The beginning of the end.

In Hollywood, when something is successful, producers feel the itch to make more money out of it. This is how sequels have become fashionable. The truth is, most of the time the second and third volumes of films are a far cry from the original (but we've seen it differently as well, just look at Ace Ventura...), not to mention the fourth and nth parts... Many say making sequels equals ruining the film and many times I agree. Perhaps this is the reason why I prefer prequels - to see how it all started. In today's post I will write about three movies that show the beginning of a myth - after it was born.
1. Red Dragon

Though this is not exactly the film that tells the story of how Hannibal Lecter has become what he has become (that is Hannibal Rising), I like Red Dragon for many reasons, first of all because Hannibal is played by Anthony Hopkins and - let's be honest - he is inimitable. Second only, Ralph Fiennes and Edward Norton also star in the film that shows what happened right before the story of Silence of the Lambs. The other reason why I prefer this prequel is because William Blake's The Great Red Dragon has an important role in it and for me, it is perfectly enough to pay attention to a film.
2. Batman Begins

With Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, I had expected a lot from Batman Begins and it was just what I've got. The Christopher Nolan-directed film tells the story the roots of Gotham City's saviour and though I think Katie Holmes has absolutely nothing to do in this movie, the rest of the cast is fabulous - Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy. The question is: could all these people make a bad movie together? Definitely not. If you haven't seen it already, I highly recommend you to do so, especially since its sequel, The Dark Knight is about to arrive to a theatre near you with an even more compelling cast.
3. Casino Royale

I love James Bond movies. I always have, particularly because my generation's Bond was Pierce Brosnan who was just perfect for the role. And then came Daniel Craig and if my brother does not get it on DVD, I will probably never watch Casino Royale. But ever since I've seen it, I say it is the best 007 film I have ever seen. I might only say it because the final scenes are in Venice or more likely because - as you can see by this post - I love to see how it all started but Casino Royale is an entertaining movie I like to watch over and over again. But I would not be honest if I didn't mention that even if I like the film, I still can't make peace with Mr. Craig. In my humble opinion Clive Owen would have been the best choice for the 21st century Bond but I calm myself down with the thought that he didn't take the part to avoid being branded by it. On the other hand, Eva Green is gorgeous, just like every time. And the cars aren't bad either.