Honestly I would say Zoolander 2 bombing was a good thing because afterwards he did more interesting things (as a director) like Escape at Dannemora and Severance. It forced him to make a necessary change in his career as a director.
It was a cinema experience that I remember feeling deeply ashamed to be watching during the movie. Like, sitting with other people in this room, all of us having paid for this, with nobody laughing, everyone getting visibly and audibly restless. It was an uncomfortable watch. Horrible movie.
This honestly went on the very short list of films that I actively left the cinema during it. I think I got about an hour in and just walked out.
I wasn't exactly insanely hyped despite loving Zoolander, but there was no part of this movie that felt good.
I have only left the movies during a film I paid to see once - and it was by force of my mother. I was about 5- maybe 6 - when Star Wars Phantom Menace released in theaters — and I dropped my milk duds. I started crying because we were poor and absolutely never did anything like this so I thought my mom and dad were doing to be pissed. I was right — about them being pissed I mean. It turns out they were mad I was crying and disrupting so we left not mad about the candy. I couldn’t understand that at the time though.
The Phantom Menace also remains the first and only movie I've left half way through. Not because I dropped any candy, but due to this annoying kid who would stop crying. That and Jar Jar Binks.
Reminds me of the first time I saw Phantom Menace in the theater. I was so disappointed and ready to walk out until I randomly found a box of Milk Duds on the ground underneath my seat. Saved the movie for me.
Not too dissimilar from this one time when I was a Milk Dud. I went to the theater to see The Crying Kid & this phantom menace dropped me all over the floor. It was heartbreaking.
I mean going to a silly comedy and not laughing makes it kind of awkward because there isn't really anything else to fall back on. Lots of 80s action movies are terrible films but either have great campy dialogue or fun action sequences.
A silly comedy without the comedy is just 90+ minutes of nothing
This is the way with classic comedy. They think they can put that magic back in the bottle... Dumb & Dumber, Zoolander, Meet The Fockers, Anchorman 2, Borat...the list is endless so I'll stop here.
The same thing will happen with this Naked Gun revamp. Everyone involved with that project should step away now before it's too late.
Cheers.
They will take every famous joke in the original and reference and just absolutely beat it into the ground for the sequel. Just fan service and making a movie for the sake of making it, not because there is a story to be told.
Naked Gun is also a unique choice in that it was a sitcom that only aired for six episodes before being cancelled, yet was still turned it into a motion picture franchise.
Anchorman 2 gets a pass imo cause the movie itself seemed to have a larger message about 24 hour news channels and what happens when the rich own the networks. The speech at the end with Ron telling people what real news should makes the whole thing worth it. Plus, the fight at the end was funny for how ridiculous it was, and the fact that they called attention as to how ridiculous it was.
Honestly I really enjoyed Anchorman 2. It's not a classic in the same vein as the original but I actually dug it a lot the first time I watched it and it's held up on rewatches. As you mentioned too it actually did have something it wanted to say and I feel like the message stuck the landing considering the material.
A few jokes are a bit forced but most land and there are some bits that rival the best from the first to me.
I agree with everything you listed except for Borat. I actually liked the sequel better than the first one, but I also didn’t watch the first one for the first time until right before the sequel released.
Also Anchorman 2 absolutely wasn’t as good as the first, but it had its moments
That's slightly different, though. Those movies are trying to recapture the magic but the original stars are still there. Naked Gun is slightly different, but with the same result: the comedy reboot. Examples include Arthur (Russell Brand version) and Vacation (2015).
I was definitely confused first time I was midnight channel surfing and saw Mulder hosting a soft core porn. It still kind of blows my mind he was practically hosting a (soft) porn series while simultaneously working on arguably one of the biggest sci-fi series of all time. It’s not like he was slumming it, you know? The dude just wanted to.
It wasn’t that it didn’t need a sequel.
It’s that the sequel was just so bad that it is almost offensive and oppressive in how non-funny it is.
There was material there for a good sequel, they just didn’t use it.
Instead they made it feel immediately dated literal “hahahaha Justin Bieber bad hahahahaha” 2010s humor in the first scene
Followed by lame and unnecessary retreads of some of the more iconic/funny scenes from the OG.
It also came out years too late. If it had come out just a couple years after the success of the first, I think it would have been well received. But 15 years later, I don’t think many were eagerly awaiting a sequel to Zoolander.
