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Someone Asked Folks On The Internet To Share What Movie Franchises, In Their Opinion, Should’ve Stopped At The 2nd Part And These Are 30 Of Their Best Answers
If a movie is successful, then it is almost certain that the movie creators will want to make a sequel. But sometimes the creators don’t really know where to stop and keep making more parts if there’s no story left to tell. People often say that the sequels are never as good as the first movie, but Reddit user u/karma_hit_my_dogma wanted to know what movies actually had a good second part but should have stopped there.
The thread was upvoted 47k times and 29k people came to share their opinions. Redditors came to a consensus that Home Alone is the franchise that shouldn’t have been continued after the second movie with 28k people upvoting this comment.
What movies do you think were best left with two parts and do you agree with any of the submissions in this list? Tell us your opinions in the comments and if you find a submission you agree with, don’t forget to upvote it!
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Home Alone.
RELATED:
#2
The Mummy. The first two focused on ancient Egyptian history & mythology; number 3 suddenly takes place in Asia? Huh?!
You could tell they had to work too hard to make it work from how long it took to introduce us to the new setting.
The cherry on top of that s*** cake was the absence of one Rachel Weiss. Her absence was felt. Don't get me wrong, Brendon Frasier did great; I blame the writers/ producers/ director. I loved them in the first two! They were so good, spooky, & full of great classic action & comedy; my fav Brandon Frasier movies.
I think Rachel had a scheduling conflict with another movie?
#3
Unpopular opinion: The Matrix. Honestly maybe even after 1.
Leigh Boatright 4 years ago
I think they could have taken the 2nd and 3rd movie and made them into one movie. Theres several moments like the zion scene where nothing happens and it drags on.
#5
Preemptively adding Frozen to this list, because I know Disney too well.
Pepper DeVoe 4 years ago
Hold up! Frozen 2 was amazing! Just as good if not better than the first. This doesn't belong here! Right, Samantha?
Printerman 4 years ago
This is about terrible 3rd movies so I'm guessing they said "preemptively" because they're pretty sure Disney's gonna Disney it.
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Tom Susala 4 years ago
Can't wait for Frozen 33 where due to Climate Change it has to be filmed in the Deserts of Greenland!!
#6
Terminator
#7
The Fast and the Furious franchise.
I mean three was technically a spin off that was alright and then it got even more silly with 4 and so on.
But those first ones were great fun in there time and the first is actually quite a good movie and plot.
#8
The Addams Family. Family Values was great. The third one with almost none of the original cast? We don't talk about that one...
#11
Taken.
Taken - Decent enough movie. Reminds me of a simpler time when action movies were pretty strait forward and don't need to be rewatched to be fully understood. That infamous phone scene is pretty iconic.
Taken II - Ok, not bad. Same recipe, different movie. Fine. Good enough. Good Friday night movie when you don't want to spend to much effort following.
Taken 3 - Why? Why would anyone do this?
wow that's fantastic 4 years ago
taken imo is a good movie but seriously taken 3? head out of the exit or go on another trip to find ur daughter
#13
Beethoven, replacing the entire cast for films 3-5 really didn't work. Even the premise - that Beethoven's family would have ever left him with another family - didn't make any sense.
#15
Robocop. I loved the first 2, but the third was garbage.
I also didn't like the remake.
Giles McArdell 4 years ago
The remake was pointless, almost exactly the same movie, just with less tongue in cheek humour.
#16
The Land Before Time!
Brittany Preston 4 years ago
8 year old me strongly disagrees, I couldn't get enough Land Before Time movies
#18
Ninja turtles. Secret of the ooze was fun then they got too serious in 3
I tried to watch the reboots but Megan fox has the acting ability of a potato and I had to literally turn it off after 15 minutes
#20
POV: You are looking for people saying "Sam Raimi's Spider-man"
#22
Pitch perfect
Kate Avery 4 years ago
The first one was cute. I loved Kendrick and the acapella arrangements. The second started relying way too much on low brow and often borderline offensive humor. By the time the third one came out, I really had no desire to watch it.
#23
The Mighty Ducks.
D2 was sooo good, but 3 was just nowhere near the same level.
#24
Poltergeist
Sure probably after 1, the second had moments, but after that it became a giant mess and Heather O' Rourke died.
Erika Jones 4 years ago
She's got a Speak n Spell! Reminds me of my childhood in the '80s. The first movie traumatized me as a child - didn't make it all the way through. I don't know about the rest.
