The Kokomo Post Rewinds: Sequels
Nostalgia can be a heck of a thing, but do the movies we loved as kids really hold up? Is “Space Jam” really my favorite movie, or have I just not watched it since I was 10? In The Kokomo Post Rewinds, we will check out movies and shows from decades past and see if they hold up to today’s scrutiny. This week’s theme: sequels!
How did I not think this movie was scary as a kid?!
“Aliens (Director’s Cut)”
A good sequel escalates the original in a believable way. It also has elements of the first without being derivative. I remember absolutely loving this movie, start to finish. There were moments reminiscent of the first, but it never felt hacky or contrived. Even as a kid, I laughed at most of the jokes and was amped for the action. I don’t remember it being particularly scary, even though it has elements of being a horror movie, but that’s fine because it’s a very well-done movie. Plus, I remember watching “Mad About You” (I’m old) and seeing Paul Reiser’s character watch “Aliens” and pretend that he isn’t also in that. I was kind of worried about rewatching this movie because of how fond my memories were for it.
The Verdict: This movie is still amazing. There are classic horror elements in it that I must have missed as a kid because I was distracted. They slowly amp up the tension beautifully, then have a release moment, then go back to slowly amping the tension up even more because now the monster has been revealed. The action is still great, and the humor is adult enough that I don’t know why my parents let me watch it. Standout performances from Bill Paxton and Michael Biehn, and obviously Sigourney Weaver, were incredible. Start to finish, awesome movie.
RATING: 5 glitter pens out of 5. This movie is close to perfect. The cast has amazing chemistry, the writing is quippy but not overly goofy, and the action is intense. The movie sets real stakes almost right from the start as many named characters who have had multiple lines die. I can’t sing this movie’s praises enough. A few years ago, a documentary made shortly after the movie’s release became available on Youtube.
This GIF is a perfect representation of my feelings after watching this movie.
“An American Tail: Fievel Goes West”
I picked this movie because I remember liking it, but also because I just watched the original a few weeks ago and wanted to keep that party going. I didn’t remember anything really specific about the movie except the “shootout” at the end, but I had fond memories going into it. I did remember there being brighter colors and it being less sad than the original, but my memories were pretty vague beyond that.
The Verdict: This is a bad movie. That’s the short version, and if you immediately got mad at me because I’m attacking something you loved as a child, think about how I feel? Not only does this movie not have the heart of the first, it doesn’t even have a coherent plot throughout. It feels like a four- or five-episode miniseries rather than one cohesive movie. Using yet another fake rodent was derivative, and even the characters in the movie couldn’t be made to care when Fievel fell off the train. The entire plot of the first movie fell into nine minutes of the sequel and nobody cared. James Stewart did a great job as the sheriff, despite being surrounded by a nonsense movie. I’m incredibly disappointed with how bad this movie was, despite my fond memories.
RATING: 0 Trapper Keepers out of 5. I can’t express my dissatisfaction with this movie enough. The lack of believable heart, the racially insensitive subplot, the weird sexualization of a mouse child . . . just yikes. Here’s the song from the movie, which is one of the few high points.
I got choked up here, even though I knew it was coming.
“Terminator 2: Judgement Day”
I remember this movie being excellent. It was one of the first adult movies I saw with a child sidekick, and that added a degree of intensity for me. It was funny, but not necessarily a comedy. I remember the scene where Arnold is ordered not to kill anyone, so he shoots a room full of people in their knees and deadpan says “they’ll live.” I was shocked my parents let me watch this movie as a kid even then, but I loved it.
The Verdict: This movie holds up in a big way. There is so much heart packed into this action-comedy that I still can’t really believe it. It’s action packed, it’s funny, and it’s a little scary at times. They manage to make us care about Arnold Schwarzanegger even though he’s playing a soulless robot. They built on the foundation of the original, and upped the stakes in a way that didn’t feel contrived. Having humans in your unkillable monster fight movie is usually a mistake (the humans were the worst part of Godzilla Vs Kong and there’s no question), but this movie did it right. I’m going to put this movie on my list of annual rewatches, because I forgot how great it is.
RATING: 5 “Where’s Waldo Books” out of 5. Holy smokes is this a good movie. Let’s pretend there haven’t been any movies in this series since, because each one has been a huge failure. But this movie? It’s lightning in a bottle. This is the scene of the first confrontation between the two terminators, and it does an amazing job of establishing tension.
I remember this movie being excellent. It was one of the first adult movies I saw with a child sidekick, and that added a degree of intensity for me. It was funny, but not necessarily a comedy. I remember the scene where Arnold is ordered not to kill anyone, so he shoots a room full of people in their knees and deadpan says “they’ll live.” I was shocked my parents let me watch this movie as a kid even then, but I loved it.
