Despite the fact that everyone seems to bemoan sequels, excitement grows when it is announced that a follow-up is in the works for a popular movie. The Avengers has not even been in American theaters a week, and yet Disney has already announced plans for a part 2–and it’s unlikely that many people are protesting that. However, audiences are fickle; there are few complaints as long as the sequels are entertaining, but as soon as one film in a series hits a sour note, the fan community acts like it’s the second coming of Hitler. Just look at Spider-man 3, which brought about the end of Sam Raimi’s superhero series despite making $890,871,626 worldwide at the boxoffice.
Some movie series are pretty lousy to begin with, so, for instance, it really doesn’t matter how bad the next Leprechaun movie is because fans of that series expect as much. But how many people avoid the original Jaws because they associate every movie in that series with growling sharks that leap out of the water only to explode when impaled by a sailboat? Often, an excellent film will spawn cringe-inducing sequels that often are the death-knell of the series. Occasionally, a series can overcome a stumble like Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, but all too often the result is a Batman & Robin where the only way to recover is to reboot the franchise. Of course, there’s also series fatigue that happens when so many sequels are made that the filmmakers just run out of creative energy, hence Rocky V and A View to a Kill. There’s also the completely unnecessary sequel to a blockbuster like Speed 2: Cruise Control that is completely inexplicable in its existence (though that can be said for quite a lot of sequels).
The question then is which sequel do you wish was never made? This can be because it ended a terrific series of films, it tarnished the reputation of a classic, or it just angered you beyond belief by its badness. Take the poll vote for as many as you want, and feel free to add one that did not make this list. I’m sure there are many more out there!
Note: The Star Wars prequels were not included in the poll because, well, they’re prequels and not sequels. Also not on the list are any direct to video sequels like the Disney animated cash grabs, as those are just too obvious.
© 2012 FilmVerse
Related articles
- Classic TV Shows Turned into Film (FilmVerse)
- Poll: Stephen King Movie Remakes (FilmVerse)
- Poll: Sequels to Modern Classics (FilmVerse)
- Movie Terms That Should Be Retired (FilmVerse)
- Nostalia Critic’s Review of Alien Resurrection (thatguywiththeglasses.com)
- Nostagia Critic’s Review of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (thatguywiththeglasses.com)
- Nostalgia Critic’s Review of Batman & Robin (thatguywiththeglasses.com)
-
Avengers Sequel In 2014? (etstoyscafe.wordpress.com)
FilmVerse 
Superman for sure and the Man of steel is a super boring film, yukkkssss
Man of Steel is actually a remake (or reboot if you prefer since it covers the same material but from a completely different perspective and style) and not a sequel, but I appreciate your sentiment. I am of mixed feelings on that film. I appreciate what they tried to do with it, but absolutely hate the unnecessary shaky cam photography and certain plot holes are glaring upon reflection. I like that we see the damage done when two superhumans battle, but I have a hard time believing Superman would allow that carnage to happen and be a willing participant.
I find it interesting when sequels better the original film – ie. Spider-Man II and, arguably, The Godfather part II. In terms of ones I wished had never been made – I don’t think there was much call for the Transformers sequels – okay, the box office figures suggest they were a necessity but they were really, really bad. Similarly, Pirates of the Caribbean was superb but the sequels took a little gloss off the original by being so boringly long-winded and completely lacking the magic of the first film.
I hated the first Transformers, so in my opinion any sequel to that is unnecessary, but you’re right that if a series continues to make money, then the studio will continue to churn out more sequels. At least with them, the quality couldn’t really diminish much. With Pirates of the Caribbean and The Matrix, each of those were excellent films and had the same creative team making the sequels. The expectations were high, but the sequels were poorly handled. Not that either series were outright horrible, but the drop off in quality was such that by comparison, the sequels seemed lousy. The same can be said for Spider-man 3 and X-Men: The Last Stand.
Oh my god, so many. SO many. I’ll start with the Matrix sequels, which– in my eyes– seriously mar the original film by adding nothing of value to continued exploration of the two worlds established in the first (the real world/the Matrix itself). Seriously, in what positive ways do the Wachowskis expand on their world building with Reloaded and Revolutions? The Matrix becomes infinitely less interesting after Neo’s conversation with the Architect at the end of Reloaded and, frankly, never recovers from it in Revolutions, which itself is just ham-handed and terrible, all thematic “stuff” aside.
After that– well, I’ll actually defend Alien: Resurrection despite its flaws. But I’ll also say without any hesitation that none of the Jaws sequels ever needed to be made.
I have a soft spot for Alien Resurrection, as there were many things the film did right in regard to sequels (thanks mostly to Joss Whedon), but there are also so many missteps (blame goes to Jean Pierre Jeunet). At least it tries to distinguish itself from the previous films rather than simply a rehash. As for the Jaws sequels, the second film sort of works and has a few scenes that are quite suspenseful. But after that, disbelief is suspended far too far. If another was ever to be made, I’d love to see what Matt Hooper is up to.
Look no further than Piranha 3D; his cameo appearance basically has him playing Hooper in all but name. And then he gets to be the first meal the little beasts enjoy after being released from their earthen prison.