#25
Expendables cause they made 3 PG 13 and not rated R which really affected it all.
Robert Harrell 4 years ago
I do agree that the change in rating affects the franchise. However, there are some other commonly contested opinions on this film series, such as the repetitive pattern of the plot which seems to be present in all 3 movies. But, let's not forget that movies like these are built for a selective audience. The whole gist of the film series is to watch muscle men fire guns and blow things up, rather than the plot, which is the true essence of this film franchise. It's a classic example of taking something for what it is, and not getting caught up in the details, and the hidden 'deeper meaning'.
#26
Tyler Perry's Madea franchise.
There are currently 11 movies, with another one coming out next year.
#29
Psycho. I think 2 was a bad idea myself, but it happened and having “what happens to Norman later on” was a fun thing to explore, but 3 and 4 were totally unnecessary and I’m surprised Anthony Perkins signed on.
#30
Superman with Christopher R
elStiJneriNO 4 years ago
i loved the 3rd with richard pryor. i was so scared of the metallic lady
#31
Hotel Transylvania
Zephyr Anthem 4 years ago
I personally thought they got better, can't wait to watch the fourth
#32
Probably Jeepers Creepers. I was super excited to see a third installment planned and then released after so many years but tbh I was really disappointed. They should have just picked up where the second one left off and maybe implemented flash backs to explain some things. I feel like they tried too hard to give that monster an origin story, the mystery was part of what I loved about the first two.
#33
The Omen
Donkey boi 4 years ago
The Omen was originally written as a singular story telling the rise of the antichrist from birth to judgement day. When making the screenplay they decided they were going to only make one movie and to focus only on the infant child aspect. Following the success of the film they decided to make another but because of the changes they had made they couldn't go with the original plot and had to change it. Personally I think they made a good recovery. 4 was a remake of 1 so doesn't really count.
#35
Free Willy, 1 was great, 2 was like ok they caught him again, but 3 was absolutely horrendous, for Willy to be caught on a safari in Africa has to one of the worst story lines ever.
#38
Hellraiser
What do you think ?
James016 4 years ago
Police Academy should be on this list. Too many films there and they got worse with each one. The first 2 or 3 were so funny though.
Sue Hazlewood 4 years ago
I scrolled down to say this. How on earth have these been left off the list?
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Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
But one and three were good, I didn't like the second one so much though
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CatWoman312 4 years ago
They need to do one on “shouldn’t have been remade, original is better”
Yoinks! 4 years ago (edited)
Psycho (I mean, the movie, I'm not calling you names or anything)
Load More Replies...
Dorothy Parker 4 years ago (edited)
I love Bruce Willis, but Die Hard should have stopped after the first one, but my hubs says after the third one. Legally Blonde. First movie was fun. Second just soggy and should never have been made. Princess Diaries too. Anne Hathaway is too good to waste on a forced script.
M O'Connell 4 years ago (edited)
The filmmaking styles in Die Hard were rather different between 1/2 and the third one. Personally I could have done without the second one, 1 and 3 were great.
Load More Replies... Natalie 4 years ago
Crocodile Dundee. Numbers 1 & 2 are good and franchise should have stopped there
3ke 4 years ago
Never Ending Story isn't on the list. 1st movie, 80s classic, 2nd movie lackluster follow up that continues events from the book by Michael Ende but the 3rd is an absolute farce to it all. My only recommendation for it would be to see a young Jack Black playing a high school bully.
Janine B. 4 years ago
I agree. Never watched the other two movies. But the first one like a hundred times. :)
Load More Replies...
Vicky Z 4 years ago
This one maybe should stop even before the first movie😅
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Harsh5000 4 years ago
In surprised MIB wasn't on there bc they made four of them. The first was good the second was forgettable, the third sucked and the fourth was ok but didn't need to happen.
Dorothy Parker 4 years ago
Three was grim, two unnecessary, but we loved Resurgence.
Load More Replies...
Lara Verne 4 years ago
The Crow. First one was perfect. Second was mediocre. Anything after that was garbage.
John Baker 4 years ago
Most of these should have stopped after the first one. Some of them shouldn't even have had a first one.
Improperplays 4 years ago
Jurassic park should've stopped at "the lost world jurassic park" Dont get me wrong, i love all the movies. And im super Excited for jurassic world dominon , but NONE of the sequels live up to the original, that might just be my opinion,
Daniel Marsh 4 years ago
I count Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as a single story, which, in my opinion, is the best space-opera story ever told. After that, they should've stopped Star Wars.
the redqueen 4 years ago
Whoever put The Godfather on this list- I am impressed with your bravery. To go against the flow shoes character.
