Call it a renaissance if you want.  A rebirth of a specific aspect of American cinema: the franchise.  Whatever label you wish to give it, we are witnessing a revival of film series that were once thought dead – moribund franchises, that were had long ago outlived their usefulness.  “Batman”; “Superman”; “Rocky”; “James Bond”; even “Die Hard”.  It doesn’t take a film expert to see that these movies had descended into self-parodying shells of their former selves (admittedly, the first three more so than the latter two, but still, they were on their way).  Banking on brand awareness, producers were down to giving us stories that were basically dressed up recycling, always reliving the same plots but never pushing new bounds.  Brand awareness can only do so much, before you find yourself stuck with the conventional missteps of filmmakers eager to use a franchise for what it can offer, rather than what they can do for it.  “Batman & Robin” was a prime example, as was “Rocky V”.  (Of course, there are those who feel both films are good, fun storytelling, and wouldn’t change a thing.. this is not meant for them).

It now appears that it can sometimes take a decade of futility, and an utter lack of interest from the audience, before you can get a new lease on franchise life.  It takes time before you can get a Christopher Nolan to the table, or a Martin Campbell – men who re-create a series based on quality, not merely the recognition of the name.  All these years we’ve waited, and we finally have filmmakers who can take all the memorable images and ideas from our iconic heroes and make them real again – and can also make them relevant in a more modern world.  Whether it be Batman’s beginning, or James Bond’s first kill, we’re treated to an analysis of what makes these men great – faults and all.  In fact, it’s a testament to these filmmakers that they’re able to recognize the greatness in our most flawed characters – and it marks the beginning of an era in which our creations truly reflect the best and worst of us all.  That is what these writers and directors have done in re-imagining classic franchises, and as fans of cinema we should be grateful.

As a final note, one can’t mention “Rocky V” without also discussing the fabulous work that Sylvester Stallone did in “Rocky Balboa”, the 6^th Rocky film – and perhaps the best since the very first.  More so than any of the other films mentioned above (even more than Bond’s “Casino Royale”) this newest Rocky film is remarkable because it not only reinvigorated a franchise that had become a joke (“What’s the latest movie up to, “Rocky 12”?), but it did so using the some of the same actors, in very much the same setting.  What Stallone did was, at its core, very simple: he wrote an incredibly truthful, self-assessing cinematic gem, that never tried to be more than it was.  And the result was dialogue so honest, that even as we’re watching Rocky say the lines, we’re also seeing Stallone say them himself.  Stallone should be credited with having the depth and technique to pull this off, and the self-awareness to make this one of Rocky’s best moments.

I for one am off to watch the new “Rambo”.  After that, I will eagerly await the next Batman and James Bond films, knowing they’re in good hands… for now.