Movie studios love films with sequel potential, frequently hedging their bets with endings that tease viewers and promise more. If ticket sales are good enough, it's almost a given the studio will greenlight another entry. Unfortunately, once a studio establishes a franchise, its sequels can quickly deteriorate in quality. Lower budgets and lower returns are typical of many cinematic sequels.
With smaller franchises, it isn't uncommon for the original cast and directors to move on to other projects. This talent migration can drastically shift the vision in subsequent films. Sometimes these shifts launch a franchise into a death spiral, with the studio allocating lower and lower budgets to the following entries. All the while, new writers and directors attempt to mine an increasingly depleted premise for new stories.
Updated July 7, 2022, by Anthony Jeanetta: Movie sequels, like superhero films, are now a mainstay of modern-day Hollywood. While some sequels can improve upon the original, many don't. Some are so bad, they threaten the brilliance of the franchise's original film.
15 Independence Day: Resurgence Diminished The Threat & Sense Of Dread From The Original
The alien invasion thriller Independence Day released July 3, 1996, with impressive special effects and fantastic setpieces that wowed audiences. It went on to become the highest-grossing film of that year. Led by rising stars Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum, the strong cast fought their way through imposing alien defenses to save the world from impending doom.
Twenty years later, Independence Day: Resurgence dropped, and the aliens returned with an even larger invading force. While Goldblum returned, producers were unable to convince Smith to come back. The sequel embraced the philosophy "more is more" and went even bigger with its effects and action sequences. In the end, the film ultimately diminished the building sense of dread critical to the first film's success.
14 The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Turned An Archeologist Into A Superhero
Even though George Lucas had created the beloved archeology professor and tomb raider in 1973, it would be almost a decade before the dashing professor graced screens in a trilogy of '80s and '90s adventure films. This trilogy set a high-quality bar for the movies, video games, and TV shows they'd go on to influence.
Lucas returned to the franchise in 2008 with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Helmed once again by Steven Spielberg, the film promised to reunite old fan favorites while simultaneously moving the franchise forward. Instead of creating a succession plan for the new generation, the film was most successful at alienating its biggest fans. With a few ludicrous setpieces and a lead-lined refrigerator, this sequel transformed the aging Harrison Ford from an underdog adventurer into a superhuman force of nature.
13 The Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions Fell Victim To Its Own Hype
The Matrix immediately captured the fans' imagination. Through its state-of-the-art effects and anime-inspired fight sequences, the film almost instantly cemented itself among the most esteemed films in geek culture. With a heavy dose of philosophy and a Messianic figure awakened from his digital slumber, the film transcended the screen, resulting in frequent copies and parodies.
A victim of its own success, The Matrix sequels had a large hill to climb if they were to live up the original's hype. Filmed back-to-back and released a year apart, Reloaded and Revolutions shifted their focus off the digital divide so carefully explored in the first movie. Rather than continue exploring technology's potential downsides, they told the "real-world" story of Zion, the last underground human city fighting to turn the tide of the battle against the machines.
12 Spider-Man 3 Had Too Many Villains & An Unrecognizable Hero
Many fans and critics recognize Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 as one of the best superhero films. Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man) and Alfred Molina (Doc Ock) play student and teacher, respectively. Their on-screen chemistry lights up the screen as Peter Parker finds a perfect mentor and subsequently loses him.
While the first and second Spider-Man films were masterclasses in contained storytelling, Sony felt more was better for Spider-Man 3. This threequel featured more action, more villains, and a more convoluted storyline. The result was a bloated CG-fest. The end of Raimi's trilogy featured Peter in a love triangle and a wonky jazz scene that burned itself into fans' collective memory.
11 Terminator Genisys Retconned The Original To Set Up A New Trilogy
The embattled Terminator franchise has seen numerous sequels and soft reboots attempting to recapture the magic from the first two films. Terminator: Salvation may be better known for its troubled production, but Terminator: Genisys remains the most reviled sequel in the series.
Additionally, before the film was even released, a trailer spoiled the fact that John Connor's adult version was a Terminator. Genisys also made the mistake of erasing the films that came before it through a confusing storyline meant to kickstart a new trilogy in a different timeline.
10 Mortal Kombat: Annihilation Introduced Too Many Characters To Pay Off
While nobody confuses the original Mortal Kombat movie as a cinematic masterpiece, it successfully broke the video game-based movie curse and became the highest-grossing movie adaptation of a video game in 1995. Even recent reviews described it with a similar regard.
In 1997, New Line Cinema released Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, with only two of the first film's stars reprising their roles. The studio's push for "more" resulted in a comically overstuffed mess. The movie featured many characters from the video games who only graced the screen for a few seconds. The studio even canceled a planned threequel following Annihilation's poor reception.
9 RoboCop 3 Traded Adult Themes For Toy Sales
Original RoboCop director Paul Verhoeven is notorious for crafting satirical films that dig deep into their broad themes. RoboCop, on its surface, is merely a gory action movie about a half-human, half-machine cop. Beneath this pulpy exterior, the film delves into subjects like corporate greed and what it means to be a human. RoboCop 2 extends these weighty themes.
Given these deep topics, the character's popularity led to an animated series that ironically shifted the franchise toward selling toys. To capitalize on this success, RoboCop 3 dropped its adult themes in favor of a kid-friendly action romp.
8 Speed 2: Cruise Control Moved At A Snail's Place
Action-thriller Speed had fans gasping in theaters back in 1994. Its simple premise and tense, high-speed action garnered excellent reviews from critics and audiences alike. With the high-wattage chemistry between leads Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, the film grossed over ten times its modest $30 million budget.
