TECH2

Reboot This!

Geoffrey Morrison  |  Oct 10, 2015

With Hollywood now totally converted to making 90% remakes, sequels, and reboots, I think it’s about time someone gave them some new ideas…

…on reboots. Here are some forgotten classics due for modern movie treatment.

I’m roughly 60% serious. Or at least, 60% as serious as I ever get.

Robotech

OK, actually, this would kickass. The original 80s cartoon had interesting characters (for the medium), lots of personal conflict (ditto), and oh yeah, TRANSFORMING ROBOT SPACESHIPS.

We sort of got a big screen mecha movie with Pacific Rim and of course there’s Bay’s ongoing mess with transforming robots.

Honestly, I’m rather surprised this hasn’t happened yet.

Oh, wait.

OK, speaking of robots…

Voltron

Since 90% of the reboots hitting the big screen tap Gen X nostalgia and try to force it down Millennial’s throats, why not go big. Like, literally big.

It could probably be done half-serious and be amazing.

Of course, I was more a fan of Vehicle Voltron, and apparently I'm the only person on Earth who says that.

Wing Commander

Stay with me here. I’m not talking about the horrendous movie. I’m talking about the incredible, ahead-of-its-time, influential video game. Check out this opening movie to WCIII and tell me you wouldn’t watch this movie (either with, or without, Mark Hamill and John Rhys-Davies).

Though getting those Kilrathi to look OK and not all Battlefield Earth will still be a challenge.

M.A.S.K.

Yeah! I loved this show as a kid.

Actually, on second thought…

Gobots!

No, just kidding.

Halo… but not really

Halo was a pretty mediocre video game lauded by those that had never played a good video game before. Yep, throwing that out there. Sadly, we’ll likely see a Halo movie instead of what would be FAR superior: a Ringworld movie. One of the best sci-fi books ever (that get progressively worse with each sequel), it’s a world of worlds that, actually, would lend itself to a fantastic TV series.

Too bad we’ll never see it. Thanks Halo.

and…

I could go through and pick a bunch of classic video games that could use a modern re-telling of their story, but instead, I’ll ask you. What do you think deserves a big screen reboot?

COMMENTS
etrochez's picture
Submitted by etrochez on October 11, 2015 - 6:33am

Isn't the Robotech movie under production? Fingers crossed!

pw's picture
Submitted by pw on October 11, 2015 - 12:19pm

In Japan ( and all Anime fans) and in the rest of the world Robotech is known under it's real name "Macross". The film to see is 1984's "Macross Do You Remember Love". It is the Gone With The Wind of Anime. Produced when Japan was riding high financially, and produced mostly by hand it a treasure.
Hard to find now though..

Arnaud32's picture
Submitted by Arnaud32 on October 12, 2015 - 9:28am

Grendizer would be an awesome reboot!!! So would Captain Harlock!

jnemesh's picture
Submitted by jnemesh on October 12, 2015 - 4:16pm

Halo WAS mediocre...but it had an awesome soundtrack, great action...and the ability to drive (poorly) vehicles...something that was definitely new when it came out. Now it's Microsoft's "Great White Hope"...and struggling to stay relevant in an age where others (including most of Bungie themselves) are doing it better. Once Halo 5 comes out and people realize that it couldn't possibly live up to the hype, they will stick a fork in it...probably along with the Xbox division as a whole. (flame away, fans)

As for Robotech, I am glad to read that it's still moving along, has found (another) director, and is still planned to be a major release. It takes a LOT to get my butt in a theater seat these days, but I would camp out for that one! CAN NOT WAIT to see it!

utopianemo's picture
Submitted by utopianemo on October 12, 2015 - 6:15pm

I'm currently showing the series to my children, and despite being a low-ish budget anime from the 80's, they absolutely love it. It's one of the most creative series I've ever seen and it feeds my imagination to this day. Interestingly, it does the whole 'discovering you are tied to an ancient, advanced civilization and hey, let's find that lost city and our last surviving ancestors' thing just like Disney's Gummi Bears, another childhood favorite of mine.

pw's picture
Submitted by pw on October 12, 2015 - 7:04pm

A Lupin the 3rd fan perhaps?

X