13. Worst Sequel - Transformers: Age Of Extinction
All through the production of Age of Extinction, we were told that this semi-rebooted Transformers would be a fresh start for the increasingly tired franchise that would address many of the criticisms that were directed towards the previous installments. It turned out that we had been lied to spectacularly, with the fourth entry learning nothing from the shortcomings of its predecessors and essentially delivering more of the same big-budget tediousness. In an attempt to shake up the formula, the franchise replaced the human characters and added a few new Transformers... and that was about it. The lazy writing, nonsensical plot, terrible dialogue and painfully unfunny comic relief maintained intact, with the product placement somehow managing to become even more blatant. At a butt-numbing 165 minutes Age of Extinction is also the longest Transformers movie yet, testing audience endurance to the limit as the franchise rigidly stuck to its tried-and-tested formula of huge spectacle and little else. Even the heavily-hyped Dinobots that featured so prominently in the marketing were a huge disappointment, showing up for a few minutes in the third act and doing nothing interesting in the process.
Runner Up - Dumb And Dumber To
Comedy sequels are arguably the hardest to pull off, with many opting to simply replicate the beats of the original and hoping it works instead of trying something different. Dumb and Dumber is one of the greatest studio comedies ever made, which made the results of the long-delayed sequel even more disappointing. While there is nostalgia value in seeing Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey back as Harry and Lloyd, it quickly wears off as the innocent idiots of the original are replaced by two vulgar, mean-spirited and often creepy middle-aged men and a gag rate that sees the misses far outnumber the hits.
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