(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!
#1
Adjusted Score: 755%
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....
[More]
#2
Adjusted Score: 2200%
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...
[More]
#3
Adjusted Score: 2514%
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...
[More]
#4
Adjusted Score: 1500%
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...
[More]
#5
Adjusted Score: 992%
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...
[More]
#6
Adjusted Score: 1%
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...
[More]
#7
Adjusted Score: 5601%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: While investigating the mysterious death of her boyfriend, Mai (Miki Nakatani) learns of the existence of a videotape that causes...
[More]
#8
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An acting student encounters a malevolent spirit after participating in a viral challenge....
[More]
#9
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In the ruins of a once-productive factory, Dagny Taggart (Laura Regan) finds a revolutionary motor that could be the answer...
[More]
#10
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...
[More]
#11
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...
[More]
#12
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....
[More]
#13
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Russian mob, led by Konstantine Konali (Ron Perlman), develops a computer game that, unbeknown to its players, has the...
[More]
#14
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Laura and Massimo's story continues....
[More]
#15
Adjusted Score: 3600%
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...
[More]
#16
Adjusted Score: 5299%
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...
[More]
#17
Adjusted Score: 7502%
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...
[More]
#18
Adjusted Score: 8857%
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 (Sandra Bullock) is looking forward to a Caribbean cruise with her cop boyfriend, Alex (Jason Patric), who purchased the...
[More]
#19
Adjusted Score: 7008%
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,...
[More]
#20
Adjusted Score: 5541%
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...
[More]
#21
Adjusted Score: 5414%
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...
[More]
#22
Adjusted Score: 5146%
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....
[More]
#23
Adjusted Score: 7372%
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...
[More]
#24
Adjusted Score: 6725%
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 (Brandon T. Jackson) witnesses a murder, FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) brings back Big Momma, his...
[More]
#25
Adjusted Score: 7315%
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...
[More]
#26
Adjusted Score: 5297%
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...
[More]
#27
Adjusted Score: 5979%
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...
[More]
#28
Adjusted Score: 5753%
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...
[More]
#29
Adjusted Score: 6112%
Critics Consensus: Zero brains.
Synopsis: A boy (Michael Kenworthy) and his friends free something evil from a canister fallen off an Army truck....
[More]
#30
Adjusted Score: 5670%
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...
[More]
#31
Adjusted Score: 6111%
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....
[More]
#32
Adjusted Score: 12068%
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...
[More]
#33
Adjusted Score: 9416%
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...
[More]
#34
Adjusted Score: 9210%
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)...
[More]
#35
Adjusted Score: 5376%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A college student faces down school bullies while competing in track and field....
[More]
#36
Adjusted Score: 6910%
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...
[More]
#37
Adjusted Score: 6419%
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...
[More]
#38
Adjusted Score: 10949%
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...
[More]
#39
Adjusted Score: 10063%
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...
[More]
#40
Adjusted Score: 8033%
Critics Consensus: A low-brow comedy, minus the comedy.
Synopsis: Van Wilder protege Taj Badalandabad (Kal Penn) heads to England's prestigious Camden University to further his studies and cement his...
[More]
#41
Adjusted Score: 8421%
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 (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) goes to Boston to attend a military reunion. There, he visits with Louisa...
[More]
#42
Adjusted Score: 8831%
Critics Consensus: It reunites most of the original cast and rounds them up for a trip to Fort Lauderdale for spring break, but Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise forgets to pack enough jokes or compelling characters to make it through its 89-minute running time.
Synopsis: After triumphing over the jocks in the Alpha Beta fraternity at Adams College, the nerds of Tri-Lamba are headed to...
[More]
#43
Adjusted Score: 8363%
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...
[More]
#44
Adjusted Score: 8700%
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...
[More]
#45
Adjusted Score: 7589%
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...
[More]
#46
Adjusted Score: 12795%
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 (Adam Sandler) moves his family back to his hometown to be with his friends, but he finds --...
[More]
#47
Adjusted Score: 13778%
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...
[More]
#48
Adjusted Score: 9020%
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...
[More]
#49
Adjusted Score: 10131%
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...
[More]
#50
Adjusted Score: 9517%
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...
[More]
#51
Adjusted Score: 4338%
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...
[More]
#52
Adjusted Score: 14694%
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 (Ben Stiller) has finally earned a place...
[More]
#53
Adjusted Score: 12161%
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),...
[More]
#54
Adjusted Score: 10380%
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...
[More]
#55
Adjusted Score: 11598%
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...
[More]
#56
Adjusted Score: 5658%
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...
[More]