Summary

• Movie sequels often struggle to recapture the magic of the original, either by playing it too safe or changing too much.
• Fans want to see characters they love develop within the story, not just rehashed versions of them.
• Some sequels lose charm by diverging from what made the original great, leading to disappointing results.

Movie sequels always have to bring something new to the table, but sometimes they change so much that they forget what made the original so great in the first place. There are countless disappointing movie sequels, showing that it isn't always easy to recapture the intangible magic that contributes to a beloved movie. A lot of bad sequels play things too safely in an attempt to rehash the original. This is a common misstep, but going too far in the opposite direction is equally ill-fated. Fans who are eagerly awaiting a sequel want to see something familiar.

Movie sequels can have all the ingredients which seem important, including the same actors, the same setting, and an exciting new story to tell, but they can still fall flat if they don't truly understand the appeal of the first movie. These sequels can seem like hollow imitations of great movies, with all the frills but none of the heart. Even if filmmakers and studios think that fans want to see the same actors playing the same characters again, the important thing is how these characters develop within the context of the story. If this is misjudged, it can lead to some puzzling movie sequels.

10 Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Eggsy's character growth suddenly means a lot less

The second Kingsman movie builds on the high-octane action of the first, and it helps expand the world of private espionage to a global scale. However, The Golden Circle betrays the emotional arc of the first movie, The Secret Service. Harry's death is a major turning point in Eggsy's path toward becoming a self-sufficient Kingsman agent. Bringing him back to life using absurd sci-fi undoes this journey, and it also means that the personal stakes are considerably lower. When characters can survive gunshots to the head, the fights don't feel as intense. Kingsman: The Blue Blood could also suffer from the shockwaves of this decision.

9 Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019)

The sequel trilogy presents two conflicting philosophies concerning Rey's origins

The Last Jedi suggested that Rey's heritage was unimportant because anyone could be special. The Rise of Skywalker rejects this idea entirely.

After Rian Johnson's controversial The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker was even more divisive, but for completely different reasons. The mystery of Rey's parentage was key to the sequel trilogy from the beginning. The Last Jedi suggested that her heritage was unimportant because anyone could be special. The Rise of Skywalker rejects this idea entirely, revealing that she is related to Emperor Palpatine, who has also returned from the dead somehow. The franchise is still trying to figure out the legacy of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but it isn't easy with two dueling philosophies.

8 Home Alone 3 (1997)

More booby traps but a lot less fun

The Home Alone franchise probably should have ended when Macaulay Culkin outgrew the role of Kevin, but replacing Culkin is not the only problem with Home Alone 3. The sequel tries to recapture the magic of the first two movies by having slapstick booby traps and some incompetent robbers. This is a reductive approach to what makes Home Alone so great, however. In Home Alone 3, the child is only alone for the day. This means he doesn't get to explore the freedom and responsibilities of being away from his parents. Also, Home Alone 3 isn't even a Christmas movie.

7 Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)

Indy is the ultimate pulp hero, but now he has to deal with sci-fi mysteries