There are some movies that absolutely scream for a sequel as their ending leaves the audience wanting more. What I’ve compiled here are not examples of such movies, however.
They are movies that were wrapped up in a nice little package, only for the filmmakers to thirst on their success and force out a follow-up whether the audience needed one or not.
And while this can sometimes make for some pretty poor storytelling, you cannot deny that it’s damn entertaining to see the crazy shit that our favourite heroes and villains got up to in their cheesy sequels.
So go ahead and suss out these extremely unnecessary flicks but do so with a large grain of salt.
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
I know, I know, Elle Woods is ~*always*~ necessary in any given situation, but I felt like we got the ideal wrap up at the end of the first film. Ya know, Elle and her BF are killing it in the law field, Warner‘s a hopeless wonder, blah blah blah, but alas, we were destined to hear more legalese from the pink-loving sorority sister that didn’t involve Prada shoes and perms.
The general rule of thumb when it comes to sequels is for it to be as successful as the first one, you need at least a few members of the OG cast to be involved (Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Coolidge and Luke Wilson) and some new big name additions and this flick bloody well delivered via reigning queen supreme Sally Field and the very badass Regina King.
Look, I’m not gonna lie to ya here, the storyline itself doesn’t quite match the first flick and I really don’t like what they did with Sally Field (you’ll see…). In fact, the movie made Entertainment Weekly‘s “Top 25 Worst Sequels Ever Made” list, which might lead you to wonder why the heck it’s on this list.
Sally Field deserved a better storyline… and a better weave.
That’s ‘coz this list is for sequels that we enjoyed in spite its suckiness ‘coz for the most part it’s a fun, light-hearted non-thinker to put on when you want some harmless entertainment. Witherspoon was highly praised for her performance, as well, and with a third flick in the works, you’re gonna wanna be up to date with Elle and her fabulous doggo Bruiser!
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed And Fabulous
Sandra Bullock is legit one of the greatest actresses of our time so I’d never shy away from anything she churns out but this one had me quite nervy. Don’t get me wrong, the first film is a noughties classic and Gracie Hart is a totally loveable character but I just really didn’t think she had enough oomph to anchor a sequel.
Unsurprisingly, it was largely panned by critics and has a 15% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes… Ouch.
However, there are some V. entertaining moments. Regina King once again adds spunk and fresh energy to the sequel and there are some epic celebrity cameos like Oprah Winfrey and Dolly Parton (literally one of the BEST cameos of all time).
And the costumes, my god the costumes…
Like, slay!
Another light-hearted non-thinker with plenty o’ pops of fun and colour with the entertaining setting of Las Vegas in all its glittery, casino-y glory.
Barbershop 2: Back in Business
Who doesn’t love a bit of Cube, amirite? But let’s level with each other here, no one really asked for a follow up to the first one. As hilarious as it was, it didn’t really seem like saga-warranting stuff… But here we are.
Following the events of the first flick, Calvin Palmer, Jr. (Ice Cube) has settled into his role at the barbershop once owned by his father and grandfather when a rival fancy schmancy barber chain threatens to shut them down for good and Calvin has to do what he can to keep them afloat.
Overall it reeks of predictability and oozes cheesiness but it’s a very enjoyable watch and a superb noughties throwback. Look out for a special appearance from Queen Latifah who later scored the extremely popular spinoff Beauty Shop (also on Stan) starring Alicia Silverstone, Alfre Woodard, Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon, Della Reese and Octavia Spencer.
Spider-Man 2
Before Spider-Man was an Avenger or Emma Stone‘s boyfriend, he was portrayed by Toby McGuire in the early noughties rendition of the popular comic-book.
The first flick was our first look at a cinematic Spidey and I’ve gotta say as a self-professed superhero geek, I thought they did a bang up job!
We saw a young Peter Parker learning to develop his web-skills all the while battling the evil Green Goblin, a formidable character played by big ledge Willem Defoe.
Then they went and turned it into a franchise with a second instalment and completely lost the fresh energy of the first movie.
While the Green Goblin was an inspired villain choice, Doctor Octopus couldn’t quite project the same fear factor and just comes off as very, very silly. Alfred Molina was quite a good get though, I suppose.
I mean…
Meanwhile you’ve got a pre-problematic James Franco hanging around like a bad smell following the events of the first flick but luckily Kirsten Dunst is a saving grace, as always.
Overall it’s not the worst superhero movie ever made and it’s very entertaining to look back at how they went about superhero sagas before the new and improved MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) came into its own.
I just reckon they would’ve been well-advised to leave on a high with the first film. Just saying…
The Rage: Carrie 2
Alright folks, before you exit the screen: HEAR ME OUT.
As far as horror movie sequels go, this one is pretty bad, yes. Sissy Spacek‘s absence is palpable and her successor isn’t quite able to project the same level of terror but I mean, they didn’t have much choice, did they? This style of movie lends itself best to the teen drama format.
But despite its awkward storyline and comically bad effects, it’s very entertaining to see the angsty, telekinetic massacre go down with a ’90s backdrop. Plus they’ve opted for more realistic blood in this one, so that’s a plus!
That is 3000 per cent strawberry syrup.
Horror film gold, it is not. A bloody entertaining piece of horror trash, it is.
