Commentary: Idea no enough? Why movie directors like Jack Neo keep spinning sequels
Jack Neo’s upcoming Money No Enough 3 has been derided by netizens - but no local filmmaker has a box office record like Neo, says former movie critic Edwin Yeo.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: The internet went into hyperdrive when director Jack Neo announced that a third instalment of his Money No Enough series was in the works. Netizens said it was an appropriate movie for the age of high inflation, while others mocked him for milking old content.
The director is also scheduled to make I Not Stupid 3 next year, capitalising on that particular franchise's popularity.
This raises the question: Are filmmakers running out of ideas?
THE BOX OFFICE KING
Frankly, it’s a bit mischievous to accuse Mr Neo of this. Since Money No Enough, which technically he didn’t direct, he’s gone on to write and direct about 29 movies. Money No Enough isn’t even the longest-running franchise - that honour goes to Ah Boys to Men, which spanned a total of four movies and two spin-offs - Ah Girls Go Army and Ah Girls Go Army Again.
No local filmmaker has a box office record like Neo. While the majority of made-in-Singapore films struggle to cross the S$1 million (US$730,000) mark, a Jack Neo movie would often cross that with relative ease.
He may not be the critics’ darling - that would arguably go to the likes of Eric Khoo, Royston Tan, Anthony Chen, Tan Pin Pin and a host of other indie filmmakers - but Jack Neo is the undisputed box office king.
It’s ironic that he also gets the most criticism. Part of that may be because his movies get a lot more eyeballs, which ultimately leads to more critics. Perhaps a larger reason is that Singaporeans generally are more critical of local products, and are even more so when streaming platforms today offer top-notch content from all over the world.
Yet, Mr Neo differs from other local filmmakers because of his background in Channel 8 productions. He has largely made his movies with the same kind of broad appeal as Channel 8 dramas.
His films also resonate overseas, particularly in Malaysia. Arguably, this is because of all made-in-Singapore films, his carries the most “Singaporean” flavour, something which is more refreshing to overseas audiences.
SEQUELS ARE A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS
So even if netizens rail against Mr Neo’s formulaic writing, they must admit that his formula works, at least financially. Sequels are a formula for success, and this is no different for movies made anywhere else in the world.
Singapore moviegoers love sequels and have less appetite for non-franchise original movies. In the past year, eight of the top 10 highest-grossing movies in Singapore were sequels or remakes, with Avatar: The Way of Water, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Mission Impossible 7 taking the top three spots.
The disparity between social media critics and box office numbers exists globally.
The Star Wars sequel trilogy, for example, has been panned by hardcore fans and neutrals alike. Yet, its first instalment, The Force Awakens, ranks as the fifth highest-grossing movie of all time, and the trilogy overall accounts for more than 40 per cent of the franchise’s total box office revenue over 11 films.
There is no doubt that there are plenty of talented filmmakers in Singapore - the likes of whom have produced Ilo Ilo, Pop Aye, 881 and more. While these films garnered critical acclaim at international festivals, none of them have had box office success.
For all the social media bluster, indie movies just aren’t the majority’s cup of tea. The multi-Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once is only the 13th top-grossing film in Singapore’s box office, beating the latest sequel of Indiana Jones just by a hair’s breadth.
The majority of moviegoers watch films to be entertained, as a form of escape from their realities. The more fantastic, and sometimes the more ridiculous, the better. Serious dramas, especially those reflecting real life, often take a lot of effort to watch.
That’s not to say that audiences do not have the appetite for them, as Oppenheimer’s box office success has shown. Some argue that franchise movies are losing their appeal. The latest phase of Marvel movies have generally underperformed, as well as the latest installments of Mission Impossible and Indiana Jones, but you’re still talking numbers that usually surpass original films.
A more sombre theory is that a new generation of consumers no longer appreciate the long form as much. Gen Zs and Gen Alphas grew up watching short videos on YouTube and TikTok as their primary source of entertainment, and these rarely translate to a regular moviegoing habit. They’d still watch the occasional blockbuster, but don’t really have the appetite to sit through two hours to discover something new.
ONLINE CRITICISM IS NOT A BAROMETER OF PUBLIC TASTE
Does online reaction matter to filmmakers? Way before social media commentators, there were (and still are) professional movie critics.
As one in my past life, I can firmly say that even back then, we were simply a way for producers to find a useable quote for marketing, and that they cared a lot more about the box office numbers than what we said.
Today, everyone’s a critic, but just like movie critics back then, we were rarely a barometer of the public’s taste.
Until franchise movies stop putting bums on seats, Jack Neo, Disney, Warner Bros and almost everyone else will keep making sequels. No amount of ranting about the lack of ideas will ever change that.
Edwin Yeo, a former movie critic, leads the Singapore office of SPRG, a regional integrated communications agency.
