10 Film Franchises You Really Should Stop Watching After The 2nd Movie
Sometimes it's good to reach the end of a franchise, and other times it's best to leave it.
It’s hard to nail the end of a trilogy, and it’s even harder to cap off a long-running franchise. As fan expectation builds, filmmakers can often times crumble under the weight. While there are many successful attempts at achieving both of these, in many occasions, later entries in a series fall flat on their face, unable to reach the heights of their predecessors.
And it’s not hard to see why. When the movies you’re following up are considered some of the best in the genre (sometimes of all time), it’s no wonder many filmmakers struggle to craft the follow up.
Many of the entries on this list aren’t strictly terrible movies. They’re here because they are either disappointing follow ups, or poor conclusions to the series. They may have their own merits, but in the context of the franchise, they just don’t hold a candle.
10. Cloverfield
The original Cloverfield, directed by Matt Reeves, is a fun and energetic monster movie. While many complained about the shaky, found footage aspect, many were drawn in by the great visuals and mystery surrounding the creature.
While a sequel was rumored for a long time after the original release, with one suggesting the next installment would follow the same events as the original but from a different found footage perspective. Despite these rumors, nothing came to fruition and the franchise lay dormant for years.
Then, in 2015, out of nowhere a trailer emerged for 10 Cloverfield Lane, a follow up that no one knew was happening. As it turned out, the movie had been shot under several different pseudonyms in order to keep the production secret.
And it turned out pretty well. Although it doesn’t have much to do with the first, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a solid psychological thriller with some excellent performances. The future of the Cloverfield franchise looked promising.
That was until fans and critics got to experience The Cloverfield Paradox, the third entry in the series. It was immediately cited as the weakest entry in the series for its poor acting, nonsensical script, and awkward attempts to fit into the larger Cloverfield universe. The marketing technique used to sell the movie was far more interesting than the movie itself.
Just stick with the first two.