5

Leprechaun 4: In Space

Attempt on DVD Case to Remind You of Superior Installments in Franchise

Other than the titular character's face, not a lot. Presumably the makers of Leprechaun 4: In Space were confident this installment could stand on its own alongside beloved classics like Leprechaun in the Hood and Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood.

Why It Was Made

According to Dave Tripet, the executive behind the first three movies, Leprechaun 4: In Space started as a joke. Another executive saw the promo art for Apollo 13 and whipped up a spoof poster to forward around the office, replacing the face of Tom Hanks with that of Warwick Davis as the Leprechaun. The very definition of "taking a joke too far," this somehow led to a script getting developed and eventually, against all common sense, filmed. (Not to mention its obvious guilty role as the inspiration for the similarly awful Friday the 13th sequel Jason X.)

One can imagine the mounting horror of the executive, watching his cheap gag snowball down the mountain into production. It's also interesting to speculate what might have happened if the exec had only chosen another Tom Hanks movie poster upon which to superimpose the face of Warwick Davis. Leprechaun stranded on a desert island? Leprechaun coaching a women's baseball team? Leprechaun with AIDS? The mind reels.

What It Adds To The Leprechaun Film Canon

Leprechaun 4: In Space takes everything you loved about earlier installments in the franchise (that is to say, not much), then, and the title should have given this away, puts it in space. Think Aliens meets Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

4

American Pie Presents: Band Camp

Attempt on DVD Case to Remind You of Superior Installments in Franchise

Off-brand versions of actors from the original American Pie stand in identical poses to that film's poster, making identical faces. Someone's holding a musical instrument, and we all know where that goes! (Answer: someone's vagina.) Just in case the film's premise was sailing over any heads, the tagline "This One Time at Band Camp..." is there to remind us of that film we kind of liked a while ago. Eugene Levy looks about as surprised to be on the DVD case as you'd expect.

Why It Was Made

Evidently somebody at Universal felt that Alyson Hannigan's "This one time at Band Camp "¦" joke from the original Pie had enough depth and purpose to be developed into a feature-length movie.

3

Hollow Man 2

Attempt on DVD Case to Remind You of Superior Installments in Franchise

Invisible Mummy Man stares at you from the DVD case, hoping to entice incautious Kevin Bacon fans who don't bother to read credits when renting movies.

Why It Was Made

Christian Slater clearly needed the work. Maybe he owes money to the same guy as Eugene Levy. These guys should really meet up, frankly discuss their problems and maybe go see a financial advisor. Possibly Levy could co-sign for Slater's bank loan.

There was a time, in a Faraway Place in the Long Long Ago, that Christian Slater was compared charitably to a young Jack Nicholson. With the direct-to-DVD release of Hollow Man 2, it's evident he's setting his sights a bit lower these days, happy to get roles as an off-brand Kevin Bacon. (True fact: You can connect every washed-up actor in Hollywood to Christian Slater within six degrees of their willingness to take any role at all for money.) It's a little unclear why a film series like Hollow Man even needs a known commodity to play a character whose face goes unseen for all but seven minutes of screen time. But judging from his low profile in recent years, Slater knows a little something about how to be invisible to a mainstream audience.

What It Adds To The Hollow Man Film Canon

Where the terrible original film starred Bacon as a researcher turned full-blown mad scientist after consuming an invisibility serum, the impossible-to-imagine-but-still-somehow inferior sequel has Slater as an assassin turned mad assassin after consuming the same serum. He tracks down and murders those responsible for his condition until-Spoiler Alert -hero cop Peter Facinelli consumes the same serum to level the playing field and give Slater his comeuppance. Considering this serum's track record of turning subjects into homicidal maniacs, this leaves the viewer with an awful, hollow feeling that another dreadful entry in this series is inevitable.

2

Bring It On Again

Attempt on DVD Case to Remind You of Superior Installments in Franchise

We're promised higher stakes, hotter grooves and more attitude in this installment, making this the first Direct-to-DVD sequel reviewed here to actually call out the original film's quality and promise to outdo it. Whether or not Bring It On Again lives up to all of these ambitious claims is debatable; having said that, the grooves are pretty hot.

Why It Was Made

First there was the hit cheerleading comedy Bring it On. Then came the direct-to-DVD sequel Bring It On Again, which, aside from its entirely new cast, was exactly the same movie. Then came Bring It On: All or Nothing, which prior to her role as "The Cheerleader" on the hit series Heroes, starred the versatile Hayden Panettiere as a cheerleader. It was also exactly the same movie. Now a third sequel is in preproduction, tentatively titled Bring it On: In It to Win. It will also be exactly the same movie.

Is it really necessary to keep churning out identical direct-to-video sequels about beautiful, nubile teenage girls jiggling and jumping around while wearing cheerleading outfits? Not at all, but that's no reason to stop.

What It Adds To The Bring It On Film Canon

"Bring it on!"

"Oh, it's already been brought!"

"Oh, well ... uh ... bring it on again!"

1

The Lion King 1½

Attempt on DVD Case to Remind You of Superior Installments in Franchise