Bad film sequels are as common as they come, but sometimes a film turns out so bad that its existence becomes the stuff of legend. Join us on our quest as we dive into 7 of these terrible monstrosities, rightly considered the worst sequels ever made.
From franchise-killing disasters to shocking disappointments, these sequels completely missed the mark. Some of these sequels didn’t just disappoint; they completely damaged the legacy of their franchises.
7 Worst Movie Sequels of All Time Ranked
From franchise-ending disasters to shocking disappointments, these are widely considered the worst movie sequels of all time, ranked based on fan reactions and critical backlash.
1. The Godfather: Part III (1990)
This might be a controversial inclusion, but we are just stating what millions across the globe continue to feel in their hearts; the third Godfather film is terrible by all measures. Although the cast and the crew are the same, a multitude of factors let this one down. The characters are dull here; Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone is toothless, and there is a severe lack of charisma and pizazz.
The new additions to the cast, Andy Garcia and Sofia Coppola, are pretty weak, and Michael Corleone is relegated to the background in a film that wanders around aimlessly for its entire duration. A horrendous stain on the legacy of its predecessors, The Godfather III should never have been made.
2. Planet of the Apes (2001)
Tim Burton’s 2001 take on the Planet of the Apes franchise is not a sequel per se, but as the sixth part of the Planet of the Apes franchise, we might as well consider it to be. Considering the talent involved, the film is downright horrendous. From the makeup and the costumes to the story and Mark Wahlberg’s acting, each aspect of this film works to dismantle the production from the inside out.
In spite of the big names involved, both in front of and behind the camera, it is shocking that the film turned out as bad as it did. Although it made a profit, the response to it meant that no sequel was ever made (a film that wanders around aimlessly for its entire duration, as none of us had the temperament to sit through another one of these ever again). Planet of the Apes is easily the worst movie Tim Burton has ever made.
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3. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
While 1994’s Speed was a tight, race-against-time thriller starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock set aboard a bus, its sequel bafflingly shifts the action to a slow cruise ship. There’s no Reeves this time around, and Bullock finds herself paired with the ‘charisma black hole’ Jason Patrick.
Add this to the fact that the bad guy has been swapped from Dennis Hopper to William Dafoe, and the film turns out to be an antithesis of the first one. From the goofy dialogue to really bad action sequences, the Speed sequel is not only a bad action film but a bad film overall. Reeves was right not to return for this one, and both the director and the main cast would later apologize for being a part of the film.
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4. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
worst movie sequels of all time
To call Superman 4 an insult to the Superman films is an understatement, if there is such a thing. From the laughably bad special effects to one of the worst villains ever put to the big screen, Superman 4 is the result of budget cuts, script issues, and a plethora of other problems that, when put together, resulted in a hurricane that demolished the film completely and the franchise.
Allowing Christopher Reeve to add to the script was a bad decision, and the whole nuclear arms storyline seems unserious and hokey. The film was so terrible that it buried the possibility of another Superman film for two more decades.
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5. Batman & Robin (1997)
worst movie sequels of all time
Warner Bros has a habit of interfering with its established franchises, only to see them implode in their own faces. Not content with destroying Superman with the aforementioned Quest for Peace, the studio ensured Batman suffered the same fate when it handed the reins of the franchise to Joel Schumacher. Schumacher, to his credit, managed to make an even goofier film than 1995’s Batman Forever.
From the questionable costumes to cringe-worthy gags and one-liners, Batman and Robin is a disaster that needs to be seen to be believed. Every second of this excruciating monstrosity is an exercise in patience, and thankfully, Christopher Nolan was there to resurrect the franchise eight years later.
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6. Joker 2 (2024)
worst movie sequels of all time
Any talk of bad movie sequels is incomplete without Joker 2. After the stratospheric success of 2019’s Joker, Todd Phillips took all the wrong lessons from the film and managed to create a film that was awful on every level. From the film being a musical to Lady Gaga playing Harley Quinn, Joker 2 spits on the fans for the entirety of its two-hour runtime.
Joaquin Phoenix brings his zany energy to the role, but it seems he was the only one who got the memo to bring some depth and ethos to the film. Antithetical to the first film in every possible way, it is shocking that Warner Bros executives saw the film and gave no notes to Todd Phillips to explain what the hell he was attempting to do here. A true dumpster fire, through and through.
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7. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
worst movie sequels of all time
Warner Bros. had always wanted to make Matrix 4, but the Wachowskis were never on board. Threatened by the prospect that the studio would just give the film to another director, the Wachowskis reluctantly accepted making Matrix 4 (with a Trojan Horse surprise). They secretly made the film as a middle finger to the studio, and the final product, part parody and part remake, is a highly disappointing affair whichever way you look at it.
Gone are the epic action sequences, the juicy philosophical questions of existence, and cool characters; what remains is a shallow, decomposing shell that has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. This is one of the most disappointing sequels ever made, but that didn't stop the studio from trying to make a new Matrix film with Drew Goddard (which remains in development).
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Worst Movie Sequels Ever Made: What Do You Think?
Let us know in the comments below what your 7 Worst Movie Sequels of all time are. Looking for more movie rankings? Check out our latest lists and reviews below.