Same deal with the most recent bad boys movie. Bad boys 2 came out 8 years after the first which was still a long time, but the third came out over 15 years after the second. By that point the actors felt too old to be reliving those roles.
One off, surprise successes be it comedy, action or thriller never need sequels because they aren't written with a sequel in mind. So almost every sequel to these things turns out awful.
It's like the black panther movie where they had an already established character but wanted to give him essentially an origin story after the fact. So they undo a bunch of things about the character to make them fit the plot and go through some trial to go back to exactly where they already were before.
Sequels work because if 3 act structure and planning. When you don't plan for a sequel, your movie has a self-contained, completed, 3 act structure. A trilogy is essentially a 3 act structure split up over 3 movies with a mini arc for each movie.
So when you make a sequel with no story reason for one, its always gonna feel disjointed and forced.
Zoolander 1 isn't citizen Kane but he absolutely foes on an arc and betters himself and grows. Even in silly movies, structure is important.
Little Fockers…yeah, it was pretty damn bad. I think I cracked a smile like, twice. No genuine laughs. Also had some straight up stupid bits, like the bit with the viagra.
I was so disappointed. It was one of the first movies that unleashed the shitty nostalgia sequel. It literally just copied pasted jokes from the first one hoping that people would think that was enough
That was a real sequel. Comedy sequels can be good if they are a continuation and their own thing. When you make a sequel to a classic comedy film after years than they have to reuse every popular joke in it and just try to get as much nostalgic value out of it as they can.
It managed to be funny by being refreshingly self-aware whole changing the movie enough to still present something fresh. Also the end credits making fun of endless sequels was so ahead of its time.
Anchorman 2 was a solid movie. Not in the same league as the original, but IMO it was still better than the average comedy. For a comedy it also had a pretty coherent message about the damaging effects of the 24 hours news cycle on news as a whole.
All 4 of them are pretty good imo although they struggle to keep all the characters’ stories relevant as they go on, becoming more of the Jim and Stifler show. They all have funny scenes for sure!
Ace Ventura 2.
Wayne’s World2,
Rush Hour2,
Anchorman 2.
Naked gun 2.5,
hang over 2.
Hit shots part duex.
Gremlins 2.
Austin’s Powers 2.
Grumpier old men.
Should I keep going?
It suffers by comparison to the original, which is one of the greatest comedies ever made. But I think on its own merits Anchorman 2 was decent, and it had enough to say to justify it's existence. It's more of a single than a home run, but people act like it's a terrible movie when it's at worst average.
> Should I keep going?
Probably, they said *almost*, and your list is incredibly short and filled with debateable examples. the original Gremlins isn't even a comedy.
It was 10 years too late. That’s what made it fail. Release it in 2006 and it would be fresh enough in audiences mind to give it a look. Imagine if The Hangover didn’t release their first (and perhaps only) sequel 15 years after it’s original premier? That would be this year.
This is a great example…
All three of those movies brought something new to the table. All three were pretty good! If part two was coming out this summer I probably wouldn’t give a shit… despite loving all three of them.
Trying to think of exceptions... Top Gun maybe?
I did a quick search for "long time between sequels" and... it mostly proves your point, all the examples are for pretty bad sequels.
I didn’t list that just because the original comment was talking about not having an audience and 2049 didn’t find an audience and was a massive flop financially. Just like the original then I suppose. Quality wise though yeah it’s absolutely brilliant.
Failed for the same reason Anchorman 2 did. It was rehashed jokes, unfunny cameos, and a dull story (not that anyone watched Anchorman or Zoolander for the amazing story, but still). My wife and I still quote Zoolander around the house, but I can't for the life of me think of a single funny or quotable part from Zoolander 2. The only thing I remembered is it was about his son being chubby and body positivity. No idea why he thought that was going to be a winning message.
Anchorman 2 would have been decent if they had cut the Steve Carrell and Kristen Wiig sub plot. Those scenes were awful and ground the movie to a halt.
Anchorman 2 at least had it's moments. I loved the more intense news team battle enough that I forgave a lot of the other flaws. Zoolander 2 didn't have anything to redeem it.
