
(Photo by Orion Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection. ROBOCOP 3.)
The 56 Worst Sequels of All Time
Jaws. The Karate Kid. Speed. Paul Blart: Mall Cop. All classic movies obviously. What’s also binding them together is the fact they’ve all had terrible sequels. These forlorn follow-ups are below 10% on the Tomatometer and we’ve rounded them up, and other movies like them, for our guide to the 56 worst sequels of all time.
Police Academy has an impressive run with not only half the franchise appearing on this list, but all of them having the same goose egg Tomatometer score. A majority of the Atlas Shrugged trilogy is here. And when we said there should only be on Highlander, we dang well meant it. And expect to see horror franchises debase themselves, with dreadful follow-ups to Jaws, Halloween, The Ring, Return of the Living Dead and more.
Most recently, we’ve added the 365 Days sequels, which both match the original’s 0% Tomatometer. With this ignoble distinction, 365 Days becomes the worst-reviewed trilogy ever, overcoming the Atlas Shrugged films without consent.
Now, get ready for some brand name disappointment with the worst sequels of all time!
0%
Critics Consensus: A startling lack of taste pervades Superbabies, a sequel offering further proof that bad jokes still aren't funny when coming from the mouths of babes.
Synopsis: Toddlers use their special abilities to stop a media mogul (Jon Voight) from altering the minds of children.
Starring: Jon Voight, Scott Baio, Vanessa Angel, Peter Wingfield
Directed By: Bob Clark
0%
Critics Consensus: Despite its lush tropical scenery and attractive leads, Return to the Blue Lagoon is as ridiculous as its predecessor, and lacks the prurience and unintentional laughs that might make it a guilty pleasure.
Synopsis: When widow Sarah Hargrave (Lisa Pelikan) washes ashore on a tropical island with her daughter and adopted son, she learns how to survive and raise... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Brian Krause, Lisa Pelikan, Courtney Phillips
Directed By: William Graham
3%
Critics Consensus: This sequel to Saturday Night Fever is shockingly embarrassing and unnecessary, trading the original's dramatic depth for a series of uninspired dance sequences.
Synopsis: Six years after his glittering triumph in the disco dance contest of "Saturday Night Fever," an older and wiser Tony Manero (John Travolta) works as... View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Travolta, Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Steve Inwood
Directed By: Sylvester Stallone
0%
Critics Consensus: There should have been only one.
Synopsis: In this sci-fi/fantasy sequel, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) has become an elderly man after losing his immortality. Living in a bleak future where the world... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Virginia Madsen, Michael Ironside
Directed By: Russell Mulcahy
0%
Critics Consensus: Utterly, completely, thoroughly and astonishingly unfunny, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol sends a once-innocuous franchise plummeting to agonizing new depths.
Synopsis: Feeling that his squad is not up to snuff, a police commander comes up with an unorthodox plan to hire everyday citizens to work alongside... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, Michael Winslow, David Graf
Directed By: Jim Drake
0%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Laura and Massimo are back and hotter than ever. But the reunited couple's new beginning is complicated by Massimo's family ties and a mysterious man... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anna Maria Sieklucka, Michele Morrone, Simone Susinna, Magdalena Lamparska
Directed By: Barbara Białowąs, Tomasz Mandes
7%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: While investigating the mysterious death of her boyfriend, Mai learns of the existence of a videotape that causes those who watch it to die. She... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Miki Nakatani, Hitomi Sato, Kyoko Fukada, Nanako Matsushima
Directed By: Hideo Nakata
0%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An acting student encounters a malevolent spirit after participating in a viral challenge.
Starring: Ema Horvath, Chris Milligan, Brittany Falardeau, Dennis Hurley
Directed By: Travis Cluff, Chris Lofing
0%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In the ruins of a once-productive factory, Dagny Taggart finds a revolutionary motor that could be the answer to the world's growing energy crisis.
