Most Controversial Franchise Sequels, Ranked

Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi's Story:Rey (Daisy Ridley) finds the self-exiled Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and tries to convince him to join her fight against the First Order and its leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

What Made It Controversial:Where to Start:Fans griped about Luke's un-heroic actions, like carelessly throwing the lightsaber Rey gives him. They complained about a plot twist showing Rey's parents were average people, not Skywalkers. Fans raged against the Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) subplot that seemed pointless. Some fans objected to Tran, an Asian woman, getting a heroic role, especially since Luke went the opposite way.Luke's un-heroic actions, like carelessly throwing Rey's lightsaber, caused complaints. Fans railed against a plot twist showing Rey's parents were average people, not Skywalkers. People also objected to Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran)'s subplot, which seemed pointless. Some fans objected to Tran, an Asian woman, getting a heroic role while Luke took a different path.

Why It’s Not That Bad:The Kelly Marie Tran thing was just.flat-out racism. She is actually quite good in the movie. Rose's path from maintenance worker to resistance fighter mirrors Luke's in the original.Star Wars. Director Rian Johnson chose to change what audiences knew about the Star Wars universe, giving them something new and surprising.Star WarsSome people always want the same thing. Fans willing to be open-minded rightly praised The Last Jedi.The Last Jedias the third-best entry in the series, after the original and The Empire Strikes Back.third-best entryin the series, behind the original and The Empire Strikes Back.The Empire Strikes Back.

Batman & Robin's Story:Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O'Donnell) fight two enemies: Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman). Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone) helps them.

What Made It Controversial:Tim Burton'sBatmanandBatman Returnswere fun but dark. Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever lightened things up a bit.Batman Foreverlightened up just a little bit.Batman & Robin, however, was camp. The film did not take itself seriously, from controversial nipples on the Batsuit to Mr. Freeze's cold puns, like “Have an ice day!”

Why It’s Not That Bad:The ‘60s Batman TV show was campy, setting a precedent for this style. If a movie wants that approach, it could be much worse than this star-studded curiosity.BatmanTV show was campy, so there is a precedent for this approach. If a movie takes that approach, it could be much worse than this star-studded curiosity.Batman & Robinis a '90s movie, which looks amusing in retrospect.

The Matrix Resurrections' Story:Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) works on the fourth Matrix video game, unaware he is basing it on his real Matrix experience. He meets Tiffany (Carrie-Anne Moss), a woman he feels connected to. They are Neo and Trinity, and they both get sucked back into the Matrix.

What Made It Controversial:Other series entries mixed sci-fi and philosophy. The Matrix Resurrections takes a very meta approach.The Matrix ResurrectionsAnderson's story uses metaphor.used metaphoricallyLana Wachowski felt bad about making the fourth chapter of the huge franchise. Some fans did not like it.

Why It’s Not That Bad: It is different. Doing the same thing a fourth time would have been simple. Creating a new approach, even if it fails, shows some creativity.

The Sequel’s Story: Jason Voorhees, the hockey mask-wearing slasher king, becomes cryogenically frozen. Several hundred years later, he accidentally thaws out while moving through space. Following his habit, he starts killing the ship's occupants.

What Made It Controversial: Taking Jason out of Camp Crystal Lake seems like a bad idea.Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattanproved it can happen. But putting him in outer space? That was just too silly.

Why It’s Not That Bad: Jason Xabsolutely has its defenders. They claim the movie is self-knowingly campy. Or a fresh and original take on slasher movies. Or some kind of meta-commentary on the whole Friday the 13thseries. Take your pick.

The Sequel’s Story: Demon creature Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) seeks three special boxes to gain world-destroying power. Many DC superheroes—including Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill), and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot)—team up to stop him.

What Made It Controversial: Director Zack Snyder had to step downbefore Justice Leaguewas finished because his daughter died. Joss Whedon joined to complete the project. He rewrote a large part of the film, leaving Snyder's vision unrealized (until a later do-over for the HBO Max streaming service, that is).

Why It’s Not That Bad: Justice League's theatrical cut isn't bad; it lacks total coherence. How could it work with two directors trying to make two different ideas of how it should look? Many films with difficult productions end up worse than this. It still has fun action scenes and good acting.

The Sequel’s Story: An evil corporation named Biosyn kidnaps human clone Maisie (Isabella Sermon) to study her DNA. Surrogate parents Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) try to save her. They meet Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill), who found Biosyn created a new insect that mixes bug and dinosaur DNA.

