# What is the WORST immediate sequel to a great film? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [May 11, 2025, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246 "2025-05-11T07:15:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/141 "2025-05-13T00:28:25Z")
From a “Scenes from a Hat” segment on _Whose Line Is It Anyway?_: Drew: “What really made the kids in _Blair Witch_ run off screaming.” Colin: “THERE’S GONNA BE A CRAPPY SEQUEL!” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/142 "2025-05-13T00:40:44Z")
I enjoyed “Borat”. The sequel, “Brüno” I found semi-excruciating and not very funny. I was unaware of another sequel, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (2020) but now that I know it exists, I have no desire to see it. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/143 "2025-05-13T01:29:23Z")
Thought of another straight-to-video sequel with different actors, so not strictly in line with the rules in the OP, but it was only 2 years later and a massive drop in quality: **American Psycho 2: All American Girl**. RT Critics: 68% to 24% RT Audience: 85% to 18% IMDb: 7.6 to 3.7 Ouch. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/144 "2025-05-13T01:32:10Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I don’t know if Weekend at Bernie’s qualifies as a good enough original but the sequel was definitely awful. First film was entertaining and funny- but by no means “great”. The second- neither entertaining nor funny. ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/145 "2025-05-13T02:55:54Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Thought of another straight-to-video sequel with different actors, so not strictly in line with the rules in the OP, but it was only 2 years later and a massive drop in quality: **American Psycho 2: All American Girl**. From what I have read, AP2:AAG is a sequel in name only. Mila Kunis, who starred in the film, stated that it was made as a standalone film. In post-production, the producers added a prologue scene involving Patrick Bateman, which is what supposedly made it a sequel to American Psycho. Kunis has publicly expressed regret for appearing in the film, due to this subterfuge. ---
**Author:** ![pirviii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pirviii/32/3233_2.png) [@pirviii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pirviii)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/146 "2025-05-13T03:54:38Z")
> [@TheTyrant](#): > > Frankly, I’m not entirely certain how enjoyable I would have found 2001 otherwise. Were viewers expected to understand what’s going on or were they just expected to marvel at the effects? I saw it at ten and it made no sense and I fell asleep about halfway. I tried watching again about ten years later, with the same result. I was able to finish by starting in the middle. Next time I watch it will be with some magic mushrooms. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/147 "2025-05-13T05:28:49Z")
Bruno isn’t a sequel to Borat, surely? ---
**Author:** ![TheTyrant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thetyrant/32/19111_2.png) [@TheTyrant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTyrant)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/148 "2025-05-13T06:03:32Z")
I think this would honestly make an interesting parallel thread… movies that started as a standalone/new production but retroactively had some arbitrary IP thrown on them because some producer felt they needed some name recognition and owned/purchased the rights. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/149 "2025-05-13T06:52:34Z")
The requirement is ‘extremely good’, not ‘great’. Still not quite there I think, but closer. ---
**Author:** ![f.coli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@f.coli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/f.coli)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/150 "2025-05-13T11:00:06Z")
I wouldn’t call it the worst, but Grease 2 is pretty poorly regarded compared to the original. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/151 "2025-05-13T11:04:46Z")
A friend of mine is unaccountably a huge fan of **Grease 2** ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/152 "2025-05-13T12:57:07Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > Bruno isn’t a sequel to Borat, surely? Not a sequel but both are related. Borat and Bruno were both characters in _Da Ali G Show._ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/153 "2025-05-13T13:00:32Z")
One that hasn’t been mentioned yet (I think) is **Futureworld** , the abominable sequel to Michael Crichton’s 1973 movie **Westworld**. The 1976 has no one from the first movie except Yul Brynner in a small number of scenes, and the film’s composer. It’s pretty forgettable. Even its producer said “it wasn’t a very good picture”. The critics weren’t kind to it: > [@](#): > > [Richard Eder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Eder) panned the film in _[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times)_ , quoting Ballard’s line from the movie, “This is about as exciting as a visit to the water works.” Coining his own variation on the phrase, Eder also claimed the film is “as much fun as running barefoot on [Astroturf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AstroTurf).” He added, “It is all the most ordinary kind of hardware science fiction, full of computers and empty of thought.” Writing that Danner and Fonda have “absolutely nothing to do” in the film, he concluded that “starring in _Futureworld_ must be the actor’s equivalent of going on welfare.”