Revenge: a dish best served on celluloid, and then projected to millions of people, apparently. Retribution for past transgressions is fertile ground for film, with yet another movie called Revenge coming out this Friday. It’s getting great reviews, at least! And this all inspires the week’s gallery: revenge of the revenge movies!
Revenge of the Jedi (1974, 40%)
This was the original title for Return of the Jedi before the filmmakers realized revenge isn’t the best trait to be reflected with the Jedi.
Revenge of the Sith (2005, 79%)
But it’s totally fine for the Sith, 22 years later.
Jaws: The Revenge (1987, 0%)
The shark officially jumps itself as the underwater mangler stalks Michael Caine down the Atlantic coast in some interspecies vendetta.
Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen (2009, 19%)
A noisy, underplotted, and overlong special effects extravaganza that lacks a human touch.
Godzilla’s Revenge (1971, 29%)
Branded Godzilla’s Revenge in the US at the moment of its release, though its original title — Godzilla, Mothra and Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack — is perhaps a more apt description of the wonders contained within.
Revenge (1990, 38%)
Not much attention was paid to this Kevin Costner/Tony Scott joint, though the two had their revenge throughout the rest of 1990: Costner won Best Picture for Dances With Wolves, while Scott also released Days of Thunder that year.
Revenge of the Nerds (1984, 70%)
Nerds do indeed get their revenge in this college sex comedy, however problematic and rapey it may be.
The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958, 92%)
Sequel to The Curse of Frankenstein, which Hammer Films had used to establish themsleves in the horror game and created with their own studio style.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989, 14%)
Mikey insists on making family reunions as awkward as possible as he continues to stalk his niece Jamie.
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010, 13%)
Dull and unfunny, this inexplicable sequel offers little more than the spectacle of digitally rendered talking animals with celebrity voices.
Revenge of the Green Dragons (2014, 13%)
A Martin Scorsese-produced dramatization of the gang that ran amok in 1980s New York, though critics remained largely unconvinced and unaffected by the picture.
Revenge of the Mekons (2014, 88%)
The story of punk survivors, The Mekons, which also boasts an impressive 100% rating from Rotten Tomatoes’ audience.
Revenge of the Creature (1955, 22%)
Sequel to Creature From the Black Lagoon, and Clint Eastwood’s feature debut.
Revenge of the Electric Car (2011, 71%)
Director Chris Paine’s sequel to Who Killed the Electric Car?, with a much more optimistic outlook on the future of the juiced-up auto.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
(1985, 40%)
Compared to the rest of the series (including Freddy vs. Jason), Revenge approaches the mediocre side; its Tomatometer is only higher than Dream Child and the reboot.
The Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978, 78%(=)
Here’s Peter Sellers’ final performance as bumbler supreme Inspector Clouseau; 1982’s Trail of the Pink Panther was cobbled together from the series’ deleted footage.
Revenge of the Nerds 2: Nerds in Paradise (1987, 7%)
It reunites most of the original cast and rounds them up for a trip to Fort Lauderdale for spring break, but Nerds in Paradise forgets to pack enough jokes or compelling characters to make it through its 89-minute running time.
Hooker’s Revenge (1974, 40%)
One of the many titles of notorious Swedish rape-revenge Thriller – A Cruel Picture aka They Call Her One Eye.
Revengers Tragedy (2001, 60%)
From director Alex Cox, an adaptation of the 17th century play transported into the future of a post-apocalyptic Liverpool.
Wallander: The Revenge (2012, 57%)
Known simply as The Revenge in its native Sweden, the Wallander was added for its American release, where the character had become visible thanks to Kenneth Branagh’s performance for the BBC series adaptation.
Blind Revenge (2012, 13%)
Daryl Hannah stars as keeper to a blind writer, who may have more sinister designs in mind than keeping his papers in order…
An Actor’s Revenge (1971, 93%)
A classic from Kon Ichikawa, who also did Burmese Harp and Fires on the Plain in the ’50s. This early ’70s effort was re-released recently by Criterion.
Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel(2016, 33%)
No, the subtitle Revenge of the Sequel is not some meta-commentary on the cinematic universes of our day: There was a firstSurge of Power, which came out 14 years ago.
Porky’s Revenge (1985, 27%)
When malevolent casino owner Porky tries to pressure the local basketball coach into throwing the big game, the rowdy, fun-loving members of the Angel Beach High basketball team band together to foil his scheme. This third film in the Porky’s series relies on the same brand of raunchy slapstick as its predecessors.
