Sequels: Hollywood’s way of saying, “If it ain’t broke, let’s try to fix it anyway!” While some sequels soar, others plummet faster than a lead balloon. Let’s revisit the five movie sequels that had us reaching for the popcorn… just to throw it at the screen.
Jaws: The Revenge
The original Jaws was a masterclass in suspense, making beachgoers afraid to go in the water. Jaws 2 was a decent follow-up with Sheriff Brody facing another killer shark. But the franchise jumped the shark with Jaws: The Revenge, an embarrassing entry that featured Sheriff Brody’s widow traveling to the Bahamas to face off against the same vendetta-holding shark that apparently killed her husband. The shark explodes after being impaled by the bow of Michael Caine’s boat in the climax, which Caine famously called the most ridiculous scene he’d ever filmed. We have to agree – this nonsense betrayed everything that made Jaws great.
The Exorcist 2: The Heretic
The Exorcist terrified audiences with its demonic possession story and chilling visuals. So naturally the sequel needed…tap dancing? The Exorcist 2 is a complete tonal mess, with Richard Burton sleepwalking through silly demon-busting hypnosis sequences involving locust swarms. This sequel lacks any of the quiet dread of the original and instead goes full-on campy. We’ll stick with the power of Christ compelling us to avoid ever watching this again.
Son of The Mask
Jim Carrey’s brilliant physical comedy and cartoonish energy were what made The Mask so much fun. For the sequel, we got an unknown actor named Jamie Kennedy donning the mystical mask, and let’s just say he was no Jim Carrey. The comedy and transformations lacked the anything-goes sense of fun from the original. On top of replacing Carrey, the story was a generic retread. We wanted our money back for this subpar green-faced comedy.
Speed 2: Cruise Control
The first Speed had a simple but effective premise: a bomb on a bus that couldn’t slow down. But rather than re-create that claustrophobic intensity, Speed 2 put Sandra Bullock on a slow-moving cruise liner with Jason Patric filling in for Keanu Reeves. The cruise ship provided none of the high-speed thrills of the original, and Bullock’s charisma couldn’t save the stupid premise. Speed didn’t need a sequel, but if it had to happen, we wish they’d stuck to the bus.
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
Mortal Kombat was a well-executed video game adaption that captured the bloody fun of the game. Annihilation abandoned the gritty fighting and tried to stuff an overcomplicated story about Elder Gods and mythical medallions. The CGI effects looked atrociously fake, especially an animated six-armed monster named Sheeva. The lame special effects and nonsensical plot turned this sequel into a flawless fail.
Leave a Reply