Starring: Laura Regan, Kristoffer Polaha, Rob Morrow, Stephen Tobolowsky
Directed By: James Manera
0%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Ex-con Jimmy Cuervo (Edward Furlong) and his girlfriend (Emmanuelle Chriqui) are targeted by satanists, who murder them as part of a ceremony to resurrect the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Edward Furlong, David Boreanaz, Tara Reid, Dennis Hopper
Directed By: Lance Mungia
0%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The vacationing rookies rescue their leader (George Gaynes) from jewel thieves, with a local duo (Matt McCoy, Janet Jones) as backup.
Starring: Matt McCoy, Janet Jones, George Gaynes, Bubba Smith
Directed By: Alan Myerson
0%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Clownish police officers (Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow) are on the lookout for a three-ring circus of thieves.
Starring: Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook
Directed By: Peter Bonerz
0%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Russian mob, led by Constantine Konali (Ron Perlman), develops a computer game that, unbeknown to its players, has the ability to destroy security systems.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: George Gaynes, Michael Winslow, David Graf, Leslie Easterbrook
Directed By: Alan Metter
0%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Laura and Massimo's story continues.
Starring: Anna Maria Sieklucka, Michele Morrone, Magdalena Lamparska, Otar Saralidze
Directed By: Barbara Białowąs, Tomasz Mandes
1%
Critics Consensus: A mirthless, fairly desperate family film, Daddy Day Camp relies too heavily on bodily functions for comedic effect, resulting in plenty of cheap gags but no laughs.
Synopsis: Spurred on by their wives' insistence that their children attend summer camp, daycare entrepreneurs Charlie Hinton (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and his friend Phil (Paul Rae)... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cuba Gooding Jr., Lochlyn Munro, Paul Rae, Richard Gant
Directed By: Fred Savage
2%
Critics Consensus: Illogical, tension-free, and filled with cut-rate special effects, Jaws: The Revenge is a sorry chapter in a once-proud franchise.
Synopsis: The family of widow Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary) has long been plagued by shark attacks, and this unfortunate association continues when her son is the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles, Karen Young
Directed By: Joseph Sargent
4%
Critics Consensus: A strained, laugh-free sequel, The Whole Ten Yards recycles its predecessor's cast and plot but not its wit or reason for being.
Synopsis: After faking his death, former killer-for-hire Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski (Bruce Willis) retires to Mexico with his new wife, Jill (Amanda Peet), while his ex-wife,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Kevin Pollak
Directed By: Howard Deutch
4%
Critics Consensus: Speed 2 falls far short of its predecessor, thanks to laughable dialogue, thin characterization, unsurprisingly familiar plot devices, and action sequences that fail to generate any excitement.
Synopsis: Annie is looking forward to a Caribbean cruise with her cop boyfriend, Alex, who purchased the tickets to make up for lying about working on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Jason Patric, Willem Dafoe, Temuera Morrison
Directed By: Jan de Bont
4%
Critics Consensus: With its shallow characters, low budget special effects, and mindless fight scenes, Mortal Kombat Annihilation offers minimal plot development and manages to underachieve the low bar set by its predecessor.
Synopsis: Every generation, a portal opens up between the Outerworld and Earth. Emperor Shao Kahn (Brian Thompson), ruler of the mythical Outerworld, pounces the moment the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robin Shou, Talisa Soto, James Remar, Sandra Hess
Directed By: John R. Leonetti
4%
Critics Consensus: Juvenile even by Scary Movie standards, this fifth installment offers stale pop culture gags that generate few laughs.
Synopsis: Much bizarre activity follows after a husband and wife bring their newborn infant home from the hospital. When they realize that a demon is stalking... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ashley Tisdale, Simon Rex, Erica Ash, Katt Williams
Directed By: Malcolm D. Lee
4%
Critics Consensus: Handicapped by a family friendly PG rating, even the talents of Caddyshack II's all-star comic cast can't save it from its lazy, laughless script and uninspired direction.
Synopsis: Jack Hartounian (Jackie Mason), a boorish but good-hearted real estate tycoon, applies for membership at a snooty country club, but is blackballed by the old-money... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jackie Mason, Dyan Cannon, Robert Stack, Dina Merrill
Directed By: Allan Arkush
5%
Critics Consensus: Poorly written, clumsily filmed and edited, and hampered by amateurish acting, Atlas Shrugged: Part II does no favors to the ideology it so fervently champions.
