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Lest we forget that movie-making is a business, and a lucrative one at that, all we need to do is look at the list of terrible sequels that have been made to cash in on the success of good movies. There are a lot of them. In fact, a good sequel is such a rarity that it’s an easier critical task to cite the ones that worked as opposed to the long list of those that don’t.
Here, we list the 20 worst sequels that followed up good (or, at least, entertaining) original films, and there are literally dozens more contenders that could have been on this list. If only the studios would leave well enough alone.
20. Scream 3 (2000)
Wes Craven’s Scream and Scream 2 were playful takes on the horror genre, but by the time the third sequel came along, the series had become ridiculous. We’re cautiously optimistic the fourth installment, due out in 2010, will recapture the joy of the originals.
19. Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)
Before this was a Dirty Dancing sequel, it was the serious tale of American expatriates in pre-Castro Cuba. Listen to NPR’s This American Life to hear how it went so terribly awry.
18. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) and Superman Returns (2006)
Although the special effects haven’t aged well on any Superman movie, the early ones were fun comic-book fantasies, while Superman IV‘s absurd plotline (Superman single-handedly prevents nuclear war) was the franchise’s death rattle. The 2006 attempt to resurrect the series contained slick production values but none of the original sense of whimsy.
17. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) and At World’s End (2007)
Johnny Depp’s bizarre comic timing and obvious enjoyment of the role infused life into The Black Pearl (2003), the first film in the Disney series. But after that, the one bright spot in the franchise seemed bored, and a stellar cast and glossy special effects couldn’t salvage the tired premise of these films based on theme park rides.
16. Saw III, IV and V (2006, 2007, 2008)
When the first Saw came out in 2004, it was heralded as a disturbing, original, dare-we-say indie-horror film. But the thinning plots cannot withstand a new Saw film coming out once a year. (Stay tuned for VI this Friday, Oct. 23.)
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Although I never actually saw it, I always thought "Psycho II" was the most unnecessary sequel of all time - why spoil an absolutely perfect movie, where all the loose ends were already wrapped up?
This article lost all credibility when bashing such a brilliant movie as Oceans Twelve.
I agree with 19 of 20 selections. The film "Babe, Pig in the City" is a better film than the original. It is darker and funnier and allows for the protagonist to truly be heroic, much more so than the lovable original.
Legally Blonde 2, Bridget Jones 2, all the Bring It On sequels...
I don't think Men in Black was a cinematic masterpiece by any means, but at least it was entertaining and funny.
The sequel was just plain AWFUL.
Exorcist 2?
Exorcist 2?
I have to disagree with the inclusion of Jurassic Park 3 on this list. Jurassic Park 2 was the real disaster. Part 3 re-captured the spirit of the original, though it was far too short.
1. Jurassic Park III is a fun little sports car that runs rings around the shambling, overlong mess that was (Speilberg's own) JP II.
2. Defenders of Babe:PITC have something wrong with them. Too dark for kids, too childish for everyone else, too full of itself to even be a guilty pleasure.
3. Mixing in straight-to-video releases here is silly; these are by definition meant to be inferior, exploitative, cash-in projects. A more interesting list would be "Straight-to-video sequels that didn't acutally suck". (3D sequels fall into the same category, BTW)
The Godfather III absolutely does not deserve the #1 spot. Sure, it's nowhere near as good as the first two; not much is. But even with Sophia's godawful performance, and the painful lack of Tom Hagen, it's still an eminently watchable, worthy chapter that completes Michael's story.
Do you realize it's the only film on your list that was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar?
Also - Superman IV, but no Superman III? Pfft.
I thought Babe, pig in the city was every bit as fabulous as the original.
The orangutang, the scene involving the clown's pants, and suspenders. This is absurd, wonderful whimsical cinema, my dear peoples.
As for the others, well. Few sequels EVER equal the original in surprise. As ebert says, it's like a second helping of popcorn when you've already had one. THe first was tasty, the second is exactly the same thing, and the trouble is that you've lost your taste for it by this point.
A more interesting list would be "Sequels that really are as good, or better than the original film". For example, Toy Story 2. Toy Story 1 was a great film. But Toy Story 2 was even better.
Warren
The sequels to the two Paul Newman/Robert Redford films should have been on the list. "The Sting II" and "Butch and Sundance: The Early Years" both were terrible.
You forgot Back to the Future II. The 3rd one, Back to the Future III was actually pretty good, but the 2nd one just sucked.
Back to the Future II? The 3rd one, Back to the Future III was actually pretty good, but the 2nd one not so much.
Agree mostly. Thought Jurassic Park III was better than II, with Arliss Howards' ridiculous English accent.
Haven't seen American Psycho 2, but I imagine it's up there.
O Lucky Man was already a sequel of sorts to if... Malcolm McDowell's screen debut and a brilliant look deep inside an English boys' school directed by the brilliant Lindsay Anderson. O Lucky Man, Anderson again at the helm, was the wide-ranging sequel with McDowell back as Mick Travis, same character as in if..., but here he sets out to find his way in the world. Lucky is a viciously biting, funny film. Alan Price wrote and sang the soundtrack songs--on screen much of the time, too. Great soundtrack album of his songs. THEN there was Britannia Hospital. McDowell passed, so Price was the new Mick Travis. Unmitigated train wreck of a film. Nothing worked right, and it sank without a trace. I hereby nominate this for the next 5 disasterous sequels list.
I always liked Ocean's 12 best of the three movies, I've heard others say the same.
*Best* Sequels to Good Movies would have been a lot shorter list - not to mention nearly impossible to find enough for a list.
Speed 2 - not only a bad sequel...maybe the worst movie of all time...
Where is the sequel to Slap Shot on here?!?!?
I can't believe the "Saturday Night Fever" sequel "Staying Alive" was not included. Perhaps it's in the "so bad it's good" category along with "Showgirls".
I second all the comments about Babe 2...Whoever came up with this list has some serious taste issues...its inclusion nullifies the list (even though it’s kinda needless anyway)...
I guess nobody has ever seen THE STING II? I don't mind saying that movie was absolute CRAP!!