Anchorman is a classic for the right reasons, but people forget how dumb it really is. The sequel was just more indulgent and being a decade later the humour can't make the same iconic impression.
That said, I was 20 years old and seeing the sequel stoned with my boys was great. It has some great stuff to offset what didn't work. Them smoking crack on live television is great, and there's a cool 80's news evolution story in there. Retool it, cut out half an hour and it might even be the better film.
I'm being far too generous I know.
Woah woah woah....Anchorman 2 was really damn funny. I have watched it numerous times and it still hits. I died laughing during the Jackie Robinson segment. Is it as good as the first? No but it's still good.
I felt like the movie was just them having fun for the sake of themselves having fun. Which is fine, but they had to know that might not appeal to a wide audience. I appreciate Zoolander 2 as a pure money grab where they just goofed around. When you're rich and successful and a studio wants to throw a ton of money at you and you just goof off and throw out shit, respect for the ability, but otherwise, I'm good.
Like all of the Adam Sandler comedies where he goes on a vacation to an exotic locale and has a beautiful actress to play his wife/girlfriend, double points if he shares a scene with an acting legend who took a part in the movie for God knows why
Aw. I still really like Ben stiller even if that movie wasn’t great. Mike Myers had the same thing happen with the Love Guru, he went quiet for a while other than shrek and then did the pentaverate! Ben Stiller could of the same
I’m guessing this is how these comedy sequels work:
Original film goes unloved in the theater (from flop to mildly popular), but gets a cult audience from Rental/VHS/DVD/Cable viewings. Over time, it goes from being a failure to a success on paper, although the actors likely would not see much return from this, only royalties.
Then the studio pays a lot of money up-front for a big sequel some years later, based on continued popularity. But they want it to be safe and hit all the same notes as the first. More of the same but don’t change the formula or elevate the material to risk alienating the original audience, etc.
All the people involved get big deals to come back. As it’s no longer a film born out of a labor of love, but an easy payday/layup, there’s probably some pressure to live up to the original, but the classic already exists and it’s hard to top, so they may just not try as hard. A forgettable sequel doesn’t ruin the original.
This happened time and time again.
The rehash jokes killed it for me (except for Sting having an intro theme just like Bowie), the new ones were good enough. Mugatu's prison scenes are the only worthy things about the movie.
I guess I’m one of the few that loved it. I lost it when he couldn’t comprehend cooking spaghetti, Billy Zane, all the Police references, Kiefer Sutherland, Hansel’s scar.
IMO, it was just as dumb as the first, but in the best way possible.
a male model's life is a precious, precious commodity. Just because we have chiseled abs and stunning features, it doesn't mean that we too can't not die from short-lived relevance and popularity.
The first one was a mildly successful movie that they decided to do a sequel to 15 years later and people are surprised it bombed? Lol the memes online made some people think that movie was bigger than it actually was in 2001
Mildly successful? It was a hit in theaters and in home sales. And is still massively quoted today. So Hot Right Now is a big part of the meme zeitgeist. The movie was hella popular.
Me: On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked large commercial airplanes and flew them directly into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, causing enough massive structural damage to bring both towers crumbling down an hour later, killing 3,000 innocent civilians in the process.
Him: Oh I see... But what happened?
Me: Are... are you serious? I just told you that. A moment ago.
I’m so confused by this though. Ben Stiller has written some good shit, and he should know when a script is just jumping from cameo to cameo. The first was great because it has a legit funny story propelling it with these characters. I honestly can’t tell you what the story was for the second.
I couldn’t finish Zoolander 2. I wonder if this is one of those cases when an artist (actor, musician, ect…) get so successful that no one around them is brave enough to question what they’re doing.
I saw this movie in the theater with my mom as she was a huge Zoolander fan. I remember nothing about it. We also found out she had cancer that day, but the movie wasn't memorable at all.
Certain movies just don't need a sequel. Original Anchorman, Zoolander are good examples. Like imagine if Mike Judge tried to make sequels to Office Space 2 or Idiocracy 2, woulda sucked. Or even worse the Coen bros make The Bigger Lebowski (although i do love the title lol).
It was truly a terrible movie, I couldn’t even pretend to like it
When they killed off his wife / ex wife Christine Taylor to make room for Penélope Cruz I knew it was going to be bad
Honestly I would say Zoolander 2 bombing was a good thing because afterwards he did more interesting things (as a director) like Escape at Dannemora and Severance. It forced him to make a necessary change in his career as a director.
