Caine Gardner is the former sports editor and remains the BG film critic. He is also a Master of Panic.

Rebooting my 'Vacation'?

Posted Monday, February 15, 2010, at 11:39 PM

They're giving us the reboot? Noooooooooooooo!

As a movie buff, I'm all for giving a franchise a boost in the arm and rebooting it. Sometimes it works, but more times than not, it doesn't. At it's best it can give a fledgling movie series new life for a new breed of fans. At its worst, it can kill the legacy of a classic.

I recently stumbled on a story about the reported rebooting of the National Lampoon Vacation franchise and that Chevy Chase was attached to return as Clark Griswold. Chase has been doing some nice work on the NBC's "Community", so I was on board with the idea.

Then I finished reading the article and the film will focus on an adult Rusty Griswold and his trek to Wally World. And Hollywood wonders why they're becoming the laughing stock of the film industry.

Who actually thinks this sounds like a solid idea? Of course there'll be funny moments, but overall the film is going to be bad. I had to have my optimistic view of Hollywood come shining through once again and blinding you, but when are they going to learn?

This is precisely when a reboot might be too much. Lock in the main stars, making a 'riding into the sunset' sequel-flick and be done with it. Stop, I repeat -- stop trying to weave gold with dirty rags. Or if they feel the need to reboot, do something clever (i.e. Star Trek) and create something fresh.

Has it really gotten that bad in Tinseltown that we have to resort to remaking the classics of less than 30 years ago? Has the well of ideas really become that barren that Hollywood scribes opt to remake instead of create?

I love all the '80s classics and I don't want to see modern day moviemakers deconstruct the magic of a decade in hopes of catching some of its pixie dust and attempt to sustain an industry that is crying out for a change.

Unfortunately, the saying 'the cream rises to the top' isn't true anymore in Hollywood. What has risen to the top are people that are making decision strictly based on what profit margin they see and not the creativity that breeds wonderful cinema.