This year is most certainly the year of the sequel when it comes to movies. I can't think of a single year in movie history when we have seen so much attention being devoted to sequels and series. Should we also count remakes in the mix? I can understand why there are so many, however. They're proven commodities. I, for one, hope to catch a lot of the sequels coming out this year.

So far, the sequels and series have been your standard fare, best represented by Blade 2. (I haven't seen either the original or the sequel.) But coming soon to a theater near you are some pretty big players (well, and then there's Spy Kids...):

* Star Wars II (the fifth movie in the series)
* Charlie's Angels 2 (the second movie in the series)
* Men in Black 2
* Stuart Little 2
* Austin Powers 3 (I wonder if they've come up with a title for this one yet)
* Spy Kids 2 (Why in the world are they doing a sequel of this one?)
* James Bond 20: Die Another Day
* Harry Potter 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
* Lord of the Rings 2: The Two Towers
* Star Trek X: Nemesis

The sequel to The Matrix (called "The Matrix Reloaded") was originally planned to be released this year, but has been delayed.

Has there *ever* been a year of sequels/series like this?

Between sequel-itis in the publishing industry and the movie industry, New York and Hollywood are making it tough for original stories to get out there.

...and I'm making the problem worse every time I go see these sequels. Ouch.