It’s understandable when a great movie is made that there’s a desire to return to the well and transform it into a majorfranchise. This has happened time and again with mixed results. Sometimes things work out brilliantly, and we end up with all-timeaction franchises likeJohn Wickor kids classics such astheToy Storyseries. But other times, a great movie does not equate to an incredible franchise, and with hindsight, it seems things would have been better if it had been left as one single film.
There’s a real issue in modern Hollywood with movies being unnecessarily given the franchise treatment and studio executives valuing brand recognition over original ideas. This leads tolackluster sequels, pointless prequels, and just plain boring movies. Whilenot every sequel discussed here was downright terrible, the truth was that the legacy of these series would have been better if they had remained a standalone movie and not been milked for all that they’re worth.
10Pirates Of The Caribbean (2003-2017)
A franchise of diminishing returns
As a swashbuckling adventure based on the Disneyland theme park ride,Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearlwas one of the most enjoyable films of 2003. With Johnny Depp perfectly cast as Captain Jack Sparrow and a uniquely interesting supernatural storyline, had the series ended just there, it would have stood as a perfect family-friendly blockbuster and an all-time classic to rival the likes ofE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,The Iron Giant, andThe Princess Bride.
Pirates of the Caribbean
But the box office success was too great to ignore, and it’s no surprise that there were fourPiratessequels in the subsequent years. These were unfortunately of diminishing returns as audiences started to have enough of Depp’s once extraordinary performance, and with each new entry, the legacy of the franchise sank further and further into mediocrity. ThePiratesmovies were always financially successful, but from a viewer’s perspective, Disney had plundered to the point we wished the series had walked the plank following the release ofThe Curse of the Black Pearl.
9Fantastic Beasts (2016-2022)
It’s no Harry Potter
The Wizarding World ofHarry Potteris one that’s ripe for exploration, spin-off films, and endless extended media. That’s why it was so exciting when J.K. Rowling decided to explore the story of the Hogwarts textbook author, Newt Scamander, in a prequel film that would allow audiences to see witches and wizards in New York City for the first time.Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themwas an exciting new installment that wasn’t burdened with having to fit neatly into the narrative of theHarry Potterseries.
Fantastic Beasts
However, rather than allowFantastic Beaststo stand as one exciting spin-off adventure that could lead to many moreHarry Potter-inspired movies,Rowling opted to continue the series and shoehorn in the story of Dumbledore and Grindelwald into the franchise. While this was also an interesting story that deserved to be told, the fact that it was blended with Newt’s narrative overloaded the franchise, and worsening box office figures meant that even though Rowling had planned five films, only three were produced.
8Transformers (2007–Present)
Director Michael Bay got lost in an endless array of unnecessary sequels
With the firstTransformersmovie, Michael Bay delivered exactly what audiences wanted as giant robots battled it out, and we witnessed an impressive bombardment of special effects. There was nowhere to really go from there, so the idea thatTransformerswould continue with sequel after sequelwas always going to be disappointing. Although Bay has consistently received flak throughout his career for relying too heavily on explosions, this reached a true boiling point with theTransformersfranchise.
Transformers
As theTransformersmovies went on, they became increasingly bloated, special effects-heavy, and lacking in coherence. Rather than deepening the series' mythology as it went on, the movies just got louder and more garish. While Bay moved on from the series followingTransformers: The Last Knightin 2017, the fact that the franchise has continued with new directors means there could be no end to how many more lacklusterTransformersmovies we’ll be subjected to.
7Cars (2006-2017)
This franchise ran out of fuel fast
The originalCarswas yet another great example of Pixar telling a heartfelt, self-contained story that could be enjoyed by viewers of all ages. As the rookie race car Lightning McQueen learned important lessons of humility, friendship, and what really matters in life, it was clear thatCarswas a labor of love by those involved and deserved to stand alongside the likes ofToy Story,Finding Nemo, andMonsters Inc.
Cars
However, theCarsseries went off the rails as it pivoted into spy-comedy territory withCars 2,andCars 3followed a predictable passing-of-the-torch sports movie formula. With limited cross-generational appeal,it felt like theCarsfranchise was more about selling merchandise to young viewersthan it was about making genuinely compelling Pixar classics.
6Blair Witch (1999-2016)
The sequels could never match the surprise success of the original
The Blair Witch Projectwas a sleeper hit that helped revive the found-footage genre of horror movies. As a truly scary story,The Blair Witch Projectsucceeded due in part to its clever marketingthat made some viewers believe its mockumentary style was actually real and that this was the actual footage of a group of young filmmakers who had gone missing years earlier. This was a special set of circumstances that was impossible, and the harsh truth is that nobody should have even tried.
Blair Witch
While the original film was a surprise independent success,Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2and the third film,Blair Witch, were disappointing and formulaic. To turnThe Blair Witch Projectinto a franchise totally misses the point of what made the original special to begin with and completely undercuts the power of the first movie. What started off as mysterious and eerie ended up as mundane and ordinary.
