Top 10 Movie Franchises Everyone Lost Respect For
worst movie franchises, ruined movie franchises, ruined, franchises, worst movies, worst sequels, worst prequels, sequels, studio interference, disney, movie franchises that went bad, terminator, terminator movies, indiana jones, harrison ford, indiana jones movies, pirates of the caribbean, transformers, transformers movies, jurassic park, jaws movies, the matrix, Film, Movies, Action, watchmojo, watch mojo, top 10, list, mojo,
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the movie series that have lost their Mojo - pun fully intended. We aren’t saying these franchises are horrible or anything, just that they aren’t as consistently great as we’d like. What franchise do you think overstayed its welcome? Let us know in the comments below!
In 1979, Ellen Ripley became the last survivor of the Nostromo, and horror hasn’t been the same since. Somehow, they captured lightning in a bottle again with the sequel, “Aliens.” But, that’s where the luck ran out. Apparently, there’s only so many times you can see Sigourney Weaver fight a xenomorph before it gets stale - a lesson the franchise learned the hard way with “Alien 3” and “Resurrection.” For what it’s worth, original director Ridley Scott tried to get things back on track with a creative pivot for “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant.” But, based on the poor financial returns, it’s clear that most of the series’ audience went with Ripley.
A joke is never as funny the second time around. Let alone the third. But, that didn’t stop “The Hangover” from trying. Even though it built upon one of the greatest comedies of the generation, the highly-anticipated sequel came out to very middling reactions. And that’s putting it nicely. Still, it fared better than “The Hangover Part III,” a movie that’s as loud and annoying as an actual hangover. Side by side, you can practically see as the franchise devolves into a nonsensical cash-grab. If you don’t believe us, just take a lot at the critic scores. For the sake of their dignity, fingers crossed these guys lay off the booze for a while.
As they say, the scarier they are, the bigger they fall, right? Since the first “Paranormal Activity” singlehandedly reignited the found-footage craze, sequels were practically a given. And, to be fair, the first couple were pretty solid. But, after four entries of shaky-cam terror, both audiences and critics began to tire of the same-old, same-old. That didn’t stop Paramount from making them, though, and they pumped out sequel after sequel until finally laying the series to rest with the disappointing “Ghost Dimension.” As if to prove how far the “Paranormal Activity” brand has fallen, the 2021 reboot, “Next of Kin,” didn’t even get a theatrical release. Scary stuff, indeed.
When you hear people talk about “The Matrix,” they probably mention Keanu Reeves, the industry defining action scenes, or the deep, philosophical themes. Odds are, they won’t bring up the sequels, and there’s a good reason for that. While “Reloaded” and “Revolutions” definitely have their fans, many agree they’re a noticeable step down from the original. In fact, they were so divisive, the series wouldn’t get another crack at the big screen for almost twenty years. However, despite its name, “The Matrix Resurrections” couldn’t bring the series back to life. Whether they took the red pill or the blue one, it’s obvious that “The Matrix” sequels have left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theaters, this shark decided to swim back for round two. And then two more after that. That’s right, the original “Jaws” has three sequels, and somehow, they’re each worse than the last. “Jaws 2” was too safe, “Jaws 3-D” was too bold, and by the time “Jaws: The Revenge” came around, no one cared anymore. Least of all, audiences. Each sequel earned less at the box-office than the one before, with the fourth film failing to earn even 15% of the first film’s gross. We’d bet this shark won’t be swimming again for a long time, and honestly, that’s probably for the best.
History really is doomed to repeat itself, and we don’t just mean with dinosaurs. To set the stage, the first “Jurassic Park” roared into cinemas in 1993 with history-making results. Then, came a sequel, and another. But, instead of bolstering the brand, the lackluster addendums watered down any remaining novelty of seeing dinosaurs on the big-screen. The 2015 reboot, “Jurassic World,” brought things back to their thrilling roots… only for its trilogy to fall apart, too. “World’s” sequels, “Fallen Kingdom” and “Dominion,” weren’t just poorly received. They earned some of the worst critic scores of the entire franchise to date. Evidently, it’s time for these dinos to go extinct again.
