Sequels that can't compare to the originals
So the last topic got me to thinking about the opposite...are there sequels that totally suck compared to the original? I'm not gonna even go into remakes, because frankly I HATE remakes, especially the ones from movies from the 80's! They make me feel horribly old (and that's a topic for another day).
The most prominent sucky sequel that comes to mind is The Blair Witch Project 2. When I originally saw the first one in the theater, I left laughing! I thought it was the stupidest movie I had ever seen...until I got home and tried to sleep. For the following two weeks, what little sleep I did get was with the lights on! So I changed my mind and it's now on my all time favorite horror movie lists! I've only been able to sit through it once since and didn't sleep that night either. But the sequel...ugh! What were they thinking?
A Fish Called Wanda is one of the best movies ever. Stellar cast, hundreds of amazing one-liners, just a great movie! Then the cast decided to all get together and make a sequel (which could have been cool), but what they ended up with was Fierce Creatures. It was almost painful to watch.
This one is gonna be controversial, but any Pirates past the first Pirates of the Caribbean - now, first off, nothing pisses me off more than a movie that ends in the middle of the story like 2 and 3 did, especially when you're not expecting it, but how they ended the Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner storyline should have gotten someone fired!! #4 makes the assumption that Jack Sparrow WAS Pirates, but I beg to differ and without Will and Elizabeth, definitely James Norrington (I just LOVE Jack Davenport, I bawled like a baby in his final scene!) and even a big honorable mention to Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa, there is no Pirates...sure, Jack Sparrow was great, but it was an ensemble that made it great, not Jack alone (despite the opinion of the masses). And Davy Jones was a much better villain than Blackbeard could ever be! Granted, Barbossa stayed, but playing a friendly along side Sparrow just didn't work.
And speaking of crappy kills...Young Guns II...ugh. I've only walked out of a theater twice in my life, the first time when Goose got killed in Top Gun (I so love Anthony Edwards and was only there for him anyway-Tom Cruise literally turns my stomach as much back then as he does now) and the second when they killed Doc in Young Guns II. How dare they! In the 80's Kiefer Sutherland was my god and I sure as heck didn't enjoy watching him take a million bullets! I have managed to sit through it once since, but never again. That was a sequel that could have been great, but alas...it wasn't meant to be.
The last Mummy movie - I love Brendan Fraser and #2-The Mummy Returns (The Scorpion King doesn't count) was absolutely amazing (and, if truth be told, #2 is my favorite), but that last one...whoosh! Talk about letting the air out of the hot air balloon (and anyone who has seen The Mummy Returns gets that). When Rachel Weiss couldn't make filming, it should have been delayed right then, but they didn't, and no storyline could have saved it. Brendan and Rachel are another movie couple who are wonderful together. How could they even think about replacing her and couldn't they at least find an actress that had even a tad bit of chemistry with Brendan other than Maria Bello? Not even the great Jet Li could have saved it and that man has single-handedly saved dozens of movies for me (Lethal Weapon 4 anyone?).
Any movie past the first Highlander...we won't even discuss the future remake (supposedly starring Ryan Reynolds - who I love, but he ain't no Highlander!). It's an 80's cult classic for good reason and it should have stayed that way. I never watched the TV show, but the sequel with the TV Highlander and the movie Highlander wasn't terrible, but still nowhere near the original. Bit of trivia, the director of the first two Highlander movies, Russell Mulcahy, also was the director of many of the the first great Duran Duran videos, including Hungry Like The Wolf, Rio, The Reflex, and Wild Boys!
I'm sure there are others...anyone have any thoughts?
Soapbox dismount...at least for today...
The most prominent sucky sequel that comes to mind is The Blair Witch Project 2. When I originally saw the first one in the theater, I left laughing! I thought it was the stupidest movie I had ever seen...until I got home and tried to sleep. For the following two weeks, what little sleep I did get was with the lights on! So I changed my mind and it's now on my all time favorite horror movie lists! I've only been able to sit through it once since and didn't sleep that night either. But the sequel...ugh! What were they thinking?
