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41 Sequels That Picked Up Seamlessly From the Original — Or Missed the Mark Disastrously

‘Back to the Future Part II’ kind of nailed it. ‘Jurassic World’ kind of blew it

41 Sequels That Picked Up Seamlessly From the Original — Or Missed the Mark Disastrously

May 06, 2024 Add Cracked to Google

In Jurassic Park, “life finds a way.” In Jurassic World, man just kind of brute forces life to do his bidding.

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41

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 [FULL SEQUENCE) The Human Centipede movies form a cinematic centipede, with each sequel happeing in a universe in which the former film is indeed just a film. Full Sequence opens with its villain, Martin, watching the 2009 original-and getting ideas from it. CRACKED.COM — Source

40

Back to the Future Part II

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II Marty has just seen his newer, cooler family, and as he's reuniting with Jennifer, Doc returns from 2015. The original scene was just a fun ending with no franchise expectations, but when the movie became a hit, it was reshot with Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer. CRACKED.COM — Source

39

John Wick: Chapter 3

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3-PARABELLUM Parabellum might as well begin with a Previously on John Wick recap. At the end of Chapter 2, Wick has been excommunicated by the assassins society thingie. When Parabellum begins, it is now nighttime and Wick is indeed escaping from pretty much the whole city chasing him. Awesome fight scenes ensue. CRACKED.COM — Source

38

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS ALIENS By the end of Alien, Ripley puts herself into stasis as she heads back to Earth. When James Cameron's sequel begins, Earth is nowhere to be seen, she is rescued by Weyland-Yutani guys, and we learn she was in stasis for 57 years. This movie begins both immediately and half a century after Ridley Scott's. CRACKED.COM — Source

37

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR At the end of Thor: Ragnarok, Thor takes his throne in the Asgardian rescue ship. In the mid-credits scene, Thanos' ship intercepts it. Infinity War begins a few hours after the massacre, in a last stand against the Mad Titan who has defeated Hulk and killed Heimdall and Loki (but bafflingly allowed Korg to live). CRACKED.COM — Source

36

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS FINAL DESTINATION 5 This is quite solid for a fifth entry, and it keeps the surprises coming until the very ending. There, the triumphant protagonists get on a plane to celebrate - and watch some blond kid having a panic attack. Yup, this movie ends with the original's inciting incident. CRACKED.COM — Source

35

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS THE KARATE KID PART II After Daniel wins (by cheating), the first movie ends with Mr. Miyagi smirking like the proud father figure we never had. At the opening of the 1986 sequel, we see them exiting the tournament and then Miyagi badassedly honking the villain's nose. CRACKED.COM — Source

34

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY By the time the first Harold & Kumar is over, Harold has kissed Maria. Guantanamo Bay opens with Harold's immediate shower and Kumar ruining his dreamy kiss recollection with a big dump, because these movies turned the stoner comedy into art. CRACKED.COM — Source

33

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS ROCKY II When the 1976 original ends, Rocky has achieved something even better than beating Apollo: Adrian's love. Adorable, frankly. Rocky II begins with a recap of the fight, and then we're thrown into the immediate aftermath, with the two boxers in the same hospital. Apollo taunts Rocky with insults, but he doesn't take the bait, proving he's indeed the true winner. CRACKED.COM — Source

32

Army of Darkness

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS ARMY OF DARKNESS After a recap for the newbies, Army of Darkness picks up where Evil Dead left off, with Ash waking up in medieval times. There are important changes, though, but the smooth segue between is there alright. CRACKED.COM — Source

31

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION Annihilation's opening scene replays the ending to Mortal Kombat, but changing some performers and somehow worse. Shao Kahn appears with his goons and threatens the gang with hideous FX, green-screen composition clearly made with Microsoft Paint. CRACKED.COM — Source

30

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS INCREDIBLES 2 Watch the ending to Incredibles and then its recreation at the opening of the sequel and try not to be baffled by how awful the 2004 animation looks by current standards. The sequel picks up right after the first movie, and it's a fun tale about manufacturing reality, but still: we wanted older Incredibles, Pixar. CRACKED.COM — Source

29

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 The first Cloudy was a frenzy of wacky characters and hilarious jokes, while the sequel was, erm, less good. After a flashback and a recap, Flint explains that eight minutes since the ending of the previous movie have elapsed. Not so interesting adventures ensue. CRACKED.COM — Source

28

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE Martha: The Motion Picture doesn't begin with Man of Steel's exact ending, but their continuity was one of the movie's rare wins. After Snyder Snyderizes Batman's origin story, we jump to the Superman/Zod Metropolis battle from Bruce Wayne's perspective. It's a damn good scene (except for the far-fetched idea of a billionaire CEO caring about his employees). CRACKED.COM — Source

