I watched The Breakfast Club for the first time in 2020. I remember that was the year when the world was facing a global pandemic due to the spread of the coronavirus. It quite literally felt like we were going through a zombie apocalypse, but taken over by germs instead of zombies. I had to live my daily life in front of a tedious laptop screen, with no physical connection to the outside world and no university campus to experience what everyone claimed would be the “best years of my life”. Scrolling on my never-ending TikTok feed to watch the same dance routines over and over again was the only trend of the year. Well, that and panicking about running out of loo roll.
Life couldn't have gotten more modern-day-coded than that and it's fair to say that being in lockdown certainly was not the most ‘adventurous’ time of my life. But worst of all, for a spontaneous girl like me with a perpetual desire for new experiences, it just made me crave an adventure even more. But one thing I did have then was my Netflix account with a few cheeky popular vintage films on it – and that's when my magical, borderline-crazy, 80s film obsession began. Watching The Breakfast Club so many times that you've practically memorised the script and can randomly burst out a recitation of every character’s lines isn't normal apparently. Who knew?
Either way, watching these films introduced me to the vibrant and whimsical era of 1980s cinema. The contrast between my dull, technological locked-in lifestyle compared to the adventures shown in masterpieces such as The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Stand By Me, The Goonies was a thrilling escape. Modern day remakes of 80s youth films like this are not too common, but last week Entertainment Weekly announced that Goonies 2 is in the works.
The film will be produced by two successful blockbuster directors: Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus. The sequel is officially happening after a good 40 years since the release of its first film, which followed a group of kids on an adventure to find hidden treasure while facing traps, danger, and enemies. Since the announcement, it’s raised an interesting question that has led to conflicting opinions of whether 80s classics should really be recreated. There's already an ongoing debate about whether film classics from any generation should have sequels, but why such opposition of sequels for 80s classics specifically?
Whether it was set in a school, the woods or underground, 80s films took me into a new world of adventure that brought out the inner child in me and a lot of much-needed colour into life again. As an older Gen Z who was fortunate enough to experience the last bit of child-like outdoor quests before the first iPhone, it really touched my soul to see nostalgia portrayed so innocently on the screen. Then we finally get to the end of the film, where every conflict is resolved, every character returns home and the credits start rolling. But I’d be lying if I said I never wondered what happened after…
The Breakfast Club is a 1980s classic that has never had a sequel
(Credit: Universal Pictures)
For example, The Breakfast Club, which came out in 1985, is a film about a group of teenagers who meet in detention for just one Saturday. It's been 40 years since its release, but viewers of the film from all generations still ask the same question. What happened on Monday? Fans constantly ask if the characters would have all still been friends or would return back to strangers, and even I’m guilty of pondering what Breakfast Club 2 would look like. It’s not like the cast of The Breakfast Club would get away with doing a sequel in 2025. I mean, it was lucky enough that Judd Nelson got away with being a 27-year-old teenager in the first film.
Some argue that sequels keep the magic alive for a new generation. Introducing a nostalgic franchise and expanding on a story to a new audience can be good as it offers new perspectives, while also portraying common issues faced by youths in almost all generations. The typically used tropes of ‘my parents dont understand me’ and ‘I don't fit in’’ don’t just necessarily belong to the 80s. 2000s kids like myself will find any excuse to bring up High School Musical, which also showed teenage conflict due to the status quo – there’s even a song about it in the film, creative right?
But it makes you wonder if these sequels would really keep the magic alive, as Gen X and vintage film fans argue that the magic of the 80s cant be replicated. This is mainly because 1980s film classics are influenced by the aesthetic that only belonged to that era. No smartphones, no overusing CGI, and just raw adventures – that's what makes The Goonies work so well. Even the use of music and pop culture was integrated naturally in the films through memorable soundtracks, while brightly-coloured clothes even became a fashion symbol of the era.
But culture has changed greatly since then, which means the context and landscape which was the root to these films has too. Will a generation raised on smartphones and simple skinny jeans really appreciate a film that portrays a time when vibrant fashion, optimistic music and adventure thrived? Or do we have our own interesting culture today that could start a whole new amazing era?
Goonies 2 is apparently on the way very soon, returning to the world of the 80s classic
(Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)I think it's fair to argue Hollywood relies on nostalgia to keep the film industry flourishing, which clearly isn't enough. Understandably, there have been advancements in filmmaking as visual techniques have evolved, so there is a good chance that Goonies 2 might be cinematically appealing and interesting to see as a modern day film. But let's be honest, is it time to move onto new styles instead of recycling every successful classic from the past into a sequel and limit our creativity? So much has evolved since the 80s to spark inspiration for something new to create for writers/filmmakers today, so why do large productions waste good film opportunities by just revamping old classics?
Sometimes the nostalgia element does work. I speak from experience when I talk about the 2023 live-action Barbie film, which sparked good memories of my Barbie obsession, while also appealing to my younger siblings from a different generation. But I think Hollywood has now gotten to the point where they are over-reliant and have too much confidence in just nostalgia as a key to successful films. It’s pretty much become the case that Hollywood prefers to take a safe bet over risking creativity. The classics were successful and they worked. Why risk it?
Either way, as much as we love these iconic 80s classic films, they don't always need a sequel. The end of the first Goonies wrapped up everything so neatly. Could Goonies 2 have the same impact as the first one, or are we about to ruin a classic? It truly is interesting to think about.
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