7 Disappointing Animated Movie Sequels That Couldn’t Recapture the Original’s Magic

Sequels are always a difficult balance to find, and with these seven sequels to animated classics, they just couldn’t recapture what made the originals so special. Animation is a uniquely time-consuming and expensive medium, meaning that it is more difficult to justify risk than it is in live-action from the perspective of studios. So, any successful original IP often gets turned into franchises. However, this doesn’t always work out.

There have been loads of awful direct-to-DVD and streaming sequels, with the notorious Disneytoon Studios churning out panned sequels to many of Disney’s hit classics. However, this list will exclude those easy targets. Instead, this will focus on major theatrical releases that were given the same spotlight as their predecessors were.

7) Despicable Me 3

The first and second Despicable Me movies aren’t masterpieces, but they are still really solid films that are the cornerstones of Illumination’s modern theatrical dominance. In comparison, Despicable Me 3 is much worse. The film loses the heart that the daughters brought to the first film, with it instead focusing on Gru’s brother. Despicable Me 3 also has way too many characters, with many of the franchise’s core cast having nothing to do.

6) Shrek the Third

Shrek is the movie that cemented DreamWorks as a true Disney competitor, and Shrek 2 is the movie that proved that the franchise was viable as more than a fairy tale parody. Shrek the Third is the movie that did nothing. The movie is oddly about the anxieties of parenting and the world of celebrities, something that doesn’t necessarily mesh with the world of Shrek. The film feels a lot more lifeless than its predecessors, making it a huge disappointment.

5) Zootopia 2

2016’s Zootopia is one of Disney’s modern classics, with it taking the fun premise of a city designed for animals and layering in tons of important social commentary. Zootopia 2 was good, but it didn’t nearly reach the highs of the first film. However, the movie doesn’t feel like it has nearly as much heart as the original. It feels like a sequel designed to be a sequel rather than a film that somebody was passionate about.

4) Cars 2

Cars is not Pixar’s best movie, but it is still considered to be a good film. It has a lot of fans and made a ton of money, meaning that Cars 2 was inevitable. However, it came about in an incredibly weird way. Often considered to be Pixar’s worst film, Cars goes from a racing movie to a spy movie, with it following Mater as he becomes a secret agent. The movie is incredibly boring, unfunny, and just doesn’t have much to enjoy.

3) Kung Fu Panda 4

Kung Fu Panda was a surprisingly incredible hit, and it was followed up by the even better Kung Fu Panda 2. The third film was really good, but not as good as its predecessors. However, Kung Fu Panda 4 is where things really fell off a cliff. The Furious Five weren’t focused on at all, Awkwafina’s character was incredibly boring, and Po’s character was basically reset to his status from the first movie.

2) Ralph Breaks the Internet

2012’s Wreck-It Ralph was a major departure from Disney’s typical fare, with it exploring the world of arcade video games. The film’s modern-day setting and focus on real-world IP was a big swing and a hit, with it becoming an instant classic. The focus on video games meant that it was ripe for a sequel, and it took Disney until 2018 to answer with Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Ralph Breaks the Internet saw Ralph and Venellope leave the arcade and head into the internet. While this had the possibility to be a whole new frontier for the franchise, it was instead used to reference outdated memes, feature lame celebrity cameos, and show off all of the IP that Disney owns. The IP-fest was no different from movies like Ready Player One or Space Jam: A New Legacy, making the film feel more like a commercial than a Wreck-It Ralph sequel.

1) Incredibles 2

Pixar’s The Incredibles is one of the studio’s most beloved films, with the iconic 2004 film predating the superhero craze that would begin only a few years later. Years went by without a sequel, with many fans wondering why Pixar wasn’t capitalizing on the success of franchises like the MCU and DCEU. Luckily, Incredibles 2 finally came out in 2018. Many fans had high hopes for the sequel, and there was tons of hype surrounding the film, as demonstrated by its $1.243 billion box office.

However, Incredibles 2 wasn’t nearly as good as the original film. It failed to match the beloved tone and style of the first movie, with the new character designs looking incredibly ugly when compared to the original’s side superheroes. Screenslaver as a villain was a huge downgrade from the original’s Syndrome, who is one of the most iconic villains in animated history. The family dynamics weren’t nearly as interesting, and it was overall a disappointment.

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