We start the Top 7. You finish the Top 10.
TRON: Legacy is hitting theaters this Friday and I don't know about anybody else, but I can't help but feel a little nostalgic. After all, it seems like just yesterday I was wearing out the VHS copy of the original TRON. But looking at a calendar, that's not quite the case. In fact, it's been over 25 years since the first TRON stunned audiences with its innovative visual effects. But how can you put a time limit on nostalgia? Ya just can't.
Then again, not all the movies we're nostalgic for get the kind of cult following or critical acclaim to make a sequel more 20 years later seem like a good investment for the studio. But just for a minute, let's forget about all that. Let's forget about the stars and the budgets and just go based on pure wish fulfillment. What 7 movies (made 20 or more years ago) would you like to see a follow up to, in the same vein as TRON: Legacy? I've decided to stick to PG films just like TRON for an added degree of difficulty. Here are my top 7 picks, but don't forget to suggest your own!
7. The Goonies (1985)
Recap: A bunch of kids find a treasure map and embark on an adventure that they'll never forget in this family friendly flick from the 80s. Reason: Rumors of The Goonies 2 have been making their rounds on the internet for years. At first Donner said no and Sean Astin said yes, but now Donner's singing a different tune so there's no telling what will happen with this one. It's got such fun characters that so many 80s kids would love to see return, but if it lingers in development hell much longer, The Goonies 2 might hafta say die.
6. E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Recap: The story of a young boy and an alien that he befriends when the alien is stranded on Earth. It's just as much about Elliott's coming of age as it is E.T.'s quest to "phone home." Reason: Words cannot describe how terrified I was of this movie when I was a kid. Then I got older and, well... it scared me a little less. Still, E.T. made blockbuster history when it was first released and with all the technological improvements since 1982, a follow up to E.T.'s home planet (much like the Universal Studios ride) would be a fun adventure for young and old alike.
5. The Secret of NIMH (1982)
Recap: A group of talking rats must protect their home and a mother must protect her sickly son in this forgotten animated gem from the 80s. Reason: Technically speaking, The Secret of NIMH has already earned a remake, but the piss poor attempt at capturing the magic of NIMH that earned a straight to video release in the late 90s is no way to treat Mrs. Brisby! The Secret of NIMH is a loose adaptation of a series of books so we know there's plenty more material for them to work with, plus a return to traditional animation is always a nice change of pace.
4. Flight of the Navigator (1986)
Recap: A young man is whisked away from his 1978 home on an adventure to 1986. Matters are complicated by an alien spaceship and the changing world around the young boy, who has not aged since his disappearance. Reason: Another one of those movies that was, no doubt, better to me than it was to the rest of the world. Still, things have changed even more since 1986 and with all of the progress made with special effects, a sequel could be even more daring. More time travel or a trip to other worlds for Max and a new navigator would be fun to explore. There are tons of options for this one, but I'm not holding my breath for a sequel. Still, a man can dream.
3. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Recap: A private eye must put aside his beef with cartoons when a cartoon hires him to find out who's framing him. Reason: Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a game changer. It brought the toons to the real world in a way that few movies have before (or even since) then. The seamless dance between cartoon violence and real-world slapstick represents a return to comedic form. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of funny stuff out there these days, but the double entendres and the pratfalls? It doesn't get much better than that!
2. Beetlejuice (1988)
Recap: A young couple whose lives are tragically cut short, hire the help of an otherworldly scumbag to get rid of the new family that has moved into the dearly departed's home. Reason: You don't get much better characters than Beetlejuice. In fact, it's probably Michael Keaton's best role to date, although he doesn't have a whole lot of other contenders. Still, the spooks and the laughs abound with this Tim Burton flick. It's just hard to let go of some of the characters from this one. True, there was the animated series to tide die-hard fans over, but something about Burton's overly expressionistic style is just begging to be re-visited. Maybe this time Lydia takes on the Netherworld?
1. Labyrinth (1986)
Recap: A young girl is cast into an unfamiliar world when her brother is kidnapped by a goblin king. Reason: Few movies have left quite the impact that Labyrinth has. Part musical, part fantasy adventure, it doesn't really know what to make of itself. All I know is that I have this movie to thank for my introduction to Bowie and his alarmingly well-framed junk. There's so much depth to the world that Henson created for this movie, but even a brief look at life outside of the labyrinth might be nice. Still, with Henson gone, it's not likely, but I know I'm not the only one who'd like to see a return to this fantasy world.