Hollywood Loves a Successful Hero

Underdog movie characters like "Rocky" or Tony Manero in "Saturday Night Fever" were transformed into winners by way of the sequel, UAB film expert Jean Bodon, Ph.D., told an audience recently at the Cinematheque Francaise film archives in Paris. The original "Rocky" was a satire on the boxing system in which Rocky loses his shot at the heavyweight title. By "Rocky IV," he's the champion. "Studios believe the public wants movie icons who are successful. Film directors are pressured to produce what studios want. With the exception of independent films, the sequel style of quick fixes and happy endings is used in many films today. While you have movies that are entertaining, the downside is that they're less artistic, predictable and don't make people think."