Worst sequels

[Drtooth]

It would be easier to say which Disney DTV sequels were actually good. Some of them were, actually. I don't see why Hunchback needed a sequel. Of course, I never actually saw the thing. But as sanitized as the Disney movie was, it was still one of the darkest things the studio ever put out. Probably even outdoes Black Cauldron in those terms. Hunchback 2 seems like they wanted to give Quasimodo an even happier ending.

 

[minor muppetz]

I've only seen a small amount of direct-to-video Disney sequels, and of the ones I've seen, the only one I really don't like is The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride.

Most of the few Disney DTV sequels I've seen are ones that don't have "reputations" for being awful, but also, there's quite a few that I liked but also only watched once or twice.

I've seen the first few Land Before Time sequels, and liked most of them (I'm the kind of person who'd rather see a funny musical than the kind of movie the first was). The last one I saw was the fifth one, which I don't remember seeing all the way, and feel like that and the fourth one aren't too good (and I'm going by how I felt when I saw them long ago, haven't rewatched any in a decade or longer). But most of the later sequels sound horrible (I've watched Marzgurl's reviews of the films, and forget what a lot of them are about).

It goes without saying that Home Alone 3 is bad. But would it get so much hate if it had more (or anything) to do with the first two? I know Roger Ebert seemed to prefer the new kid over Macully Culkin. I liked Home Alone 3 better when I first saw it, and I saw bits and pieces of the fifth one (which also has completely new characters) and thought that was decent. There were a few funny scenes, like when the kid finds out he has chicken pox and everybody thinks he's screaming because "the toilet lid fell on his thing". But even as a kid, I wondered why they would just leave him home alone when he has chicken pox (with only the neighbor coming to check on him from time to time, instead of acting as a full babysitter). Isn't it against the law for a kid his age to be home without an adult or teenager present? One thing I liked about Home Alone 2 is that it had variants of so many gags from the first one, and this one didn't. If Macully Culkin was too old and didn't want to be an actor anymore, then focus on one of his relatives (maybe Fuller) being home alone, or put the wet bandits against another kid. I think it would have been interesting if Kevin had grown up to become a robber, knowing from experience what kind of traps a kid would do (of course, he'd have to have a face-heel turn at the end).

And I think Baby Geniuses 2: Super Babies is a terrible sequel. I was appalled that The Nostalgia Critic liked it better than the first (I like the first one better). I was also surprised that it even got a sequel.

One movie that I should give attention to is Look Who's Talking Too. It's the only movie I saw in the theater that scared me so much that I didn't finish watching. Because of the toilet scene. I somehow missed the scene after where Mikey wakes up from a bad dream, but I continued watching, worried that he'd come back (in fact I almost didn't want to see Look Who's Talking Now, until I was told the toilet wasn't in the movie), and at the end, when Mikey finally decides to use the toilet, I wanted out of the theater, worried that it would come back to life (ironically using the excuse that I had to go to the bathroom... Thankfully it never caused me to be afraid to use the toilet). But a few years ago I decided to finally watch the whole movie. That scene's not as scary as it was when I was a kid (and if I saw the movie a few years later I would have probably had no problem with it), but the film seems like a mess. It's as if they wrote a quick outline and then wrote random scenes based on the outline. Like the outline was: Mikey gets a new sister, Mikey is jealous of sister, Mikey gets potty trained, Molly's brother moves in, Molly and James have marriage problems, and various scenes with established recordings of oldies ( though the other two have those established recordings as well).

I'll have to think about worst video game sequels later.

 

[minor muppetz]

Regarding worst video game sequels, I'll say that Pac-Man 2 is my least-favorite Pac-Man sequel. Though I liked it a lot better when I was younger. But it's problems are pretty much what Drtooth summed up, with one thing he didn't mention: The gliding part is too frustratingly hard. I've mentioned in the "sequels we like better than the first" thread that I prefer the Pac-Man sequels that are most like the first Pac-Man (Ms. Pac-Man and Championship Edition), but even though I feel the other (more visually different) sequels are not as good as Ms. Pac-Man (which pretty much has exactly the same game play as the first) or Championship Edition, the other games are at least enjoyable.

The Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 is perhaps the worst in the series (the main thing I like about it was that it wasn't available in the U.S. for so long). I don't think Super Mario 64 holds up, and I've never really liked Mario Sunshine, but I don't think those are bad enough to be called "worst sequels".

The worst Sonic the Hedgehog games are Sonic Labyrinth and Sonic and the Black Knight. Sonic Labyrinth is very frustrating, with Sonic's suddenly slow speed and inability to jump. I've only played Black Knight once, and the controls were awkward and the game doesn't seem like a Sonic game.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

I severely disagree. I actually prefer the going to Hades and back storyline over the time travel story. Not that I didn't love the first, that is. Now, you know what Bill and Ted movie really would have been heinous, and most non-non-nontriumphant? Biodome. Yep. True story. It was supposed to be Bill and Ted 3, but it sucked so badly, they just made it a Pauly Shore film.

Okay- fair enough. For the record, I like some parts of Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey- just not all of it. The chess match with Death scene is pretty neat- nice reference to The Seventh Seal.

The Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 is perhaps the worst in the series (the main thing I like about it was that it wasn't available in the U.S. for so long). I don't think Super Mario 64 holds up, and I've never really liked Mario Sunshine, but I don't think those are bad enough to be called "worst sequels".

