History Sequelitis / LiveActionFilms

* The ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' had two beloved movies, followed by a ContestedSequel. Since continuing after ''[[Film/XMenTheLastStand The Last Stand]]'' would be hard, they decided to make prequels instead. First was ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'', which also divided everyone; then came ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', but it completely {{averted|Trope}} sequelitis and is now considered the best in the series since ''Film/X2XMenUnited''. Following that was a sequel/stand-alone story to ''Wolverine'', simply titled ''Film/TheWolverine'', which was considered a better film than its predecessor back in the day. Then came indirect ''The Last Stand'' sequel/direct ''First Class'' sequel ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', which was not only considered a better film [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel to both of]] [[EvenBetterSequel its predecessors]], but was also hailed by critics as the series' zenith followed closely by ''Film/{{Deadpool|2016}}'' which is considered the first successful R-Rated superhero movie. Afterwards, it became a lot more uneven with ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' being one of the biggest {{Contested Sequel}}s in the franchise, ''Film/{{Logan}}'' being hailed as one of the best X-Men movies, if not THE best, and considered a tremendous improvement over the two previous Wolverine-centric movies, ''Film/Deadpool2'' being considered good although whether it is better than the first or not is debatable, ''Film/DarkPhoenix'' getting even worse reviews than ''The Last Stand'', and ''Film/TheNewMutants'' [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment being delayed too much]] and ultimately not being well-received to officially end Fox's run with a whimper rather than a bang.

* ''Film/TheCrow'' was an inspired take on a powerful, emotionally-gripping comic book. The sequel ''Film/TheCrowCityOfAngels'' suffered - tortuously - from the writers attempting to take the "framework" of the original story and try to swap out the plot details, replacing the original compelling story with a particularly unsubtle morass of "IKEA Pathos." That, and apparently no one on the film team even ''noticed'' the visual aesthetic of the original, since not even the barest effort was made to retain it. Add to this wooden acting, a notable dearth of memorable lines or dialogue, an obvious, over-the-top AssPull ending, the utter absence of verisimilitude between the visual (and linguistic) environment depicted in the film and the real-life UsefulNotes/LosAngeles it was allegedly based on, and a particularly blatant [[DroppedABridgeOnHim bridge drop]] at the end, and you have a shameful attempt at remaking - even cloning - ''The Crow'', with essentially ''none'' of the things that made the original great. To the point that even if ''Film/TheCrowSalvation'' was middling at best, everyone agrees it was an improvement over ''City of Angels''. But then there was ''Film/TheCrowWickedPrayer'', which wastes [[Literature/TheCrowWickedPrayer a good source material]] and only has entertainment value in an unhinged Creator/DennisHopper performance.

* The ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' had two beloved movies, followed by a ContestedSequel. Since continuing after ''[[Film/XMenTheLastStand The Last Stand]]'' would be hard, they decided to make prequels instead. First was ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'', which also divided everyone; then came ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', but it completely {{averted|Trope}} sequelitis and is now considered the best in the series since ''Film/X2XMenUnited''. Following that was a sequel/stand-alone story to ''Wolverine'', simply titled ''Film/TheWolverine'', which was considered a better film than its predecessor back in the day. Then came indirect ''The Last Stand'' sequel/direct ''First Class'' sequel ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'', which was not only considered a better film [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel to both of]] [[EvenBetterSequel its predecessors]], but was also hailed by critics as the series' zenith followed closely by ''Film/{{Deadpool}}'' which is considered the first successful R-Rated superhero movie. Afterwards, it became a lot more uneven with ''Film/XMenApocalypse'' being one of the biggest {{Contested Sequel}}s in the franchise, ''Film/{{Logan}}'' being hailed as one of the best X-Men movies, if not THE best, and considered a tremendous improvement over the two previous Wolverine-centric movies, ''Film/Deadpool2'' being considered good although whether it is better than the first or not is debatable, ''Film/DarkPhoenix'' getting even worse reviews than ''The Last Stand'', and ''Film/TheNewMutants'' [[TheShelfOfMovieLanguishment being delayed too much]] and ultimately not being well-received to officially end Fox's run with a whimper rather than a bang.

