10 Movie Franchises That Surprisingly Got Better

1. Jackass

When a Jackass movie was first announced, there wasn't really much of an expectation that it'd be anything more than a slightly ruder, feature-length version of the hit MTV show.

And in the case of the first two movies, released in 2002 and 2006 respectively, that was basically on the money.

The first film received mixed-positive notices while blowing up the box office, but the sequel skewed more positive while also generating more profit.

In 2010, the Jackass crew reunited for one more go-around, Jackass 3D, which reinvented the series' formula with extensive, hilarious and shamelessly lewd use of 3D cameras.

If you saw the film in all of its 3D glory, you'll likely never forget the sight of Steve-O being catapulted into the air while inside a portaloo filled with poo.

3D surely wasn't designed with this in mind, but it was certainly a dementedly creative way to top the film's previous goofball shenanigans.

And it paid off dividends, with Jackass 3D landing the best reviews of the series and also grossing more than both prior films combined.