Sometimes, a film is so good that the sequel is almost bound to disappoint. We’ve all seen a film that was storytelling perfection, only to have that magic shattered by a flat follow-up. That’s something no movie lover wants. According to some displeased fans online, here are ten great films ruined by their sequels.
1. Independence Day (1996)
The first Independence Day was fantastic and loved by movie fans worldwide. Aliens showed up with their cosmic plans to crash our party. But humans, armed with nothing but determination, put up a good fight! When the sequel was released in 2016, fans hated it so much that some even erased it from their memories. They called it terrible, unnecessary — a continuity error extravaganza. In the first movie, after the alien attacks President Whitmore psychically, he realizes “they travel from planet to planet, their whole civilization.” This implied that their mother ship was actually their whole civilization. By destroying the mother ship, these aliens should have been eradicated. The sequel makes no sense unless, of course, there was a grandmother ship.
2. Enchanted (2007)
In Enchanted, a fair maiden got yanked from her fantasy kingdom to the chaos of New York City. There, she fell head over heels for a lawyer. Classic fish-out-of-water romance, right? Then Disney released Disenchanted in 2022 and ruined things for the fans. Giselle had a solid decade in the Big Apple. She remained the wide-eyed princess: no change in her character after living in the real world for a decade. That’s unreal, and that’s only one thing on a list of things viewers didn’t like. “It was especially awful because it would’ve only needed a few changes to be a decent movie,” one fan writes.
3. Jaws (1975)
The first Jaws was a masterpiece. Off the shores of Cape Cod, a murderous shark wreaks havoc upon a beachside community. It’s now up to a local sheriff, an old seaman, and a marine biologist to deal with the beast. Classic suspense! The sequel wasn’t received with as many smiles as the first film. Some people say it was hilarious but in a ridiculous way. The premise is that the mate of the original shark knew not only who killed her mate but also plotted revenge. Imagine a shark holding grudges and roaring like a lion. Jaws was a gem. Jaws II had its moments, but the rest? Fans prefer to pretend they don’t exist.
4. The Mask (1994)
Stanley Ipkiss was a bank clerk with zero confidence until he found a mask belonging to the Norse god of mischief, Loki. The mask transforms him into a wild and crazy cartoon character. Mix in some crime boss drama; you’ve got a wild ride. In 2005, the sequel, Son of the Mask, was released to the displeasure of film freaks. Jamie Kennedy couldn’t channel that Jim Carrey magic. But some fans argue it does not ruin the original ending too much as it is disconnected from the original plot-wise.
5. Mulan (1998)
In Mulan, a Chinese maiden disguises herself as a man to save her father from war. In the process, she becomes one of the greatest heroines of her land. That’s a feel-good story with just enough drama and action. When Mulan II outright detracts from the message and themes of the first, enthusiasts aren’t pleased. Some say the only good thing about Mulan 2 is that they finish “A Girl Worth Fighting For” since they never finished the song in the first movie. One bitter fan claims, “Mulan 2 is probably the worst of the direct-to-DVD Disney sequels, and that’s saying something.”
6. First Blood (1982)
Rambo: First Blood was an exciting look into the mind of a traumatized, antisocial, but good war veteran and what people with power will do to people who don’t fit into their controlled world. A veteran Green Beret goes rogue in the mountains, giving his chasers a one-man-action masterpiece. Now, for the sequels, it feels like they cranked the patriotism knob to eleven and broke it off! Some fans say it’s like Uncle Sam took over the script.
7. Pacific Rim (2013)
In a war between humans and sea monsters, a veteran pilot and a trainee join forces to operate an old but vital weapon. Together, they fight to prevent the impending apocalypse and save the world. The film ended well, with Mako and Raleigh, the two survivors, sealing the rift that the monsters came through. Viewers agree that Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) should have never happened. The post-Pacific Rim world is undoubtedly fascinating, but the sequel was unnecessary.
8. American Psycho (2000)
A suave NYC investment banker is a blood-thirsty psycho in his own head, and he doesn’t hold himself back from exploring his violent, hedonistic fantasies. American Psycho was a psychopathic rollercoaster we couldn’t look away from. Fast forward to American Psycho 2, and it’s like they lost the script. Suddenly, our killer is all too real, not an imaginary killer living out his fantasies in his head. Official sequel or not, someone must’ve swapped the movie reels for a glitchy alternate reality. The second one makes zero sense. Nothing about it relates to the first movie.
9. Coming to America (1988)
Once upon a time, in the luxurious kingdom of Zamunda, Prince Akeem decided to ditch the traditional arranged marriage and seek love in New York City. Comedy gold! Given the hilarity and genius of the first, it’s no surprise the second wasn’t received well. Coming 2 America received low ratings, poor reviews, and overall displeasure. “Refuse to watch Coming 2 America. Murphy had to go and choose his best movie to ruin,” one fan comments.
10. The Boy (2016)
Greta, an American nanny, unravels a chilling secret in a remote English village: the family’s “son” is a life-sized doll. Eerie events escalate as Greta violates strict rules, convinced the doll is alive. The plot twist at the end of the first movie is quite genius. It makes the film something much more interesting than just another generic “haunted doll in a scary place.” And that’s basically what the second movie is. It retcons the first movie by throwing the best thing about it out the window.
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