* While not considered terrible ''Film/PacificRimUprising'' is considered a major downgrade on [[Film/PacificRim the original]], lacking Creator/GuillermoDelToro's artistic vision, having disliked {{retcon}}s, much less likeable or memorable characters, and being far more MerchandiseDriven. Rather tellingly, following this film, nearly all online hype regarding follow-ups to the franchise (which was very prevalent beforehand) vanished almost overnight.

* ''Film/{{Gamera}}'': While the films were never considered high art, the first few films were considered entertaining but gradually became of lower and lower quality around the [[Film/GameraVsViras fourth film]] as it succumbed to over-reliance on repetitive plots, focus on annoying child characters, evermore shoestring production quality, and use of StockFootage to pad the runtime. This culminated with the universally-reviled ''Film/GameraSuperMonster'' which exacerbated these flaws, with ''another'' ineffectual alien invasion, the most annoying little boy main character yet, the budget of a ham sandwich, and ''more than a third'' of its runtime being recycled scenes. The Heisei trilogy which followed [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel invert this]] though, and are considered ''miles'' better than any of the Showa Gamera sequels, by virtue of being a DarkerAndEdgier ContinuityReboot which avoid the flaws of the original series.

* Even in otherwise positive reviews, the majority of viewers and critics feel ''Film/TheCraftLegacy'' is inferior to the 1996 film ''Film/TheCraft'' (and critics weren't [[SoOkayItsAverage hugely enamored]] with that movie, either, though it's regarded as a CultClassic). The main criticisms include being [[SoftReboot overly-derivative]] of the first movie, the rushed climax, the lack of characterization for the girls save for Lily, the [[LighterAndSofter toned-down horror]], multiple unresolved plot threads, and the [[{{Anvilicious}} lack of nuance]] in some of its themes. Not helping is that while ''The Craft'' had something of a uniqueness factor as dark fantasy aimed at teens was [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny uncommon in the 1990s]], these days supernatural teen dramas are a dime a dozen. While some appreciated ''Legacy'''s attempts to address topical social issues and its girl power themes, there's not much else to make it stand out.

* The ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' movies are a really steep example of sequelitis.

* ''Film/{{Meatballs}}'': The original 1979 comedy was a comedy classic, featuring Creator/BillMurray in his major film debut[=/=]StarMakingRole, and featuring a ComingOfAge story involving a group of teen campers who are led by rebellious camp counselor Tripper Harrison (Murray) to compete in a triathlon against a rival camp for bragging rights. The original film was a critical and commercial smash hit, but further installments in the series forgot what made the original so enduring (the friendships between the counselors and students), and instead lapsed into HotterAndSexier knockoffs of '80s sleaze films like ''Film/Porkys''. The end result was a mishmash of SameStoryDifferentNames (two of the three sequels all revolve around a camp competition between rival groups), unrelated concepts rewritten to fit in the franchise's mold, and waning box office. By the time the fourth film, ''Meatballs IV'', arrived DirectToVideo, it's clear that the shine was long gone from the franchise.

* ''Film/{{TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles|1990}}'' was considered [[FirstInstallmentWins a nice piece of 1990s pop culture]]. The [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIITheSecretOfTheOoze second film]] wasn't quite as well-received due to being DenserAndWackier, but it still had a few entertaining moments, and it has its fans. [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIII The third film]], however, was bashed mercilessly by critics and fans alike (fans were actually far more ruthless on it than ''Series/SiskelAndEbert'' ever were to the trilogy as a whole), and it's viewed as the worst of the three by a healthy margin; it swept the Turtles off the big screen until 2007, and it would take until 2014 for another live-action ''TMNT'' film to surface; it does not have any continuity to the others.