Synopsis: With the world's economy on the brink of collapse, Dagny Taggart discovers a possible solution to the global energy crisis.
Starring: Samantha Mathis, Jason Beghe, Esai Morales, Patrick Fabian
Directed By: John Putch
5%
Critics Consensus: Unfunny and unoriginal. In other words, a perfect piece of evidence for opponents of pointless movie sequels.
Synopsis: After his mentor is killed, an FBI agent (Martin Lawrence) reprises his disguise as a fat old lady and takes a job as a nanny... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Martin Lawrence, Nia Long, Emily Procter, Zachary Levi
Directed By: John Whitesell
5%
Critics Consensus: Unnecessary, unfunny, and generally unwelcome, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son offers more of the same for fans of Martin Lawrence's perplexingly popular series.
Synopsis: After stepson Trent witnesses a murder, FBI agent Malcolm Turner brings back Big Momma, his plus-size alter ego, to help solve the crime. Big Momma... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Martin Lawrence, Brandon T. Jackson, Jessica Lucas, Portia Doubleday
Directed By: John Whitesell
5%
Critics Consensus: Universal Soldier - The Return fails on almost every level, from its generic story to its second rate action and subpar performances.
Synopsis: After being brought back from the dead as a genetically enhanced warrior, Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is now fully human and working with scientist... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Jai White, Heidi Schanz, Xander Berkeley
Directed By: Mic Rodgers
5%
Critics Consensus: Tyler Perry's Boo 2! A Madea Halloween is an affront to comedy — and the audience.
Synopsis: Tiffany travels to Derrick Lake to celebrate her 18th birthday at a Halloween frat party in the middle of the woods. Frantic and worried, Madea,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tyler Perry, Diamond White, Patrice Lovely, Cassi Davis
Directed By: Tyler Perry
13%
Critics Consensus: Oh my god.
Synopsis: When young Joshua (Michael Stephenson) learns that he will be going on vacation with his family to a small town called Nilbog, he protests adamantly.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael Stephenson, Connie McFarland, George Hardy, Margo Prey
Directed By: Claudio Fragasso
5%
Critics Consensus: Striking out on every joke, Major League II is a lazy sequel that belongs on the bench.
Synopsis: The Cleveland Indians, an endearing assortment of oddballs who improbably won the division championship last season, have since lost their edge due to personal pursuits... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen, Dennis Haysbert
Directed By: David S. Ward
10%
Critics Consensus: Zero brains.
Synopsis: A boy (Michael Kenworthy) and his friends free something evil from a canister fallen off an Army truck.
Starring: James Karen, Thom Mathews, Michael Kenworthy, Marsha Dietlein
Directed By: Ken Wiederhorn
5%
Critics Consensus: Borderline unwatchable and unspeakably dull, Highlander III is a sloppy third installment that still somehow manages to mark a slight improvement over its predecessor.
Synopsis: An evil immortal swordsman (Mario Van Peebles) catches up to his sorcerer foe (Christopher Lambert) at a deserted New Jersey refinery.
Starring: Christopher Lambert, Mario Van Peebles, Deborah Kara Unger, Mako
Directed By: Andrew Morahan
4%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Resort islanders (Tricia O'Neil, Steve Marachuk, Lance Henriksen) face flying killer-fish left over from a government experiment that flopped.
Starring: Tricia O'Neil, Steve Marachuk, Lance Henriksen, Ricky Paull Goldin
Directed By: James Cameron
6%
Critics Consensus: Unable to match the suspense and titilation of its predecessor, Basic Instinct 2 boasts a plot so ludicrous and predictable it borders on "so-bad-it's-good."
Synopsis: After a crash that kills her boyfriend, Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) has her car searched by the police, who find illegal drugs. Prosecutors handling her... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sharon Stone, David Morrissey, Charlotte Rampling, David Thewlis
Directed By: Michael Caton-Jones
6%
Critics Consensus: Overly frantic, painfully unfunny, and sorely missing the presence of Jim Carrey.
