10 Movie Franchises That Should Have Stopped At One Film

The Matrix was perfect. A unique vision of a dystopian future where we get to walk around in cool black leather dispensing Bruce Lee-approved kung fu and dodging a speeding bullet better than Superman - at least in the Matrix, if not for real. It was a complete and fully realised story with a satisfying ending - no more needed to be added. We won.

But of course Hollywood can't leave well alone. The massive success meant that the depressingly predictable concept of a sequel was inevitable. Not one but two in fact, although essentially it was one very long movie chopped into two. Turns out we didn't win and that there is apparently no hope, or is there? Plots are extended and wrapped mindlessly along over four hours of screen time like a bad student trying to hit the word count in an essay.

With the same cast and production values etc, the failure of the sequels is unlike every other entry on this list. It is simply because you can't improve on perfection. It is such a shame that the reputation of the first movie is tarnished by the tawdry efforts at spinning millions of dollars out of punters who were so enthralled by the original that they were prepared to buy into Hollywood's self-serving greed.