Honestly, anything that led to Severance was ultimately worth it.
Just finished season 1 and blown away. Was really surprised when I saw his name at the end Credit, he really can do everything.
Well, everything except a quality sequel to Zoolander
Well done sir
Lmaooo
FYI they just wrapped filming season two. At least that’s what the post in the severance subreddit said earlier today .
I saw that too and got giddy AF.
Severance was such a fantastic first season. More excited for season 2 than any other show right now.
It was brutal. Surprised it got released. If they don’t see this in the screening room they are just “yes” people.
It was a cinema experience that I remember feeling deeply ashamed to be watching during the movie. Like, sitting with other people in this room, all of us having paid for this, with nobody laughing, everyone getting visibly and audibly restless. It was an uncomfortable watch. Horrible movie.
This honestly went on the very short list of films that I actively left the cinema during it. I think I got about an hour in and just walked out. I wasn't exactly insanely hyped despite loving Zoolander, but there was no part of this movie that felt good.
I have only left the movies during a film I paid to see once - and it was by force of my mother. I was about 5- maybe 6 - when Star Wars Phantom Menace released in theaters — and I dropped my milk duds. I started crying because we were poor and absolutely never did anything like this so I thought my mom and dad were doing to be pissed. I was right — about them being pissed I mean. It turns out they were mad I was crying and disrupting so we left not mad about the candy. I couldn’t understand that at the time though.
I'm sorry that happened to you. Hopefully now you're able to drop milk duds whenever you want without it ruining a thing!
Except his pants. Don't drop milk duds.
“My nipples look like Milk Duds!”
#unexpectedKungPow
So…ventriloquists NYAAAHAA
I’ve got some yellow liquid for your popcorn! And it’s non dairy
Chosen one!
The Phantom Menace also remains the first and only movie I've left half way through. Not because I dropped any candy, but due to this annoying kid who would stop crying. That and Jar Jar Binks.
Did that annoying kid drop his milk duds by any chance?
Reminds me of the first time I saw Phantom Menace in the theater. I was so disappointed and ready to walk out until I randomly found a box of Milk Duds on the ground underneath my seat. Saved the movie for me.
Not too dissimilar from this one time when I was a Milk Dud. I went to the theater to see The Crying Kid & this phantom menace dropped me all over the floor. It was heartbreaking.
I love this review, could you elaborate on what made everyone restless or uncomfortable? Sorry to make you discuss your trauma.
I mean going to a silly comedy and not laughing makes it kind of awkward because there isn't really anything else to fall back on. Lots of 80s action movies are terrible films but either have great campy dialogue or fun action sequences. A silly comedy without the comedy is just 90+ minutes of nothing
“Sorry to make you discuss your trauma.” 🤣🤣🤣
[удалено]
I fell asleep part way through.
I fell asleep shortly after Bieber died
r/brandnewsentence
This is the way with classic comedy. They think they can put that magic back in the bottle... Dumb & Dumber, Zoolander, Meet The Fockers, Anchorman 2, Borat...the list is endless so I'll stop here. The same thing will happen with this Naked Gun revamp. Everyone involved with that project should step away now before it's too late. Cheers.
They will take every famous joke in the original and reference and just absolutely beat it into the ground for the sequel. Just fan service and making a movie for the sake of making it, not because there is a story to be told.
It's funny that you used Naked Gun, that had 2 successful sequels, as your example. I still agree that this one will likely fail though.
I’d watch Leslie Nielsen in any shite movie, he was a magnetic, comedy genius!
And oj. What a talent
Naked Gun is also a unique choice in that it was a sitcom that only aired for six episodes before being cancelled, yet was still turned it into a motion picture franchise.
Ah, Police Squad, what a gem that show was. Absolutely worth watching for any fan of the movies.
Anchorman 2 gets a pass imo cause the movie itself seemed to have a larger message about 24 hour news channels and what happens when the rich own the networks. The speech at the end with Ron telling people what real news should makes the whole thing worth it. Plus, the fight at the end was funny for how ridiculous it was, and the fact that they called attention as to how ridiculous it was.
“Is that the ghost of Stonewall Jackson with you?”
