Franchises have long played a central rolein the film industry. From the early days of cinema when Universal was cranking out regular sequels to their signature monster movies, to the modern era, where MCU films dominate the box office year after year,franchises have been a tried and true method for studios to reliably earn money based on audience recognition.
But just because a franchise is successful doesn’t mean that each entry receives the same level of attention. Some franchises slowly lose box office appeal over time, resulting in some sequels being seen less than others, whileothers receive negative critical reception, either by critics or by audiences. Butnot every neglected sequel is bad. In fact, there are plenty of sequels out there with bad reputations that are actually much better than word-of-mouth might have you believe.These are the 10 most underrated sequels in major movie franchises, ranked based on their overall level of quality.
10’Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines' (2003)
Directed by Jonathan Mostow
The TerminatorandTerminator 2: Judgment Dayare widely regarded as some of thebest action films of all time, but the series' third entry, 2003’sTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines, has always held a much different reputation. The first in the franchise withoutlegendary directorJames Cameronat the helm,Terminator 3polarized fans by featuring a sillier tone, and a less compelling plotthat treads familiar ground for the series.
But, while it’s a weaker film than its predecessors,Terminator 3is still an absolute blastto watch. Its action sequences are extremely entertaining, emphasizing absurd fun over anything remotely logical, andArnold Schwarzeneggerdials up the hamminess in his performance to great effect as he delivers a litany of cheesy one-liners throughout. It’s not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, butTerminator 3is a fun, briskly paced action romp that doesn’t deserve much of the ire it attracts.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
9’Jurassic Park III' (2001)
Directed by Joe Johnston
For many years, it was almost unanimously agreed upon thatJurassic Park IIIwas the weakest entry in theJurassic Parkfranchise. The first film is rightfully viewed as an all-time classic, and its sequel,The Lost World: Jurassic Park, while heavily flawed, at least featured a handful of extremely thrilling sequences thanks to the return of directorSteven Spielberg.And then there wasJurassic Park III; a 90-minute monster moviewith barely any focus on character development.
Jurassic Park IIIisn’t up to the level of the legendary original, but an argument could be made that it’s a more entertaining watch than the second. WhereThe Lost Worldis largely bogged down by a focus on uninteresting characters,Jurassic Park IIIforgoes this issue by featuring almost non-stop action sequenceswith brief moments of relief in-between. Scenes like the Velociraptor chase through an old InGen facility and thePteranodon encounter in the aviaryaresome of the most genuinely thrilling sequences in the sequels, easily outdoing anything in any of the subsequentJurassic Worldmovies.Sam Neillis also a notable highlight, lending the film a likable protagonist in the returning Alan Grant. It has its fair share of dumb moments, like the infamous talking Velociraptor dream, butJurassic Park IIIis still a largely underratedsequel that deserves more appreciationsimply for being a fun ride.
Jurassic Park 3
8’The Marvels' (2023)
Directed by Nia DaCosta
Captain Marvel, released in the time betweenAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgamewas a massive success, earning more thana billion dollars at the worldwide box office, and becoming one ofthe MCU’s highest-grossing releases. Its sequel, 2023’sThe Marvels, is currently the lowest-grossing release in the cinematic universe’s 34-film catalog, but it’s completely undeserving of this distinction. In fact,The Marvelsimproves upon its predecessor in a number of waysthat make it a far more rewatchable movie.
Simply said,The Marvelsis an incredibly fun piece of superhero cinema.Brie Larsonis finally able to truly shine as Carol Danvers, with the writing emphasizing a more relaxed side of her character, andIman Vellani, returning as the title character of the Disney+ seriesMs. Marvel, is absolutely fantastic, delivering one of themost charismatic MCU performancessince the introduction ofTom Hollandas Peter Parker inCaptain America: Civil War. There are also incredibly creative scenarios present throughout, like a late highlight in which the eponymous team of superheroes scrambles around a space station, saving people by storing them inside of alien cats all while “Memory” fromCatsplays in the background. It’s far from the MCU’s best entry, butThe Marvelsdeserves better than the muted receptionit has received ever since its initial release.
