Innovation In Cinema: The Value Of Reboots

Although many people at least claim that reboot fatigue is a major problem that the entertainment industry needs to address, some recent reboots have proven to be more sophisticated and praiseworthy than the films they reimagine or replace.  Ironically, they exemplify how originality can be integrated into the revival of established stories.  There is nothing about one, after all, that is inherently incompatible with the other.

The reboot of Child's Play, which only just left theaters, is a prime example of this.  The characters are far deeper than those of the original; the themes are stronger and more developed; the violence and comedy are both amplified.  Even if some refused to watch it out of an asinine bias against reboots, Child's Play is superior to the original film in practically every way.

The 2019 reboot does more than merely improve on basic elements of film like characterization and action, though.  It updates the entire foundation of the story in a way that explores bold new ideas for the franchise and touches upon significant issues relevant to modern life, including artificial intelligence and the influence of mega-corporations.  While it is still a Child's Play film, it clearly does not just rely on its 2019 release date to distinguish it from the initial 1988 film.

When executed properly, as the recent Child's Play affirms, reboots can be far more than unnecessary attempts to monetize nostalgia; they can redefine the very nature of familiar stories and raise contemporary philosophical questions.  The best reboots highlight how looking to past films does not need to exclude originality, as there are certainly ways to honor the first film or series to bear a franchise name while introducing explicitly new content.

Some stories are ripe for periodic updates to account for technological, political, and sociological changes in a given culture.  As long as filmmakers are willing and able to distinguish reboots from their predecessors, no one can legitimately claim that they are pointless or lacking in originality.  At this point, there is no story that is completely original in the sense of containing wholly new plot devices, characters, or settings, and thus reboots are just as valid as new intellectual properties as long as they are handled correctly.