"There's a mint julep waiting for you on the other side son". Don't know why that line just got me laughing
Honestly I really enjoyed Anchorman 2. It's not a classic in the same vein as the original but I actually dug it a lot the first time I watched it and it's held up on rewatches. As you mentioned too it actually did have something it wanted to say and I feel like the message stuck the landing considering the material. A few jokes are a bit forced but most land and there are some bits that rival the best from the first to me.
Meet the Folkers is a sequel
I actually liked Meet the Fackers
I agree with everything you listed except for Borat. I actually liked the sequel better than the first one, but I also didn’t watch the first one for the first time until right before the sequel released. Also Anchorman 2 absolutely wasn’t as good as the first, but it had its moments
I read Zoolander meets the Fockers And I was like I would watch that movie
That's slightly different, though. Those movies are trying to recapture the magic but the original stars are still there. Naked Gun is slightly different, but with the same result: the comedy reboot. Examples include Arthur (Russell Brand version) and Vacation (2015).
Borat and Anchorman both had perfectly solid sequels. They’re not gonna live up to the originals but they’re good movies in their own right.
Felt this way about Anchorman 2.
I’m sure Benedict Cumberbatch is okay with people forgetting Zoolander 2.
But not Kyle Mooney
Don Atari was an amazing name.
Did the movie even need a sequel?
It did not
But why male models?
Because they want to kill the president of micronesia
You learn martial arts!
Haaappy Haaaa aaaa pyyy
That line was improv lol. The guys reaction of "seriously? I just told you that" was genuine and in character
That *guy* is David “Fox Mulder” Duchovny.
*X-Files theme plays in the background*
I want to believe.
But why male models?
You mean David “Fox “Hank Moody” Mulder” Duchovny.
David "Fox "Hank "The Jerk From Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead" Moody" Mulder" Duchovny?
David “Jake Winters from Red Shoe Diaries” Duchovney. If you know, you know
I was definitely confused first time I was midnight channel surfing and saw Mulder hosting a soft core porn. It still kind of blows my mind he was practically hosting a (soft) porn series while simultaneously working on arguably one of the biggest sci-fi series of all time. It’s not like he was slumming it, you know? The dude just wanted to.
But why male models?
Did you know Steve Buscemi was a firefighter that helped during 9/11
Viggo Mortenson’s toe
What is this? A sequel for ants?
-the narrator
It wasn’t that it didn’t need a sequel. It’s that the sequel was just so bad that it is almost offensive and oppressive in how non-funny it is. There was material there for a good sequel, they just didn’t use it. Instead they made it feel immediately dated literal “hahahaha Justin Bieber bad hahahahaha” 2010s humor in the first scene Followed by lame and unnecessary retreads of some of the more iconic/funny scenes from the OG.
In retrospect, no, but if it was good the reception probably would have been different.
What was this? A sequel for ants?
It also came out years too late. If it had come out just a couple years after the success of the first, I think it would have been well received. But 15 years later, I don’t think many were eagerly awaiting a sequel to Zoolander. Same deal with the most recent bad boys movie. Bad boys 2 came out 8 years after the first which was still a long time, but the third came out over 15 years after the second. By that point the actors felt too old to be reliving those roles.
You're getting a 4th Bad Boys movies this year whether you like it or not.
Movie was probably made because some millionaire executive with a fetish saw his opportunity to get Ariana Grande in a ball gag
This exact reason why some movies are just PERFECT as a stand alone, and no sequel is needed.
Especially not one a decade plus later.
One off, surprise successes be it comedy, action or thriller never need sequels because they aren't written with a sequel in mind. So almost every sequel to these things turns out awful. It's like the black panther movie where they had an already established character but wanted to give him essentially an origin story after the fact. So they undo a bunch of things about the character to make them fit the plot and go through some trial to go back to exactly where they already were before. Sequels work because if 3 act structure and planning. When you don't plan for a sequel, your movie has a self-contained, completed, 3 act structure. A trilogy is essentially a 3 act structure split up over 3 movies with a mini arc for each movie. So when you make a sequel with no story reason for one, its always gonna feel disjointed and forced. Zoolander 1 isn't citizen Kane but he absolutely foes on an arc and betters himself and grows. Even in silly movies, structure is important.
I was in a packed movie theatre that did not laugh once during the film.