27

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI The Force Awakens ends with Rey handing Luke his lightsaber. The Last Jedi begins with Luke grabbing it and throwing it over his shoulder, while the canned studio laughter roars and Sheldon says Bazinga! The scenes fit together-which is not the same as working together, because Abrams and Johnson couldn't find the time for a video call, we guess. CRACKED.COM — Source

26

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS HALLOWEEN II Yes, we know this happens in several of the movies, but Halloween Il's choice to take place in the aftermath of the first movie still rocks. The kills are splattier, the boobs are bouncier, and John Carpenter dislikes it - but there is a lot to love about the massacre's continuation in that Haddonfield hospital. CRACKED.COM — Source

25

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS CHILDREN OF THE CORN II: THE FINAL SACRIFICE The final moments of the 1984 original are pretty restrained and moody. Well done, film. The not-that- awful sequel starts with the cops finding the corpses, news crews arriving, and the children (of the corn) being sent to another town-without the cops questioning them. Stupidly done, film. CRACKED.COM — Source

24

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS Remember the beloved Matrix character Bane? By the end of Reloaded, he has become possessed by Smith and is unconscious in the real world, and when Revolutions begins, we're continuing that zero- tension cliffhanger until he eventually wakes up The entire segue between movies is lame and lifeless. CRACKED.COM — Source

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23

Spider-Man: No Way Home

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Far from Home ends with the most terrifying villain Spider-Man ever faced (reactionary fake news), and then the follow-up cops out by undoing the new threat with magic. Now, No Way Home is awesome, but we wonder about the path the franchise chose not to take by handwaving the issue like that. CRACKED.COM — Source

22

IMMEDIATE SEQUELS AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME Vanessa being revealed as a killer fembot is a ballsy opening to an acceptable sequel. Undoing Powers' character growth, however, might have opened the way for the series' true villain: the third part CRACKED.COM — Source

21

Evan Almighty

In Bruce Almighty, God teaches Bruce a lesson. In Evan Almighty, God pretty muchjust f*cks with Evan. Bruce is given godly powers to make him humble or appreciative or something. Evan is turned into Noah (with a beard he can't shave) and forced to build a boat, because God feels like sending a flood, for reasons. CRACKED.COM Evan Almighty, 2007. — Source

20

Alien

The Alien franchise is about killing face-raping aliens. ча Except for Resurrection, which is about loving them. Alien: Resurrection sees Ripley return as a clone who somehow has Ripley's memories, yet not only does she get up close and snuggly with the Xenomorphs but she feels just terrible about killing one of them. CRACKED.COM Alien: Resurrection, 1997. — Source

19

In X-Men: The Last Stand, Bolivar Trask is tall and Black. In Days Of Future Past, he is 4-foot-5 and white. In X-Men: The Last Stand, Trask is played by Bill Duke, better known as Mac from Predator. In X-Men: Days Of Future Past, he is portrayed by Peter Dinklage, better known as Tyrion on Game Of Thrones. CRACKED.COM X-Men. Days of Future Past 2014. — Source

18

In Tron, Flynn lasers himself into a computer. Не does it again in the sequel, and nobody can figure out where he went. In Tron: Legacy Flynn moves equipment that took up two floors of a building to an arcade basement. Despite the fact that he boasts about his time in the grid, nobody seems to know where he could be, when he disappears. CRACKED.COM Tron: Legacy, 2010. — Source

17

The Men In Black protect Earth from alien invasions. But in MIB 3, we learn there was a shield protecting us. In the third film, the villain travels back in time to 1969 to prevent Kay from launching the ArcNet into space. It's an impenetrable shield that would have prevented the invasions in the first two movies. CRACKED.COM Men In Black 3, 2012. — Source

16

Chicago gets leveled in the third Transformers movie. REMEMBER CHICAGO 855-363-8392 REPORT ALIEN ACTIVITY But in Age Of Extinction, it's destroyed a second time. Transformers: Age Of Extinction takes place five years after Dark Of The Moon, yet somehow Chicago has been completely restored, down to its original buildings and landmarks, in that time. CRACKED.COM Transformers: Age of Extinction, 2014. — Source

15

Speed is about a fast-paced high-speed chase. - Speed 2 takes place on a slow-moving cruise ship. In the original movie Sandra Bullock plays Annie, who is forced to drive a bus at top speed so it won't explode. The entire plot of Speed 2: Cruise Control seems to be based around the dumb pun in the title. CRACKED.COM Speed 2: Cruise Control, 1997. — Source