You are talking about the 1986 game that was released in the US as "Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels" for SNES right? I thought that game was pretty good myself- it's definitely very challenging. It took some doing but my brother and I and a friend beat it a while back.

I've got Sonic Labyrinth (the Game Gear version, that is)- I like it well enough, but I haven't played it in forever. There haven't really been any Sonic the Hedgehog video games I've disliked...but I haven't played this Black Knight game- that must've only been out on Genesis, I guess. (or some newer new-fangled system, etc.)
I have played some newer video game systems and I like most all of them- but I'm generally a fan of the classic video game systems I grew up with and some that are older than me as well.

More than likely this is just moi... but I did not really enjoy Night At The Museum 2 all that much...

Really? Even with Oscar the Grouch's cameo?
Okay- well, as well all know, "the sequel's never quite as good."
But I liked it pretty well- I love both of the "Night at the Museum" movies, particularly for the bits of history that they do manage to teach along with a lot of really funny moments. I'm looking forward to the third movie that's supposed to be coming soon.

It goes without saying that Home Alone 3 is bad. But would it get so much hate if it had more (or anything) to do with the first two? I know Roger Ebert seemed to prefer the new kid over Macully Culkin. I liked Home Alone 3 better when I first saw it, and I saw bits and pieces of the fifth one (which also has completely new characters) and thought that was decent. There were a few funny scenes, like when the kid finds out he has chicken pox and everybody thinks he's screaming because "the toilet lid fell on his thing". But even as a kid, I wondered why they would just leave him home alone when he has chicken pox (with only the neighbor coming to check on him from time to time, instead of acting as a full babysitter). Isn't it against the law for a kid his age to be home without an adult or teenager present? One thing I liked about Home Alone 2 is that it had variants of so many gags from the first one, and this one didn't. If Macully Culkin was too old and didn't want to be an actor anymore, then focus on one of his relatives (maybe Fuller) being home alone, or put the wet bandits against another kid. I think it would have been interesting if Kevin had grown up to become a robber, knowing from experience what kind of traps a kid would do (of course, he'd have to have a face-heel turn at the end).

Actually, I would disagree. "Home Alone 3" is a fun movie- I like it just fine. Now, keep in mind, I tend to be a completist that will watch every movie in a series- and usually likes every movie in the series. In the case of "Home Alone"- this is a series where I absolutely LOVE the first 2- I have seen them many times over. I like the third one on its own rights- John Hughes was still involved in writing this one, so that's always a good thing.
However, "Home Alone 4" and "Home Alone 5" were much worse in my opinion. But I actually enjoyed the fifth one a lot more than the 4th. one. I appreciate that the 4th. movie tried to recreate the character of Kevin McCallister and tie things back in to the first two movies- but for the most part, it created scenarios I just couldn't see happening (like Kevin's parents suddenly getting divorced, but then they're reunited by the end of the film- I was glad for that ending, but I don't think they should've or would've gotten divorced to begin with.) And on top of that, there were really very few actual traps for the bad guys- even though I do appreciate that Marv did show up (and French Stewart didn't do too badly- but he's not Daniel Stern.)
The fifth one does an original story and adds a few new twists to it- it harkens back to elements from the first two movies, but is not a flat out rip-off either. It was actually a lot better than I expected it to be.
Of course, that said, I think the series has ended on a good note at this point and doesn't need any further sequels.
(Of course, I could say the same of other movie series that I have watched....like say, the Air Bud movies and the Beethoven movies..... Of course, Disney will probably keep milking all its cash cows bone dry, of course- Universal doesn't seem to be quite as bad with its series, but yeah........maybe it's time to let it go.) (Though I have to admit I still have enjoyed all the various movies in these series- not that they're the greatest in film history or anything- but they are cute and clean fun kid movies- and I love some classic kid movies- great pick-me-up type movies.

 

[Drtooth]

Okay- fair enough. For the record, I like some parts of Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey- just not all of it. The chess match with Death scene is pretty neat- nice reference to The Seventh Seal.

What was even better was that short lived Marvel comic series they had. Too bad the cartoon series couldn't have been like that. I did love the cartoon series, though.

Really? Even with Oscar the Grouch's cameo?

Heh. The Vader and Oscar scene was the only reason I went to see that one.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

What was even better was that short lived Marvel comic series they had. Too bad the cartoon series couldn't have been like that. I did love the cartoon series, though.

Nice. Yep- I loved the Bill & Ted cartoon series as a kid. And I have seen the Marvel comic book series before. Did you ever see the live action Bill & Ted show?
(Check out www.billandted.org for everything you'd ever want to know about the two great ones.) It's most excellent!

 

[CensoredAlso]

Nice. Yep- I loved the Bill & Ted cartoon series as a kid. And I have seen the Marvel comic book series before. Did you ever see the live action Bill & Ted show?
(Check out www.billandted.org for everything you'd ever want to know about the two great ones.) It's most excellent!

Loooved the cartoon series, I can still quote from it, lol.

"Henry VIII. Three eyes? Wow, that's got to be one scary looking dude!"

"No, Ted, that means eight in Roman numbers. Henry 8th."

"Woah...he must be good if he's already made 8 movies."

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Majority of the episodes are now available on DVD- check your local Wal-Mart in their $5 bargain bin.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I'm never setting foot in Wal-Mart, but thanks for the tip, I'll look around!

 

[minor muppetz]

but I haven't played this Black Knight game- that must've only been out on Genesis, I guess. (or some newer new-fangled system, etc.)

It was released on the Nintendo Wii.