Yeah, that was a fun scene in a surprisingly entertaining film.
Your poll is really difficult Jamie … because I wanted to click more than 1 😉
I don’t even know where to begin…so many unnecessary sequels out there. I never watch Speed 2 even though I like the first one. I avoid Blairwitch 2 because the first was amazing, although I saw the other 2 Matrix but hoping those never been made, and many more.
Actually, the poll was set up to allow for more than one answers. I guess I didn’t make that clear in the post.
It’s a good think to avoid Blair Witch 2.
ah…I only voted 1 😦
I saw the trailer and the trailer said it all
Unfortunately, the way the studio treated the makers of the original was horrendous (though it’s hard to pity guys who walked away millionaires). Their goal was to do a trilogy exploring the mythology of the witch by having each sequel go back in time. The first would explore the child murderer from the ’40s who claimed the witch made him do it, then the third would reveal details of the witch herself and her life. Artisan (now out of business, bought out by Lionsgate) wanted another movie where teenagers go into the woods and die. Ironically, they hired a documentary filmmaker to make a slickly produced film unlike the documentary “found footage” style of the first one. In Blair Witch 2, they treated the first movie as as movie, and not as part of the continuity of its own story. It is badly written, ineptly directed, and horribly acted. The last I heard, Lionsgate was talking with the original directors to possibly return for a third movie, but nothing so far has developed with that. They’re off doing their own low-budget independent films.
I think they should just leave the masterpiece alone!! Honestly, western movies rarely spook me like Asian movies but Blairwitch did it wonderfully, it was the best horror by a westerner EVER (well, for me)… I just wish they would stop ruin the moment with any sequel, big budget nor low budget
I know I’m probably in the minority here, but I liked the latest Indiana Jones movie. It was not the same as the originals of a generation ago, but this is not that generation anymore, as much as we don’t want to admit it. It wasn’t of the same caliber, but the story was interesting enough for me to engage and enjoy.
My thoughts exactly. Yes, the nuclear fridge was over the top, and the monkeys were…strange…but I loved the scenes with the ants and the waterfall. I didn’t mind the aliens/interdimensional beings as much as most people. Each film focused on something from a particular religion, and this one tied with the Mayan beliefs. There is a long history of connecting ancient South American cultures with peoples from other worlds.
Exactly – the aliens fit right in, as far as I see it.
If only Spielberg had left out Shia LeBeouf…
What’s wrong with Shea? not a fan or anything, just wondering.
I really don’t like the ending of this Indiana Jones…maybe because I am not that into alien on earth conspiracy thing. I am fine with cruel alien like in Alien.
I’ve always found him annoying, even going back to Holes (not to mention that in the book, Stanley was overweight and through the course of the book got into shape). I also had a friend who once knew him and told me stories of what a lousy person he is offscreen.
I think there is nothing wrong with Godfather Part III. I think its much better than ‘Back to the Future III’. I think the whole cowboy thing was just a step too far.
I really liked Back to the Future Part III. I can see how the cowboy stuff could be off-putting if you don’t like westerns, especially since pretty much the entire story took place in the old west, in contrast to Part II where only a portion of the movie took place in the future. But I thought the film was charming, in particular Doc’s romance, and the ending was a perfect way of wrapping up the series. The sight of the train taking off to fly away is still one of my favorite moments from cinema.
Awesome post (and poll)! However, I was surprised not to see Mission: Impossible II on the list. 🙂 Words fail me at describing how stupid it is. All the cleverness of the first film was scrapped in favor of nonsensical plotting, zero suspense, and an overload of melodramatic slo-mo shots. Ugh.
Yeah, M:I2 is the weakest film in the series. I am not a fan of John Woo, a man who does not know the definition to the word “subtle.” I didn’t mind the story, but the execution was so far over the top that it makes Brian De Palma’s directing seem mundane. Of course, Tom Cruise’s freehand mountain climbing at the beginning of the film set the standard that he had to match with the subsequent movies in the series, culminating in the sweaty-palm scene of him on that building in Dubai.
Just watched Spider-Man 3 last night. Wow. It gets my vote for the most Sucktastic Superhero Film ever made. Ugh.
That might be saying a lot, given “Batman & Robin,” “Superman 4,” “Supergirl,” “Catwoman,” “Elektra,” the Roger Corman “Fantastic Four,” the original “Captain America,” and a few others that I’m sure are a lot worse. “Spider-man 3” certainly did not live up to the reputation of the first two. Hopefully “The Amazing Spider-man” will be good.
That’s true. I should probably qualify by saying that it’s the worst superhero film I’ve ever seen, as I haven’t watched any of those that you mentioned. Their reputation preceded them. 😀 And yes, I hope this Spider-Man reboot is as awesome as the trailer looks – I like Andrew Garfield, and the new suit is pretty sweet.
What? You’ve never seen those atrocities against mankind that I listed? Just try to watch Catwoman–I dare you! But if you truly want your Batman experience elevated to new heights of low, watch Batman & Robin and try not to stare at the Bat nipples or see how horribly Joel Schumacher managed to mangle the series so badly. It’s a wonder Christopher Nolan was ever to erase that abomination from our collective memory.