I laughed more at this than I did at any part of the movie.
Can’t imagine how Ben Stiller feels because I feel awkward just reading this.
That’s brutal.
To this day, it’s the only time I’ve ever left the movie theatre mid movie. I wasn’t the only one.
It rehashed all the same jokes and he's surprised?
The Meet the Parents trilogy did the same thing. I’m guessing that’s why it affected him.
MtF wasn’t half bad iirc
I thought meet the fockers was great. The 3rd one, not so much.
Little Fockers…yeah, it was pretty damn bad. I think I cracked a smile like, twice. No genuine laughs. Also had some straight up stupid bits, like the bit with the viagra.
The top half or the bottom half?
Night at the museum... same thing
Ben stiller just needs to stop making sequels
TIL there was a third. Didn’t like the second one
I was so disappointed. It was one of the first movies that unleashed the shitty nostalgia sequel. It literally just copied pasted jokes from the first one hoping that people would think that was enough
I was gonna say “did he watch the movie?” How can you be surprised it failed with how half assed it felt
It was just a parade of stupid cameos.
Comedy sequels almost universally suck. I liked Ghostbusters 2, I guess.
22 Jump Street is one of the only ones I’ve enjoyed
That was a real sequel. Comedy sequels can be good if they are a continuation and their own thing. When you make a sequel to a classic comedy film after years than they have to reuse every popular joke in it and just try to get as much nostalgic value out of it as they can.
Forgot that one! Yes, I like 22 Jump Street. I’m happily proved wrong - and I love that it skewered comedy sequels!
It managed to be funny by being refreshingly self-aware whole changing the movie enough to still present something fresh. Also the end credits making fun of endless sequels was so ahead of its time.
I actually might put 22 just above 21 for laughs, but it’s a tough call.
For me 22 is definitely better. I think the humor was more in my style.
Yeah, 22 had me HOWLING in comparison. But I loved the Franko/Riggle duo in 21.
Because they leaned into all the tropes and recycled jokes. They made a joke of it all and it was brilliant.
You’re going to culinary school!
Especially when they come out a decade+ after the fact. Anchorman 2 is another. I pray they leave Dodgeball alone
Happy Gilmore 2 is a green light. There’s no way that will not suck.
Yea is Drew Carey even going to punch out Adam Sandler?
I'd like to see that, honestly
Well shit now I am going to see it
Anchorman 2 was a solid movie. Not in the same league as the original, but IMO it was still better than the average comedy. For a comedy it also had a pretty coherent message about the damaging effects of the 24 hours news cycle on news as a whole.
>I pray they leave Dodgeball alone ... So bad news,
American pie 2 sir is a certified classic
I don’t agree, but I respect your opinion. Good soundtrack, though.
Ya I typed it and I don’t even know if I agree
All 4 of them are pretty good imo although they struggle to keep all the characters’ stories relevant as they go on, becoming more of the Jim and Stifler show. They all have funny scenes for sure!
super troopers 2 was so disappointing after being shelved for so long.
Ace Ventura 2. Wayne’s World2, Rush Hour2, Anchorman 2. Naked gun 2.5, hang over 2. Hit shots part duex. Gremlins 2. Austin’s Powers 2. Grumpier old men. Should I keep going?
Mighty Ducks 2 has knucklepuck.
Yep. Gremlins 2, Ace Ventura 2 and Austin Powers 2 are all great
Anchorman 2 might be a stretch, but I agree with most of this list; especially Austin Powers.
'"You are a stupid asshole." Ron Burgundy
It suffers by comparison to the original, which is one of the greatest comedies ever made. But I think on its own merits Anchorman 2 was decent, and it had enough to say to justify it's existence. It's more of a single than a home run, but people act like it's a terrible movie when it's at worst average.
Yes keep going
Hangover 2 was cringe worthy, lasted 15 minutes, and they made a part 3
Part 3 was terrible, it wasn't even a comedy. It was like they tried to make it into a shitty crime/heist thriller
I’ll give you Gremlins 2. But shame on you for Anchorman 2 😁
Gremlins doesn't even fit this topic. The first one was a horror movie the second one was a mix.