A Fish Called Wanda is one of the best movies ever. Stellar cast, hundreds of amazing one-liners, just a great movie! Then the cast decided to all get together and make a sequel (which could have been cool), but what they ended up with was Fierce Creatures. It was almost painful to watch.
This one is gonna be controversial, but any Pirates past the first Pirates of the Caribbean - now, first off, nothing pisses me off more than a movie that ends in the middle of the story like 2 and 3 did, especially when you're not expecting it, but how they ended the Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner storyline should have gotten someone fired!! #4 makes the assumption that Jack Sparrow WAS Pirates, but I beg to differ and without Will and Elizabeth, definitely James Norrington (I just LOVE Jack Davenport, I bawled like a baby in his final scene!) and even a big honorable mention to Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa, there is no Pirates...sure, Jack Sparrow was great, but it was an ensemble that made it great, not Jack alone (despite the opinion of the masses). And Davy Jones was a much better villain than Blackbeard could ever be! Granted, Barbossa stayed, but playing a friendly along side Sparrow just didn't work.
And speaking of crappy kills...Young Guns II...ugh. I've only walked out of a theater twice in my life, the first time when Goose got killed in Top Gun (I so love Anthony Edwards and was only there for him anyway-Tom Cruise literally turns my stomach as much back then as he does now) and the second when they killed Doc in Young Guns II. How dare they! In the 80's Kiefer Sutherland was my god and I sure as heck didn't enjoy watching him take a million bullets! I have managed to sit through it once since, but never again. That was a sequel that could have been great, but alas...it wasn't meant to be.
The last Mummy movie - I love Brendan Fraser and #2-The Mummy Returns (The Scorpion King doesn't count) was absolutely amazing (and, if truth be told, #2 is my favorite), but that last one...whoosh! Talk about letting the air out of the hot air balloon (and anyone who has seen The Mummy Returns gets that). When Rachel Weiss couldn't make filming, it should have been delayed right then, but they didn't, and no storyline could have saved it. Brendan and Rachel are another movie couple who are wonderful together. How could they even think about replacing her and couldn't they at least find an actress that had even a tad bit of chemistry with Brendan other than Maria Bello? Not even the great Jet Li could have saved it and that man has single-handedly saved dozens of movies for me (Lethal Weapon 4 anyone?).
Any movie past the first Highlander...we won't even discuss the future remake (supposedly starring Ryan Reynolds - who I love, but he ain't no Highlander!). It's an 80's cult classic for good reason and it should have stayed that way. I never watched the TV show, but the sequel with the TV Highlander and the movie Highlander wasn't terrible, but still nowhere near the original. Bit of trivia, the director of the first two Highlander movies, Russell Mulcahy, also was the director of many of the the first great Duran Duran videos, including Hungry Like The Wolf, Rio, The Reflex, and Wild Boys!
I'm sure there are others...anyone have any thoughts?
Soapbox dismount...at least for today...
Comments
I was really disappointed with POTC 4, it was funny and I totally love Johnny Depp, but it just felt like something was missing (the rest of the cast maybe?).
Now I hate remakes and reboots, however, Henry Caviill as Superman is something I just have to see. He'd also make a great Highlander, but I bet they want a big name to carry it and if Ryan Reynolds is cast and gets his kit off, I'd sit through it!
The other Superman guy, not Christopher Reeve, but the other one...talk about bad casting!
To be honest, the original Highlander was such a big part of my youth, I can't imagine now who could pull it off...Richard Armitage comes to mind, but RA often comes to my mind! It will be nice when he finishes filming The Hobbit movies so he can get back to other things! I miss him!
I agree about POTC it wasnt the same without Will Swann - I cant stand Keira so didnt miss all that pouting and bad acting!
Looking forward to your next post!
I don't care for Kiera either...and what idiot decided to cast her as Elizabeth Bennett? Seriously, if she didn't have such great chemistry with Matthew MacFayden, I would have never seen it (OK, I would have seen it anyway because of Matthew...but still!)