Modern television and cinema is populated largely by reboots of old franchises, and it is these reboots that are leading to a lack of innovation in the industry.
A reboot is defined as a complete overhaul of the source material , yet current reboots fail to be an overhaul, serving most commonly as a retelling of the same story as the original with the only change being a different cast.
Looking at Spider-Man, a character who has been rebooted three times in cinema and countless times more in television, the lack of innovation is painfully evident.
We enter the theater and must sit through the standard death of uncle ben , and the lesson that with great power comes great responsibility.
Though the most recent iteration of the character strayed away from this formula, it could not shake the tradition its predecessors had set.
Fans once again watched as Peter Parker used a suit that was homemade to fight crime, and though it came at the end as opposed to the beginning of the film , it was still an all too familiar concept.
In television , shows such as “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” have been rebooted so many times that many fans do not recall their original iteration.
Each generation attempts to capture the essence of the original, but much like a game of telephone, the meaning and heart of the shows message is distorted and lost with each passing reboot.
Shows such as “Fuller House” attempt to pick up where the original left off, yet soon find that the road they wish to continue on is nothing more than a dead end.
Even films with a wealth of source material to create from choose to mimic the original film’s plot.
“Fantastic Four” for example, with over 50 years of content to draw from , chose to retell the same story as their 2005 predecessor.
This has resulted in both cinema and television failing to create a balance of new and rebooted content.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” revived a classic franchise, yet was noticeably a retelling of the original “A New Hope.”
The industry is no longer setting sights on risks and roads less travelled, instead choosing to draw from a pre-established playbook.
This playbook is becoming worn and outdated, and the concepts and characters that were once cash cows are soon due for slaughter.
The public blames this lack of inspiration and creativity on the industry , saying that directors only follow along with what is familiar.
However fans must realize that they are also to blame for this lack of innovation and creativity.
If fans continually pour money into the pockets of these studious and directors, we are sending a clear messages that we see no problem with reboots.
The message we provide by continually viewing these products is that we will see a film or watch a show solely because of the name, and regardless of quality.
We must not be afraid to leave this comfort of familiarity , as new ideas and concepts can only come to pass if we support them.
Smaller films, new tales , characters and original worlds too often go unnoticed by the general public in favor of reboots.
Instead of choosing to watch a sad excuse for a Transformers movie, choose to watch a film based on a true story.
This will send a message that we will not sit idle and watch our favorite characters be butchered on the small and big screen alike.
Your ticket and your viewership on television count, the choice lies with your movie ticket and with your television remote, so cast your vote.