Even though they’ve been around for a while, the live-action robots in disguise have yet to win over many critics. Still, the first “Transformers” managed to coast by on the merits of its breathtaking special effects and grounded, coming-of-age story. The issue is that the series kept going, and going, and going. Suddenly, the once-promising franchise became known for bloated runtimes, copy-and-paste narratives, and boring, mindless action. As a result, starting with 2014’s “Age of Extinction,” fewer and fewer people began showing up for mainline “Transformers” films. We can’t blame them, either. Giant, fighting robots may have been worth a movie ticket in 2007, but after years of borderline-unwatchable sequels, they’re a sign to stay clear.
Back in 2003, these pirates set sail for gold, and found a whole film series, instead. Unfortunately, their successive voyages haven’t been quite as prolific. While the original trilogy sailed through some choppy waters, “Pirates” didn’t fully capsize until “On Stranger Tides.” There, they abandoned co-leads Will and Elizabeth, doubled-down on Jack Sparrow, and turned in an overly silly sequel that left the whole franchise in need of a liferaft. Somehow, 2017’s “Dead Men Tell No Tales” performed even worse, seemingly sinking the series for good. By now, audiences have been burned so many times, it’s hard to say if even the tease of Will and Elizabeth’s return can bring them back.
After over forty years of adventuring, we wouldn’t blame Indy if he wanted to retire already. Especially since most of his audience already has. Don’t get us wrong, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is an untouchable classic. But, even the series’ most diehard fans would agree that none of the sequels have quite lived up to that high bar. If anything, the modern entries are going in the wrong direction. To hammer it home, 2023’s “Dial of Destiny” shaped up to be one of the biggest box-office bombs in film history. They can make Indy look young all they want, but it won’t bring back an audience that’s obviously moved on.
There’s going out with grace, and then there’s “Terminator.” And to think, it started out so strong. The first two movies are downright legendary, and the second one even has a slew of Oscars to prove it. Sadly, everything after “Judgment Day” goes from bad to worse. “Rise of the Machines,” “Salvation,” “Genisys,” “Dark Fate,” you name it, it probably belongs in the scrapheap. Some are certainly more entertaining than others, but the fact of the matter is that none of them lived up to “Terminator’s” genre-defining legacy. Or, at least, what’s left of it. These days, it’s hard to keep defending a series that has a lot more duds than hits.
#10: The “Alien” Franchise (1979-)
In 1979, Ellen Ripley became the last survivor of the Nostromo, and horror hasn’t been the same since. Somehow, they captured lightning in a bottle again with the sequel, “Aliens.” But, that’s where the luck ran out. Apparently, there’s only so many times you can see Sigourney Weaver fight a xenomorph before it gets stale - a lesson the franchise learned the hard way with “Alien 3” and “Resurrection.” For what it’s worth, original director Ridley Scott tried to get things back on track with a creative pivot for “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant.” But, based on the poor financial returns, it’s clear that most of the series’ audience went with Ripley.
#9: “The Hangover” Franchise (2009-13)
A joke is never as funny the second time around. Let alone the third. But, that didn’t stop “The Hangover” from trying. Even though it built upon one of the greatest comedies of the generation, the highly-anticipated sequel came out to very middling reactions. And that’s putting it nicely. Still, it fared better than “The Hangover Part III,” a movie that’s as loud and annoying as an actual hangover. Side by side, you can practically see as the franchise devolves into a nonsensical cash-grab. If you don’t believe us, just take a lot at the critic scores. For the sake of their dignity, fingers crossed these guys lay off the booze for a while.
#8: The “Paranormal Activity” Franchise (2007-21)
As they say, the scarier they are, the bigger they fall, right? Since the first “Paranormal Activity” singlehandedly reignited the found-footage craze, sequels were practically a given. And, to be fair, the first couple were pretty solid. But, after four entries of shaky-cam terror, both audiences and critics began to tire of the same-old, same-old. That didn’t stop Paramount from making them, though, and they pumped out sequel after sequel until finally laying the series to rest with the disappointing “Ghost Dimension.” As if to prove how far the “Paranormal Activity” brand has fallen, the 2021 reboot, “Next of Kin,” didn’t even get a theatrical release. Scary stuff, indeed.
#7: “The Matrix” Franchise (1999-2021)
When you hear people talk about “The Matrix,” they probably mention Keanu Reeves, the industry defining action scenes, or the deep, philosophical themes. Odds are, they won’t bring up the sequels, and there’s a good reason for that. While “Reloaded” and “Revolutions” definitely have their fans, many agree they’re a noticeable step down from the original. In fact, they were so divisive, the series wouldn’t get another crack at the big screen for almost twenty years. However, despite its name, “The Matrix Resurrections” couldn’t bring the series back to life. Whether they took the red pill or the blue one, it’s obvious that “The Matrix” sequels have left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth.
