25 Useless Movie Sequels That Shouldn’t Have Been Made
25. Zoolander 2 (2016)
We get it. ‘Zoolander’ became a cult classic, its quotes living on in frat houses and Tumblr gifs for years. So Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson came back to blue steel their way into a sequel… 15 years later. But rather than building on the original's absurd charm, ‘Zoolander 2’ drowns itself in cameos, desperate callbacks, and clunky satire. The plot? Something about assassinations and fashion. Or maybe just fashion assassinating comedy. Whatever the case, audiences weren’t laughing, and the box office wasn't either.
24. A Good Day to Die Hard (2013)
It’s hard to believe this is part of the same franchise that gave us one of the greatest action films ever made. ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’ turns John McClane from a vulnerable, resourceful cop into an indestructible superhero who shoots first, survives nuclear fallout second, and asks questions... never. The plot? Russia. Chernobyl. Father-son bonding via mass carnage. It plays more like a rejected Call of Duty cutscene than a ‘Die Hard’ movie. Bruce Willis says the line, we fake a laugh, and then quietly mourn what the franchise became.
23. Wonder Woman: 1984 (2020)
This had all the makings of a solid sequel—strong cast, returning director, and a bright 1980s setting that could’ve been fun and subversive. Instead, we got a magical wish rock, a businessman turned demigod, and Kristen Wiig as an actual Cheetah. None of it works. It tries to be earnest and nostalgic but ends up being baffling and borderline camp. ‘Wonder Woman: 1984’ was a pandemic-era release, so many saw it at home, but even in slippers, this was hard to sit through. It’s less “girl power” and more “what in the name of Zeus is going on?”
22. Don’t Breathe 2 (2021)
In a truly bold (read: bewildering) move, this sequel tries to turn a kidnapper and serial sexual assault criminal into a sympathetic action hero. ‘Don’t Breathe 2’ essentially says, “Sure, he’s done monstrous things, but he’s our monster now.” Stephen Lang gives it his all, but the character redemption is so forced it borders on offensive. It's competently made, sure, but the moral gymnastics required to root for this guy could earn you an Olympic medal. A third movie could course correct... or just dive deeper into tonal confusion.
21. Staying Alive (1983)
Imagine taking gritty, street-level ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and turning it into a Broadway fever dream directed by Sylvester Stallone. That’s ‘Staying Alive.’ Six years after disco died, Travolta returns as Tony Manero—now an aerobics-obsessed dancer trying to make it big on the stage. The Bee Gees soundtrack screams late ’70s, the script is pure ’80s cheese, and Travolta’s oiled chest is the most compelling character. Somehow this was a box-office success, but it holds a 0% Rotten Tomatoes score. That’s not staying alive, that’s barely staying watchable.
20. Coming 2 America (2021)
Eddie Murphy finally returned to Zamunda, and we kinda wish he hadn’t. ‘Coming 2 America’ is a parade of nostalgia dressed up as a movie. Characters return for the sake of returning. Jokes from the original are repeated like karaoke. And the story? A flimsy quest to retrieve a long-lost son so he can... inherit a throne? The magic of the 1988 classic came from its originality and absurdity. This sequel plays it safe, plays it tired, and plays it straight to streaming. Nice to see the gang again, but once was enough.
19. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
Ah yes, the sequel where a killer fisherman lures victims to the Bahamas using a fake radio contest. Sure…because that makes sense! This sequel tries to recapture the slick slasher energy of the first film, but the ridiculous plot twists (including one involving a weather system and Jack Black in dreadlocks) tank whatever suspense it had. The only thing more painful than the kills is watching the script try to justify its existence.
18. Basic Instinct 2 (2006)
Sharon Stone returned 14 years later to uncross her legs again, and no one asked for it. ‘Basic Instinct 2’ is a limp, laughably oversexed thriller that fails to capture any of the dangerous eroticism of the original. It plays like a late-night Cinemax movie pretending to be Hitchcock. Costing $70 million and bombing spectacularly, it won more Razzies than it did ticket sales. It turns out audiences weren’t dying to see Catherine Tramell back. Or at all.
17. Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
The aliens are back! And this time... they’re just really big. That’s the entire pitch. With Will Smith MIA and replaced by a charisma-challenged Liam Hemsworth, this 20-years-too-late sequel tries to recapture the rousing, bombastic energy of the original. Instead, it plays like bad fan fiction with a bloated budget. A third movie was teased, but after ‘Independence Day: Resurgence,’ the only thing left to invade was the audience's patience.
16. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Superman fights for nuclear disarmament while battling a villain named... Nuclear Man. It's every bit as subtle as it sounds. With bargain-bin special effects, a butchered script, and performances phoned in from a different galaxy, this sequel grounded the franchise for nearly 20 years. Watching ‘Superman IV’ feels like watching a parody made by someone who hates Superman, and movies in general.
15. Mean Girls 2 (2011)
The first film is iconic. Quotable. Smart. Hilarious. ‘Mean Girls 2’ is a straight-to-TV imitation that mistakes clichés for satire and shallow archetypes for characters. Without Tina Fey’s razor-sharp wit or the original cast’s charisma, it feels like a high school drama class project. Except even drama class would’ve said “Nah, let’s not.”
14. Highlander II: The Quickening (1991)
“There can only be one.” Yeah, and this should’ve been it. The original ‘Highlander’ was bizarre but beloved. The sequel decided to say, “What if they were actually aliens?” and then promptly faceplanted. Not only does it break every rule of the first movie, it breaks the laws of good storytelling. Sean Connery returns (seriously, why?), but not even Queen’s immortal soundtrack could save this dumpster fire of sci-fi gibberish.
13. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
After four decades, this was supposed to be the epic finale. Instead, it’s a frantic retcon parade. “Somehow, Palpatine returned.” That line alone should’ve been a red flag. ‘Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker’ tried to undo ‘The Last Jedi,’ please all the fans, and tie every thread with a neat bow. Alas, it could do none of those things. The result is a jumbled collage of nostalgia, fan service, and half-baked storytelling. The Force didn’t awaken, it hit the snooze button.
12. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
Let’s take a minimalist found-footage masterpiece and turn it into a conventional studio horror film with heavy metal, fake gore, and hallucinations! Yeah... no. ‘Book of Shadows’ discards everything that made ‘The Blair Witch Project’ so unnerving, replacing it with edgy nonsense and zero suspense. It's the horror equivalent of a cash-in band T-shirt you find at a gas station.
11. Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
The first ‘Space Jam’ was weird, chaotic, and somehow worked. This sequel? Just weird and chaotic. LeBron James tries, bless him, but no one asked for a WB cinematic universe with Looney Tunes and ‘Game of Thrones’ references. It feels more like a marketing presentation than a movie. For all its flashy visuals, ‘A New Legacy' is a soulless copy-paste of nostalgia gone wrong.
10. Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
The original ‘Exorcist’ is a masterclass in horror. It’s psychological and terrifying. It made people faint in theaters. So what did the sequel do? Tossed all that in favor of new-age mysticism, pseudo-science, and... locusts. The tonal whiplash is real. They tried to make it more “spiritual” and “uplifting,” but what he made instead was a bewildering, pretentious mess that left audiences and critics wondering if anyone had actually watched the original. Not even Ennio Morricone's score could exorcise the stink from this misfire.
9. The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
If your main character dies in a blaze of telekinetic fury while destroying half the cast, that’s usually a good sign to leave it alone. But no! Hollywood decided to give ‘Carrie’ a half-sister and slap a late-’90s soundtrack on a rehashed story. ‘The Rage: Carrie 2’ is filled with awkward teen melodrama, laughable dialogue, and none of Brian De Palma’s stylistic flair. The only rage you'll feel is from watching this desperate cash grab.
8. Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
This time, it's personal. That’s an actual tagline. Apparently, the shark is now emotionally invested in hunting down the Brody family. Even the laws of nature and logic couldn’t escape this absurd sequel. Featuring a roaring shark (yes, it roars), laughable effects, and a script that seems written on cocktail napkins, Jaws: The Revenge is so bad, it makes ‘Jaws 3-D’ look like ‘The Godfather: Part II.’ Michael Caine skipped the Oscars to shoot this, famously saying, "I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific.”