[[11]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futureworld#cite_note-11) [Gene Siskel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Siskel) of the _[Chicago Tribune](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tribune)_ gave the film two stars out of four and criticized the “dumb story,” although he did think it had “some of the best gadgets since the early [James Bond pictures](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bond_pictures) … Too bad ‘Futureworld’ didn’t dream up more of these gizmos.”[[12]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futureworld#cite_note-12) > **[Futureworld](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futureworld)** > > Futureworld is a 1976 American science fiction thriller film directed by Richard T. Heffron and written by Mayo Simon and George Schenck. It is a sequel to the 1973 Michael Crichton film Westworld, and is the second installment in the Westworld franchise. The film stars Peter Fonda, Blythe Danner, Arthur Hill, Stuart Margolin, John Ryan, and Yul Brynner, who makes an appearance in a dream sequence; no other cast member from the original film appears. Westworld's writer-director, Michael Cricht... ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/154 "2025-05-13T13:13:40Z")
Another pretty awful one was **The Fly II** David Cronenberg’s movie **The Fly** was actually surprisingly good, and I’d argue that it does achieve “great film” status. It was highly praised at the time. It explored interesting topics, and got far away from the “Help Meeeee!” stuff from the first film (and Laangeland’s original story). On the other hand, **The Fly II** , rushed into production three years after the original, with only one actor returning to reprise his role. It was directed by the special effects guy from the first film, who took over after the original choice of director quit. The plot is short on thought and big on grossness and revenge, and features a rapidly-aging main character, who grows up way too fast (never a good sign). Again, the critic weren’t kind > [@](#): > > [Janet Maslin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Maslin) from _[The New York Times](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times)_ gave the film a negative review, writing, “The only respect in which it matches Mr. Cronenberg’s _[Fly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fly_(1986_film))_ is in its sheer repulsiveness, since this film degenerates into a series of slime-ridden, glop-oozing special effects in its final half hour.”[[20]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fly_II#cite_note-maslin89-20) Actually, this film suffers the same fate as the sequel to the original 1958 version of **The Fly**. **Return of the Fly** (1959) was shot in black and white, instead of color, as in the original film. The special effects were bottom-shelf, and the writing sappy. Vincent Price was the only actor from the first film to return. And, while having Price is generally a boon, his parts in both films were pretty small – he’s not a major character in either. It scored about as well on Rotten Tomatoes as **The Fly II** – which is to say, not that great. It was released on a double bill with **The Alligator People** , which isn’t anything to be proud of. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/155 "2025-05-13T14:07:13Z")
What’s your opinion of **Curse of the Fly** from 1965? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/156 "2025-05-13T14:18:57Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I was unaware of another sequel, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (2020) but now that I know it exists, I have no desire to see it. Bruno was a sequel to Borat? Borat 2 is really funny, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/157 "2025-05-13T14:28:26Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > What’s your opinion of **Curse of the Fly** from 1965? Forgettable. As in, I saw it once, and can’t remember it. The film wasn’t released on VHS. I did see it as a part of a DVD package, but it was too expensive to consider. According to the synopsis on Wikipedia, it’s completely incompatible with the previous two films, and its plot seems all over the map. Why they decided to make this film after the flop that was The Son of the Fly, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![TheTyrant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thetyrant/32/19111_2.png) [@TheTyrant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheTyrant)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/158 "2025-05-13T15:31:13Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The plot is short on thought and big on grossness and revenge Haha, I just remember that one poor dude getting crushed by an elevator–which apparently turns your head into rubber and makes all the blood in your body erupt out of your face. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/159 "2025-05-13T17:30:25Z")
**The Star Wars Holiday Special** ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2025, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246/160 "2025-05-13T17:52:08Z")
Aaaagggggh! My eyes! My ears! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-immediate-sequel-to-a-great-film/1018246.md?page=9)