Yeah an OK, better, clearly best, progression is the way to go. The first one tests the audience interest and is made a little on the cheap. The second movie is bootstrapped by the monetary success of the first. It rewards the audience so they don’t get too discouraged and being use to the “old and typical” way things work will see it out of sheer curiosity. Pleasantly surprised by the second movie the viewers turn out in droves for the third installment, however the studio might be tempted to do what happened in X3, but on purpose.

Attempting to lessen the expense but maximize the cash from the franchise, they tighten up on security and crank out a grinder-like third movie with low budget and production value. Review showings not given or so selective, read loyal to the studio, reviewers are allowed and widely published.

Of course a real surprise would be to make the third installment the very best of the three. Perhaps get an elite team of comic book writers who have written in that universe to collaborate with the very best conventional screenwriter. Then throw all the resources you can muster into the filming and advertise and release it at the best time. Even if you had to wait close to a year to get it in theaters. That would definitely be a different way of doing things.

Of course I don’t blame all of Wolverine’s faults on Gavin Hood, since he did okay on the action and brought out great performances in Jackman and Schreiber, it was mainly the script that I thought was the biggest problem in Wolverine, even though it sounds like studio pressure really was put on Hood’s shoulders with finshing the movie and getting it out this summer. And unlike most people it seems on the web, I didn’t hate it, I would give it a B for the reasons I named above and I would hope that if Hood came back, Fox would give him more creative freedom to make it into a better movie, which it has potential to become.