Too Much Of A Good Thing
Movies are just like shoes. If you like one, you should get another one in a different color, right? Wrong! Sometimes, a good movie should be left alone to bask in the sun. And when it comes to these totally flopped film sequels, the producers really should have just left well enough alone.
Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines
In this case, the second Terminator film actually did pretty well—so well that the franchise came back for a third. And though they kept their starring guy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, they ditched the creative genius behind the first two, James Cameron. Unfortunately, it shows.
Bad Santa 2
The first Bad Santa came as a wry, hilarious addition to the typically more contained Christmas scene. But unlike most sequels, Bad Santa 2 came around over a decade later, and lost literally all the offbeat charm that made the story a hit.
Bad Santa 2 | Official Trailer (HD) – Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox | MIRAMAX, Miramax
Men In Black: International
The original Men in Black, starring film icons Will Smith and Tommy Lee, was a raging success. You probably haven’t heard of the sequel, and for good reason. It barely broke even at the box office, and those who did watch it probably can’t remember anything about it.
MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL - Official Trailer, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Iron Man 2
The first Iron Man film totally impressed audiences and succeeded in kicking off the Marvel franchise with a bang. The second film? Nearly destroyed the whole thing with a complicated storyline that felt nothing like the original. And if you’re a fan of the franchise, you’ll know that wasn’t their only miss.
Iron Man 2 Official Trailer #1 (2010) - Marvel Movie HD, Movieclips
Thor: Love And Thunder
The franchise had a hit with the first Thor film—and the second, and the third. You’d think they’d take their wins and retire, but they came back for a fourth. And when a sick actor couldn’t come in as planned, the stars ended up doing a lot of improv. Unfortunately, you can tell.
Marvel Studios' Thor: Love and Thunder | Official Teaser, Marvel Entertainment
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
In this case, audiences actually liked the second, third, and fourth installment of this franchise more than the first, so it makes sense that the team kept going. But when it came to the fifth and final movie, they ran out of luck. It’s so bad that they actually made a sixth film to give the original cast a proper end.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Original Trailer [FHD], HD Retro Trailers
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 1
Don’t get me wrong, this film still smashed the box office. But critics agree that it narratively fails as a standalone film, and only works as a set up for the final film in the franchise. And, just to add to that, there’s no actual “hunger games” in the film. Jennifer Lawrence did her thing, though.
The Godfather III
All in all, The Godfather III actually wasn’t that bad. It’s just that the first two films were so good, the third had a lot to live up to. And once it lost two of the film’s major performers, including Winona Ryder, it just couldn’t live up to the hype.
Jaws 2
The first Jaws became a critical success, but when director Steven Spielberg refused to come on for the sequel, we should’ve been suspicious. Turns out, he didn’t want to deal with the behind-the-scenes issues from the first movie (multiple script rewrites, animatronic shark trouble, and more). Also turns out, he might’ve been psychic. The second (and third and fourth) flopped.
Jaws 2 (6/9) Movie CLIP - Swim Faster (1978) HD, Movieclips
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
This is another one of those cases where people just didn't bow out early enough. The first three installments of the Pirates franchise did crazy numbers at the box office. This 2017 attempt to recapture their former glory? Just easy fodder for film critics everywhere.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - Official Trailer, Disney
Coming 2 America
Eddie Murphy turned down offers to return for a sequel of the 1988 hit Coming to America for over two decades. In 2021, though, he gave in and joined forces on a sequel that turned out to be a messy mix of nostalgia and questionable plot lines. Might be fun to watch the first time, but most fans probably wouldn’t go back for seconds.
Coming 2 America - Official Trailer | Prime Video, Prime Video
Cars 2
A kids movie has to be pretty hokey to make a list like this, but Cars 2 fits the bill. While the first film served up a healthy dose of life lessons and fun, the second film falls far short with a weirdly overt take on green energy. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it’s Pixar's worst movie ever.
