10 Movie Franchises Saved From Extinction By Sequels
5. Men In Black 3 Erased Our Memory Of The Awful MIB II
When Barry Sonnenfeld’s Will Smith starring sci-fi comedy landed in 1997, the film was a legitimate phenomenon. Fusing the young star’s easy charm with Tommy Lee Jones’ deadpan self-seriousness to hysterical effect, the movie brought together slimy sci-fi and a witty script to great effect and won over audiences and critics alike as a result.
When it came time for a sequel, unfortunately, all involved saw fit to play it safe and try to re-tread the same territory that the first film had already covered. As a result, 2002’s MIB II was written off by critics as a lazy rehash of the first film, an issue echoed by many fans of the franchise. It was ten long years before the filmmakers would return to the series, but when they did 2012’s MIB III proved worth the wait.
Boasting both an original time travelling plot and the talents of a stoic Josh Brolin playing a younger version of Jones’ character, the film won over most naysayers with its inventive comedy and genuinely daring story. And so, producers saw fit to leave the Men in Black series alone for good, cleverly avoiding pitfalls like a pointless “International” reboot. Now let's never speak of it again…