#6: The “Jaws” Franchise (1975-87)
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theaters, this shark decided to swim back for round two. And then two more after that. That’s right, the original “Jaws” has three sequels, and somehow, they’re each worse than the last. “Jaws 2” was too safe, “Jaws 3-D” was too bold, and by the time “Jaws: The Revenge” came around, no one cared anymore. Least of all, audiences. Each sequel earned less at the box-office than the one before, with the fourth film failing to earn even 15% of the first film’s gross. We’d bet this shark won’t be swimming again for a long time, and honestly, that’s probably for the best.
#5: The “Jurassic Park” & “Jurassic World” Franchise (1993-2022)
History really is doomed to repeat itself, and we don’t just mean with dinosaurs. To set the stage, the first “Jurassic Park” roared into cinemas in 1993 with history-making results. Then, came a sequel, and another. But, instead of bolstering the brand, the lackluster addendums watered down any remaining novelty of seeing dinosaurs on the big-screen. The 2015 reboot, “Jurassic World,” brought things back to their thrilling roots… only for its trilogy to fall apart, too. “World’s” sequels, “Fallen Kingdom” and “Dominion,” weren’t just poorly received. They earned some of the worst critic scores of the entire franchise to date. Evidently, it’s time for these dinos to go extinct again.
#4: The “Transformers” Live-Action Franchise (2007-)
Even though they’ve been around for a while, the live-action robots in disguise have yet to win over many critics. Still, the first “Transformers” managed to coast by on the merits of its breathtaking special effects and grounded, coming-of-age story. The issue is that the series kept going, and going, and going. Suddenly, the once-promising franchise became known for bloated runtimes, copy-and-paste narratives, and boring, mindless action. As a result, starting with 2014’s “Age of Extinction,” fewer and fewer people began showing up for mainline “Transformers” films. We can’t blame them, either. Giant, fighting robots may have been worth a movie ticket in 2007, but after years of borderline-unwatchable sequels, they’re a sign to stay clear.
#3: The “Pirates of the Caribbean” Franchise (2003-)
Back in 2003, these pirates set sail for gold, and found a whole film series, instead. Unfortunately, their successive voyages haven’t been quite as prolific. While the original trilogy sailed through some choppy waters, “Pirates” didn’t fully capsize until “On Stranger Tides.” There, they abandoned co-leads Will and Elizabeth, doubled-down on Jack Sparrow, and turned in an overly silly sequel that left the whole franchise in need of a liferaft. Somehow, 2017’s “Dead Men Tell No Tales” performed even worse, seemingly sinking the series for good. By now, audiences have been burned so many times, it’s hard to say if even the tease of Will and Elizabeth’s return can bring them back.
#2: The “Indiana Jones” Franchise (1981-2023)
After over forty years of adventuring, we wouldn’t blame Indy if he wanted to retire already. Especially since most of his audience already has. Don’t get us wrong, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is an untouchable classic. But, even the series’ most diehard fans would agree that none of the sequels have quite lived up to that high bar. If anything, the modern entries are going in the wrong direction. To hammer it home, 2023’s “Dial of Destiny” shaped up to be one of the biggest box-office bombs in film history. They can make Indy look young all they want, but it won’t bring back an audience that’s obviously moved on.
#1: The “Terminator” Franchise (1984-2019)
There’s going out with grace, and then there’s “Terminator.” And to think, it started out so strong. The first two movies are downright legendary, and the second one even has a slew of Oscars to prove it. Sadly, everything after “Judgment Day” goes from bad to worse. “Rise of the Machines,” “Salvation,” “Genisys,” “Dark Fate,” you name it, it probably belongs in the scrapheap. Some are certainly more entertaining than others, but the fact of the matter is that none of them lived up to “Terminator’s” genre-defining legacy. Or, at least, what’s left of it. These days, it’s hard to keep defending a series that has a lot more duds than hits.
Have an idea you want to see made into a WatchMojo video? Check out our suggest page and submit your idea.
Step up your quiz game by answering fun trivia questions! Love games with friends? Challenge friends and family in our leaderboard! Play Now!