[mighty mint]

Great question Tom, I wonder if some might feel that the Rocky's are an example...some might even think that of Firstblood? Ironically two Stalone movies.

I agree with the concept of making a movie franchise right off the top with the idea of a trilogy cap to tell the story. I "think" that is what leaves such a bad taste in Reapers mouth...it wasn't that the first movie was a success and then they made bad sequels - It was that they built a great foundation for the trilogy in the first movie and then crapped all over it in the following ones. Of course this is all our opinions as movie-viewers...I find it hard to believe that in the beginning they had the same story arch that they had when they were finished the films. If so, then the first film wasn't as great as we all believe it to be...It is just a great first act in a story that is somewhat weak with an ending that sucks.

Bad sequels/prequels are simply a turnoff because it is a sign of NO imagination in Hollywood. Some of the recent remakes of tv shows into movies are solid proof of really really bad movie making.