Give us movies, not series - Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) Discussion

[–] nephihaha 8 years ago

This trend... ah yes like James Bond, the On the Road series, the original Planet of the Apes series, the Godfather, the Christopher Reeve Superman films etc etc... nothing new really.

--
It's not "Sci-Fi", it's "SF"!

"Calvinism is a very liberal religious ethos." - Truekiwijoker

reply

[–] sth78 8 years ago

The James Bond "series" consists of movies that are all, except for Quantum of Solace, self-contained. QoS was the only movie that was a direct sequel to the movie before, Casino Royale. But commonplace for Bond is that all the movies come to a conclusion.

The Godfather movies were Part I and Part II, simply because one movie would be 6 hours long. The 3rd one was a sequel.

These movies are standalone features that carry a whole story themselves. I can watch the Bond films randomly, because one movie doesn't matter for the next or vice versa.

What annoys me with this film, The Scorch Trials, is that it doesn't have an ending. We have to see the next one to get an ending, and perhaps one more, and then one again etc.

reply

[–] nephihaha 8 years ago

The earliest Bond films are based on Fleming books which do have linkages.

There are also many recurring characters and motifs.

Godfather 2 is definitely a sequel. It could not have happened without the success of the first. They were not done back to back. G2 is not an adaptation of the same novel either.

In all of these films there are recurring characters, jokes and even situations. It's less obvious in Bond since a lot of the actors e.g. Donald Pleasance (Blofeld) and Desmond Llewellyn have died. Others lime General Gogol are very cold war. Like Maze Runner and Scorch trials there are cliffhangers and lead ins to new films - Bond villains often get away and turn up again - Rosa Kleb, Blofeld. Even the Daniel Craig films refer back to pre-Craig Bond on a regular basis.

--
It's not "Sci-Fi", it's "SF"!

"Calvinism is a very liberal religious ethos." - Truekiwijoker

reply

[–] nephihaha 8 years ago

Horror and pulpy science fiction have been notorious for series for years. 70s and 80s horror for example - Friday 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween... God knows what number they got up to with these...

Like I say. Planet of the Apes. The original film was based on a novel but they churned out several linked films.

Original Pink Panther too. Long series. Got worse and worse. In the last one the lead actor is dead and they just use archive footage and say he's gone missing.

--
It's not "Sci-Fi", it's "SF"!

"Calvinism is a very liberal religious ethos." - Truekiwijoker

reply

[–] fede_4488 7 years ago

James Bond movies are stand alone, and so was the first Godfather (there was no plan for a 2nd and 3rd) The original Planet of the Apes movies had a twist ending, not a cliffhanger, dumbass.

If I don't reply, you're probably on my ignore list for something I forgot already

reply

[–] Mattfinbell 8 years ago

they havent milked all the movies plus it depends on how the movie was made and if they followed the books since there are like several other books

For example

Darran Shan

Percy Jackson

Vampire Academy then blood lines

Alex Rider

the black wall trilogy
which I am reading now there three books i have finished book one

The Ashton Buriels three books

Roland Smith the criyptids its like a several book series

Warm Bodies

How to train your dragon the movie tv show and books are all different from one another

Oh the new movie coming out the home for Peciulur children is book one and two

I cant of the others oh and Eragon

sth78
What annoys me with this film, The Scorch Trials, is that it doesn't have an ending. We have to see the next one to get an ending, and perhaps one more, and then one again etc.

oh whats wrong with that? Oh No the Death cure is the last one there are two prequals the Kill Order and the Fevor Code. There is the next installment of the maze runner but thats like a new story since its in the future of the maze runner and no mention of Thomas and company

well except for the Grievers

Oh thats the Mortality Doctrine

Look like Tarzan talk like Jane! HAHA

reply

[–] sth78 8 years ago

I just think that if they are going to filmatize a series of books, they should also make it into a series (S1E2 etc.).

Movies are a media that should be self-contained, i.e. have a beginning, a plot, and an ending. It was so unsatisfactory when this movie came to the 2:00 mark and I realized that it was not going to have a climax.

reply

[–] Mattfinbell 8 years ago

sth78
I just think that if they are going to filmatize a series of books, they should also make it into a series (S1E2 etc.).

Movies are a media that should be self-contained, i.e. have a beginning, a plot, and an ending. It was so unsatisfactory when this movie came to the 2:00 mark and I realized that it was not going to have a climax.

Oh why?

why cant movies be like tv shows the maze runner wouldnt be a good tv show since the whole premise would be to escape the maze enter the scorch deal with the death cure and on to the mortality doctrine which is very different from the gladers

even thought thats set in the future of the maze runner

Look like Tarzan talk like Jane! HAHA

reply

[–] Bullish_Captain 8 years ago

Movies are a media that should be self-contained, i.e. have a beginning, a plot, and an ending.

Just think of all the sequels we wouldn't have if it was up to you. First comes to mind, The Empire Strikes Back. 

reply

[–] sth78 8 years ago

Yes, what would we do without all the ad nauseam sequels of Highlander, Saw, The Crow, Hellraiser, Final Destination, American Pie, Scream, Ocean's Eleven, Friday the 13th, Halloween etc. etc. who albeit didn't manage to ruin the original, but where it wasn't for lack of trying?