What Made It Controversial: People naturally go to a Jurassic Park/Worldsequel to see dinosaurs. Lots and lots of dinosaurs. Jurassic World Dominiongave them… locusts. Instead of dinosaurs roaming the mainland, as the prior entry suggested would happen, the film spends too much time on the subplot about the locusts and how they control the world's food supply. Locusts, it probably does not need to be said, are less exciting than dinosaurs.

Why It’s Not That Bad: The movie fulfills many legacy sequel requirements. It blends actors from the original with the new cast.isDinosaur action delivers.

The Sequel’s Story: Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) finally faces Michael Myers for their death match. Allyson (Andi Matichak) starts dating Corey (Rohan Campbell), a local pariah after a child he watched died.

What Made It Controversial: Despite promising a Laurie versus Michael battle royale, the movie does not deliver.Halloween EndsHalloween Ends shows Corey becoming a psychopathic killer for most of its runtime. Michael Myers, the iconic villain, acts like a side character.

Why It’s Not That Bad: If this movie stood alone, separate from the classic Halloween, the Corey story would work. It provides enough for a decent horror film. The issue was placing his tale where filmmakers promised a Laurie-and-Michael story. The film also suggests evil spreads; Michael transfers something evil to Corey so his menace survives, even if Laurie beats him.HalloweenThe Corey origin story works if it is not tied to the classic Halloween. It offers enough for a good horror movie. Putting his story in the Laurie-and-Michael structure failed. The movie suggests evil spreads: Michael transfers something evil to Corey, allowing his menace to continue, even if Laurie overcomes him.

The Sequel’s Story: Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) plans to retire from the Mafia. Leaving is not simple. Also, his nephew Vincent (Andy Garcia) wants major success in the family business. He also likes Michael's daughter, Mary (Sofia Coppola).

What Made It Controversial: Director Francis Ford Coppola cast his daughter Sofia as Mary after the original star, Winona Ryder, dropped out last minute. The younger Coppola was an inexperienced actress. This showed, especially against heavy hitters like Pacino and Diane Keaton. Others complained the third film arrived too late; sixteen years passed between the second and third movies.Winona Ryder dropped outThe younger Coppola was an inexperienced actress, and it showed against heavyweights like Pacino and Diane Keaton. Others griped the third and final film came out too late; sixteen years passed between the second and third.

Why It’s Not That Bad: Without media attention, Coppola’s performance is not bad.thatbad. It is a bit stiff, yes, but it is not a movie-killer. The rest of The Godfather Part III continues developing the first two chapters' themes.The Godfather Part IIISeeing how Michael Corleone ends up keeps fans of the series hooked. The movie continues developing the themes of the first two chapters.

The Sequel’s Story: Young Bonnie fears starting kindergarten. She makes a toy from a spork, pipe cleaners, and a popsicle stick to calm her nerves. The new “Sporky” gets toy training from Woody (Tom Hanks). When he gets lost, Woody, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the other toys go on a rescue mission.

What Made It Controversial: Toy Story 3Toy Story 4 had the perfect ending. Andy, now a college kid, gives the toys he outgrew to Bonnie. This shows playthings belong to all generations.Toy Story 4The movie needed a second ending that wasn't as poetic. Buzz also gets sidelined in this part.

Why It’s Not That Bad: Even if Toy Story 4The movie is technically not needed. It gives the same mix of laughter and emotion as earlier films. Woody decides to become a 'lost' toy that brings happiness to other kids who find him. If his goodbye to Buzz doesn't make you cry, you might not have a heart.

The Sequel’s Story: Jesse (Mark Patton) and his family moved into the house Nancy Thompson lived in. Nancy was the teenage girl Freddy Krueger tormented.A Nightmare on Elm Street. Krueger wants revenge on the teens for outsmarting him originally. He needs a host body for the real world. Jesse is there, so he gets the job.

What Made It Controversial: The movie does not follow the original's logic about how Krueger works. Krueger could only kill people in the dream world the first time. Some fans are confused by the undeniable homoerotic subtextThe cast and crew members publicly questioned how that subtext appeared.

Why It’s Not That Bad: Some groups see that homoerotic quality as a big plus. There were few movies about the gay community in 1985, especially not in horror. This makes Freddy's RevengeTime has helped this film. More people now appreciate the subtext. Several of Krueger's bloody attacks are really cool.

The Sequel’s Story: The year is 2018. John Connor (Christian Bale) joins the resistance against Skynet, the organization that took over the world with its computers and robots. A way to stop Skynet forever is shown. This is the future the Terminator traveled back to stop by killing John.

