8 Franchises That Should Have Stopped at the First Film

As a kid, I loved Jurassic Park. I thought that was the greatest thing to ever see in a movie! I was thrilled when the sequels started to be released but they were just not the same quality. Felt like they attempted to fix something that wasn’t broken and I loved the original film which was perfect. It is so disappointing when follow-ups are not up to the mark.

In this list, we explore 8 franchises that should’ve been done after one movie.

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The Matrix (1999)

Man and Woman Back to Back and Holding guns
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The Matrix was the kind of film that turned heads when it burst upon screens in 1999 – bringing out bold philosophical ideas as much as its pioneering visual effects. The movie depicted the idea of humans living inside a fake world – which really stuck into audiences’ minds for ages. But then came the sequels (The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions) which muddled a straightforward but impactful idea with too much CGI noise and conflicting plots. The sequels did not add to the original film, and in fact served as a detractor from what came before them.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Pirates of the Caribbean
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Pirates of the Caribbean put a nice spin on the initial film, with it being more fun and adventurous because Johnny Depp commits to his iconic Jack Sparrow role. It was the right blend of action, comedy and drama to make it a great hit for any fan! Yet, as the franchise moved ahead more and more with extended length sequels (like Dead Man’s Chest & At World’s End) that centered a great deal on Depp performing his usual stereotypical actions – they somehow swept away all of the original film’s charisma.

Jurassic Park (1993)

Dinosaur Surrounded by Trees
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Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park forever changed the cinema experience by marrying revolutionary special effects with a compelling tale about resurrected dinosaurs. It was emotional, kept you on the edge of your seat and had some jaw-dropping scenes. But the follow-ups — Jurassic Park II: The Lost World and III — never quite recaptured that magic. They became more about the show than they did that original wonder/fear kind of mix — and shifted into full-on action blockbusters lacking in that emotional heft.

Jaws (1975)

Gray Shark
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The original Jaws movie was one of the all-time great thrillers. The suspense of the plot and horrific shark attacks captured a mass audience – both then and remains a classic even today. The sequels (Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D and Jaws: The Revenge) were miles behind the suspense or creativity of that first film. They played more like variations on a theme than sequels, which offered steadily decreasing returns and increasingly silly plots that rendered the once-terrifying shark as something of a snooze.

The Hangover (2009)

Bradley Cooper
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Based on the wild and crazy story about friends having the worst night ever, unable to recall what happened, The Hangover is honestly a first part megahit – for which nobody envisaged any kind of sequel. It was a new style of buddy comedy genre. But the two sequels, The Hangover Part II and III were more or less copies of the first one – failing to offer anything else. The jokes that were funny in the first movie became old and labored by sequels.

Taken (2008)

Liam Neeson
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Taken became an action hit thanks to Liam Neeson’s memorable performance as a former CIA agent trying to rescue his kidnapped daughter. However, the sequels (Taken 2 and Taken 3) took things a step too far: pulling on the same plot strings, they soon had Neeson’s character emulating an almost Terminator-like action hero. What started as an intense personal story became just another action movie with less impact.

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

The Fast and the Furious (2001)
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The Fast and the Furious (2001) started as a modest success, portraying underground street racing and emphasizing the importance of family loyalty. However, as the franchise continued with Fast Five and beyond, it shifted toward over-the-top action scenes that felt like a different genre. While the movies still do well at the box office, the series veered from its roots that made their inaugural flick so popular.

Men in Black (1997)

Men in Black
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Men in Black combined so many genres — sci-fi, humor and that buddy-cop element between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The movie itself was based on a fun and novel concept with distinct alien characters that gelled well together, plus instant chemistry between its actors. The sequels (Men in Black II, Men in Black 3 and of course Men in Black: International) have floundered to replicate that magic though. Their reliance on rehashed jokes as well the loss of originality from its predecessor, took away plot and character development over time.

Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice. 

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