steel, and I plunge into the areas that are holding onto the likes of Prometheus and The Dark Knight and that shining gem…that mother of all reboots….Battlestar Galactica.

So say we all.

Stephen Sumner is the sci-fi columnist for Action A Go Go.