Top 10 Movies Sequels You've Never Heard Of

“Donnie Darko” performed modestly at the box office but became a hit once released on DVD. This uncalled-for sequel tries to replicate the surreal uneasiness and rising menace of the original, but fails miserably. The coolly arcane plot of the first film becomes a hopelessly tangled storyline that involved Donnie’s little sister, sleepwalking, visions and a catastrophic meteorite event. Reviewers were entirely unimpressed and “S. Darko” managed to register a 0% approval rating among the critics on Rotten Tomatoes. The box office returns were meager, as were DVD sales.

Even Mila Kunis’ biggest fans are often surprised to learn about this direct-to-video production from 2002. This is definitely a case of a studio shamelessly exploiting an earlier, more popular production in the hopes of ringing up a little cash. In this instance, Lions Gate simply took a script they had lying around and modified it to give it a connection to the original. The film lacks style, depth, and credibility. Is it any wonder Kunis likes to forget it ever happened?

Patrick Swayze’s “Road House” vehicle did decently at the box office and even better on TV and video. Swayze is noticeably absent from the direct-to-DVD sequel though. Instead, Johnathon Schaech (shack) is on hand to play the son of Swayze’s character. Apparently, audiences didn’t need to see any more adventures revolving around the exciting life of a barroom bouncer. The original is hardly great cinema, but it’s enjoyably cheesy in a fun way; the sequel is just dull.

Moviegoers took the lovable mermaid Madison and her landlubber beau Allen to heart when Disney unleashed “Splash” on the world in 1984. A large part of that film’s success is due to the chemistry between Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks. That chemistry is sadly lacking in the made-for-TV sequel. Amy Yasbeck and Todd Waring (wearing) have neither a spark nor the charisma of their predecessors. Worse, the sequel is obvious and cloying, pitching the film to six-year-olds. It barely made a splash and sank without a trace.

Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger blew the mercury out of the thermometer with the first “9 ½ Weeks.” Eleven years later, Rourke tried to create similar erotic magic with Angie Everhart. It didn’t work. Rourke, who possesses a weathered charm in 1986, is simply seedy and sour here. For her part, Everhart is attractive, but somehow not alluring. The filmmakers try to create a steamy, heated exploration of sexual longing, but audience arousal was sufficiently sated by the original.

Alfred Hitchcock’s expertise, style and ghoulish sense of both the absurdity and the frailty of human life are missing from this made-for-TV sequel to one of his biggest hits. Any follow-up to the Rod Taylor-Tippi Hedren classic is facing an uphill battle, but this retread doesn’t even try. It copies the basic outline of the first film, but does so without any sense of commitment. Tension? Surprise? Thrill? Not here. No wonder audiences flew right by this feeble offering.

Replacing the threat of computer-generated nuclear war with the threat of computer-generated terrorism is a workable idea. Unfortunately, the filmmakers didn’t really do much with the premise. As a result, when Matt Lanter’s boy genius character is facing his trials and challenges, all the viewer does is remember when Matthew Broderick did much the same thing. Only better. Shall we play a game? Not much.

As immensely popular as “Lawrence of Arabia” was, it wasn’t the kind of film that left audiences clamoring for more adventures of “The Uncrowned King of Arabia.” But that didn’t stop British TV from foisting one on the world. Surprisingly, this sequel is not that bad. It doesn’t compare to the first film, but it has some very effective moments and Ralph (raif) Fiennes is solid and charismatic as Lawrence. It even won an international Emmy as best drama. But it’s been buried by the sands of time – and viewer indifference.

Released to theaters as “It Runs in the Family,” this film is a sequel to the much-beloved “A Christmas Story.” However, only one character – the schoolteacher Miss Shields – is played by an actor from the original, and the direction is generally sluggish. While “A Christmas Story” overflowed with quirky charm, the summer follow-up is a bit of a yawner. There wasn’t much demand for it, as witnessed by the fact that it grossed a paltry $71,000 during its brief theatrical run. And unlike the original, it hasn’t found an afterlife on TV and DVD.

Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “Home Alone: The Holiday Heist” (2012)
- “Mean Girls 2” (2011)
- “Look What’s Happened to Rosemary’s Baby” (1976)
- “Legally Blondes” (2009)
- “Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves” (1997)

Randy Quaid’s Cousin Eddie helped create memorable havoc in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” As a supporting character, he was right in his element. As the star of his own made-for-TV spin-off – not so much. This incredibly sluggish comedy about a family shipwrecked while on vacationnever builds up steam. Remarkably few of the jokes land with anything other than a resounding thud, and the title character wears out his welcome within the first few minutes. Spoiler alert: the family gets rescued at the end – but it’s far too late to rescue this dreadful sequel.

Do you agree with our list? What other obscure movie sequels deserve to be on this list? For more enthralling top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.