5Clerks (1994–2022)
A cult classic that didn’t need to be a franchise
Kevin Smith proved it possible to find success on a shoestring budget with his indie cult classicClerksin 1994. This opened the door to many more films in his View Askewniverse featuring the fan-favorite characters Jay and Silent Bob. While there was an enjoyable interconnectivity between Smith’s films as he carved out his own cinematic universe years before the MCU, Smith really didn’t need to turnClerksinto a franchise, and it would have been better to just check in with Dante and Randal as cameo appearances rather than fully fledged sequels.
Clerks
Clerksholds a special place in the history of independent cinema, and Smith captured the angst, frustration, and disillusionment of Generation X slackers with his excellent first film. As an unapologetically personal look at working-class 20-somethings stuck in dead-end jobs,Clerkshad a gritty realism that was missing inClerks IIandClerks III. By the end, these movies started to feel more like fan service than anything else, and it was clear Smith had lost his edge.
4Predator (1987–Present)
Too many poor sequels have ruined its reputation
ThePredatorfranchise has been ongoing for decades now, yet it’s hard to shake the feeling that every subsequent movie fails to live up to the expectations set by the original. As fast-paced, action-packed sci-fi fromDie Harddirector John McTiernan,the originalPredatorsaw Arnold Schwarzenegger face off against a terrifying Yautjaduring a covert operation in a Central American jungle. While most franchises like this would have continued to tell the story of Schwarzenegger’s Dutch Schafer,Predatormade the decision to move away from his character and focused solely on the extraterrestrial foe.
Predator
The results were mixed, as althoughPredator 2has plenty of cult appeal, the litany of sequels and spin-offs that followed felt wholly unnecessary. As a franchise that’s languished in mediocrity for decades, it’s only recently, with Dan Trachtenberg’s excellent prequel,Prey, that the series has finally found its footing. Even though there have been some high points over the years, the harsh truth is thatPredator’slegacy would be more esteemed if it were just one lone action movie.
3The Lion King (1994–Present)
Financial interests have overtaken artistic integrity
The Disney Renaissance boasts some of the most acclaimed children’s animated movies of all time, withThe Lion Kingstanding as perhaps this era’s greatest accomplishment. With an epic narrative swiped directly from William Shakespeare’sHamlet,The Lion Kingwas characterized by thematic depth, great music from Elton John, and some of the most beautiful animation ever rendered. The story could have ended right there if Disney hadn’t decided to continually return to the well and see what else they could squeeze out of this beloved film turned franchise.
The Lion King
WhileThe Lion King’sdirect-to-video sequel and prequel have their admirers, no one can pretend that they were as good as the original. Add to this the disappointing photorealistic remake in 2019, which was the perfect example of Disney continually milking their back catalog to make far inferior products. The truth was thatthe legacy ofThe Lion Kingshould be allowed to stand for itself, and the only adaptation that should have been made was the excellent Broadway theatrical production.
2Ocean’s (2001-2018)
The cast was having more fun than the audience
Director Steven Soderbergh assembled an all-star Hollywood cast the likes of which we’d never seen when he madeOcean’s Elevenin 2001, and then he just kept doing it. As a remake of the Rat Pack classic from 1960 that featured Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr., this rebooted version featured modern stars like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Matt Damon. As a heist film that is packed with humor and energy,Ocean’s Elevenwas a lot of fun, butOcean’s TwelveandOcean’s Thirteenwere just totally unnecessary.
Ocean’s
While every film in the series was categorized by a stylish aesthetic and good chemistry between its ensemble cast, this was not a movie that needed to be turned into a franchise. The female-led spin-offOcean’s 8was yet another example of Hollywood being out of original ideas and just continually trying to rehash the joys of the past. While there’s room for plenty of exciting heist movies in today’s cinema landscape, we don’t need to keep makingOcean’smovies to achieve this.
1The Matrix (1999-2021)
Became increasingly convoluted as it went on
The Wachowskis made an undeniably great film withThe Matrixin 1999, a clever sci-fi story that kickstarted Keanu Reeves' career as an action star. As a film that was packed with deeply grand ideas relating to determinism, free will, technology, and reality itself,The Matrixproved it was possible for a Hollywood blockbuster to be both entertaining and philosophically deep. With concepts like the blue pill and red pill entering the popular lexicon and bullet time changing the way action movies are shot,The Matrixwas hugely influential.
The Matrix
However, it’s clear thatThe Matrixsequels were of diminishing returns and that the franchise became increasingly convoluted as it went on. The story of Neo fighting back against the machines who had enslaved humanity in a simulated environment was a compelling one, but later movies just did not have the same kind of enduring relevance as the original. The legacy sequelThe Matrix Resurrectionsfrom 2021 also stands as the series' worst entry, showcasing that it’s time to unplug thisfranchiseonce and for all…