The Marvels
7’Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers' (1988)
Directed by Dwight H. Little
The quality of theHalloweenfranchise has varied wildly over time. The 1978 original is undoubtedly one ofthe best horror films of all time, but while some of its sequels, includingHalloween H20: Twenty Years Laterand 2018’sHalloween, have provided compelling follow-ups to Michael Myers' story, a number of others are juststraight-up bad slasher movies, with prime examples includingHalloween: ResurrectionandHalloween Ends.
ButHalloween 4: The Return of Michael Myersoften gets lost in the shuffle. Following the Myers-lessHalloween III: Season of the Witch,Halloween 4takes the series back to basics, sending Michael (Tom MorgaandGeorge P. Wilbur) loose on another killing spree around Haddonfield, this time primarily targeting Laurie Strode’s young daughter, Jamie (Danielle Harris). The story is fairly run-of-the-mill, butthere are some solid scares here, and Donald Pleasence is great asthe returning Dr. Samuel Loomis, Michael’s former psychiatrist, and now his hunter. It’s not exactly an amazing film, butHalloween 4is still a far more enjoyable slasher film than mostHalloweenfans give it credit for.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers
6’Ghostbusters II' (1989)
Directed by Ivan Reitman
Ghostbusters, released in 1984, is one ofthe best comedies released during the decade. Featuring iconic performances from comedy heavyweights of the time likeBill MurrayandRick Moranis, a stellar script written byDan AykroydandHarold Ramis, and direction from famed comedy directorIvan Reitman, it’s easy to see howGhostbustersquickly became a comedy classic. Unfortunately, its sequel, 1989’sGhostbusters II, never quite lived up to the legacy of its predecessor. Despite this,it’s still a solid comedy thatdeserves more positive attentionthan it typically gets.
Ghostbusters II’s biggest flaw is that it is largely a retread of the first film. But in many ways, this is also its greatest strength.Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis and Ernie Hudson still share great chemistry on screen, and it’s nice to see Hudson’s Winston Zeddemore play a more prominent role than in the first. Moranis' Louis Tully also gets more time in the spotlight, even being given a chance to don a proton pack. Additionally, the script, while not as strong as the first film’s, is packed with genuinely funny jokes and quotable lines,cementingGhostbusters IIas a better comedy than its reputation might have you believe.
Ghostbusters 2
Ghostbusters IIis available to rent on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
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5’Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' (2023)
Directed by James Mangold
The first threeIndiana Jonesfilms are generally viewed as some of the best adventure movies of all time, but the following two films, released much later, have been released to more mixed reception. 2008’sKingdom of the Crystal Skull, while a box office success, wound up disappointing fans and2023’sDial of Destinyfailed to do much better critically, eventually proving itself to bea box office flop for Disney. However, while it is never quite as good as the original trilogy,Dial of Destinyis still an enjoyable adventure film, with far more original ideas thanKingdom of the Crystal Skullhad to offer.
WhileCrystal Skullseemed largely content with pretending thatHarrison Fordhad hardly aged between 1989 and 2008,Dial of Destinyfaced the aging of its lead head-on, making it a key component of the plot. In it, an older Indiana Jones struggles with the dissolution of his marriage to Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), while also processing the death of his son, Mutt. These details are revealed in small moments during the larger adventure, butthe fact that the character is written with more depth than ever before allows Ford to deliver a more emotionally weighty performance. The action inDial of Destinyis admittedly lacking when compared to the rest of the series, butthe film’s unique exploration of its protagonist makes it a worthy watch for anyone already invested in the franchise, even those who didn’t enjoyKingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
4’Gremlins 2: The New Batch' (1990)
Directed by Joe Dante
Upon its initial 1984 release,Joe Dante’sGremlinswas a critical and financial success,introducing horror to a new generationof young fans while heavily influencingthe creation of the PG-13 rating. In the years since, it has held a steady reputation as an ’80s classic, butits sequel,Gremlins 2: The New Batch, has struggled to gain the same recognitiondespite being a great film in its own right.
