爆料TV

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.6
Sequel: "The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea" (5.6)

When Ariel听听and her quest to join the human world in 1989, audiences went wild to the tune of听. Over a decade later, 鈥淭he Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea鈥� gave viewers the next generation of the story as Ariel and Eric鈥檚 daughter Melody longs to get back into the water. Without a traditional box office release or the听听of Alan Menken, 鈥淩eturn to Sea鈥� just wasn鈥檛 destined to be part of this world.

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.6
Sequel title: "Mulan II" (5.7)
听

Disney鈥檚 鈥淢ulan鈥� animated the ancient Chinese tale of Hua Mulan, in which a heroic woman disguises herself as a male soldier to spare her elderly father from going to war. 鈥淢ulan II鈥� picks up a month later after Mulan鈥檚 secret is discovered, as she prepares to marry her true love, General Shang. While much of the cast returned for the sequel,听听claim that the sequel has none of the charm of the original.

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.6
Sequel title: "Lethal Weapon 2" (7.2), "Lethal Weapon 3" (6.7), "Lethal Weapon 4" (6.6)
听

鈥淟ethal Weapon鈥� turned the听听on its head by introducing themes like age differences and mental illness.听But each subsequent sequel鈥攖here have now been four movies in total, with听鈥攈as failed to match up to the original.听

听

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.6
Sequel title: "Queen of the Damned" (5.3)

鈥淚nterview with the Vampire鈥� was destined to be a hit, with an all-star cast (Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt) and a sexy plot鈥攁dapted from听鈥攁bout the process of becoming a vampire. Its sequel 鈥淨ueen of the Damned鈥� was damned from the beginning, with an entirely new cast and a horror-based storyline that focused on heavy metal stardom.

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.6
Sequel title: "Batman Returns" (7.0), "Batman Forever" (5.4), "Batman & Robin" (3.7)

Tim Burton's "Batman" gave viewers a darker glimpse into the comic book favorite, as the Caped Crusader fought The Joker's bid to overtake Gotham. But viewers lost interest as the sequels got more cartoony鈥�like when Arnold Schwarzenegger tries to freeze over Gotham in the low-rated "."听Things started looking up again in "Batman Begins," a completely new franchise from director Christopher Nolan, in which the "Dark Knight" sequels actually听听than the original.

听

You may also like: Best 2021 movies

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.6
Sequel title: "Saw II" (6.6), "Saw III" (6.2), "Saw IV" (5.9), "Saw V" (5.8), "Saw VI" (6.0), "Saw 3D: The Final Chapter" (5.6)

People trapped in a room,听a听mysterious unseen serial killer, and听sadistic psychological and physical tests. These are the ingredients of the first 鈥淪aw,鈥� which set the stage for a franchise of eight films following a similar formula. Although they鈥檝e collectively听, they鈥檝e never matched the IMDb rating of the original.

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.6
Sequel title: "Kung Fu Panda 2" (7.3), "Kung Fu Panda 3" (7.1)

When 鈥淜ung Fu Panda鈥� came out in 2008, people flocked to see Po the panda as he attempted to become a kung fu master鈥攅arning a听. The sequels saw their pudgy hero trying to defeat evil peacocks and spirit warriors, but they couldn鈥檛 quite match the popularity of the first film.

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.6
Sequel title: "American Psycho 2" (3.9)

Image-obsessed Manhattan businessman by day, grotesque serial killer by night. Christian Bale played the titular 鈥淎merican Psycho鈥� to perfection in this parody of 鈥�80s materialism, but the response was tepid when Mila Kunis played the lead in its sequel鈥攎aybe because it went for full-on horror instead of听.

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.6
Sequel title: "Kick-Ass 2" (6.6)

By the time 鈥淜ick-Ass鈥� came out in 2010, the world was ready for this out-of-the-box take on the superhero genre鈥攊n which a teenager turns himself into a hero with nothing more than a scuba suit. However, the sequel wasn't nearly as successful seemed to loathe it:听Robert Ebert even called 鈥淜ick-Ass 2鈥� , asserting that听the film's attitude toward women and girls was "insulting."听

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.7
Sequel title: "The Birds II: Land's End" (2.8)

Alfred Hitchcock's iconic film of avian attack swarmed movie theaters in 1963鈥攁nd made such an impact that it was included in the听. The made-for-TV follow-up appeared on Showtime in 1994 in an unsuccessful attempt to capitalize on the original's legendary reputation.

