Top 10 Exact Moments That ENDED Movie Franchises
#10: Velociraptor In First Class
“Jurassic Park III” (2001) In their third stint of prehistoric mayhem, this series was clearly struggling to maintain the novelty of dinosaurs. Their sheer wonder, terror, and coolness fossilized more with each installment, especially in regard to velociraptors. They’re the center of some of the series’ most iconic moments, but also the most infamous. In a dream sequence, Dr. Alan imagines one of the dinos calling him by name. Yeah, it’s weird. But, even if it didn’t feel totally out of place, it still completely robs the creatures of their remaining menace. At this point, it was obvious that the threat of dinosaurs had gone extinct.
#9: Julia Roberts... as Julia Roberts
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“Ocean's Twelve” (2004) Most stories require some suspension of disbelief, but these dozen criminals made a name through inventive and grounded thrills. The fun of the heist was discovering how the characters would believably weasel out of tense situations. So, it completely shattered the film’s reality when Julia Roberts' character, Tess, goes undercover as the actress Julia Roberts. The gag might have worked in a meta-comedy, but in the middle of a nail-biting thriller, it’s anything but funny. At least, not in the way it was intended. Roberts elevates the material where she can, but not even her committed performance could salvage the series’ tone.
#8: The Architect’s Flawed Design
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“The Matrix: Reloaded” (2003) This twist is a blatant misunderstanding of the original “Matrix’s” success. That film worked in part because it didn’t try to answer its own questions. It trusted the audience to form their own interpretation, which is why the Architect’s appearance in the second movie feels like a betrayal. At a basic level, his last-minute debut reeks of bad story structure, but it especially stings since he brings a ton of confusing exposition with him. In trying to answer things that weren’t meant to be, the slick pace of the franchise was bogged down with needless lore and muddied moral discussions. The series should’ve taken a cue from Neo and slowed way down.
#7: Paulie's Robot
“Rocky IV” (1985) The Balboa-Boxer’s time in the ring drew critical acclaim, an iconic legacy, and heaps at the box office. But, despite all that, the fourth film managed to get K.O.’d in record fashion. At least, in regard to Paulie. He spends most of the runtime saddled in a chair next to his robot companion. If that weren’t bad enough, there’s some bizarre romantic subtext that’s better left powered off. The previous movies could have their cheesy moments, but this marked shift in tone was downright laughable, and not in a good way. The scenes were even removed from the director’s cut, which should tell you everything you need to know.
#6: Harry Hart Who?
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“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” (2017) Colin Firth’s turn as the self-serious spy, Galahad, delivered some of the coolest moments in spy movies, period. Though he met an unceremonious end in the first film, we could forgive the script gymnastic needed to bring him back if it meant we got more Harry Hart. Except, we didn’t get that. He spends the first half of this sequel with amnesia, which turns him into a waste of screen time with none of the edge, wit, or cool-action sequences that made him popular in the first place. Even once he’s regained his memories, he’s still a disappointing, lamer husk of his former self. Which, honestly, is a good way to describe this sequel overall.
#5: Jack Steers The Franchise
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“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (2011) Apparently, Disney’s never heard of the saying “too much of a good thing.” A little bit of Jack Sparrow went a long way in the original “Pirates” trilogy, especially since he was one ingredient of a much larger recipe. But, without the likes of Will or Elizabeth to ground his eccentricity, this stand-alone sequel sailed into the choppy waters of self-parody. Within the opening minutes, it’s painfully obvious that Jack’s shtick was not enough to keep the franchise afloat on its own. To be fair, a captain is supposed to go down with their ship. But, usually, they aren’t the ones sinking it in the first place.
#4: Grindelwald & Where Not to Use Him
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“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (2016) This second trek through the wizarding world started out with a lumos of promise. The thought of Newt Scamander exploring the world’s unique critters seemed primed for success, especially against an unforgettably menacing Colin Farrell as Percival Graves. The catch? He was actually the legendary fugitive, Grindelwald, in disguise. This third-act twist meant the story wasn’t about exploration, the greater world, or even Newt at all anymore. The threat of Grindelwald bought up every bit of storytelling real estate and set up a painfully generic good versus evil plot. To boot, the two sequels that focus on him both made less at the box office than their predecessor. Those kinds of numbers speak for themselves.
#3: Sayonara, Newt & Hicks
“Alien 3” (1992) It’s a good thing no one can hear our screams in space since that’s all this movie makes us want to do. Admittedly, not many sequels outdo the original, but this one actively erases the goodwill of what came before. “Aliens” spent a good chunk of its story developing a genuine camaraderie between Ellen, Newt, and Hicks. So, when the third film opens by unceremoniously offing two-thirds of that dynamic, it felt like the series was jettisoning its past. Worse, it left the impression that the franchise was prioritizing shock value over character development. That kind of shift never ends well.
#2: Emergency Landing
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“Live Free or Die Hard” (2007) Instead of jumping the shark, John McClane jumped the helicopter, and the result was calling mayday on the series’ prospects. The gritty tale of a normal guy thrown into a less-than-normal situation always worked because it was about tight hallways, family, and a deadly game of cat and mouse. But, by trying to constantly top itself, the sequels delivered a mess of empty action scenes and eye-rolling CGI explosions. But, nothing may ever get quite as silly as a car smashing into a helicopter. Hey, at least it went out with a literal bang. Ironically, this film totally lived up to its title - just not the “live free” part.
#1: A Dance to Remember
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“Spider-Man 3” (2007) Sam Raimi’s original Spidey trilogy is heralded to this day due to its grounded and earnest portrayal of the web-slinger. Or, at least, that was the case until “Spider-Man 3.” This series-killer delivered a dance montage so cringey that it’s nearly painful to watch. It hurts all the more since this was their attempt at the iconic Venom storyline. No wonder we never got Raimi’s “Spider-Man 4.” In a way, the scene is a microcosm for everything wrong with the film - it’s out of character, overly comical, and just downright bizarre. At least Peter danced like nobody was watching - because, at that point, everyone wished they weren't.