History Main / StarTrekMovieCurse

* ''Film/MenInBlack'' is considered a classic. ''Film/MenInBlackII'' is seen as an example of {{Sequelitis}}. ''Film/MenInBlack3'' is regarded as a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel. The fourth installment, the spin-off ''Film/MenInBlackInternational'', was negatively reviewed.

* With the ''Franchise/PlanetOfTheApes'' franchise, the general consensus is that the [[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 first]] and [[Film/EscapeFromThePlanetOfTheApes third]] films of the original series are good, while the [[Film/BeneathThePlanetOfTheApes second]] and [[Film/BattleForThePlanetOfTheApes fifth]] are bad, which leaves the [[Film/ConquestOfThePlanetOfTheApes fourth one]] in the middle ground with just as many people who like it as there are people who hate it.

* The Kelvin timeline films (''Film/StarTrek2009'', ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' and ''Film/StarTrekBeyond''), are seen as further "evidence" amongst fans that the curse has appearently been inverted in the 21st century. ''2009'' was seen as a solid film that revived ''Star Trek'' on the sliver screen after ''Nemesis'' bombed. ''Into Darkness'', on the the other hand, due it openly referencing ''Wrath of Khan'' (to the point where [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks some see it as copying it a little too closely]]) and its allusions to the UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror, was met with a ''very'' polarized response by the fanbase and as such is regarded as a ContestedSequel. Finally ''Beyond'' was more universally well-recieved by the fans and those who were left cold by ''Into Darkness'' see it as a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel.

* ''Film/MenInBlack'' is considered a classic. ''Film/MenInBlackII'' is seen as an example of {{Sequelitis}}. ''Film/MenInBlack3'' is regarded as a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel. The fourth installment, the spin-off ''Film/MenInBlackInternational'' was negatively reviewed.

* The ''ComicBook/XMen'' [[Film/XMenFilmSeries film series]], while popular, has received mixed reception over the years. On Website/RottenTomatoes, reviews for all the movies range from as low as 23% (''Film/DarkPhoenix'') to 93% (''Film/{{Logan}}''). The trend for the main franchise (excluding spin-off films like ''Film/Deadpool2016'', ''Film/TheNewMutants'', and the aforementioned ''Logan'') that the first two in a quadrilogy (''Film/XMen1'' and ''Film/X2XMenUnited'' for the first timeline, ''Film/XMenFirstClass'' and ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' for the reboot timeline) are well-received, but the third (''Film/XMenTheLastStand'' and ''Film/XMenApocalypse'') is widely considered a step down, and the fourth (''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' and the aforementioned ''Dark Phoenix'') is usually the worst in said quadrilogy.

* While fans of the ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'' series of books don't necessarily find the even-numbered books to be bad, there is definitely a pattern of odd being "war and lots of cool dragon battles" and even being "travel and lots of talking". However, both the sixth and seventh books are travel and diplomacy, and the eighth is Napoleon's Russian campaign.

* Creator/ValveSoftware has the Threes Curse, that being their inability to produce a game with a three in the title. ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'', ''[[VideoGame/TeamFortress1 Team]] [[VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic Fortress]]'', ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' have all had their most recent entries at 2 (''VideoGame/LeftForDead2'', ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', ''VideoGame/Dota2'', and ''VideoGame/Portal2'' respectively), with no news of anything further, but ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' is the most infamous: ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' had two [[MissionPackSequel "Episode" installments]] in 2006 and 2007 to act as continuations rather than a third game, and the third Episode fell into DevelopmentHell and had yet to be released over a decade later. This was ''finally'' bucked with the release of the third ''Half-Life'' installment [[SequelGap in 2020]], ''VideoGame/HalfLifeAlyx'', which was met with extreme acclaim.

* ''Franchise/{{Deus Ex|Universe}}'' has this issue with odd-numbered games being considered amazing and even-numbered games being {{Contested Sequel}}s. The original ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' is considered one of the greatest video games of all time, the direct sequel ''VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar'' is significantly less popular due to the oversimplification of game mechanics, the prequel ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' is a return to form for the series, and ''VideoGame/DeusExMankindDivided'' received flak for [[ItsShortSoItSucks its short length]].
* In the ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' series, the odd-numbered games are better received than the even-numbered ones. [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry1 The original]] is a well-liked hack and slash. [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry2 The second game]] is widely seen as [[SophomoreSlump the worst]] to the point that even Creator/{{Capcom}} rarely acknowledges its existence. [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening The third game]] is a SurprisinglyImprovedSequel and possibly the best in the series. [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 The fourth game]] is good but it's considered as a step down from its predecessor because of [[ReplacementScrappy Nero replacing Dante]] and its excessive backtracking brought about by a TroubledProduction. [[VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry The reboot]] broke the trend being by far the most contentious installment. [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry5 The fifth game]] in the main series both plays this straight and inverts it, straight as in as far as main series goes, it has received universal praise while inverted in the fact that it is technically the sixth game in the series if you count the reboot.

* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'': The 2D lineage has the curse with the even installments. While still agreed upon to be good games, both ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' are nonetheless viewed as step downs from their respective predecessors (''VideoGame/Metroid1'' and ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'') due to having more linear progression. This extends to the remakes as well, with ''VideoGame/MetroidZeroMission'' being beloved, while ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'' received more scrutiny from the fanbase than it did from critics (though this was in part because of [[VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake a very well-received]] FanRemake that had been in circulation before ''Samus Returns'' released, with Creator/{{Nintendo}} [[FanWorkBan issuing]] [[ScrewedByTheLawyers a DMCA takedown]] of ''[=AM2R=]'' before unveiling their own official product).

* Before the series entered its late-period AudienceAlienatingEra, the quality of the ''Franchise/FridayThe13th'' movies was all over the place. The [[Film/FridayThe13th1980 first two]] [[Film/FridayThe13thPart2 films]] both enjoy good reputations as '80s slashers despite some EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, though most fans would say that the series didn't [[GrowingTheBeard come into its own]] until the second, which introduced Jason Voorhees as the series' [[VillainBasedFranchise iconic villain]]. [[Film/FridayThe13thPartIII The third]], despite introducing the hockey mask Jason the series is best known for, is remembered as a mess that relied more on its [[Platform/ThreeDMovie gimmicky 3D effects]] than plot, characters, or actors, but the fourth film, titled ''[[Film/FridayThe13thTheFinalChapter The Final Chapter]]'' and intended as a GrandFinale, was a near-perfect distillation of everything the series represented and a film that could've ended the franchise on a high note. The fifth film, ''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVANewBeginning A New Beginning]]'', is remembered as one of the worst films in the series, with the sleaze cranked up to ridiculous levels and a climatic twist [[spoiler:that the killer [[JackTheRipoff wasn't actually Jason]]]] that infuriated fans, while the sixth film, ''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIJasonLives Jason Lives]]'', is remembered as one of the best, as a more self-referential take on the franchise that introduced the most popular RevenantZombie version of Jason. After that, however, the series went through a long stretch of films that ranged from middling to outright bad [[labelnote:In order...]]''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIITheNewBlood The New Blood]]'' suffered badly at the hands of [[MediaWatchdog the MPAA]] taking [[{{Bowdlerise}} a machete of its own]] to all the kills, ''[[Film/FridayThe13thPartVIIIJasonTakesManhattan Jason Takes Manhattan]]'' was a gimmicky JustForFun/RecycledInSpace entry, ''[[Film/JasonGoesToHellTheFinalFriday Jason Goes to Hell]]'' was seen as ''Friday'' InNameOnly, and ''Film/JasonX'' was another JustForFun/RecycledInSpace entry.[[/labelnote]] before ''Film/FreddyVsJason'' became the first ''Friday'' in sixteen years to more or less meet the approval of fans. [[Film/FridayThe13th2009 The 2009 remake]] is also regarded as a surprisingly not-terrible AdaptationDistillation, even if it's not as iconic as the earlier films.

** The first film was a mystery like thriller, almost James Bond-esque, with a complex plot in-between tense action scenes.
** ''M:I 2'' was an all-out action film, with a very basic plot.
** ''M:I 3'', while lacking tense action, was saved by its deliciously evil villain.
** ''M:I Ghost Protocol'' lacked a noticable villain.
** ''M:I Rogue Nation'' was the best received since the first film.

* Creator/ValveSoftware has the Threes Curse, that being their inability to produce a game with a three in the title. ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'', ''[[VideoGame/TeamFortress1 Team]] [[VideoGame/TeamFortressClassic Fortress]]'', ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' have all had their most recent entries at 2 (''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', ''VideoGame/Dota2'', and ''VideoGame/Portal2'' respectively), with no news of anything further, but ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' is the most infamous: ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' had two [[MissionPackSequel "Episode" installments]] in 2006 and 2007 to act as continuations rather than a third game, and the third Episode fell into DevelopmentHell and had yet to be released over a decade later. This was ''finally'' bucked with the release of the third ''Half-Life'' installment [[SequelGap in 2020]], ''VideoGame/HalfLifeAlyx'', which was met with extreme acclaim.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series has one, in which the [[FourIsDeath fourth]] game by the current owner will be considered the worst from that company. Interplay's fourth game, ''VideoGame/FalloutBrotherhoodOfSteel'', flopped so badly that it led to Interplay going bankrupt and being forced to sell the rights. If you ignore third-party developer Obsidian Entertainment's ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', then the fourth ''Fallout'' game under Bethesda's banner (after ''VideoGame/Fallout3'', ''VideoGame/FalloutShelter'', and ''VideoGame/Fallout4'') was ''VideoGame/Fallout76'', which became the worst-reviewed game of the entire series. Even the series as a whole has this problem with the numbered installments; ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', while not as hated as ''Brotherhood of Steel'' nor as poorly made as ''76'', still isn't as adored by the community as ''VideoGame/Fallout1'', ''VideoGame/Fallout2'', or even ''Fallout 3''.
* Early ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' titles followed a pattern where odd-numbered games were more gameplay focused than the even ones, which were more story-driven. ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' broke this pattern, and all games afterwards tended to be very story heavy.

* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' has had many, many, ''many'' ups and downs, with a humongous BrokenBase and many an AudienceAlienatingEra to show for it. The cracks started showing around the time of ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes'', then got extremely visible around the time of ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' and ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'', due the increased focus on ultra gritty stories and questionable story beats resulting in truckloads of {{Narm}}, alongside increasingly slippery and sloppy gameplay. Things started looking up around the time of ''VideoGame/SonicColors'', only to backslide and reach a ''new'' polarizing era with ''VideoGame/SonicBoomRiseOfLyric'', continuing further with the middling reception of ''VideoGame/SonicForces''. However, the SurprisinglyImprovedSequel that was ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', alongside the overall positive reception of [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020 the]] [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022 movies]], and the mostly good view of [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW the IDW comics]], has restored a significant amount of goodwill. Time will tell how this era plays out.

* Not counting the spin-offs or upgrades, ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' also seems to have this curse, albeit only starting from the third and fourth games -- ''Tekken 2'' was seen as a stark improvement over the original by both players and devs alike, and received its own EvenBetterSequel in the commercially and critically successful ''VideoGame/Tekken3''. ''VideoGame/Tekken4'' was seen as a fairly weak entry that changed too much (from the gameplay mechanics to the roster count), while ''VideoGame/Tekken5'' reverted many of those changes to wide acclaim. Since then, the following numbered installments have so far alternated in terms of perceived quality, with ''VideoGame/Tekken6'' being seen as a step down from ''5'' whereas ''VideoGame/Tekken7'' was received much more favorably, going on to become the most commercially successful entry in the series at 10 million copies sold as of December 2022. For the ''Tag Tournament'' [[DreamMatchGame games]], meanwhile, the original was seen as great while the second received a more middling (but still decent) reception.
%% Will need to wait a bit longer to add in information on Tekken 8 (as it's only been out for two months as of this edit), but general reception so far indicates it broke the curse.

* Creator/ValveSoftware has the Threes Curse, that being their inability to produce a game with a three in the title. ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'', ''VideoGame/TeamFortress'', ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'', and ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' have all had their most recent entries at 2, with no news of anything further, but ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' is the most infamous: ''Half-Life 2'' had two [[MissionPackSequel "Episode" installments]] to act as continuations rather than a third game, and the third Episode fell into DevelopmentHell and has yet to be released for fourteen years and counting. This was ''finally'' bucked with the release of the third ''Half-Life'' installment, ''VideoGame/HalfLifeAlyx'', which was met with extreme acclaim.

** Even: ''The Burning Crusade'' gets bad flak for its lore developments, particularly cases of CharacterDerailment. ''Cataclysm'' originally held the title of the weakest expansion after ''Wrath of the Lich King'' proved to be a ToughActToFollow. ''Warlords of Draenor'' dethroned ''Cataclysm'' for having too much gameplay tied into [[PlayerHeadquarters garrisons]] and its overall short length (being the first expansion to end with a .2 patch instead of .3 or .4, and having only three raids across two tiers) despite having a slightly higher price tag than previous expansions. ''Battle for Azeroth'' is loathed by much of the player base for various reasons, primarily having unsatisfying gameplay and a plot that feels like a repeat of ''Mists of Pandaria''.
** Odd: The "vanilla" version when the game launched in 2004 is generally treated kindly in spite of its flaws that would be ironed out over the next two decades. ''Wrath of the Lich King'' is considered by many to be the game's absolute peak in terms of both gameplay and story. ''Mists of Pandaria'' received some criticism for its setting and the addition of the pandaren race, but was eventually VindicatedByHistory for its good points. ''Legion'' is seen as a genuinely good expansion that fixed most of the problems that players had with ''Warlords'' on top of adding a popular new class and the widely-acclaimed class halls and campaigns.
** ''Shadowlands'', the eighth expansion and ninth version overall, seems to have bucked the trend. While it sold well, it's been heavily criticized for its overreliance on tacked-on gameplay systems [[FranchiseOriginalSin that continues a trend started by]] ''[[FranchiseOriginalSin Legion]]'', a story that attempts to be "epic" but ends up feeling more like a SaturdayMorningCartoon, and simply not feeling like ''Warcraft'' anymore. The expansion's first major patch was similarly met with ridicule over being released a whopping eight months after the expansion's initial launch and its increasingly questionable writing and doubling down on the aforementioned systems, which, combined with the ObviousBeta release of ''Warcraft III: Reforged'', the lukewarm reaction to the rerelease of the aforementioned ''Burning Crusade'', and some other controversies surrounding Creator/BlizzardEntertainment at the time, turned both the company and their flagship game into a laughing stock.