You may also like: Best 1980 movies

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.7
Sequel title: "Despicable Me 2" (7.4), "Despicable Me 3" (6.3)

In addition to introducing the world to Gru, Steve Carell鈥檚 super villain with a heart-of-gold, this animated blockbuster marked the first appearance of the ultra-popular Minions. No matter how many gibberish-spewing yellow henchmen the sequels generated, they still couldn鈥檛 match the acclaim of the first film.

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.7
Sequel title: "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" (6.8)

This action-spy-comedy franchise won over audiences with the 鈥淗ogwarts for spies鈥� premise of its first iteration, but its follow-up couldn鈥檛 muster the same accolades. Critic David Edelstein听: 鈥淎 sequel was de rigueur, of course, but what a mess it is.鈥�

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.7
Sequel title: "The Hangover Part II" (6.5), "The Hangover Part III" (5.9)

In the summer of 2009, this tale of a bachelor party gone hilariously wrong became box office gold, soaring to become听. The sequels saw Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and the rest of the Wolfpack getting caught up in more pre-marital debauchery in locales from Mexico to Thailand. The third installment of the franchise was universally panned, garnering only a 21% on the听.听

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.8
Sequel title: "Ghostbusters II" (6.5)

The first 鈥淕hostbusters鈥� taught the world who to call in case of a ghost emergency and what to do when a giant marshmallow man attacks a major city. 鈥淕hostbusters II,鈥� on the other hand, focused on an evil spirit trapped in a painting. Movie fans clearly preferred the original, although 鈥淕hostbusters II鈥� did manage to听, which featured an all-female squad.

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.8
Sequel title: "Ocean's 12" (6.5), "Oceans 13" (6.9), "Ocean's Eight" (6.4)

With a cast featuring talent like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts, it wasn't a surprise that this听heist revenge story听was a hit with audiences. "Ocean's Eight," which stars Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, and Anne Hathaway鈥攁mong quite a few other well-known female actresses鈥攚as released in theaters in the U.S. on June 8.

听

You may also like: Best 1968 movies

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.9
Sequel title: "Son of Kong" (5.8)

When 鈥淜ing Kong鈥� premiered in 1933, it was a marvel of technology.听听raved that it听surpassed 鈥渁nything of its type which has gone before it in commercial film-making.鈥� It鈥檚 a shame that the adventure comedy 鈥淪on of Kong鈥� couldn鈥檛 live up to its predecessor. Interestingly, the 鈥淜ing Kong鈥� title has been re-made three times (1933, 1976, 2005), but the original is听.

Original film's IMDb rating: 7.9
Sequel title: "Dawn of the Dead" (7.3)

鈥淣ight of the Living Dead,鈥� in which zombies attack a rural farmhouse, is a classic of the horror genre. Fittingly,听, spawning sequel after sequel and remake after remake. Most of these have not lived up to the hype of the original film, except 鈥淒awn of the Dead,鈥� the first sequel with no connection to the original narrative鈥攂esides zombies, zombies, and more zombies.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.0
Sequel title: "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" (6.1), "Escape from the Planet of the Apes" (6.3), "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (6.1), "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (5.5), Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (7.6), "War for the Planet of the Apes" (7.5)

The original 鈥淧lanet of the Apes鈥� was听听exploring the premise of ultra-intelligent primates ruling over a planet that just so happens to look a lot like Earth. While those sequels never matched the progenitor, the 2011 franchise reboot with James Franco and Andy Serkis garnered a 7.6, putting it closest to the original鈥檚 IMDb user rating.听

听

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.0
Sequel title: "The Return of Jafar" (5.9)

Disney movies like 鈥淎laddin鈥� have had an unfortunate track record when it comes to sequels. The original is loved, but the sequel suffers from a smaller budget and a direct-to-video release, which limits its appeal. In 鈥淭he Return of Jafar,鈥澨�听(the voice of Homer Simpson) took over for Robin Williams as Genie, but the sequel couldn鈥檛 match the audience satisfaction of the original.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.0
Sequel title: "Exorcist II: The Heretic" (3.7)

"The Exorcist" is one of the most successful horror movies in history, with听. The other movies in the franchise, beginning with "Exorcist II: The Heretic," paled in comparison, proving that audiences lose their taste for religious-themed horror movies once the demons have already been exorcised.