Synopsis: A cartoonist and family man, Tim Avery (Jamie Kennedy) lives a peaceful existence with his wife, Tonya (Traylor Howard), as well as their infant son... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jamie Kennedy, Alan Cumming, Ryan Falconer, Liam Falconer
Directed By: Lawrence Guterman
6%
Critics Consensus: Bathed in flop sweat and bereft of purpose, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 strings together fat-shaming humor and Segway sight gags with uniformly unfunny results.
Synopsis: Six years after he saved the day at his beloved New Jersey shopping mall, security guard Paul Blart (Kevin James) is taking a well-deserved vacation.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez, Neal McDonough, Shirley Knight
Directed By: Andy Fickman
6%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Rohan follows his lover, Mridula, to St. Teresa's college, hoping to reunite with her. There, he befriends Manav, the most popular student, but is constantly... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Panday, Aditya Seal
Directed By: Punit Malhotra
6%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Led by Marvin Lazar (Tony Curtis), their latest in a string of bumbling coaches, beleaguered Little Leaguers the Bad News Bears head to Japan to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tony Curtis, Jackie Earle Haley, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Hatsune Ishihara
Directed By: John Berry
6%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A leprechaun (Warwick Davis) surfaces in Los Angeles to claim a bride, as his previous object of affection was denied to him a thousand years... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Warwick Davis, Charlie Heath, Shevonne Durkin, Sandy Baron
Directed By: Rodman Flender
8%
Critics Consensus: A sequel to a remake, Cheaper 2 wastes its solid cast in scenes of over-the-top, predictable humor.
Synopsis: Tom Baker (Steve Martin) and his wife, Kate (Bonnie Hunt), take their children for what they hope will be a relaxing summer at a lakeside... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Bonnie Hunt, Tom Welling
Directed By: Adam Shankman
10%
Critics Consensus: Boring, predictable, and bereft of thrills or chills, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is exactly the kind of rehash that gives horror sequels a bad name.
Synopsis: A year after killing vengeful hit-and-run victim Ben Wills (Muse Watson), who gutted her friends with an iron hook, college student Julie James (Jennifer Love... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Brandy Norwood, Mekhi Phifer
Directed By: Danny Cannon
7%
Critics Consensus: A low-brow comedy, minus the comedy.
Synopsis: Van Wilder protégé Taj Badalandabad (Kal Penn) heads to England's prestigious Camden University to further his studies and cement his burgeoning reputation as the sultan... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kal Penn, Amy Steel, Holly Davidson, Daniel Percival
Directed By: Mort Nathan
20%
Critics Consensus: The Next Karate Kid is noteworthy for giving audiences the chance to see a pre-Oscars Hilary Swank, but other than a typically solid performance from Pat Morita, this unnecessary fourth installment in the franchise has very little to offer.
Synopsis: Karate master Mr. Miyagi goes to Boston to attend a military reunion. There, he visits with Louisa, the widow of his former commander, and meets... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Hilary Swank, Pat Morita, Michael Ironside, Constance Towers
Directed By: Christopher Cain
17%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A man (Arye Gross) and his friend (Jonathan Stark) exhume an ancestor (Royal Dano) in the house where his parents were killed.
Starring: Arye Gross, Jonathan Stark, Royal Dano, Lar Park-Lincoln
Directed By: Ethan Wiley
7%
Critics Consensus: Crude, rude, puerile, and pointless, Problem Child 2 represents a cynical nadir in family-marketed entertainment.
Synopsis: Ben Healy (John Ritter) and his adopted son, the mischievous and destructive Junior (Michael Oliver), move to a new town for a fresh start in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Ritter, Michael Oliver, Jack Warden, Laraine Newman
Directed By: Brian Levant
7%
Critics Consensus: Do not enter.
Synopsis: Ray Breslin manages an elite team of security specialists trained in the art of breaking people out of the world's most impenetrable prisons. When his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Dave Bautista, 50 Cent, Jaime King
Directed By: Steven C. Miller
8%
Critics Consensus: While it's almost certainly the movie event of the year for filmgoers passionate about deer urine humor, Grown Ups 2 will bore, annoy, and disgust audiences of nearly every other persuasion.
