10 Sequels So Bad They Made the Originals Look Like Masterpiece

1. "Jaws: The Revenge" (1987)

There are sequels, there are bad sequels, and then there's "Jaws: The Revenge." The fourth installment of the beloved "Jaws" series sees Ellen Brody, now widowed, convinced that the killer shark is specifically targeting her family for its own version of marine vengeance. The film took a great white leap away from the tension and fear the original instilled, landing in a sea of absurdity. Its infamous scene where the shark roars – yes, a shark, an underwater creature, roars – was met with both horror and hilarity. The film was a box office flop (understandably), earning just $51.9 million against an estimated $23 million budget, a far cry from the first film's over $470 million haul.

2. "Highlander II: The Quickening" (1991)

The first "Highlander" was a cult classic. Its sequel? Well, it was a classic example of how not to do a sequel. The movie throws its predecessor's intriguing concept – immortal swordfighters dueling across time – out of the window. Instead, it suggests these immortals are actually aliens from the planet Zeist. Add to that a convoluted plot about ozone layer depletion and time travel, and you have a perfect recipe for an immortal-sized headache. The movie was a commercial disaster, grossing just $15.6 million against a $30 million budget.

3. "Son of the Mask" (2005)

"Son of the Mask" attempted to capitalize on the success of the original Jim Carrey-starring film, "The Mask." In this cringe-inducing sequel, an aspiring cartoonist finds the magical mask, which turns his dog and newborn son into chaotic creatures with cartoon-like powers. The film tripped on the line between fun and bizarre, leaning heavily into the latter. It was an all-around disaster, earning a measly $59.9 million worldwide against a budget of $84 million and a whopping 6% on Rotten Tomatoes.

4. "Speed 2: Cruise Control" (1997)

"Speed" was an adrenaline-pumping action flick that kept audiences on the edge of their seats. Its sequel? It made audiences want to abandon ship. "Speed 2: Cruise Control" saw Sandra Bullock return, but Keanu Reeves wisely opted out. The plot of a runaway cruise ship controlled by a villainous computer hacker was as absurd as it was tedious. The film slowed to a crawl at the box office, earning just $164 million against an estimated budget of $110 million, a stark contrast to the original's impressive $350 million gross.

5. "Grease 2" (1982)

The sequel to the beloved musical "Grease" lacked the charm, catchy tunes, and, most importantly, the original cast that made the first film a hit. "Grease 2" tried to rehash the old high school love story with new faces and some gender role reversals, but the film ended up feeling more like a high school play than a worthy successor to the original. It earned a disappointing $15.2 million at the box office, not even close to covering its $11.2 million budget, let alone comparing to the original's stupendous $396.3 million gross.

6. "Exorcist II: The Heretic" (1977)

Sequels to horror classics rarely match up, but "Exorcist II: The Heretic" stands out as a particularly disappointing follow-up. In this sequel, we see Regan, the possessed girl from the first movie, now a teenager and in therapy. Sounds alright, right? But then, the film takes a supernatural sci-fi turn with a synchronizer device that lets people synchronize their brainwaves and, well, basically share dreams (getting Inception vibes? Don't.) The plot descends into confusion, a far cry from the thrilling terror of the original. The film was a critical and commercial disaster, earning just $30.7 million compared to the original's whopping $441.3 million.

7. "Blues Brothers 2000" (1998)

"Blues Brothers 2000" had big shoes to fill and, unfortunately, it didn't even manage to get its socks on. The sequel tries to capture the original's funky energy but ends up being an almost scene-by-scene retread with less engaging music and a soulless plot. Despite the star-studded cast and music legends, the film failed to engage audiences. It only managed to scrape together $14 million at the box office, a far cry from its $28 million budget, and a tragic note compared to the original's $115 million.

8. "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" (2000)

"Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" is a classic example of missing what made the original so special. The first "Blair Witch Project" was a low-budget, found-footage style horror movie that terrified audiences. The sequel, however, threw the original's subtlety to the wind, favoring gore over psychological terror. With its convoluted plot about a group of fans visiting the film's original location, the sequel was both a narrative and financial disappointment, making only $47.7 million against a budget of $15 million.

9. "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" (1997)

"Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" managed to do what few films can – make the original "Mortal Kombat" look like a cinematic tour de force. The sequel served up a cornucopia of new characters, each with less development than the last, and a plot that felt like a poorly constructed video game quest. The fight scenes, which should have been the film's saving grace, were poorly choreographed and edited. With a worldwide box office of $51.4 million against a $30 million budget, the film didn't exactly "Finish Him!" at the box office.

10. "The Hangover Part III" (2013)

"The Hangover Part III" showed us that even the wildest parties have to end, and not always on a high note. Instead of a fun and funny bachelor party-gone-wrong plot, we got a convoluted narrative about rescuing kidnapped Doug from a gangster. The humor that made the first film a hit was replaced with mean-spirited jokes and gratuitous violence. The film did make $362 million worldwide against a $103 million budget, but it was still a letdown considering the original raked in $467.5 million.