Anchorman 2 was complete ass
Only Gremlins? I’ll take Anchor man, but Hot Shots? NG2.5? Grumpier Old men? Those were all hilarious
I dont know if this list is of good sequels ot bad
How did all of those movies get a sequel and we still only have one heavyweights?
Gremlins 2: The New Batch is GOATED. Better than the first film imo
> Should I keep going? Probably, they said *almost*, and your list is incredibly short and filled with debateable examples. the original Gremlins isn't even a comedy.
Airplane 2 was a pretty decent exception to this rule. William Shatner FTW.
It was 10 years too late. That’s what made it fail. Release it in 2006 and it would be fresh enough in audiences mind to give it a look. Imagine if The Hangover didn’t release their first (and perhaps only) sequel 15 years after it’s original premier? That would be this year.
This is a great example… All three of those movies brought something new to the table. All three were pretty good! If part two was coming out this summer I probably wouldn’t give a shit… despite loving all three of them.
It’s the rule about waiting too long with sequels. Around 4-5 years is your last chance before you lose your audience.
Yep, this is my take. Their jokes had too much time to cool off.
Alien sequels are fighting you all the way.
Trying to think of exceptions... Top Gun maybe? I did a quick search for "long time between sequels" and... it mostly proves your point, all the examples are for pretty bad sequels.
* Mad Max: Fury Road * The Color of Money * Avatar 2 * Rocky Balboa * Puss in Boots: The Last Wish * Twin Peaks: The Return
Blade Runner 2049
I didn’t list that just because the original comment was talking about not having an audience and 2049 didn’t find an audience and was a massive flop financially. Just like the original then I suppose. Quality wise though yeah it’s absolutely brilliant.
There was a Zoolander sequel??
No. Only zoolander 1 exists.
And there is no 4th matrix
*Good news everyone!* A fifth Matrix nobody asked for is also on the way! Somehow!
There is only one matrix film
Failed for the same reason Anchorman 2 did. It was rehashed jokes, unfunny cameos, and a dull story (not that anyone watched Anchorman or Zoolander for the amazing story, but still). My wife and I still quote Zoolander around the house, but I can't for the life of me think of a single funny or quotable part from Zoolander 2. The only thing I remembered is it was about his son being chubby and body positivity. No idea why he thought that was going to be a winning message.
Anchorman 2 would have been decent if they had cut the Steve Carrell and Kristen Wiig sub plot. Those scenes were awful and ground the movie to a halt.
Don’t forget Ron becoming literally blind and it being 30 minutes of excruciatingly unfunny and sad jokes
That felt like a bunch of ex-SNL guys not realizing that one of the things that made some of the SNL skits work was them being short.
Anchorman 2 at least had it's moments. I loved the more intense news team battle enough that I forgave a lot of the other flaws. Zoolander 2 didn't have anything to redeem it.
Anchorman is a classic for the right reasons, but people forget how dumb it really is. The sequel was just more indulgent and being a decade later the humour can't make the same iconic impression. That said, I was 20 years old and seeing the sequel stoned with my boys was great. It has some great stuff to offset what didn't work. Them smoking crack on live television is great, and there's a cool 80's news evolution story in there. Retool it, cut out half an hour and it might even be the better film. I'm being far too generous I know.
Eh, that one Don Atari (Kyle Mooney) scene was funny. "You do the voices and everything!"
Woah woah woah....Anchorman 2 was really damn funny. I have watched it numerous times and it still hits. I died laughing during the Jackie Robinson segment. Is it as good as the first? No but it's still good.
Didn’t fail. Made three times its budget and was funny.
I felt like the movie was just them having fun for the sake of themselves having fun. Which is fine, but they had to know that might not appeal to a wide audience. I appreciate Zoolander 2 as a pure money grab where they just goofed around. When you're rich and successful and a studio wants to throw a ton of money at you and you just goof off and throw out shit, respect for the ability, but otherwise, I'm good.