LOL! Nope, never seen ’em. If staring at the wall becomes boring, I may give Batman & Robin a go – even though I don’t know if I could ever admit to watching it. 😀
Then I suggest if you want to have fun with that movie and not have to sit through it, yet still see how horrid it is, check out the Nostalgia Critic’s review (linked above in Related Articles). Here’s the link for his review of Superman IV. Warning: strong language.
Hahahaha! That was great. Now I am a wiser man… 😀
All I can say is “BAT CREDIT CARD!?!”
😀
I have not seen all of those. Out of the ones I have I saw The Godfather Part 3 was the only one I didn’t mind. It gets a bad rep. The first two were complete masterpiece’s, and the third was really good. I think it got a lot of hate because it didn’t live up to it’s predecessor.
As a Side note for you, I saw… JAWS yesterday. Thanks for that recommendation. I put off watching it for a long time. Now, I have something to do. I am going to have to think what to kick off my top 100 list.
Part of the problem with The Godfather Part III was Coppola casting his daughter Sophia in a lead role after Winona Ryder dropped out due to “exhaustion.” Despite good intentions and great creative minds at work, sometimes a film just doesn’t come together the way it should, and that’s probably what happened here. It had a lot to live up to!
I hope you enjoyed Jaws.
Hmmm, I’d say nearly all of them. In the case of X-Men 3 though, I think w/ the right director it’d have been a great film. I didn’t abhor it as much as others do, despite my dislike of Ratner, but still, such a disappointment compared to the first two.
I have to admit that Brett Ratner attempted to keep X-Men: The Last Stand as part of the whole series as much as he could, though his style was definitely more cartoonish in places than Bryan Singer’s direction was. Singer tried to root the superheroics in the real world. The thing that upsets me most about the film is the poor treatment of the characters and the general feeling that it evoked, which was a sense of futility rather than excitement over good trumping evil.
Problem with X-Men 3 was it was actually too short and rushed. I know action movies are supposed to be rush rush rush, but they created too deep of a plot to fulfill their own set-up expectations adequately. The result is what it is…
Yeah, that’s one (two?) of the problems that movie had. My biggest complaint is the treatment of the characters. Cyclops was killed offscreen and offhandedly. Professor X was killed (or was he?) onscreen, but in a heartless fashion. Rogue willingly gave up her powers. Jean Grey, who was a great complex character in the first two films, was essentially just a mindless henchman through most of The Last Stand, except when the story needed her to feel conflicted, which felt false. It was hard to care for anyone, and the way the plot unfolded gave me a sick feeling because it was like watching old friends go down the tube without any redeeming reason. I don’t mind heroes dying, as long as there’s meaning behind their deaths (think Spock). There’s something to be said for tragedy, but senseless death is meaningless.
Yes, there was a lot that needed fleshing out, but I kept getting the impression the filmmakers were rushing to get the damned thing done already.
Yeah, it’s too bad Fox took it personally that Bryan Singer made Superman Returns for WB and couldn’t wait for him to finish that film before doing the third in his X-Men trilogy and concluding it in the right manner. But no, they had to put it into production with a new director (and take revenge on poor James Marsden and his character Cyclops).
I know that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull gets a lot of negativity, but compared to many of the other films on this list, it’s a freaking classic! Seriously, compare it to Batman & Robin, Superman 4, or Grease 2, all of which are total abominations.
I really enjoy the last Indy movie (I actually saw it three times in the theater), and I’m also not as negative toward Spider-man 3 as most people. There are a couple films on the list that I personally don’t mind so much, but there are some people who seem to think that these movies are travesties.
So many great choices…or is it terrible choices. I was torn between several of the choices. I narrowed it down to X-Men: The Last Stand, Batman and Robin, and Indy and the Crystal Skull. Ugh, how do I choose?
Actually, you can choose more than one. Choose them all if you want!
For the record, I really enjoyed “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” but put it on the list because I know how most people feel about it.
I had to vote Batman and Robin. While I think George Clooney is one of the great film makers and actors going now I hate that this movie is in his archive. But this is a category that could have multiple answers. Great topic
That movie ranks up there with my all-time hated films. I actually paid to see it twice in the theaters because the first time I was so sick that I could not remember a thing about it. When I saw it the second time, I wish I had forgotten everything about it.
There are a number (some you have here): X-Men 3: The Last Stand, Spider Man 3, Batman and Robin, any of the Jaws sequels passed the second, Speed 2, Blade: Trinity, and likely my most despised: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
p.s., I’m not a fan of Alien 3 either, but Resurrection is a guilty pleasure, more for Sigourney and Whedon’s treatment in the screenplay for the iconic Ripley.
There are things that I like about “Alien Resurrection,” but overall it’s a misstep. I wish that Jean Pierre Jeunet had not added all the goofiness (“Beautiful, beautiful butterfly!”) and stuck to Joss Whedon’s straight-forward adventure story. If you haven’t already, you should check out the extended cut of “Alien 3.” While still not a perfect movie, it is a lot better than the theatrical release, and you can actually tell the grimy, bald-headed prisoners with English accents apart from one another.