Macaw 4 years ago
Rocky 1-4 were good. Anything after that...not so much.
Load More Replies...
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Hellraiser. I and II were excellent horror movies. After that, the movies were just a bunch of weird ways to kill people.
Nikole 4 years ago
I like your username. Also, Hellraiser: Hellseeker is pretty good despite being DTV.
Load More Replies...
Daniel Marsh 4 years ago
Rather amazed The Godfather isn't here. Too obvious? Faded into history? 2 was so well-received, it's considered the basis of the modern sequel. 3 was so poorly received, it was a punchline for years, although generally regarded as too harshly treated. Personally, I was never a fan of the whole mafia genre.
Thorfin Wolfsbane 4 years ago (edited)
I think everyone is missing the entire point of sequels here. Which is: milk that cash wave cow it dries up!
Daniel Illingworth 4 years ago
I thought this list was made for Blade but it's a weird absence. First two were great, third was an abomination.
Dorothy Parker 4 years ago
Raiders of the Lost Ark was fabulous. Needed Karen Allen to make the rest worth watching.
wow that's fantastic 4 years ago
all of these are usually absolute bullcrap after the 1st installment, honestly the one abt little mermaid should've just stayed where it is, surprised it aint on the list
Obaku the Otaku 4 years ago
1. The Crow-first one is my favorite movie of all time, 2nd was ok, the next 2 were, crap isn't a strong enough word. 2. Blade-first 2 were great, then it when downhill.
The Redhead 4 years ago
The Sandlot should have just stayed at 1 and done. The 2nd one was terrible literally the exact same plot all most all the same lines. The surprise kiss. The only differences were it was 10 years later, they added a girl, and a deaf kid. I didn't bother with the 3rd one; however I heard not sure though (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT) that Smalls travels back in time to help the team win a game.
AnimalsRuleHumansDrool 4 years ago
I feel like spider man should be on here, there's just too many and the story keeps changing.
anarkzie 4 years ago
Predator is a perfect example of a film that should have stopped at the first one. As a solo film it tells a very simple story in a clever way, a bunch of marines go down to the jungle to takeout some rebels but end up getting taken out by someone or something. By the end of the film we know what was behind the mystery so the story is finished, every film that followed this just found ways to rehash people getting hunted with no real development to the formula or story. All of the Predator troupes were added to the first film to build suspense and to leave the viewer feeling unnerved, later film added this stuff in because its predator.
Alloydog 4 years ago
For me, it would be Paranormal Activity. The first was awesome. Gave me plenty of goosebumps. I started to watch PA2, but it was rubbish. Didn't even give the later ones a look in.
AnnaBanana 4 years ago
The Marked Ones is really good - I think that was either 4 or 5.
Load More Replies... Daniel Marsh 4 years ago
Minority opinion here: Indiana Jones. Raiders of the Lost Ark was one of the best adventure movies ever made. Temple of Doom was surprisingly dark, but I'd argue that if you're ready for it being so dark, it's a fantastic movie. But I thought the Last Crusade was too forced and I've never understood the lack of criticism for some of the most prepostrously bad special effects ever filmed.
James016 4 years ago
Police Academy should be on this list. Too many films there and they got worse with each one. The first 2 or 3 were so funny though.
Sue Hazlewood 4 years ago
I scrolled down to say this. How on earth have these been left off the list?
Load More Replies... Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
But one and three were good, I didn't like the second one so much though
Load More Replies... CatWoman312 4 years ago
They need to do one on “shouldn’t have been remade, original is better”
Yoinks! 4 years ago (edited)
Psycho (I mean, the movie, I'm not calling you names or anything)
Load More Replies... Dorothy Parker 4 years ago (edited)
I love Bruce Willis, but Die Hard should have stopped after the first one, but my hubs says after the third one. Legally Blonde. First movie was fun. Second just soggy and should never have been made. Princess Diaries too. Anne Hathaway is too good to waste on a forced script.
M O'Connell 4 years ago (edited)
The filmmaking styles in Die Hard were rather different between 1/2 and the third one. Personally I could have done without the second one, 1 and 3 were great.
Load More Replies... Natalie 4 years ago
Crocodile Dundee. Numbers 1 & 2 are good and franchise should have stopped there
3ke 4 years ago
Never Ending Story isn't on the list. 1st movie, 80s classic, 2nd movie lackluster follow up that continues events from the book by Michael Ende but the 3rd is an absolute farce to it all. My only recommendation for it would be to see a young Jack Black playing a high school bully.