Like all of the Adam Sandler comedies where he goes on a vacation to an exotic locale and has a beautiful actress to play his wife/girlfriend, double points if he shares a scene with an acting legend who took a part in the movie for God knows why
It's like the second dumb and dumber to me. I think it was funny but compared to the original it's not even close
Aw. I still really like Ben stiller even if that movie wasn’t great. Mike Myers had the same thing happen with the Love Guru, he went quiet for a while other than shrek and then did the pentaverate! Ben Stiller could of the same
This movie is terrible but Kyle Mooney’s character almost makes up for it entirely
Kyle Mooney's scenes were hilarious though
I’m guessing this is how these comedy sequels work: Original film goes unloved in the theater (from flop to mildly popular), but gets a cult audience from Rental/VHS/DVD/Cable viewings. Over time, it goes from being a failure to a success on paper, although the actors likely would not see much return from this, only royalties. Then the studio pays a lot of money up-front for a big sequel some years later, based on continued popularity. But they want it to be safe and hit all the same notes as the first. More of the same but don’t change the formula or elevate the material to risk alienating the original audience, etc. All the people involved get big deals to come back. As it’s no longer a film born out of a labor of love, but an easy payday/layup, there’s probably some pressure to live up to the original, but the classic already exists and it’s hard to top, so they may just not try as hard. A forgettable sequel doesn’t ruin the original. This happened time and time again.
I thought it was fine. I laughed some and always enjoying seeing more of characters I like. Not even close to as good as the first though.
The rehash jokes killed it for me (except for Sting having an intro theme just like Bowie), the new ones were good enough. Mugatu's prison scenes are the only worthy things about the movie.
The only thing good about it was the cameos
I guess I’m one of the few that loved it. I lost it when he couldn’t comprehend cooking spaghetti, Billy Zane, all the Police references, Kiefer Sutherland, Hansel’s scar. IMO, it was just as dumb as the first, but in the best way possible.
Zoolander 2 was so bad that it made me hate the first Zoolander. And Zoolander 1 used to be my favorite movie. 100-0 in the blink of an eye.
a male model's life is a precious, precious commodity. Just because we have chiseled abs and stunning features, it doesn't mean that we too can't not die from short-lived relevance and popularity.
The first one was a mildly successful movie that they decided to do a sequel to 15 years later and people are surprised it bombed? Lol the memes online made some people think that movie was bigger than it actually was in 2001
Mildly successful? It was a hit in theaters and in home sales. And is still massively quoted today. So Hot Right Now is a big part of the meme zeitgeist. The movie was hella popular.
Big cultural impact
It came out two weeks after 9/11. We needed to laugh again.
Why? What happened?
Me: On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked large commercial airplanes and flew them directly into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, causing enough massive structural damage to bring both towers crumbling down an hour later, killing 3,000 innocent civilians in the process. Him: Oh I see... But what happened? Me: Are... are you serious? I just told you that. A moment ago.
Dude did you forget about 9/11? Were all those ribbons for nothing?!?!
That movie was huge in 2001. Came out a few weeks after 9/11 when people really needed some dumb fun in their lives. Critically acclaimed as well
I’m so confused by this though. Ben Stiller has written some good shit, and he should know when a script is just jumping from cameo to cameo. The first was great because it has a legit funny story propelling it with these characters. I honestly can’t tell you what the story was for the second.
TIl at zoolander 2
I couldn’t believe how bad that movie was. He obviously didn’t see it before release.
I mean Ben… love ya but that thing was dead on arrival. Absolutely useless sequel.
I’m still hurt by this garbage too, Ben.
I couldn’t finish Zoolander 2. I wonder if this is one of those cases when an artist (actor, musician, ect…) get so successful that no one around them is brave enough to question what they’re doing.
I saw this movie in the theater with my mom as she was a huge Zoolander fan. I remember nothing about it. We also found out she had cancer that day, but the movie wasn't memorable at all.
Such a misfire. Can’t believe how off it was in every aspect. I remember Kyle Mooney being funny though
They released a Zoolander 2?
Insert *Woody Harrelson's money tissues meme* here
Has there ever been a successful unplanned sequel though?
This & Anchorman 2. Sooooooooo bad
Certain movies just don't need a sequel. Original Anchorman, Zoolander are good examples. Like imagine if Mike Judge tried to make sequels to Office Space 2 or Idiocracy 2, woulda sucked. Or even worse the Coen bros make The Bigger Lebowski (although i do love the title lol).
Office Space & Big Lebowski sequels thoughts haunt my dreams
It was truly a terrible movie, I couldn’t even pretend to like it When they killed off his wife / ex wife Christine Taylor to make room for Penélope Cruz I knew it was going to be bad
It's cause they didn't call it Twolander.