It appears as if Hollywood has lost most of the originality that it had in the late 80s and 90s. But who can blame them. Two of the most hyped movies this year were original stories but flopped horribly. “The Island” was a science-fiction action film from director Michael Bay (“Pearl Harbor) about two clones on the run in a futuristic world. “Stealth” was Rob Cohen’s (“Fast and the Furious”) return to directing about an artificial intelligence (A.I.) controlled fighter plane that gets a mind of its own. Together, they did not even break $100 million at the box office. Taking a look at the top 10 box office movies of the year, six were remakes or sequels. “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith” is the top movie of the year so far with $380 million. “War of the Worlds” is in second with $234 million, followed by “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Batman Begins,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and “The Longest Yard.” So it comes to no surprise that remakes and sequels are the order of the day. You have to go back to 1998 to find a top box office movie that was not a remake or a sequel. That movie was the WWII epic, “Saving Private Ryan.” So are the writers in Hollywood just being lazy after their recent murmurs of another strike? Actually it’s the people that are determining the success. Arguably, the best movie of 2004 was Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby.” But it barely grossed $100 million, compared to “Shrek 2,” a sequel which has grossed over $400 million. Now there is a big difference between a boxing drama such as “Million Dollar Baby” and a family movie. This year alone saw “Cinderella Man,” a very entertaining and well-directed movie about boxing legend James Braddock during the depression, fail miserably at the box office. But “Revenge of the Sith,” a movie nowhere near the quality of “Cinderella Man,” made $380 million. People fear change as a whole. If something is good, they want to stick with it. The same goes with movies and Hollywood. While Hollywood has been in a slump lately, it is still putting out good movies. However, the only successful ones are sequels or remakes. Next week, Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” will be released in theaters, just in time for the holiday rush. Jackson’s version is based on the 1933 movie about a giant ape that is captured in the jungle and let loose on Manhattan. Everybody knows the story about how he climbs the Empire State Building and proclaims his dominance. There was a mildly successful remake in 1976 starring Jeff Bridges. But this version takes the movie back to its roots in Depression-era 1930s. Jackson plus the Kong franchise equals big bucks at the box office. Even if Jackson had not directed it, the movie would still rake in the money. Why? Because it is “King Kong,” and that alone makes it a cash cow. “War of the Worlds” was released on June 29 and just recently made it to DVD on Nov. 22. It was the second most successful movie this year, and it was a remake. While the names of Spielberg and Cruise added to the success, an installed fan base was already rabid to see the movie. I know. I was one of the rabid fans who watched for every little detail. And the movie was successful – mainly in part because of the legend that is “War of the Worlds.” The original is a classic among science-fiction fans and remains a cult favorite, even today. Hollywood is lazy; that is a proven observation. With loads of video games and books being turned into movies and remakes being flooded into the market, it is no wonder why the box office is struggling. But ironically, the sequels, remakes and adaptations are what are spurring the movie industry right now. Next year looks to be more of the same. The most hyped movies are “Mission: Impossible 3,” “X3,” “Superman Returns” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” As time goes on, there will be more movies added to the list, but none of them are original. Where has the originality gone? Long gone are the days of “Casablanca,” “The Godfather,” and “Citizen Kane.” Today, movie fans are stuck with “Shrek,” “Spider-Man” and “Harry Potter.” While they may be entertaining movies, they are nowhere near the quality of the glory days of Hollywood.