You may also like: Best 1969 movies

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.0
Sequel title: "Jaws 2" (5.7), "Jaws 3-D" (3.6), "Jaws: The Revenge" (2.9)

鈥淛aws鈥� was Steven Spielberg鈥檚 first big blockbuster,听and the film made people everywhere afraid to go into the water. Each film that followed kept the idea of great white sharks terrorizing humans, but the initial shock value was gone鈥攁nd indeed no sequel took as big of a ratings bite as the first 鈥淛aws.鈥�

Original film's IMDb rating: 8
Sequel title: "Star Trek: Into Darkness" (7.8), "Star Trek: Beyond" (7.1)

Since 鈥淪tar Trek: The Motion Picture,鈥� in 1979 there have been a whopping 13 movies in the Star Trek universe. But this 鈥淪tar Trek鈥� reboot boldly went where no Trek film had gone before: the highest IMDb rating of any incarnation of the franchise. While the follow-ups (鈥淚nto Darkness鈥� and 鈥淏eyond鈥�) also scored highly, nothing can match the impact of J.J. Abrams鈥� 2009 masterpiece.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.0
Sequel title: "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (7.3), "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (7.1), "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (6.6), "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" (6.6)

In 2003, 鈥淧irates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl鈥� did the unthinkable: it took an amusement park ride and turned it into box office riches. While the treasure-minded sequel 鈥淒ead Man鈥檚 Chest鈥� made the Pirates franchise the first to have a sequel听, none of the four follow-ups could top the original when it comes to IMDb听ratings.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "After the Thin Man" (7.7)
听

The 1934 comedic mystery classic was听听and the 1936 sequel 鈥淎fter the Thin Man鈥� was听.听While the original spawned five well-received subsequent films all starring Hollywood royalty William Powell and Myrna Loy, none compared to the first.

听

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "The Black Bird" (5.4)

In "The Maltese Falcon," Humphrey Bogart plays a private detective trying to uncover the mystery behind a jewel-encrusted falcon statue. In its sequel "The Black Bird," George Segal plays the son of Bogart's character in a comedic turn that didn't win over the critics. Lamenting the characters in the sequel,听听that "Humphrey Bogart would have sent them home."

You may also like: Best 1974 movies

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "Blackthorn" (6.6)

American Film Institute named the Western classic 鈥淏utch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid鈥� to听. But 鈥淏lackthorn,鈥� which follows Butch Cassidy later in life as he tries to return to America from Bolivia,听.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "Born on the Fourth of July" (7.2)

American audiences loved Oliver Stone鈥檚 鈥淧latoon鈥� for its realistic portrayal of the hell that was the Vietnam War. Three years later, critics and audiences alike rooted for Tom Cruise in 鈥淏orn on the Fourth of July,鈥� which depicted the horrors of returning from war, but the听听wasn鈥檛 enough to overtake the original.

听

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "Rocky II" (5.2), "Rocky III" (6.8), "Rocky IV" (6.8), "Rocky V" (5.2), "Rocky Balboa" (7.2)

For a generation of moviegoers, the name Rocky invokes punching slabs of beef, running up steps in Philadelphia, and 鈥淓ye of the Tiger.鈥� The first 鈥淩ocky鈥� movie made Sylvester Stallone a star as an up-and-coming boxer; the sequels turn Rocky into a world champion who faces opponents across the globe. While several of the sequels听, the original still holds the title as the people鈥檚 champ.

听

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "How to Train Your Dragon 2" (7.8)

The IMDb user ratings for both 鈥淒ragon鈥� movies are incredibly strong鈥攖he sequel scored higher than the original "Batman"鈥攁nd these animated tales of Viking dragon training are so beloved that a third adventure is听. 鈥淗ow to Train Your Dragon 2鈥� is only separated from 鈥淗ow to Train Your Dragon鈥� by .3 points, which underlines how rare and admirable it is to see a movie and its sequel in such close company.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "S. Darko" (3.6)

The 2001 story of a teenager with disturbing visions of the apocalypse helped make lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal into a movie star and earned him听, including Independent Spirit Awards for Best Male Lead, Best First Feature, and Best First Screenplay for writer and director Richard Kelly. But the unaffiliated 2009 sequel, "S. Darko," was so hated that "Donnie Darko" director Kelly听.

