Futureworld (1976) - The Standard for an Ill-Advised Sequel

Futureworld - The Standard for an Ill-Advised Sequel

 Steven Spielberg did not direct "Jaws 2". From a film "expert" standpoint, it easy to assume why. A good sequel does not change the original formula. Thus, it should essentially be the same movie, only better. How do you top "Jaws"?

A bad idea for a sequel comes when the formula is changed. It is forgivable to tweak the original's premise to further adapt beloved characters from the first film, but the feature still needs to be a copy of the original. Luke running from the Empire must be constant. So in "Jurassic Park" the dinosaurs going nuts need some build up.

It is easy to see why Spielberg took on "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" because dinosaurs are already nuts. This gave him a new idea to play with. Unfortunately, Spielberg must have failed to remember the sequel to Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park" prototype, "Westworld's" "Futureworld".

With so much money invested into the Delos resort, it would be foolish not to reopen the facility because of a singular robotic revolution that started in Westworld. The company swears nothing can go wrong, but they need some great publicity to assure those who can afford $12,000 a day that the attraction is safe.

Along with high-ranking Soviet and Japanese officials, Delos has invited America's premier TV personality, Tracy Ballard (Blythe Danner), and an investigative reporter, Chuck Browning (Peter Fonda), to prove that nothing negative will occur with their relaunch. Everything seems kosher, since they removed the human technicians with robots, but it all seems too perfect. There must be something sinister a foot. Can our journalists discover it, or will decadence or Delos consume them?

"Futureworld" lacks the charm of its predecessor. It is a B-movie about journalists like "The Manchurian Candidate" instead of a tale about a perfect world crumbling. There a a few interactions between our characters and the environment, and because humans and robots mingling together is what sold the first film, why would we return for a sequel where this is lacking?

We hardly get five minutes in any of the theme parks. If you have seen "Westworld", it is kind of a downer that our protagonists choose to have sex with each other rather than a robot.

I saw this feature in 2010, so I could not have known that Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy were such fans of the franchise that they would successfully figure out how to manifest everything from this feature to work in the "Westworld" HBO series.

"Westworld" was a tacky premise, but was delivered and produced as a great sci-fi film (The 1970's may have been the golden era when you take "Silent Runnings" and "Logan's Run" into account.). Everything in the sequel, with the exception of brilliant CG, is incredibly tacky from sets to dialogue. Honestly, "Futureworld" is not bad for low-budget 70's fare, but it is a sequel to a classic which makes the Yul Brynner "Man in Black" dance dream the most redeeming thing about it.

"Futureworld" is a fine example of how not to make a sequel. Movies are not fan fiction. We do not want them to serve only as a setting for a story. If the original environments or characters that drew us to the first film are lacking, then you are better off writing a reboot for you own sake.

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