Right back at ya ;)

reply

[–] Bullish_Captain 8 years ago

Yes, what would we do without all the ad nauseam sequels of Highlander, Saw, The Crow, Hellraiser, Final Destination, American Pie, Scream, Ocean's Eleven, Friday the 13th, Halloween etc. etc. who albeit didn't manage to ruin the original, but where it wasn't for lack of trying?

Someone forced you to watch all those sequels against your will?

reply

[–] sth78 8 years ago

I can't know if they are bad without having seen them, hm? Problem is, milking the same idea usually disappoints.

So, unless you know what you are doing, you should abstain from spewing out sequels. However, they can hit the bulls eye, as was the case with Terminator II and The Godfather Part II. The Omen 3 was also pretty good IMO. But these are the exceptions.

My point, however, is not that one shouldn't make sequels at all, but rather that you shouldn't cut one movie into several releases. This movie, The Scorch Trials, was a movie without an ending. Then yes, someone IS forcing me to see the next one - because otherwise the two hours I spent on this one will be lost.

reply

[–] nephihaha 8 years ago

Don't forget the Matrix sequels.

--
It's not "Sci-Fi", it's "SF"!

"Calvinism is a very liberal religious ethos." - Truekiwijoker

reply

[–] Mattfinbell 8 years ago

Bullish_Captain
Movies are a media that should be self-contained, i.e. have a beginning, a plot, and an ending. Just think of all the sequels we wouldn't have if it was up to you. First comes to mind, The Empire Strikes Back.

tell me about it

sth78
Yes, what would we do without all the ad nauseam sequels of Highlander, Saw, The Crow, Hellraiser, Final Destination, American Pie, Scream, Ocean's Eleven, Friday the 13th, Halloween etc. etc. who albeit didn't manage to ruin the original, but where it wasn't for lack of trying?

Right back at ya ;)

american pie was *beep* to begin with as for Friday the 13th yeah they did ruin that one

sth78

My point, however, is not that one shouldn't make sequels at all, but rather that you shouldn't cut one movie into several releases. This movie, The Scorch Trials, was a movie without an ending. Then yes, someone IS forcing me to see the next one - because otherwise the two hours I spent on this one will be lost.

what was wrong with the scorch?

You do know there is another movie

Look like Tarzan talk like Jane! HAHA

reply

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] slidell333 8 years ago

Money, obviously. I def. understand the OP's point although this is nothing new. However, it all depends on how much you like the franchise or books, etc...if you are not that invested in something you'd rather just have the story be told in one movie without a cliffhanger to tell the rest of the story or complete the story. Like a poster above said Hollywood has been doing this for years with mostly horror and as Sci-Fi films. Sometimes you just want to watch a movie with a story and ending and that's that.

reply

[–] Naldoman 8 years ago

Nothing new for HOLLYWOOD to do serials & sequels ... they've done them pretty much since films began. BUT it only mimics the trend of popular books that had sequels upon sequels.

What's different here is that these modern tales are INCOMPLETE as stories. It used to be that a sequel story was complete in itself with beginning and end. You can watch almost any BOND film, and you don't need to know what happened in other stories - the stories are self-contained. This is fairly true, even for Jurassic Park movies - they give you enough background to set the scene for the story and they finish it without a cliff-hanger.

Stuff like Resident Evil ... it's pointless, since it's only mindless action and each film can be considered a single level of play.

I agree it's quite annoying that they don't tell a satisfying story in each chapter.

reply

[–] Mattfinbell 8 years ago

Naldoman
Nothing new for HOLLYWOOD to do serials & sequels ... they've done them pretty much since films began. BUT it only mimics the trend of popular books that had sequels upon sequels.

What's different here is that these modern tales are INCOMPLETE as stories. It used to be that a sequel story was complete in itself with beginning and end. You can watch almost any BOND film, and you don't need to know what happened in other stories - the stories are self-contained. This is fairly true, even for Jurassic Park movies - they give you enough background to set the scene for the story and they finish it without a cliff-hanger.

Oh because we havent gotten to the end yet thats why its incomplete

Oh even in the bond films there is linkage to the next film

Look like Tarzan talk like Jane! HAHA

reply

[–] sth78 8 years ago

Oh even in the bond films there is linkage to the next film

That is only true for the last ones. Quantum of Solace was a direct sequel to Casino Royale, and the last four films have had Mr. White in common.

The earlier twenty (or so) Bond films were all self-contained.

The Golden Compass was a movie that had no ending, but instead had a cliffhanger to another movie - that never came. That could happen for The Scorch Trials too, and that would be very disappointing.

reply

[–] Mattfinbell 8 years ago

sth78
Oh even in the bond films there is linkage to the next film That is only true for the last ones. Quantum of Solace was a direct sequel to Casino Royale, and the last four films have had Mr. White in common.

The earlier twenty (or so) Bond films were all self-contained.

The Golden Compass was a movie that had no ending, but instead had a cliffhanger to another movie - that never came. That could happen for The Scorch Trials too, and that would be very disappointing.

How bond just doesnt change. come on

Pierce Bronsan should have been in Casino Royale not Criag

Look like Tarzan talk like Jane! HAHA

reply

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tylerchristopherdavis 8 years ago

You forgot fifty shades of gray.

There are also movies like The Arrival with Charlie Sheen that don't resolve the story but aren't really meant to have sequels. And there's tons of movies with ambiguous endings.

There are shows with ambigious endings like some Law & Order episodes.

reply