Why the Second Movie is Always Better: An Argument for Hollywood to Keep Making Second Movies
Summary
The concept of the “Rule of Two,” which suggests that the second movie in a trilogy or series is often the best, is something that many people believe in, and it has led one person to recommend that Hollywood should only make second movies. This is because the easy answer as to why the second movie is often better is that the audience doesn’t have to sit through any unnecessary origin stories, which is what Hollywood often feels they need to include in the first movie to set up the story. This article explores how Hollywood tends to make mistakes by trying to follow the Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey structure and develop the protagonist’s origin story in the first movie, when they don’t actually have to.
Table of Contents
- The Rule of Two and Examples
- Why the Second Movie is Better
- The Story Structure of a SuperHero Movie
- The Role of the Antagonist in a Movie
- The Mistakes Made in SuperHero Movies
- Conclusion
The Rule of Two and Examples
The “Rule of Two” is the belief that the second movie in a trilogy or series is often the best. This belief is based on the idea that the second movie doesn’t need to spend any time or effort on setting up the story or world, which allows the story to move at a faster pace, making it more engaging for the audience. Some examples of this include the Empire Strikes Back, Superman, Spider-Man, and X-Men.
Why the Second Movie is Better
The second movie is often better because it doesn’t have to deal with any of the boring setup that the first movie does. This means that it can get right into the story, and the characters can hit the ground running. In addition, the second movie can take more risks with its story and characters, as the audience is already invested in them. The director can also experiment with different plot and character developments, which can make the movie more unique and interesting.
The Story Structure of a SuperHero Movie
In a superhero movie, the protagonist is the person who has the goal, and the opposing forces are the antagonists. The protagonist is always trying to achieve something, but they keep facing obstacles that undo their progress. They have to keep making more outlandish decisions until they are presented with so many obstacles that they have to make an irrevocable choice that’s character defining. This irrevocable choice is the climax of the movie.
The Role of the Antagonist in a Movie
While the protagonist is the person trying to achieve their goal, the antagonist is the person who keeps undoing the protagonist’s efforts. They are the opposing force in the story. In superhero movies, the hero is the antagonist from a story structure perspective. The antagonist is the one who’s making all the decisions and trying to achieve their goal.
The Mistakes Made in SuperHero Movies
Hollywood often feels they need to include an origin story to set up the character in the first movie. They also try to follow Joseph Campbell’s structure. This is a mistake. They can skip the origin story and jump straight into the character’s story without any issue. An example of this mistake is the Superman reboot, Man of Steel. Instead of showing the audience Superman being super, they tried to go with Campbell’s structure by having Superman’s parents play a significant role in the movie, which ended up being a mistake.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Hollywood should consider only making second movies. This is because the second movie can take more risks since the audience is already invested in the stories and characters. Hollywood tends to make mistakes by trying to force characters into the Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey structure and developing the protagonist’s origin story, which is not necessary. They should embrace the fact that the second movie is often better and use that to their advantage.
