The greatest movie series…
There are a lot of new movies out—I’m up to seeing the new Daniel Craig mystery and the new Cameron film, series that are just getting started—but those movies caused me to reflect on which movie series I think are the greatest. In lieu of reviewing single books, I’ve been reviewing entire series, mostly because no one else seems to do that. I can say the same for movies. So here goes:
The “Lord of the Rings” movies. This might be the biggest, boldest, and best example of how Hollywood makes its greatest movies when the scripts are based on great books. Tolkien’s excellent fantasy series sat the bar high for all those that have followed, and this movie series brought to life on the big screen (and my TV with the DVD set) all the Christian mysticism and mythical languages created by the world’s greatest fantasy writer. And, by the way, all that great New Zealand scenery!
The “Jason Bourne” movies. You might identify Sean Connery with 007, but I identify Matt Damon with Jason Bourne even more. It took a while for me to get beyond the fact that Hollywood wasn’t following Ludlum’s storyline, especially with the second two movies in the series (I knew the third book quite well because I’ve used in as a reference on China, most recently in Fear the Asian Evil and earlier in Goin’ the Extra Mile—that third movie never mentions China!), but the essential mystery, thrills, and suspense from Ludlum’s books are there in the movie. And the third Bourne movie is probably the best action film ever made with a great actor performing. Eat your heart out, Tom Cruise!
The “Indiana Jones” movies. Harrison Ford was only a goofball hero in the goofy fantasy series Star Wars that wants to be but fails miserably as hard sci-fi, and his best performance was in classic sci-fi film Blade Runner, but he is Indy in this Spielberg series. To not slight Sean Connery (his spy-fi slapstick roles as 007 don’t do justice to Fleming’s books), he almost steals the show as Indy’s father. That third movie was the best of the lot, but they all blazed new frontiers. Who knows how the new one will be.
That’s it, mostly because Hollywood doesn’t do series well…or even sequels! (Look at all the Jurassic Park sequels, which are terrible.) Two of the three movie series mentioned here are based on book series, which helps, and one can argue that even the “Indiana Jones: movies are based on H. Rider Haggard’s “Alan Quatermain” series. (Don’t know that one? I pity you.) Perhaps Hollywood should come to its senses and use more books as a basis for movie scripts? (Of course, squeezing all that’s in a novel into a two-hour movie is a daunting problem!)
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Rogue Planet. Here’s one of my books I’d like to see made into a movie! On a quarantined planet in the far future (the quarantine exists because it’s a brutal theocracy), a prince struggles to save his world. It has all the elements found in Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones without being fantasy—warring armies, suspense and thrills, and lots of romance. And iit’s all hard sci-fi! I suppose there are nuances Hollywood would surely miss (readers won’t), but it would take a really incompetent director and studio to ruin this one. Available in both print and ebook format wherever quality books are sold.
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