While Jan de Bont returned to direct the sequel, Speed 2: Cruise Control, Reeves didn't, leaving Bullock to star alongside an underwhelming Jason Patric. Both critics and audiences roasted the sequel, which barely made back its increased budget.
7 Caddyshack 2 Lost Its Star But Pushed Ahead Anyway
Caddyshack wasn't a critical success upon its initial release. Nevertheless, the movie introduced viewers to Bill Murray's charm and comedic genius. Writer Brian Doyle-Murray, his brothers Bill and John, and director Harold Ramis had all worked as caddies as teenagers. Their combined experiences inspired this simple yet gut-busting film.
As the original Caddyshack gained popularity, it quickly became a cult classic. Warner Bros. soon begged Ramis to return for a sequel based on Rodney Dangerfield's character. Ramis agreed, but a dispute between Dangerfield and the studio resulted in Dangerfield's refusal to appear in the film. A PG rating further hampered production, and the resulting movie was an unfunny mess of a follow-up.
6 Son Of Mask Tried To Replace Jim Carrey With A New Comedian
Jim Carrey is a force of nature who burst onto screens after establishing himself in standup. At the height of his success in the mid-90s, he played Stanley Ipkiss, a hapless bank employee who discovers the titular mask, transforming him into the best and wackiest version of himself. The Mask also introduced audiences to Cameron Diaz and held the title of the most profitable superhero movie title until 2019's Joker.
Despite this profitability, the studio didn't greenlight a sequel until 11 years later in an attempt to capture the lightning in a bottle formula a second time. The studio cast the latest hot comedian, Jamie Kennedy, in the lead role for Son of Mask. Kennedy tried to imitate the magnetic charm and duality portrayed by Carrey in the original but didn't hit the mark. The flimsy script and porous effects, along with an unbearably frenetic pace, put the final nails in Son of Mask's coffin.
5 Cars 2 Fails To Replicate the Charm of The Original
The first Cars movie is a strange yet still affective relic of mid-aughts Pixar. Starring Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, the original Cars introduced viewers to a world in which sentient cars roam the earth. Wilson's McQueen is a hot-shot racing car who values winning races over anything else. On his way to his next race, McQueen becomes stranded in sleepy Radiator Springs. During his time in this small town, McQueen learns life is about more than just winning.
The original Cars is a strange, slight, self-contained story about friendship and family. Cars 2 ditches this simple but effective formula for a larger story more focused on world-building than character development. This sequel eschews these universal themes and pushes McQueen and his best friend Mater — voiced by Larry the Cable Guy — into a large-scale international espionage adventure. While Cars 2 has a budget over twice the original's, it fails to turn this investment into a better, more emotionally resonant film than the first.
4 Tremors 3: Back To Perfection Can't Measure Up To The Heights of The First
For fans of creature features, Tremors is nothing short of iconic. The 1990 thriller features a young Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward as its two leads. Additionally, it has a loaded bench that includes excellent parts from Reba McEntire and Victor Wong, among others. This cast plays small-town residents who find themselves at war against massive, man-eating worms.
Regrettably, Tremors 3: Back to Perfection doesn't feature director Ron Underwood or either of the original's leading men. Fans can especially feel Ward and Bacon's absences as Michael Gross is left to carry this sequel primarily by himself. The third Tremors introduces fans to a new evolution of the Graboids, but undercuts these new creatures with poor CGI.
3 The Hangover Part 2 Treads On Extremely Familiar Ground
While many aspects of The Hangover aged poorly, it was a considered a comedic phenomenon at the time. After the flop School for Scoundrels, Todd Phillips returned to this R-rated comedy roots for The Hangover. Additionally, Phillips fought the studio and even returned some of his directing fees to ensure he could cast who he wanted. These instincts proved right as The Hangover became one of the highest-grossing R-rated comedies of all time, with a worldwide box office return exceeding $465 million.
The Hangover Part 2 stars Phillips and all four primary cast members. However, neither of the original writers returned for the sequel, and it shows. Part 2 is primarily a retread of plot points covered in the first movie. To make matters worse, Part 2 features even more offensive gags than the first.
2 A Good Day To Die Hard And Live Free Or Die Hard Work To Destroy A Bona Fide Classic
The original Die Hard became one of the best action movies of all time. Directed by the legendary John McTiernan, Die Hard established an action movie formula others have continually attempted to recreate, often to significantly lesser results. It's a formula so ironclad even the sequels in the franchise struggled to replicate it. The last two entries were incredibly lifeless attempts to revive the original's magic.
These last two films, Live Free or Die Hard and A Good Day to Die Hard, are especially infamous among fans of the Die Hard franchise. These sequels forget almost everything that makes the first film iconic and feature increasingly contrived plots. The self-contained stories and memorable villains are traded for not-so-witty sidekicks and forgettable bad guys. Bruce Willis' John McClane goes from a down-on-his-luck beat cop to a superhuman capable of jumping out of buildings and hanging onto jets with his bare hands.
1 The Next Karate Kid Can't Measure Up To The Last
Starring Ralph Macchio as the titular Karate Kid and the legendary Pat Morita as his wise sensei, The Karate Kid was a small movie about a kid overcoming his bullies. Subsequent sequels increased the scope of this first film but never matched its heights.
It seemed only natural for the studio to give the franchise a soft reboot after the third entry. The Next Karate Kid replaced director John G. Avildsen and star Ralph Macchio with Christopher Cain and Hillary Swank, respectively. While Pat Morita returned as Mr. Miyagi, even his steady performance wasn't enough to save this fourth entry.