** [[Film/TransformersTheLastKnight The fifth film]] looks to have finally driven off the public, to the point that it underperformed in ''[[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff China]]'', historically the franchise's biggest stronghold, and grossed less than the first film despite a decade of inflation and foreign market expansion. (the bad reception even poisoned the well to make ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'', widely considered [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel better than all the sequels]] and maybe the first movie too, not as much of a success as the mainline series; still, a seventh movie, following on ''Bumblebee'' and incorporating ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', is in production)

* Movies based on video games aren't exempt from this rule, either, even though very few of them get sequels in the first place (and [[VideoGameMoviesSuck usually deservedly so]]). Just ask anyone who paid to watch ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'' or ''Film/LaraCroftTombRaiderTheCradleOfLife''. The vanishingly rare exceptions include ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBirdsMovie2'' (the highest rated video game movie of all time) and ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2''.

** ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'' started the follow-ups wrong with ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreetPart2FreddysRevenge'', who everyone agrees to be inferior to the original, albeit over time it evolved from "widely hated" to "ContestedSequel" after the reappraisal of the [[HoYay homoerotic overtones]] and how it retains the scary Freddy rather than make him more comedic. ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet5TheDreamChild'' was also deemed a step back with a ridiculous plot and an uncertain tone that ranges between dark and grim to silly and funny, but earned a share of defenders for its gothic atmosphere. Still, follow-up ''Film/FreddysDeadTheFinalNightmare'' is widely considered the absolute worst in the franchise, often hated for being way too goofy to the point of parody, to flat characters, to random cameos that drag the movie down and in general being a poor conclusion to what was supposed to be the final entry of the series.

** Fans of the films also don't think particularly highly of the [[Series/ScreamTVSeries spinoff TV series]] that came after ''Scream 4'', but since that's its own separate continuity, it can be, and often is, easily ignored.

* A few ''Film/JamesBond'' films suffered from this, specially ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'' (the [[StrictlyFormula formula]] is starting to age), ''Film/DiamondsAreForever'', ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun'', ''Film/{{Moonraker}}'' (all three for being overly stupid [[note]] ''Golden Gun'' was also a CreatorKiller for director Guy Hamilton [[/note]]), ''Film/AViewToAKill'' (Bond is too old, girl is annoying, [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks plot is a rehash]] [[note]] Creator/RogerMoore departed the film business altogether after this one; said girl's theatrical career was derailed after her performance and prima donna behavior earned her and the film/series its first Razzie nomination [[/note]]), ''Film/DieAnotherDay'' (silliness, dodgy special effects [[note]] This movie, along with the ''Austin Powers'' trilogy, convinced the Broccolis to reboot the series, and helped be a CreatorKiller for director Lee Tamahori's career[[/note]]), ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' (too serious for its own good, convoluted plot), and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' (plot is too incoherent).

* The ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' movies alternate between playing sequelitis straight and turning it on its head. Critical consensus has the first being nothing special, the [[Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen second downright bad]], the [[Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon third]] [[ContestedSequel having no]] [[BrokenBase real consensus]], and [[Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction the fourth]] somehow being both an improvement ''and'' the worst of the lot. The first movie was an okay sci-fi action-thriller that gave a semi-realistic tone to the franchise. The second movie lost that touch and became an over-the-top action movie with tons of [[RefugeInAudacity unneeded adult humor]] (such as the pot-smoking mom, the [[UnfortunateImplications racist robots]] and mechanical testicles) and a generic plot. The third movie tried to please everyone and lowered the screen time for the robots (even though they are the title characters), made the first half almost a sort of parody (which led to the return of Sam's parents who by now are nothing more than TheArtifact) and the second half a sci-fi war movie that [[DroppedABridgeOnHim dropped bridges on many characters]]. Finally, the fourth movie acted as a soft reboot of the series by replacing the human cast and notably extending the length of the action sequences; which in turn made the film the longest of the series (2 hours and 45 minutes). While this move gave the title characters a notably increased amount of screentime, the final result was also considered by many reviewers to be a monotonous and phoned-in regurgitation of the previous three films. And [[Film/TransformersTheLastKnight the fifth film]] looks to have finally driven off the public, to the point that it underperformed in ''[[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff China]]'', historically the franchise's biggest stronghold, and grossed less than the first film despite a decade of inflation and foreign market expansion. (the bad reception even poisoned the well to make ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'', widely considered [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel better than all the sequels]] and maybe the first movie too, not as much of a success as the mainline series; still, a seventh movie, following on ''Bumblebee'' and incorporating ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', is in production)

* ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' was considered [[FirstInstallmentWins a nice piece of 1990s pop culture]]. The [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIITheSecretOfTheOoze second film]] wasn't quite as well-received due to being DenserAndWackier, but it still had a few entertaining moments, and it has its fans. [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIII The third film]], however, was bashed mercilessly by critics and fans alike (fans were actually far more ruthless on it than ''Series/SiskelAndEbert'' ever were to the trilogy as a whole), and it's viewed as the worst of the three by a healthy margin; it swept the Turtles off the big screen until 2007, and it would take until 2014 for another live-action ''TMNT'' film to surface; it does not have any continuity to the others.

** The only movie in the ''Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre'' series that has gained wide recognition is [[Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre1974 the original]]. [[Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre2 The first sequel]] took a more exaggerated, comedic route that remains controversial among fans and critics, although part 2 has gained a cult following over the years. [[Film/LeatherfaceTheTexasChainsawMassacreIII the third film]] is considered forgettable and [[Film/TexasChainsawMassacreTheNextGeneration the fourth]] is infamous for its NarmCharm. Despite great box office success, [[Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre2003 the remake]] is highly divisive, and [[Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacreTheBeginning its prequel]] is mostly disliked.

* ''Film/TheFlyII'' is generally seen by critics as inferior to the [[Film/TheFly1986 the 1986 remake]] due to being more of a standard monster movie than the tragic psychological thriller of its predecessor. [[CriticalDissonance Audiences]], on the other hand, were more forgiving due to [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome its visuals still as good as those of the remake]]; even critics noted that this was the one area it could match it.

* ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsWrathOfTheDragonGod'' is often said to have inverted this trope in spite of being released as a Film/{{SyFy Channel Original|Movie}}, which is normally a step worse than DirectToVideo. It helps that the first ''Film/DungeonsAndDragons2000'' was so campy and far gone from what D&D was (or was expected to be) that the few fans left felt it had nowhere left to go but up. The third one, however, ''The Book of Vile Darkness'', managed to do worse again and strangely dropped all connections to the previous movies despite actually numbering itself this time.

* Though the quality of Peter Jackson's ''Film/TheHobbit'' trilogy is still a matter of discussion, ''Film/TheBattleOfFiveArmies'' tends to noticeably bottom out. Due to being made at the apex of the trilogy's TroubledProduction, it boasts [[SpecialEffectsFailure the worst effects work]] of any of Jackson's Middle-Earth films, which is all the worse for a film that uses a ''lot'' of CGI, as well as a plot bearing significant scars of ExecutiveMeddling (for instance, the complete sidelining of Bilbo and most of the film's dwarf characters in favor of a divisive-at-best romance plot). It is also considered the most padded of the three, even for a trilogy famous for featuring a lot of AdaptationExpansion and CanonForeigner characters, as the titular battle, which consumes around half its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, was only about half a chapter long in the book it's based on. Though it still has a following, it's rare to find anyone who considers it the best.

