11 Horrible Sequels That Never Should Have Existed

      These sequels were created solely for profit, and some didn't even achieve that.

      **Star Wars: The Force Awakens**

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      Remember the happy ending in Return of the Jedi? This film ruins it by showing that Han and Leia had a whiny child, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), who, spoiler alert, ends up killing his father.

      The film eliminates an iconic character just to position Kylo Ren as a formidable villain — and, of course, to liberate Harrison Ford from an embarrassing situation.

      While the movie aims to pass the lightsaber to a new generation, the new characters lack depth or intrigue.

      **Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker**

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      This is arguably the worst Star Wars film ever made, which is quite a statement. It’s an entirely confusing disaster that features two sudden, unearned, and uninteresting twists (spoilers): 1. The Emperor is inexplicably alive; and 2. He is Rey's (Daisy Ridley) grandfather.

      This weak revelation does nothing to enhance the poorly developed Rey. There's also an absurd return of Han Solo (let the dead rest), some dubious possession talk, and a heap of nonsense, concluding the Skywalker Saga with a disappointing conclusion.

      By the way, we actually liked the middle film of the new trilogy, The Last Jedi. Mark Hamill was fantastic in it, and we appreciated director Rian Johnson’s efforts to expand the Star Wars universe and depict how everyday people view the conflict between our heroes and the Empire. It was a decent sequel, especially compared to the two almost unwatchable films surrounding it.

      **Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny**

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      Harrison Ford is one of our all-time favorite actors, and it pains us to include another of his films on this list. However, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny feels like a case of “just because we can, doesn’t mean we should,” especially since Indiana Jones concluded satisfyingly with Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade over thirty years ago.

      Sure, we see Indiana Jones making quips and cracking his whip, but the excitement is gone.

      Surprisingly, we preferred Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which probably shouldn’t have been made either.

      **Batman & Robin**

      Warner Bros.

      In our view, this might be the worst movie ever, considering how good it could have been compared to the final result. It had a stellar cast, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Alicia Silverstone, and Uma Thurman, in addition to Batman, perhaps the greatest character in American fiction, and a budget of over $125 million.

      There are no justifications for the resulting disaster: bizarre costumes, cartoonish execution, and puns from Mr. Freeze that, in hindsight, are the only redeeming aspects of the film in a so-bad-it’s-good way.

      But don't just take our word for it; listen to George Clooney, who merits points for honesty: “When I say ‘Batman and Robin’ is a terrible film, I always say, ‘I was terrible in it,’” Clooney told GQ in 2020. “Because I was, number one. But also because this allows me to assert that none of these other elements worked either. You know? Lines like ‘Freeze, Freeze!’”

      Yet — believe it or not — it’s not the worst Batman movie.

      **Jaws: The Revenge (1987)**

      Universal – Credit: C/O

      One positive outcome of the third Jaws sequel was Michael Caine’s comment about doing the movie for the money.

      In his 1992 memoir, What’s It All About, Caine wrote about the film:

      “I have never seen the film, but by all accounts, it was terrible. However, I have seen the house it built, and it is fantastic.”

      Sometimes terrible sequels that shouldn’t exist lead to beautiful homes for actors we admire, so that’s a silver lining.

      **Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)**

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      The first Ant-Man is among the best Marvel films due to its quirky charm and low stakes. This disappointing sequel discards everything that made the original enjoyable in favor of a dreary, weightless journey through CGI hell featuring a villain (Kang, portrayed by Jonathan Majors) with a convoluted set of powers and limitations.

      It’s humorless and tedious, despite Bill Murray's inclusion, whose entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe should have felt like a significant event.

      The Thor and Captain America series produced sequels that surpassed the originals, but that is not the case with Ant-Man.

      **Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)**

      20th Century Studios – Credit: C/O

      If the lead actor doesn’t return, you likely have a poor sequel.