You may also like: Best 2007 movies

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "Monsters University" (7.3)

Pixar added another feather to its already impressive cap with the success of 鈥淢onsters, Inc.,鈥� the imaginative backstory behind the monsters under kids鈥� beds. Origin story 鈥淢onsters University鈥� is technically a prequel, not a sequel, but Pixar collected another commercial hit with the endeavor鈥�.听

听

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (6.5), "Jurassic Park III" (5.9), "Jurassic World" (7.0)

鈥淛urassic Park鈥� is a feat of filmmaking that听听of computer effects鈥攕howing audiences realistic dinosaurs that come back to life thanks to cloning technology. Spielberg鈥檚 1993 summer blockbuster is so beloved by fans around the globe that sequels 鈥淭he Lost World鈥� and 鈥淛urassic Park III鈥濃�攁nd even spin-off series 鈥淛urassic World鈥濃�攃an鈥檛 come close to the cinematic lizard king.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "Finding Dory" (7.3)

An animated story of a father鈥檚 devotion in the aquatic world anchors 鈥淔inding Nemo,鈥� and fans ate it up hook, line, and sinker. Thirteen years later, 鈥淔inding Dory鈥� did听听than 鈥淣emo鈥濃�攚ith the听鈥攂ut couldn鈥檛 quite manage to achieve the same IMDb user rating.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (7.7)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a cinephile鈥檚 dream, with new titles coming out year-round, but the first 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy鈥� was a gamble鈥攂ecause听听outside of the hardcore fanbase. Luckily, the Chris Pratt-led film won over audiences and critics alike. Its sequel performed nearly as well, with just a slight .4 point drop-off between the first and second film.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" (8)

This highly stylized grindhouse story of revenge and martial arts from auteur Quentin Tarantino wowed moviegoers in 2003. "Kill Bill" was听, but the decision was made to split it into two parts and release both volumes within six months of each other. That may explain听why the sequel, essentially a continuation of the first film, scored nearly as high in the user ratings.

You may also like: Best 1951 movies

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.1
Sequel title: "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (7.4)

鈥淭he Avengers鈥� is the equivalent of an all-star team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the brand鈥檚 favorite characters teaming up to stop Thor鈥檚 brother鈥�and听. The sequel, 鈥淎vengers: Age of Ultron,鈥� finds the team of superheroes fighting against artificial intelligence attempting to erase humanity. While still immensely popular, the sequel may have suffered slightly from听.

听

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.2
Sequel title: "The Great Escape II: The Untold Story" (5.7)

Audiences loved wartime thriller 鈥淭he Great Escape鈥濃�攊t was one of the most popular films of 1963. Nearly 25 years later, the made-for-TV sequel 鈥淭he Great Escape II: The Untold Story鈥� aired on NBC.听It treaded mostly the same ground as the original, with some additional time spent on the escape鈥檚 post-war investigation and surrounding scandal.听

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.2
Sequel title: "The Two Jakes" (6.1)

Who would have thought a private eye movie about water rights in Los Angeles would turn into such a classic? 鈥淐hinatown鈥� is widely regarded as one of the best detective films in American history鈥�鈥�but 鈥淭he Two Jakes,鈥� which followed the same lead character investigating a different crime, enjoyed neither the critical nor commercial success of its predecessor.

听

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.2
Sequel title: "Blade Runner 2049" (8.1)

Ridley Scott鈥檚 鈥淏lade Runner鈥� didn鈥檛 break any box office records in its initial release, but the futuristic science-fiction film earned plenty of fans and听听of the modern sci-fi era. When 鈥淏lade Runner 2049鈥� premiered 35 years later, expectations were extremely high, but the Ryan Gosling-led picture achieved a difficult feat: Many consider it nearly as good as the original, as evidenced by the .1 difference in IMDb user ratings between the first film and the sequel.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.2
Sequel title: "Die Hard with a Vengeance" (7.6), "Live Free or Die Hard" (7.2)

While many diehard "Die Hard" fans spend their time听, hardly anyone argues that the sequels are as good as the original. With Bruce Willis as hard-nosed cop John McClane, the true fans would rather watch their hero save his wife in L.A.'s fictional听Nakatomi Plaza than an airport in D.C., or听the Federal Reserve in New York City.