* In the ''Franchise/StarWars'' series, this started with ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', which was widely disliked at the time of its release; nowadays it's considered quite as good as the [[Film/ANewHope two]] [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack movies]] before it but still a classic. Then came ''pre''quelitis, with ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' and ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' widely considered the two weakest films in the series. ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', however, was generally thought to be an improvement, but [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel that's not saying much given the competition]]. Fortunately, the next in the series, ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', is generally believed to be a return to form, and ''Film/RogueOne'' is widely regarded as being a worthy prequel to ''A New Hope''. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about ''Film/TheLastJedi'' which received [[ContestedSequel mixed receptions]] that [[BrokenBase divided the fanbase]] once again. Then came ''Film/{{Solo}}'', which unlike ''Rogue One'' was considered [[SoOkayItsAverage alright]] at best, and ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'', which reviewers bashed (alongside ''The Phantom Menace'', it's the only not-Fresh Episode on Website/RottenTomatoes) for an uncreative and messy plot, split the fanbase even further though the overall trend leans towards dislike, and grossed the least of the three sequel trilogy films by a decent margin.

* In the ''Franchise/StarWars'' series, this started with ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', which was widely disliked at the time of its release; nowadays it's considered quite as good as the [[Film/ANewHope two]] [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack movies]] before it but still a classic. Then came ''pre''quelitis, with ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' and ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' widely considered the two weakest films in the series. ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', however, was generally thought to be an improvement, but [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel that's not saying much given the competition]]. Fortunately, the next in the series, ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', is generally believed to be a return to form, and ''Film/RogueOne'' is widely regarded as being a worthy prequel to ''A New Hope''. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about ''Film/TheLastJedi'' which received [[ContestedSequel mixed receptions]] that [[BrokenBase divided the fanbase]] once again. Then came ''Film/{{Solo}}'', which unlike ''Rogue One'' was considered [[SoOkayItsAverage alright]] at best, and ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'', which reviewers bashed (alongside ''The Phantom Menace'', it's the only not-Fresh Episode on Website/RottenTomatoes) for an uncreative and messy plot, split the fanbase even further (though the overall trend among most factions of the fanbase leans towards dislike), and grossed the least of the three sequel trilogy films by a decent margin.

* In the ''Franchise/StarWars'' series, this started with ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', which wasn't considered quite as good as the [[Film/ANewHope two]] [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack movies]] before it, but still a classic. Then came ''pre''quelitis, with ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' and ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' widely considered the two weakest films in the series. ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', however, was generally thought to be an improvement, but [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel that's not saying much given the competition]]. Fortunately, the next in the series, ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', is generally believed to be a return to form, and ''Film/RogueOne'' is widely regarded as being a worthy prequel to ''A New Hope''. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about ''Film/TheLastJedi'' which received [[ContestedSequel mixed receptions]] that [[BrokenBase divided the fanbase]] once again. Then came ''Film/{{Solo}}'', which unlike ''Rogue One'' was considered [[SoOkayItsAverage alright]] at best, and ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'', which reviewers bashed (alongside ''The Phantom Menace'', it's the only not-Fresh Episode on Website/RottenTomatoes) for an uncreative and messy plot, split the fanbase even further (though the overall trend among most factions of the fanbase leans towards dislike), and grossed the least of the three sequel trilogy films by a decent margin.

* ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'' garnered mixed reviews and did okay at the box office during its initial release, eventually becoming a CultClassic. Then in 2016, ''Zoolander No. 2'' came out for a thrashing from critics and audiences long fed up with silly comedy (this being one of a string of bombs that killed the R-rated comedy film), also taking offense at the numerous jokes aimed at the fashion industry (whose popularity exploded during the 2010s) even though several noted designers made [[AdamWesting humorous cameos]].

* ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'' received a sequel in 2016 titled ''Film/TheHuntsmanWintersWar'' - dropping Snow White completely. Word was originally that her actress Creator/KristenStewart was removed from the franchise after a scandal involving her having an affair with the first film's director, but she later said she kept turning down the scripts due to their general badness. The sequel pulled several {{Retcon}}s including giving Queen Ravenna a sister [[CousinOliver she'd never mentioned before]] to serve as a new antagonist, ignoring [[BrotherChuck any mention of her canonical brother]], changing the backstory involving the Huntsman's dead wife (who turns out to be NotQuiteDead) and going for a LighterAndSofter tone. The film was a huge bomb that acted as a FranchiseKiller, savaged by critics and viewers alike.