The curse of sequels
Why are sequels made?
The naïve, childish, optimistic viewpoint might think it has somethign to do with crafting more of the same kind of excellence, to expand on the idea, to continue where things left off. There are some good sequels that, yet, are not 'true' sequels, because they wandered too far from the source, so you never get 'more of' something, but you get 'a very different thing altogether'.
It may be good, but even if it is, it's not the same thing. If you taste some rare divine peach, and want another one, but all you can find is a chocolate cake, even though still tasty, it's just not the same.
What is the motivation to make a sequel? For a movie like Koyaanisqatsi, that had multiple layers of absolute genius and excellence, impactful meaning told in shocking ways without words whilst haunting, beautiful music perfected every scene basically mesmerizing the viewer into a deep, trancelike state of existence where time loses all meaning and intrusive, yet creepily beautiful imageries are expanding the viewers mind to think not only things they might never have considered, but force the viewer to face truths they might never have realized, while still evoking feelings, thoughts and insights that go beyond our everyday reality and help understand the bigger picture in all its terrifying efficiency and madness.
(Sorry for the run-on-sentence, but Koyaanisqatsi, as a rare, magnifigent artistic gem, deserves it)
The genius of Koyaanisqatsi was.. I mean, so many layers of it, I can't ever explain it adequately, but for one thing, how it avoided showing people for a long time, and how it showed them from all kinds of perspectives, and sometimes their behaviour without showing them. The machines they have created. The infrastructures. The mad rush everywhere, with sped-up pace so we can see what it really looks like in the grand scheme of things, and so on.
It also then did show people, but in a very dreamlike, almost static way with all the close-ups and cringe-inducing long shots. It showed people working, people relaxing, people standing still. People of power, people of poverty, the eye of murderer (what else is a 'fighter pilot' than a fancy, technology-based murderer? If not actually having murdered anyone, at least willing to do so).
When you basically catch lightning in a bottle, where everything just seamlessly and organically comes together from the music to the visuals to tell a poignant story about our world, when a movie has a message, but lets the viewer experience it instead of telling it... it's brilliance, it's genius.
Now, how do you make a sequel to something like that? You can't just catch another lightning in a bottle, that just doesn't happen. Sometimes the sequel is better than the original, as in 'Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back' DESPECIALIZED EDITION!! (Accursed bimbo youtubers still don't know to watch these instead of the butchered 1997 editions and wonder about how neat those CGI lizards that block the camera are, sigh!)
However, as I said, those are hard to find. Almost any sequel is either just bad, lackluster, mediocre, destroys the original. Sometimes masses will still lap it up, because as Koyaanisqatsi shows us, people are morons (T2: Judgment Day is NOT a good sequel, it repeats the ACTUAL good movie's story while destroying its structure and perfect predestination paradox, it's watered down, childish, full of one-liners and really juvenile stuff, and makes no sense whatsoever)
I don't think this sequel was made to expand upon the masterful genius that was Koyaanisqatsi, bring more modern version to the audiences, to show how world is even worse now, to do the same, but in a technically better way, to show even more structures that damage the planet and so on.
This is some kind of political, wannabe-SJW movie about people. This is not about 'the big picture', which Koyaanisqatsi showed us so brilliantly, it's not about making people think about things we all take for granted as 'normal', and showing it all as abnormal.
Frankly, I could not really watch this, I could only skim it through and all I see is people. I listen to the music and it's not good. What's wrong with people that think they can schlap together anything and call it a sequel?
Where are the majestic scenes of the first movie? Where are the massive natural phenomena contrasted with artificial horrors of modern world? All we see is third world boredom with lots and lots of people. However, there's not that much diversity - almost any random frame has either black people, indians.. or whatever the euphemism treadmill is now at, latinos or other struggling people. I am all for helping struggling people regardless of any superficial (as in physical) qualities they may or may not have, but just watching people dance in a desert is not quite the same as watching a worker disappear in the smoke created by a massive machine he has chosen to work inside of.
This is not a good sequel