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Summer is almost here and that means one thing: Summer blockbusters. Do you have everything ready? Popcorn. Check. Butter and salt. Double check. Secret stash of sweets and drinks. Check—but we won’t tell.
Some of the biggest movies every year are sequels. Many people may roll their eyes and feel like there's nothing new or original in movies anymore, but there are still many people who love (or love to hate) sequels. We know that not all sequels are created equal.
We have high hopes for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which came out May 5th, and we hope to see it on our list of best movie sequels and not the worst. Check out our list of the best and worst movie sequels and find a spot for it!
The Worst Movie Sequels
Hannibal
Sequel to Silence of the Lambs
Image: IMP Awards
Silence of the Lambs is a classic. After all these years, it still gives us chills. Hannibal, on the other hand, was a mess. After such a long time, many of the original cast and crew didn't participate, except for Anthony Hopkins. But the magic of the original was gone, resulting in a very poor sequel.
Speed 2: Cruise Control
Sequel to Speed
Image: IMP Awards
The first speed was a hold-onto-your-seats thriller that you couldn't look away from. It was a hit. So in true Hollywood fashion, if it makes money, make another one. But this time it didn't pay off. Substituting a bus for a boat certainly did not make for a great film, but indeed one of the worst sequels ever.
Evan Almighty
Sequel to Bruce Almighty
Image: IMP Awards
An original idea, a great script, and the acting of Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman made Bruce Almighty a huge success. Therefore, Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman should have been able to make an equally great sequel. Despite them both being brilliant actors, the idea and the script were stale, resulting in an almighty disappointment.
Son of the Mask
Sequel to The Mask
Image: IMP Awards
Jim Carrey made The Mask great and the movie made him a star. How any movie studio thought they could replace him is beyond us. Sorry, but there was no way Jamie Kennedy was ever going to be able to do the role justice. But they tried and, of course, failed miserably.
Alien 3
Sequel to Alien and Aliens
Image: IMP Awards
There’s no other word for it, Alien and Aliens were sci-fi masterpieces. They represent everything good about space and alien sci-fi horror. Alien 3 should have been a no-brainer. It had great material to work with and an exceptional cast and crew. But sadly, problems with the script and production doomed this film from the start.
Batman & Robin
Sequel to Batman Forever
Image: Batman Wiki
With some of the biggest names of the time and one of the most famous comic book heroes, this movie should have been a great deal better than it was. But poor acting, bad jokes, and mediocre special effects killed what could have been a great movie. This is an embarrassment for many and pretty much killed some acting careers. Alicia who?
The Matrix Reloaded
Sequel to The Matrix
Image: Movie Fanatic
The original Matrix was groundbreaking in its story and special effects. But the second two films got bogged down in the details of an over-complicated story and too much reliance on the same special effects. The Matrix Reloaded had a lot to live up to and sadly it just didn’t.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Prequel to the Star Wars trilogy
Image: IMP Awards
While this is actually a prequel, it’s so bad it deserves a spot on this list. And if you don’t remember how bad it is, here are three words for you: Jar Jar Binks.
The Best Movie Sequels
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Sequel to The Hunger Games
Image: IMP Awards
The Hunger Games is a mix of all things YA, but somehow the sequel moves beyond that and speaks to the very real themes of violence, war, the media, and resilience.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Sequel to Star Trek
Image: IMP Awards
The Star Trek Universe is huge and continues to grow to this day. The Wrath of Kahn is one of the most well-respected elements as it captures everything that is great about the original movie and series perfectly.
Toy Story 2
Sequel to Toy Story
Image: IMP Awards
Toy Story changed the way we view animation. It was a masterpiece in computer animation and storytelling. The original was a hard act to follow but Toy Story 2 improves the quality of animation and adds more heart than we could handle.
Batman Returns
Sequel to Batman
Image: Movie Poster Shop
Tim Burton is a master of the odd and eccentric. He added his dark style to the Batman series and created a perfect balance of action, comedy, and gloom that elevated the series to new heights.
The Dark Knight
Sequel to Batman Begins
Image: IMP Awards
Batman Begins is a fine film, but the movie most people remember from the trilogy is The Dark Knight. What makes this movie stand out from the others is the amazing (and haunting) performance of Heath Ledger as The Joker.
Aliens
Sequel to Alien
Image: IMP Awards
This might be controversial to some, but Aliens is one of the rare sequels that is in many ways, better than the original. It was so good that Sigourney Weaver earned an Oscar nomination for her performance—an amazing feat especially given the genre.
The Empire Strikes Back
Sequel to Star Wars: A New Hope
Image: IMP Awards
Five famous words make this a classic, but it's more than just “Luke, I am your father.” which makes this movie so great. The Empire Strikes Back builds on the original film in a way that enriches the story and helped the franchise grow to the worldwide phenomenon it is today.
The Godfather Part II
Sequel to The Godfather
Image: IMDb
The Godfather is often listed as one of the greatest movies of all time. So it makes sense that the sequel is not only a very solid film, but also one of the greatest sequels of all time.
How many on our list have you seen and where do you think this summer’s sequels will place among the best and the worst?