Janine B. 4 years ago
I agree. Never watched the other two movies. But the first one like a hundred times. :)
Load More Replies... Vicky Z 4 years ago
This one maybe should stop even before the first movie😅
Load More Replies... Harsh5000 4 years ago
In surprised MIB wasn't on there bc they made four of them. The first was good the second was forgettable, the third sucked and the fourth was ok but didn't need to happen.
Dorothy Parker 4 years ago
Three was grim, two unnecessary, but we loved Resurgence.
Load More Replies... Lara Verne 4 years ago
The Crow. First one was perfect. Second was mediocre. Anything after that was garbage.
John Baker 4 years ago
Most of these should have stopped after the first one. Some of them shouldn't even have had a first one.
Improperplays 4 years ago
Jurassic park should've stopped at "the lost world jurassic park" Dont get me wrong, i love all the movies. And im super Excited for jurassic world dominon , but NONE of the sequels live up to the original, that might just be my opinion,
Daniel Marsh 4 years ago
I count Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as a single story, which, in my opinion, is the best space-opera story ever told. After that, they should've stopped Star Wars.
the redqueen 4 years ago
Whoever put The Godfather on this list- I am impressed with your bravery. To go against the flow shoes character.
Macaw 4 years ago
Rocky 1-4 were good. Anything after that...not so much.
Load More Replies... Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Hellraiser. I and II were excellent horror movies. After that, the movies were just a bunch of weird ways to kill people.
Nikole 4 years ago
I like your username. Also, Hellraiser: Hellseeker is pretty good despite being DTV.
Load More Replies... Daniel Marsh 4 years ago
Rather amazed The Godfather isn't here. Too obvious? Faded into history? 2 was so well-received, it's considered the basis of the modern sequel. 3 was so poorly received, it was a punchline for years, although generally regarded as too harshly treated. Personally, I was never a fan of the whole mafia genre.
Thorfin Wolfsbane 4 years ago (edited)
I think everyone is missing the entire point of sequels here. Which is: milk that cash wave cow it dries up!
Daniel Illingworth 4 years ago
I thought this list was made for Blade but it's a weird absence. First two were great, third was an abomination.
Dorothy Parker 4 years ago
Raiders of the Lost Ark was fabulous. Needed Karen Allen to make the rest worth watching.
wow that's fantastic 4 years ago
all of these are usually absolute bullcrap after the 1st installment, honestly the one abt little mermaid should've just stayed where it is, surprised it aint on the list
Obaku the Otaku 4 years ago
1. The Crow-first one is my favorite movie of all time, 2nd was ok, the next 2 were, crap isn't a strong enough word. 2. Blade-first 2 were great, then it when downhill.
The Redhead 4 years ago
The Sandlot should have just stayed at 1 and done. The 2nd one was terrible literally the exact same plot all most all the same lines. The surprise kiss. The only differences were it was 10 years later, they added a girl, and a deaf kid. I didn't bother with the 3rd one; however I heard not sure though (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT) that Smalls travels back in time to help the team win a game.
AnimalsRuleHumansDrool 4 years ago
I feel like spider man should be on here, there's just too many and the story keeps changing.
anarkzie 4 years ago
Predator is a perfect example of a film that should have stopped at the first one. As a solo film it tells a very simple story in a clever way, a bunch of marines go down to the jungle to takeout some rebels but end up getting taken out by someone or something. By the end of the film we know what was behind the mystery so the story is finished, every film that followed this just found ways to rehash people getting hunted with no real development to the formula or story. All of the Predator troupes were added to the first film to build suspense and to leave the viewer feeling unnerved, later film added this stuff in because its predator.
Alloydog 4 years ago
For me, it would be Paranormal Activity. The first was awesome. Gave me plenty of goosebumps. I started to watch PA2, but it was rubbish. Didn't even give the later ones a look in.
AnnaBanana 4 years ago
The Marked Ones is really good - I think that was either 4 or 5.
Load More Replies... Daniel Marsh 4 years ago
Minority opinion here: Indiana Jones. Raiders of the Lost Ark was one of the best adventure movies ever made. Temple of Doom was surprisingly dark, but I'd argue that if you're ready for it being so dark, it's a fantastic movie. But I thought the Last Crusade was too forced and I've never understood the lack of criticism for some of the most prepostrously bad special effects ever filmed.
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