The 20 Worst Sequels to Good Movies

The second Godfather film is often held up as one of the best movie sequels of all time. Maybe they should have called it quits there.

And Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005.

The all-star cast and flawless special effects couldn’t make up for corny writing, not to mention Jar Jar Binks. Patton Oswalt has some hilarious words on the subject.

There were cop chases, nuns and James Brown in the original, but a post-Belushi Blues Brothers just doesn’t work.

And Revolutions (both 2003).

After The Matrix came out, we couldn’t stop talking about its special effects and provocative message. Its preachy follow-ups put a stop to that.

This fittingly straight-to-video follow-up to 2001’s eerie, imaginative Donnie Darko was not written or directed by original creator Richard Kelly. It shows.

And Batman & Robin (1997.

After Returns (1992) but before Begins (2005) was the dark period for the Batman franchise, known as the late ’90s (AKA: the Joel Schumacher era).

Spielberg’s franchises recur on this list because he oftentimes makes an excellent original film, only for his premises to quickly turn sour in new hands. So it is with Joe Johnston’s sequel of Jurassic Park, which incidentally is the only one not based on a Crichton novel.

The first Caddyshack had a gopher, a crazy Vietnam vet groundskeeper (Bill Murray), and a Baby Ruth floating in a pool. Why mess with perfection?

The Blair Witch Project was an intriguing premise for a movie. The sequel about kids returning to the woods and then dying is a retread of the original film, but without the gritty handheld cinematography or buzz-worthy viral campaign.

Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster ’80s franchise featured a young, active Harrison Ford and campy, fun adventure stories. Two decades later, the follow-up is an aged Ford in a rehashed plot.

And Ocean's Thirteen (2007).

Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 remake of essential Rat Pack movie, Ocean’s Eleven, may not have been brilliant cinema, but it was entertaining. Its cash-cow successors, however, were not.

And Jaws: The Revenge (1987).

Jaws made beach vacationers in the ’70s genuinely afraid of the ocean. It was campy, but also effectively scary. Jaws 3 & 4 were just campy, and not in a good way.

Arguably, 2006’s Rocky Balboa was a relatively decent movie. So we’ll stick to number five in the franchise, where Rocky is past his prime but must return to the ring because he’s lost all his money. A hero grows old and slightly pathetic.

No Sandy, no Danny Zucco, but some sub-standard songs and teen-movie mugging that shows Michelle Pfeiffer’s humble beginnings.

A cute, if surreal, concept is taken too far in this ridiculous sequel.

And IV and V (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.

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.

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.

Before this was a Dirty Dancing sequel, it was the serious tale of American expatriates in pre-Castro Cuba.

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.