Cars 2 - Theatrical Trailer, Pixar
Space Jam: A New Legacy
The original 1996 Space Jam still brings fond memories to mind for millennials who can envision Michael Jordan playing alongside our favorite Looney Tunes characters. The sequel? A questionable attempt at a modernization that seems less about basketball and more about showing off what IP Warner Bros has under its belt.
Space Jam: A New Legacy – Trailer 1, Warner Bros.
Rocky V
After four pretty successful Rocky movies, you’d think the team behind the fifth movie in the franchise would stick with the winning formula. Unfortunately, they did just the opposite, delivering a film that honestly didn’t feel like Rocky at all.
Rocky V (6/11) Movie CLIP - A Rocky Balboa He'll Never Be (1990) HD, Movieclips
Exorcist II: The Heretic
The Exorcist made a stellar debut in 1973. As such, it likely seemed a sequel would do just as well. Unfortunately, two key people were missing from the sequel’s team—the original director and the novelist who wrote the source material. As a result, the film doesn’t even begin to hold a candle to its predecessor.
Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) - Official Trailer (HD), ScreamFactoryTV
The Hangover 3
This sequel suffers from the same issues as many other franchises on this list: people decided to get a little too creative. Instead of following the narrative of the first two films, they tried an entirely new approach in the third film—and ruined it completely.
The Hangover Part III - Official Trailer [HD], Warner Bros.
Dumb And Dumber 2
The original Dumb and Dumber brought an incredible comedy duo to the silver screen, Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels. But aside from putting them back together, the sequel didn’t do well at all, and proved to be embarrassingly unfunny.
Dumb and Dumber To (1/10) Movie CLIP - 20 Year Prank (2014) HD, Movieclips
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
Unfortunately, fans actually had very high hopes for this third movie in the franchise. And with big names like Harrison Ford reprising their roles to make it happen, they had reason to hope. Once the film came out, though, they were met with serious disappointment, and a hero who didn’t feel quite as capable as he used to.
Anacondas: The Hunt For The Blood Orchid
The original 1997 Anaconda served up an impressive sci-fi film that, despite the advancement of technology in filmmaking since then, has still stood the test of time. But the 2004 sequel overcomplicates the plot, and totally fails to deliver the thrill of the first.
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) Original Trailer [HD], HD Retro Trailers
Caddyshack II
Caddyshack delivered a hilarious comedy and star studded cast. The sequel, however, only managed to reign in Chevy Chase to return to the cast, and barely gleaned a single good chuckle.
Caddyshack 2 - You Pull It Out, jbedpiddy
Staying Alive
The jury’s still out on this sequel to the 1970s Saturday Night Fever. It took a pretty fresh take on the original, which fell flat for most viewers. But in a weird way, if it wasn’t a sequel at all, it might’ve been a pretty good movie.
Staying Alive - Official® Trailer [HD], TrailersPlaygroundHD
Speed 2: Cruise Control
The problem with this sequel might just be the location. Confined to a cruise ship, it just couldn’t pack the punch the original film did, despite the return of its star, Willem Dafoe.
Speed 2 Cruise Control (1998) | Movie Trailer | Sandra Bullock, Williem Dafoe, From a Lost Deck
Blues Brothers 2000
According to the critics, this sequel got just about everything wrong. Luckily, it still manages to have a stellar soundtrack. But not so luckily, that doesn’t make up for the way the original cast far outshines those in the sequel.
Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame To Kill For
This is another sequel that failed to come around soon enough. The original, 2005’s Sin City, became a critical hit. But the sequel took over a decade to get to the big screen. And once it did, nobody cared anymore (and the lackluster writing and performances didn’t help).
Independence Day: Resurgence
Independence Day blew up the box office on the back of a film star who’s already mentioned in this list—Will Smith. But much like in the other case, Smith skipped the sequel, and the film pretty much tanked. Coincidence? Maybe. But maybe not.
Independence Day: Resurgence | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX, 20th Century Studios
Weekend At Bernie’s 2
In this case, the creators of the first film made a rookie mistake—they took the main character’s life in the first film. Their questionable way to write him back to life for a sequel proved corny at best, and insulting at worst.