Gremlins 2is an entirely different filmfrom the first,emphasizing the comedic aspects of the original in a number of ways. The set design is fun and cartoon-like, there are classic film references to spot everywhere, and many of the Gremlins are given more distinct identities that make the movie an extremely memorable, amusing twist on the core concept of the original. Of course, this would all fall flat if not for the fact thatGremlins 2also has a strong script with plenty of entertainment value. So,whileGremlins 2may not be as iconic as its predecessor, it certainly doesn’t deserve to be ignored, as it is still a wildly entertaining film.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
3’Back to the Future Part III' (1990)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Back to the Futureisan extremely beloved science fiction movie, introducing audiences to Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) and their DeLorean time machine in a memorable adventure that sees Marty journey back to 1955, eventually being tasked with finding a way back to 1985. It was a major box office hit,prompting the production of two sequels, released within six months of each othera few years later. Unfortunately, neither of the two sequels are quite as good as the original, but whileBack to the Future Part IIstill holds a place in public discourse, largely because of its now outdated predictions regarding the year 2015,Back to the Future Part IIIhas always been the underrated one of the trilogy, despite being better than the second film.
Back to the Future Part IIIoddly works better as a standalone thanPart II, as it is less entwined with the plots of its predecessors. The third film features a reduced focus on Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson), andan increased focus on Doc, allowing Lloyd to do far more with the character than he was allowed to before. The Wild West setting is also a much-appreciated shake-up, giving the movie an entirely different atmosphere when compared to the previous two installments. It may not be as good as the 1985 original, butBack to the Future Part IIIis still a genuinely great film that deserves more attention than it currently gets.
Back to the Future Part III
2’Star Wars: The Last Jedi' (2017)
Directed by Rian Johnson
When it was first released,Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the second entry inStar Wars' sequel trilogy, was met with nearly universal acclaim from critics, but the online discourse surrounding the film wasfar more polarizing. Manyfans disliked Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) character arcin the film, while others were disappointed by the reveal that Rey’s (Daisy Ridley) parents were of no importance. However, while many of its plot points were divisive,The Last Jedi’s bold choices make it one of the most compellingStar Warsreleases to date, almost completely undeserving of the harsh reception it initially received from fans.
The most enjoyable aspect ofThe Last Jediis its characters.Adam Driverdelivers a strong performanceas Kylo Ren, withRian Johnson’s script allowing the actor plenty of room to effectively explore the conflicting pull between light and dark that Kylo feels. Hamill’s performance is also great, withLuke’s story in general, controversial as it may be, being a major highlight for giving the beloved hero genuine flaws and a shocking amount of depth. Granted, not every subplot in the film works, but for the most part,The Last Jediis an exceedingly enjoyable film, unafraid of taking risksin the name of creating a more interesting viewing experience.
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
1’On Her Majesty’s Secret Service' (1969)
Directed by Peter R. Hunt
If they’ve heard of it at all, most people likely knowOn Her Majesty’s Secret Serviceas the onlyJames Bondmovie starringGeorge Lazenbyas the famous British spy.SirSean Connerywould reprise the role in the following film, 1971’sDiamonds Are Forever, but this shouldn’t serve as a statement onthe overall quality ofOn Her Majesty’s Secret Service. In fact, while Lazenby may not bethe best actor to ever play Bond,his film is one of the best entries in the long-running franchise.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Servicewasthe first film in the series to make a true attempt at giving Bond some real development as a character. Yes, there are plenty of scenes featuring the signature spy action that fans have come to expect from the franchise, notably two thrilling ski chases, but Bond also develops a deeper connection with his companion, Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), even marrying her at the end of the film. In addition,On Her Majesty’s Secret Servicefeatures one of the franchise’s best villains inTelly Savalas' interpretation of Ernst Stavro Blofeld,solidifying it as a standout, even if it isn’t as well-known as many of the character’s other cinematic outings.
