http://www.blogcdn.com/www.cinematical.com/media/2010/02/newmoon.jpg
Since damn near everything that opens in wide release these is either a sequel or a remake, and since I feel some obligation to at least sample anything that qualifies as a “cultural phenomenon,” whether or not I like it, I usually find myself hoping for the best from franchises that haven’t much impressed me in the past. One reason for optimism - or at least for less existential dread - about the 2010 release schedule is that a number of thus far middling-to-terrible franchises appear to have been taken over by obviously talented filmmakers who stand a chance of making this year’s installments of their respective series at least tolerable. Certainly any doubts I had about whether I was going to watch these latest franchise entries disappeared once I found out who was directing them.
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The franchise:** Twilight. So far, Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen](Thirteen (2003) - Movie | Moviefone), Lords of Dogtown](Lords of Dogtown (2005) - Movie | Moviefone)) and Chris Weitz (About a Boy](About a Boy (2002) - Movie | Moviefone), The Golden Compass](The Golden Compass (2007) - Movie | Moviefone)) have delivered two dull-as-nails installments of this wuss-vampire franchise, though Weitz’s New Moon](The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) - Movie | Moviefone) did at least appear to pick up some steam as a teen soap opera, if not (at all) as a thriller or a horror flick.
Continue reading When Good Directors Happen to Crappy Franchises