Battleangel

Just happened to catch a sneak peak at Spider-Man 2 and the The Chronicles Of Riddick the other day. Two titles among the vast collection of movies that are slated for a 2004 release. Both trailers felt deeply pointless however. Not that a trailer ever reflects the final movie but since both are sequels of sorts it’s easy to imagine what they will be like.

What can one say about The Chronicles Of Riddick to begin with? What’s the point? What is so interesting about Riddick that is worth making another movie? I’m just guessing wildly here but Vin Diesel will probably be the reluctant hero who has to save everyone once more.
Even Pitch Black was no masterpiece, and after having done that there isn’t much left to say. He’s not exactly Han Solo you know. And it just seems too action packed to be able to contain a story worth telling. Unless you consider Vin Diesel in a tank top to be the story.
It’s like Die Hard in outer space. The same guy in all sorts of impossible situations over and over again.

And what has happened to Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2? I was sceptical about the choice of Alfred Molina and after having seen the trailer I must remain so. It’s just like with Green Goblin in the first movie. For every good scene there are three that are really rotten. And the character design has one gigantic flaw that you can’t get around. Like with the suit (and mask) that donned the Goblin.
I would have wished for the Spider-Man franchise to grow up a bit since last time. While not meant to be a Shakespearean tragedy I would like to get rid of the toyish, infantile feeling that you get with the first movie and also from this trailer. With great power comes great responsibility as they say. The same goes for great and serious stories and great budgets.