And of course there is this gem of the 90s . . .
I'm sure some of these projects are in the works in some way (and we'll get to one of them in a minute). I'd like to think that Hollywood is reading this and will start bringing back more of my childhood loves. Here is my list for Nostalgic Projects I'd Like to See Reborn:
BATMAN BEYOND:
I mean, this one was obvious right? I mean most of my articles have something Batman related. Even that Spider-Man editorial I wrote had a picture of the Joker in it.
It was this one.
Batman Beyond was one of the coolest shows that has ever been on TV. At first, Bat-fans didn't care for it because you know it wasn't "Batman" or some stupid complaint but the show grew on people and now it's officially apart of Batman's legacy. Terry McGinnis is even the star of DC's weekly "Futures End" comic book! You know you've made it when you've been a TV star and then a comic book star! For the most part, Batman Beyond was it's own thing. Sure it had continuity from Batman and Superman but it worked to have it's own place in the Batman mythology and it definitely succeeded. There were rumors of a live action film back in the early 2000s but those plans fell through and instead we got Batman Begins.
Personally, I would love to have Batman Beyond reborn as either a new animated series or better yet a new live action film. And you know who should play Bruce Wayne right?
*Squeal!* Wouldn't that be awesome? It could be a continuation of the original films. I mean let's face it, Keaton's version of Bruce Wayne was definitely gonna end up just like Wayne in Beyond or worse! It would be great to see him return to the role and a new, unknown actor play Terry McGinnis. It would be an epic film and would definitely be a shake up from WB's current plans. It would also be a great way to keep current fans interested and excited.
SPIDER-MAN / X-MEN CROSSOVER:
Remember that episode of Spider-Man where the X-Men showed up because Spider-Man was mutating? It was a two part episode and it was awesome. Spidey fought Sentinels in the Danger Room. There was some sort of dude that hated mutants and he mutated into Godzilla or something like that.
And Spidey looked surprised on the X-Jet!
I really don't understand why the movie studios can't get along. Sony is like this close to giving back the Spider-Man film rights to Marvel but Fox is hanging onto the X-Men for as long as they can! It seems like having an X-Men/Avengers/Spidey and (you know if there's time) Fantastic Four crossover film would be the greatest thing in the whole world! At this point I'd settle for at least one character showing up in a different movie. It would be so great to see Spider-Man and Wolverine team up. Some of my favorite comics have the two of them bantering and then kicking someone's butt!
Just imagine . . . *sigh* . . .
This particular episode of Spider-Man was a lot of fun and I loved it. I was surprised that they didn't do it again, but I found out later that it was a very expensive episode what with all the voice actors and syncing up the animation styles and all that junk. Either way, it was my childhood equivalent to the recent Arrow/Flash crossover. I'd like to see more of this in some way. Wolverine has guest starred on Ultimate Spider-Man but I think it would be cool to have a Marvel Team Up movie or TV show and see different characters interacting. It's great in the comics but when it happens on film or television, it tends to be an event worth watching!
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS:
This one is a bit of a cheat because they have announced a new film being released in 2016. But here's the thing - I want in on this! What made Power Rangers so appealing to so many kids was that it was so much fun to watch. Even as kids we caught on to the episode's normal formula:
- Teens are doing some school related activity and one is either left out or overwhelmed.
- Rita or Zedd or both catch wind of this and send some crazy monster to distract the teens.
- The teens morph into the Power Rangers and fight the monster.
- They lose.
- Zordon gives them a new weapon or upgrades an old one to help fight the monster.
- They beat the monster with the new and/or upgraded weapon.
- Rita and/or Zedd makes the monster grow.
- "We need Dino Zord power now!"
- They beat the monster, and Rita gets a headache.
- The previous thing the teens were working on is a rousing success and they all learned a valuable lesson about friendship and teamwork.
- Bulk and Skull do some stupid ass thing and everyone laughs. The End.
That was every episode. Every. Single. One. It would be great to see a Batman Begins style reboot where the show is taken seriously and the characters are more fleshed out. I'd love to see Zedd and Rita be terrifying villains that live up to their reputations as the Power Rangers' worst enemies. Of course it could still be targeted at kids but look at the Pixar movies or even my previous entry Batman Beyond. Those projects are marketed for kids but everyone can enjoy them! I mean for real, I don't know any adults that don't own at least ONE Pixar movie! Let's see that mentality happen with the original Power Rangers!
GHOSTBUSTERS:
Why. The Fuck. Hasn't. This. Happened. Yet! I know that Bill Murray has been reluctant to do a third film but Dan Akroyd has been banging this drum for the last 25 years! Ghostbusters is my favorite movie of all time. Believe me when I say that no one wants to see a third film more than me while simultaneously being nervous that they would even dare to consider it! However, my optimism reigns supreme with this one. The recently rumors have Paul Feig, director of Bridesmaids, currently working on an all female reboot of the movie. Apparently Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone, Rebel Wilson, and Melissa McCarthy have had "talks" with the studio about the movie. With the right cast and the right story, a female led reboot, especially with that cast, could be something really exciting just like the original film. I respect Bill Murray's decision to want to stay away from a third film especially since he was unhappy with the second one. Although to be honest I never understood why he didn't like the second one, I thought it was great!
Anyway, this one is a personal annoyance to me. We've had 5 Die Hards, 5 Twilight films, several direct to video Home Alone films, and many other sequels that didn't have a rich mythology that Ghostbusters was building.
Remember this show? It only lasted one season but I thought it was really cool! It was the Batman Beyond of the Ghostbusters franchise (I'm pretty sure this one came first though). It was a way to honor the Real Ghostbusters while attracting new fans. I liked it a lot and always hoped that it would be the inspiration for a third film. The closest we got to Ghostbusters 3 was the video game from a few years ago. And if that's the case I'd say it was worth the wait! Still, a huge part of me will continue holding out hope that the Ghostbusters make a return to the big screen . . .
I know what some of you might be thinking, "Aren't you worried that if one of these things comes back, it will ruin your childhood?" I will answer simply - No. Truth be told I absolutely HATE IT when people say that the new Transformers or Ninja Turtles is ruining their childhood. It's an extremely immature way to look at a rebooted franchise. It's perfectly fine not to like new takes on established franchises, (and in the case of Transformers it's practically encouraged) but don't claim that it's ruined your childhood! If Ghostbusters is rebooted and the film is terrible all that it does is make me appreciate the original films even more. Instead of focusing on the negative, move on and cherish the memories you had with your beloved franchises. Your childhood is safe!
Till Next Time!
JJ - The Comic Junkie
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