14

RoboCop 3

RoboCop revels in graphic violence and satire. RoboCop 3 reins it in for the kiddies. It's a pretty fair indicator of how far the sequel strayed from its roots that Peter Weller refused to return. In the film, Robocop is a lovable hero who helps people fight for their property rights. CRACKED.COM RoboCop 3, 1993 — Source

13

Rambo vs. Rambo II

The message of First Blood is that war is utterly awful. But in Rambo: First Blood Part II, war is awesome. In the first movie, John Rambo is a seriously broken vet, suffering from PTSD and hiding from the police. In the second film, Rambo returns to Vietnam and pretty much retroactively wins the war. Because he's Rambo, dammit. CRACKED.COM Rambo First Blood Part II, 1985. — Source

12

Planet Of The Apes warns man about the dangers of military buildup. The new installments warn man about the dangers of smart monkeys. In the 1968 film, man nukes himself into near-extinction, causing the slow rise of apes as the dominant species. In the 2001 movie series, there is no war. The apes gain intelligence because of a failed science experiment. CRACKED.COM Planet of the Apes, 2001. — Source

11

Lawnmower Man takes place in the present time. Its sequel takes place in the distant future. Despite the fact that Peter (the boy from the first movie) is around five years older, Lawnmower Man 2: Jobe's War takes place in a dystopian cityscape with flying cars. And a new, completely different-looking actor as Jobe. YOAER CRACKED.COM Lawnmower Man 2: Jobe's War, 1996 — Source

10

The moral of Jurassic Park is that we can't control nature. Then in Jurassic World, we control the sh*t out of it. Remember life finds a way? In World, man finds a way - to build a superdinosaur with magical invisibility powers. And the way to defeat it is with raptors trained by man. Take that, nature. CRACKED.COM Jurassic World, 2015. — Source

9

In Jaws, Brody takes out the shark in the open sea. In Jaws: The Revenge, his wife remembers him doing it. In the fourth Jaws movie Ellen Brody goes to the Bahamas to escape the shark that is implausibly stalking her family. When the shark shows up she has flashbacks of Chief Brody blowing up the original shark-a scene she never witnessed. CRACKED.COM Jaws The Revenge, 1987. — Source

8

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

7

41 Sequels That Picked Up Seamlessly From the Original — Or Missed the Mark Disastrously — Source

6

Highlander is the story of ancient dueling Scots. But in the sequel, they're banished aliens. There isn't a whole lot of lore in the original movie, but it does establish a couple of facts. Highlander II: The Quickening contradicts them both. Despite the first movie featuring more than two immortals from over 500 years ago, the sequel establishes that just two immortals were created when the planet Zeist exiled them exactly 500 years ago. CRACKED.COM Highlander II: The Quickening, 1991. — Source

5

Halloween is about being hunted by Michael Myers. Halloween III is about masks. One established fact about Halloween movies is that they star the unkillable Michael Myers slashing his way through a fresh crop of teens. But Michael doesn't show up in Halloween III: Season Of The Witch at all. Even though he appears in I and II. CRACKED.COM Halloween III: Season of the Witch, 1982. — Source

4

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee died during the filming of Game Of Death. Yet he appears in Game Of Death II. Eight years after Lee's death and actual funeral were incorporated into Game Of Death, producers cobbled together a bunch of B-roll footage of Lee and worked them into Game Of Death II. His character appears for 30 minutes, then dies. Again. CRACKED.COM Game of Death II, 1981 — Source

3

Crank

The whole point of Crank is that Chev is going to die. Yet he returns for a sequel. Chev's been poisoned, so he decides to go out falling from a helicopter, murdering a man on the way down, and then falling asleep to death before hitting the ground at terminal velocity. Yet in Crank: High Voltage he wakes up three months later. CRACKED.COM Crank: High Voltage, 2009. — Source

2

In Captain America, the evil Zola is taken into custody. In Winter Soldier, he's not captive at that moment. In Captain America: The First Avenger, Bucky apparently dies in an accident and Zola is arrested on the spot. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we see a flashback to Hydra soldiers at the accident site bringing Bucky to be scienced into the Winter Soldier by Zola and his team. CRACKED.COM Captain America. The Winter Soldier, 2014. — Source

1

The Blair Witch Project was cleverly marketed to look like a found-footage film. Then they made a sequel. Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 is just a regular movie. A great deal of effort went into presenting the original film as having been cobbled together from footage recovered from a lost documentary team. The existence of a studio sequel proves that the first film was a fake. CRACKED.COM Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, 2000. — Source

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