Failure to Franchise

Here at Failure to Franchise, we love a dependable journeyman. And that's why we're kicking off "Noyce-vember," a one month tribute to one of Hollywood's (well, technically, Australia's) most unsung journeymen directors, Phillip Noyce. First up, his 1997 adaptation of The Saint, a popular vigilante character who had already graced the world of literature, radio, film, and - most notably - a beloved '60s television series starring Roger Moore. For this wannabe movie blockbuster version, Noyce recruited Val Kilmer as the titular master of disguise. After 1995's Batman Forever and Heat culminated a fairly undeniable cinematic run for Kilmer, a few misses in 1996 meant The Saint - the movie he chose to do instead of another Batman film - was an important moment in his career...the moment where moving forward  he would either be confirmed as a legitimate, franchise-launching leading man, or seen more a comeback-seeking former star more known for his alleged difficulty to work with. Well, we all know how that worked out. But should The Saint have elevated Kilmer to another level? We discuss this, and much more!

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An iconic character, beloved around the world. A fairly successful box-office haul. And a creative team including Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, Kathleen Kennedy, Peter Jackson, and Steven freakin' Spielberg!! What the hell is this movie doing on our show?! That's what we're here to figure out, as "Animation (3D)evastation" concludes with a look at The Adventures of Tintin. Sought after as a movie project by Spielberg as early as 1983, it may have taken over three decades to finally make it to the big screen, but this meant the project had time for its breathtaking motion-capture CGI technology to catch up to the visions of its filmmakers. Would those technological breakthroughs be enough to satisfy the character's global audience...and win over the less familiar American audience? And if not, why not? We discuss this and much more, as we ask the eternal question, "just what is this Tintin guy's deal, anyway?"

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It's a long held belief in Hollywood that, with only a few exceptions, cinematic adaptations of video games just don't work. So perhaps it's not surprising that the makers of the first big-screen Final Fantasy movie in 2001 thought it would be more beneficial to concentrate on at least creating a groundbreaking technological achievement, rather than worry about sticking to the story elements and tone the popular game series was known for. But when that desire ended up causing a lengthy, over-budget, and complicated production, the question became - and remains - was their ambition applaudable or misguided? Or maybe both? We're kicking off "Animation (3D)evastation" by asking that very question...and pondering the possibilities of fully digital movie stars, with Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

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Our "Animation (2D)evastation" month concludes with The Road to El Dorado, Dreamworks Animation's 2000 attempt not only to pay tribute to the classic Bob Hope & Bing Crosby Road To... movies of the past, but also - more importantly - try to beat Disney at their own game with a rollicking, animated musical adventure. And they even went the distance of recruiting Lion King music collaborators Tim Rice and Elton John to try to recapture the same magic again. So what exactly kept Road to El Dorado from enjoying Lion King-level success? Why does it enjoy a cult following today? And how important is it to have everyone involved with the production of a movie trying to make the same kind of movie? We discuss all this, and more!

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"Animation (2D)evastation," a month dedicated to two 2D animated failed franchise starters, kicks off with a look at 1999's Doug's 1st Movie. Based on Doug, the hit series that started as one of the original "Nicktoons" on Nickelodeon, before being bought by Disney and moving to Disney for its later seasons, Doug's 1st Movie was an attempt to see if the series could make the jump to feature length. Though, to be fair, not necessarily theatrical success, at least at first, since the project was first conceived as a straight-to-video effort. So what made Disney change their minds and decide to put it in theaters, and was it a good decision? Well, we're covering it on this show, so you probably know the answer to that, but still, we're here to talk about it! 

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We're wrapping up our "Summer Surprise" series with an unexpectedly timely episode. With Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice coming soon, we're taking a look at one of director Tim Burton's lesser remembered films, one that certainly didn't get a sequel (duh). This YA lit adaptation (shudder) is essentially Burton's riff on the X-Men, as Eva Green does her best Professor Xavier impression as the headmistress of a special home for children with unique abilities. Does Burton's unique aesthetic fit well with the source material? Is the film too gruesome for young children? Most importantly, is Eva Green given enough screentime?? We discuss all this and more, as we get stuck inside the time loop that is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

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"Summer Surprise" continues, with our look at the 2019 reboot of the popular, long-running Child's Play/Chucky franchise. But unlike most reboots, this one had an interesting wrinkle; it was done at a time when the filmmakers behind the original Chucky franchise still had every intention of keeping their series going, as well. So how did this attempt at a separate, parallel Chucky continuity come to be? How did it work to differentiate itself from the other version? And in doing so, did it stay true to the spirit of the original Child's Play, or did it establish too much of its own identity, thus making it hard to view as part of the same franchise? We tackle all these questions, and more.

This is for Tupac.

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Our annual "Summer Surprise" series, in which our movies are chosen by an online randomizer, kicks off, with F2F's second Luc Besson. We both loved The Fifth Element, but what do we think of Besson's more grounded, earthbound, 1994 hitman action-thriller, Leon: The Professional? Remembered as the cinematic debut of a young Natalie Portman, and for an iconic, meme-generating Gary Oldman performance, as well as introducing a global audience to French star Jean Reno, the film remains highly controversial today, thirty years after its release, for elements both onscreen and off. But do those controversial elements detract from the movie, or make it more compelling? How much can and should one separate an artist's real life from the art they produce? We ponder this, and much more, as we wade into the dicey waters of discussing Leon: The Professional.

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Just because the movies we watch might be considered "failures," doesn't mean the same can be said for our podcast! That's right, it's our 100th episode, a special look back at four year's worth of covering Hollywood mistakes, missteps, and misfires. To celebrate the occasion, we've each picked our favorite movies and performances from the 99 films we've featured so far, as well as our least favorite movies, and we also have special shout-outs for the most frequent directors, screenwriters, and actors from the first four years of F2F movies. Plus, as is tradition, we allow an online randomizer to pick our next three movies as we head into our annual "Summer Surprise" theme series.

Thank you to everyone who has listened and/or subscribed over these 100 episodes. Here's to the next 100...and probably more, since Hollywood can't seem to permanently learn any lessons!

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"Summer Sweeps" concludes, with a look at Universal's 2009 attempt to launch another series of big-budget dinosaur adventure movies. This time, they turned to a cult-classic 70s television series from famed producers and puppeteers, Sid & Marty Krofft. But by giving the movie a comedic bent the show never had, and by trading in the practical FX of the original for glossy CGI, did the filmmakers behind Land of the Lost truly pay tribute to the source material, or potentially disrespect it? We discuss this, the merits of juvenile humor, whether Will Ferrell could ever transition to pure drama, and much more. So join us for this final "Summer Sweeps" entry before our 100th Episode spectacular!

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