Synopsis: Lenny Feder moves his family back to his hometown to be with his friends, but he finds -- what with old bullies, new bullies, party... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade
Directed By: Dennis Dugan
8%
Critics Consensus: Rings may offer ardent fans of the franchise a few threadbare thrills, but for everyone else, it may feel like an endless loop of muddled mythology and rehashed plot points.
Synopsis: A young woman (Matilda Lutz) becomes worried about her boyfriend (Alex Roe) when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki, Vincent D'Onofrio
Directed By: F. Javier Gutiérrez
8%
Critics Consensus: Sloppy, vulgar, and manic, A Haunted House 2 might be worth a chuckle or two, but mostly it's a string of pop culture references and crude gags that fail to hit their intended targets.
Synopsis: After the ordeal he suffered with his now former girlfriend's (Essence Atkins) demonic possession, Malcolm (Marlon Wayans) has decided to start fresh. He has a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Marlon Wayans, Jaime Pressly, Essence Atkins, Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias
Directed By: Mike Tiddes
8%
Critics Consensus: Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers trades the simple, brutal effectiveness of the original for convoluted mysticism, with disastrously dull results.
Synopsis: This installment marks the return of the seemingly indestructible masked murderer Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur), who is targeting Tommy Doyle (Paul Stephen Rudd), a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Donald Pleasence, Mitch Ryan, Marianne Hagan, Paul Rudd
Directed By: Joe Chappelle
8%
Critics Consensus: Aiming for the low bar set by its predecessor and never coming close to clearing it, Teen Wolf Too is an unfunny sequel whose bark is just as awful as its bite.
Synopsis: Although awkward college student Todd Howard (Jason Bateman) is particularly adept at science, he's paying for school with an athletic scholarship that he will lose... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jason Bateman, Kim Darby, John Astin, Paul Sand
Directed By: Christopher Leitch
8%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Though well-meaning scientists thought they'd destroyed them all, a single gigantic, murderous Judas Breed cockroach, which is capable of taking on the shape of a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Alix Koromzay, Bruno Campos, Will Estes, Joseph Hodge
Directed By: Jean de Segonzac
10%
Critics Consensus: As star-studded as it is heartbreakingly lazy, Little Fockers takes the top-grossing trilogy to embarrassing new lows.
Synopsis: After 10 years of marriage and two children, it seems that Greg Focker has finally earned a place in the "circle of trust" of his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Dustin Hoffman
Directed By: Paul Weitz
9%
Critics Consensus: A witless follow-up to the surprise 1999 hit, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo is raunchy, politically incorrect, and not particularly funny.
Synopsis: Unlikely gigolo Deuce Bigalow (Rob Schneider) resumes his sex-related antics when his friend and former pimp, T.J. Hicks (Eddie Griffin), invites him to Amsterdam. After... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Rob Schneider, Eddie Griffin, Jeroen Krabbé, Til Schweiger
Directed By: Mike Bigelow
9%
Critics Consensus: Clumsily exploitative and sloppily assembled, Species II fails to clear the rather low bar set by its less-than-stellar predecessor.
Synopsis: Having just returned from a mission to Mars, Commander Ross (Justin Lazard) isn't exactly himself. He's slowly becoming a terrifying alien entity with one goal... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael Madsen, Natasha Henstridge, Marg Helgenberger, Mykelti Williamson
Directed By: Peter Medak
13%
Critics Consensus: This asinine sequel should be placed under arrest.
Synopsis: Greedy corporation Omni Consumer Products is determined to begin development on its dream project, Delta City, which will replace the derelict Detroit. To achieve this... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert John Burke, Nancy Allen, Rip Torn, John Castle
Directed By: Fred Dekker
9%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A veteran criminal planning a major bank robbery, Buck (Robert Patrick) assembles a team to pull off the heist. When the fugitive Luther (Duane Whitaker)... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Tiffani Thiessen, Robert Patrick, Stacie Randall
Directed By: Scott Spiegel