What Made It Controversial: Terminator Salvation made risky moves audiences did not fully support. Setting the movie during the future war eliminated the need for Sarah Connor and the Terminator. Moving the story from John to Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a death row inmate linked to Skynet, was another move. Who cares about that guy?

Why It’s Not That Bad: If you watch the series in order, it needs changes by the time you reach SalvationThe saga hints at the future war. Seeing more of it makes sense. The movie uses a silver color scheme. Action scenes, like a motorcycle-riding Terminator chase, look cool.

Prometheus Sequel Story:Astronauts Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) found proof life exists on a distant planet. They travel there to check the theory. Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), an executive from the Weyland Corporation funding, joins to ensure the company spends money well. Android David (Michael Fassbender) is also there to serve the company.

What Made It Controversial:The originalAlienAlien is a story about a Xenomorph picking off a spaceship crew. It creates raw fear as you wonder if any of them will survive. Contrast this with PrometheusPrometheus is a sci-fi thought piece about how human life started. It is more philosophical than cheap horror.

Why It’s Not That Bad:Ridley Scott avoided repeating himself. He could have just remade Alien. Instead, he told a different story in that universe.Alien, but he told a different story in that universe. The ideas from Prometheus are compelling. Fassbender's performance as the android is compelling too. It is not Alien, but this is a high-quality sci-fi story.PrometheusPrometheus ideas are compelling. Fassbender's performance as the android is compelling. It is not Alien.AlienThis is a high-quality sci-fi story.

The Bourne Legacy Sequel Story:Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) joins the same government project that created Jason Bourne. Eric Byer (Edward Norton), the program's creator, decides to shut it down after Bourne's actions in earlier films. This puts Cross on the run because Byer wants him gone.

What Made It Controversial:This is aBournemovie with no Bourne. The studio made it to get more money from the franchise, even though original star Matt Damon temporarily left. Many people felt Renner's character lacked the charisma of Damon's.People also feltRenner's character lacked Damon's charisma.

Why It's Not That Bad:Damon or no Damon.The Bourne LegacyThe Bourne Legacy keeps the intense action the series is known for. The film also shows the results of Bourne's actions. It is a rare sequel that looks at the main story from a fresh angle.

Hannibal Sequel Story:Serial killerHannibal“the Cannibal” Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) lives in Italy under a fake name. Agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore) still hunts him. Mason Verger (Gary Oldman), a disfigured victim, offers a $3 million reward for Lecter's capture.

What Made It Controversial:The Silence of the LambsHannibal was a blockbuster hit and won a Best Picture Oscar. It was also a major cultural event. Hopkins played Lecter again, but Jodie Foster, the original Starling, did not return. Julianne Moore is a good actress, but replacing Foster in her main role felt wrong, even if Foster chose it.

Why It’s Not That Bad: Seeing someone else as Clarice Starling distracts, even though Moore's acting is good. Otherwise, HannibalHannibal certainly has strengths. Hopkins is as scary as Lecter. Several movie sequences shock audiences.Lambs, A scene shows Lecter cutting a man's head open. Lecter scoops out a piece of his brain and feeds it to him.

The Sequel’s Story: Convict Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) escapes prison. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) worries about this. He believes Black killed his parents because of Voldemort. Fear grips Harry that Black will reach Hogwarts to kill Harry too.

What Made It Controversial: Although it advances the saga, Prisoner of Azkabanearned some scorn from Harry Potter fans, who felt the movie adaptation changed too much from the book. The movie cut much of the background material, likely to keep the story moving, instead of wasting time on old stories.

Why It’s Not That Bad: All film adaptations must change things from page to screen. Moving to a new medium demands flexibility.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban may not match the book exactly. It stays true to the other films in the series. This installment is solid; it starts the franchise moving toward a darker direction.

The Sequel’s Story: Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) must get a stolen gem from an Indian village. The village children were also kidnapped by a cult, so he must rescue them.

What Made It Controversial: Whereas Raiders of the Lost Ark was a light adventure, Temple of Doom goes dark. This includes a scene where the villain, Mola Ram, puts his hand in a man's chest and pulls out his still-beating heart. Scenes also show children forced into hard physical work. Because parents were angry about the movie's violent nature, the PG-13 rating was introduced.

Why It’s Not That Bad: The movie was darker than audiences expected and scared many kids. But Temple of Doom remains a thrilling adventure. The film has nonstop excitement and a good amount of humor. Indy's sidekick, Short Round, played by future Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan, provides much of the humor.