Weekend At Bernies 2 Trailer, Trancers
The Whole Ten Yards
In this case, the studio truly should have left good enough alone. While The Whole Nine Yards delivered an unexpected masterpiece, its sequel delivered a failed attempt at recapturing the former’s glory.
The Whole Ten Yards (2004) Trailer HD | Bruce Willis | Matthew Perry, Film Trailer Channel
Don’t Breathe 2
According to critics and fans, this sequel itself isn’t a bad movie by typical standards. But they do take serious issue with the way the new film turns one of the villains of the first film into a hero, and understandably so.
Jurassic Park: The Lost World
For all practical purposes, this sequel should have been a success. Both the original director, Steven Spielberg, and the author of the source material came on board to execute another banger. But in the end, they created a follow up that was far less than stellar.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park | Don't Mess With a T. rex Baby, Jurassic World
Teen Wolf Too
All things considered, the original film wasn’t too hot to begin with. But that’s all the more reason a sequel shouldn’t exist. And in this case, the best part about the original—Michael J Fox—skipped the follow-up film.
TEEN WOLF TOO (1987) | Official Trailer | MGM Studios, Amazon MGM Studios
Airplane 2: The Sequel
When it comes to this Airplane sequel, the studios actually should have ditched the original formula. In this case though, they didn’t have the original comedy power of Davis Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker to deliver on the laughs. So when they basically remade the movie, it ultimately fell flat.
Airplane II: The Sequel - Trailer, Paramount Movies Digital
Alien Resurrection
Where the first three Alien movies managed to execute a trio of sci-fi masterpieces (the third not as much as the first two), the fourth is a reminder to stop while you’re ahead. If you get past the bizarre resurrection of one of the main characters, you’ll get stuck in the messy plot.
Alien Resurrection (1997) Trailer #1, Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers
Ant-Man And The Wasp
And another superhero sequel bites the dust. Reportedly, resources were stretched thin across multiple Marvel movies while this film worked its way through production. Unfortunately, it’s pretty easy to tell.
Marvel Studios' Ant-Man and the Wasp - Official Trailer #1, Marvel Entertainment
Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
The Blair Witch Project brought a delightfully horrifying film to the big screen on a pretty tiny budget, stunning audiences and making history at the box office. The sequel, on the other hand, totally lost the authentic feel of the first film and disappointed horror fans everywhere.
Major League II
This sequel seemed set up to win big, considering that the original left the storyline wide open for the sequel to pick up on. But in this case, the studios changed the film from R-rated all the way to PG, totally changing the tone of the film and ruining what made it great in the first place.
Major League 2 (EN) - This is our Cerrano, CS Generation
More American Graffiti
The original 1973 film American Graffiti became a symbol of the times. And though most of the team returned for the sequel, it proved so terrible that it basically ended one of the lead actor’s careers.
More American Graffiti (1979) John Milner's story, Martin Kellermann
Wonder Woman 1984
In what felt like the very last disappointment anyone needed in 2020, this sequel totally underdelivered. Where the first film took on inequality with excellent production, the second reduces the hero to a shadow of her former self.
Wonder Woman 1984 – Official Trailer, Warner Bros.
Zoolander 2
The first Zoolander emerged as a bit of a cult classic in the years following its 2001 debut. So it’s really not clear who thought fans were looking for a sequel. They weren’t, and the one they got proved to be a huge disappointment.
Zoolander 2 Trailer (2016) - Paramount Pictures, Paramount Pictures
Superman 4
Some people don’t even know this movie exists, and that’s not by accident. The 1987 sequel came to life on a limited budget, and looks like they just threw it together. It’s so bad the next Superman movie picked up after the third, as if the fourth never existed at all.
Superman IV: Superman meets Nuclear Man, Kal El (The Dude of Steel)
Revenge Of The Nerds 2: Nerds In Paradise
Like another sequel on this list, this follow up to 1984's Revenge of The Nerds suffered a fatal flaw. Rather than sticking with an R-rating like the original, production made it PG-13—and lost all the raunchy laughs of the original.
Revenge of the Nerds 2: Nerds in Paradise Opening Credits, Jose's Random Stuff
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