Defined Legends
The golden standard for films is to bring people back again and again, giving them enjoyment out of each and every viewing. This can be in the form of a series of films or from standalone projects. A legend in this industry as with any other is anything that holds up to the test of time and keeps generation after generation coming back for more.
A lot of films get almost fanatical followings; the likes of Star Wars and The Godfather springing to mind. These both have massive cult followings and will no doubt continue to do so for many years to come. Star Wars fans even attempted to get the fictional religion of ‘Jedi’ adopted but many English speaking countries.
The individuals that hold this crown are those like Titanic, Jurassic Park
Others:
Pulp Fiction
James Bond
Reservoir Dogs
Circle Legends
There are many fantastic films that have been released over the years that hold a strong following but are not quite as recognisable as others. These are still cinematic masterpieces but may not be as widely known as those listed above. The likes of The Matrix or Home Alone spring to mind as absolutely great films which are not everyone’s cup of tea. These may be great films in themselves or for the nostalgia they inspire but they will never have a cult following like Star Wars.
Other great films that populate this category are the Pirates of the Caribbean films which have already started to sport their own spin offs from the original saga. These are some of the highest grossing films of all time as a series and broke multiple records but will you see people dressing up as Captain Jack Sparrow at your children’s children’s fancy dress parties? I think this is quite unlikely; Jedi’s however will never go out of fashion.
Others:
Rear Window
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Possible Future Legends
There have been many great files of this generation with the likes of the new Batman series particularly vivid in my mind. In fact the whole trend of comic book adaptations recently have been reasonably well received. There have also been some great remakes too with King Kong in particular being a wonderfully entertaining movie.
Although these are very good films I don’t think any will stand the test of time like those greats previously listed. The only films that come close are of course the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This epic film series has almost garnered a similar following to Star Wars with more people now reading the books and wishing they were Elves then ever. This is probably the most likely film series of the last few decade that comes within reaching distance of one day holding ‘Legendary’ status.
The only film single film I can think of that comes close to this is Avatar. I’m still not sure though if this film would have been anything special if it hadn’t started the 3D movies of today. I really doubt Avatar would have held itself up had it not been for the way it was created.
Another film that I think might suffer is the Dark Knight. Before anyone sounds off with a strong comment they had been saving for this particular moment please give me chance to explain myself. The Dark Knight is a brilliant piece of work but the controversy surrounding its release may impact against it in a different way. The sad news of Heath Ledgers death had come only a short time before the movie hit our screens and the story was everywhere. Many people heard contorted stories relating to this tragedy and the movie itself and I think that moment tarnished the film a little and stopped people appreciating it for being an absolutely fantastic movie. I do think this deserves legendary status but I’m not sure it’ll ever be for the right reason – although I really hope I’m wrong.
There is always the possibility that the Avengers film or the Hobbit movies next year could also push themselves into the legendary category.
Others:
Inception
Black Swan
The Kings Speech
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