7 Movie Franchises That Basically Got Worse With Every Entry

Modern cinema is packed with shared universes and franchises, but not all of them boast the quality you might expect. The modern movie franchise has evolved from a number of factors, the main one being the obvious appeal — and, therefore, potential financial success — of continuing stories that already have a loyal following. Capitalizing on the success of popularity of a movie by continuing its story has led to some incredible sequels, with some movie franchises getting better as they go on. This isn’t always the case, however, with many franchises struggling to find any consistent quality across their many entries.

While many great movies practically beg for sequels to continue their excellent stories, others should probably have quit while they were ahead. In these cases, franchises only seem to get worse as they continue to grow, with each new entry only moving further away from what made the original successful. While one bad entry doesn’t necessarily kill a major movie franchise, repeated underwhelming releases are definitely enough to tank their reputations.

7) RoboCop

To date, the RoboCop franchise has four major movie releases, though none of the sequels could recapture the magic of the first film. 1987’s RoboCop delivered gritty sci-fi action that has become a classic, but each of its two sequels got progressively worse, failing to recapture the deeper thematic beats of the original. The 2014 reboot fared even worse, as it played out as a vapid Hollywood remake with very little actual substance, evidencing the franchise’s decline since its inception.

6) Scream

At one time in its history, the Scream movies were considered one of the best horror movie franchises in cinema. However, the release of the underwhelming Scream 4 put the franchise on ice for many years, with its recent modern revival struggling to recapture the spirit of the original. While the newer Scream movies aren’t necessarily bad, they simply can’t deliver the same thrills, with each sequel feeling like yet another pale imitation of the original movie’s brilliance.

5) Jaws

The Jaws franchise is one of the most curious in Hollywood history. Starting with Steven Spielberg’s rightfully acclaimed 1975 movie of the same name, it then continued with three sequels, Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, and Jaws: The Revenge. With each new chapter, the franchise moved further away from the tension of the original, rapidly descending into a mess of schlocky aquatic horror that failed to share so much as a passing resemblance to the movie that started it all.

4) Hellraiser

The Hellraiser franchise started with Clive Barker’s cult classic in 1987, which then spawned one of the best horror movie sequels in 1988. After that, however, the franchise struggled to recapture its initial appeal, with its dark and cerebral approach giving way to a greater focus on simple shock value. Across its 11 movies, the Hellraiser franchise has been in steady decline since its first two films, which is a shame considering just how strong the franchise started its story.

3) The Hangover

Upon the release of The Hangover in 2009, the movie was a near-instant success, with audiences appreciative of its crass and occasionally bizarre humor and its excellent comedic ensemble cast. The two sequels that followed were nowhere near as entertaining, with their attempts to up the ante falling decidedly flat, and the continuation of the original’s premise making them each feel like pale imitations. With the release of The Hangover Part II and The Hangover Part III, it simply became clearer and clearer that the original should have simply been a standalone movie.

2) Taken

Though Liam Neeson has been in many action movies, 2008’s Taken was the one that cemented him as an action star. The original didn’t impress critics too much, but it did find global success, and thus the franchise was born. The two movies that followed got steadily worse, with the first film’s already low critical scores falling further for each sequel. Though Taken itself was far from a cinematic masterpiece, the sequels saw the franchise get significantly worse with each new entry.

1) The Matrix

The Matrix movies have left an indelible mark on pop culture, and their story has resonated with fans around the world since the first film was released in 1999. However, it’s plain to see that with each new release, the franchise has gotten worse. The first film remains by far the best, with the second still delivering some excellent moments but making far less of an impact. The third film, The Matrix Revolutions, was considered the worst in the franchise, at least until the legacy sequel, The Matrix Resurrections, came along and perfectly proved that the franchise has been in decline since its very first entry.

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