You may also like: The 25 worst action movies of all time

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.3
Sequel title: "2010" (6.8)

While Stanley Kubrick鈥檚 space opus didn鈥檛 open to universal critical acclaim,听. Unfortunately, the same can鈥檛 be said for 1984鈥檚 鈥�2010,鈥� which was based on the literary sequel to the original 鈥�2001: A Space Odyssey鈥� novel by Arthur C. Clarke and didn鈥檛 have the advantage of being directed by Kubrick.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.5
Sequel title: "Psycho II" (6.4)

鈥淧sycho鈥� is another series where the first film was directed by a legendary auteur, in this case Alfred Hitchcock,听and the sequel was made years later by a relatively unknown director. 鈥淧sycho II鈥� had the benefit of starring Anthony Perkins, the original lead in 鈥淧sycho,鈥� but it wasn鈥檛 enough to impress critics like Roger Ebert, who wrote,听

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.5
Sequel title: "Aliens" (8.4), "Alien 3" (6.4), "Alien: Resurrection" (6.2)

The 鈥淎lien鈥� franchise has been associated with some legends of the film industry: Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, and Joss Whedon to name a few. The original is so highly acclaimed however, that听no sequel could ever do it justice. After all, how is anybody supposed to top an alien popping out of John Hurt鈥檚 chest?

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.5
Sequel title: "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (8.3), "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (7.6), "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (6.2)
听

Action, adventure, a race with a giant boulder: "Raiders of the Lost Ark" had everything movie fans want in a Spielberg movie and they couldn't get enough of Harrison Ford playing Indiana Jones. It听was听听and a Best Picture nominee at the Oscars. Fans got a big case of Indiana Jones fever, and wound up with three more films and a fourth听听with Ford and Spielberg both attached to return.

You may also like: Best 2019 movies

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.5
Sequel title: "The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride" (6.2),听"The Lion King 1陆" (6.6)

鈥淭he Lion King鈥� hasn鈥檛 just given birth to movie sequels. There鈥檚 also spin-off TV shows, video games, and currently听. While the direct-to-video sequels, 鈥淭he Lion King 2: Simba鈥檚 Pride鈥� and 鈥淭he Lion King 1陆,鈥� haven鈥檛 taken the world by storm, the upcoming live-action 鈥淟ion King鈥� adaptation in 2019 is poised to challenge the king with cast members including听Donald Glover and Beyonc茅.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.5
Sequel title: "Back to the Future Part II" (7.8), "Back to the Future Part III" (7.4)

A lot of people consider 鈥淏ack to the Future鈥澨�. This Spielberg-directed time travel film has something for everyone, from adventure to comedy, to a disturbingly Oedipal romance. While the version of the future in follow-up 鈥淏ack to the Future: Part II鈥� is incredibly fun and the Old West setting of 鈥淏ack to the Future: Part III鈥� is entertaining, they鈥檙e not able to eclipse the genius of the first flick.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.6
Sequel title: "Hannibal" (6.8)

You know a movie is special when it听. 鈥淭he Silence of the Lambs鈥� was one of only three movies in history to sweep those top five categories. Its successor, 鈥淗annibal,鈥� brought Anthony Hopkins back to the lead role with David Mamet writing the script and Ridley Scott directing, but it didn鈥檛 come anywhere close to the terrifying original that detailed the relationship between a horrifically creepy serial killer and a female rookie FBI agent.

Original film's IMDb rating: 8.7
Sequel title: "The Matrix Reloaded" (7.2), "The Matrix Revolutions" (6.7)

For anyone who has seen all three 鈥淢atrix鈥� movies, there鈥檚 a clear truth: 鈥淭he Matrix鈥� is a masterpiece of filmmaking and the sequels are convoluted disasters. 鈥淭he Matrix鈥� gave viewers a philosophical meditation on the nature of free will with iconic action sequences and new cinematic technology. 鈥淭he Matrix Revolutions鈥� and 鈥淭he Matrix Reloaded鈥澨�.

Original film's IMDb rating: 9.2
Sequel title: "The Godfather Part II" (9.0), "The Godfather Part III" (7.6)

The #1 film on the list also comes with the most controversy because "The Godfather" and "The Godfather: Part II" are arguably two of the greatest films ever made, as seen by IMDb ratings. While "The Godfather" earned an impressive 9.2 IMDb user rating, "Part II" is at 9.0. That's better than any film on this list besides the first Godfather. Even "The Godfather: Part III" has its fans, racking up a 7.6 user rating that puts it on par with #42鈥�50 of this very list.

With a franchise as well made as "The Godfather" trilogy, it's true that the original movie was better than the听sequels, but just barely.

You may also like: Best 2003 movies