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The 50 Worst Sequels of All Time
Jaws. The Karate Kid. Speed. Paul Blart: Mall Cop. All classic movies. What’s also binding them together is the fact they’ve all had terrible sequels. These forlorn follow-ups are below 10% on the Tomatometer and we’ve rounded them up, and other movies like them, for our guide to the 50 worst sequels of all time.
Franchises with multiple entries include Atlas Shrugged, Highlander, and Big Momma’s House. If you’re questioning why Police Academy only appears only once despite multiple sequels with a 0% Tomatometer score, it’s because there’s a 10 review minimum, to ensure that each sequel that shows up here has crushed enough critics’ hopes for getting a decent follow-up. And for movies with the same Tomatomter score, we ranked the the ones with more reviews higher up. We used the same ranking method for our list of the 100 worst movies ever.
Now, get ready for some brand name disappointment with the 50 worst sequels of all time!
Critics Consensus:Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers trades the simple, brutal effectiveness of the original for convoluted mysticism, with disastrously dull results.
Synopsis: This installment marks the return of the seemingly indestructible masked murderer Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur), who is targeting Tommy... [More]
Critics Consensus: This teen horror movie brings nothing new to an already exhausted genre. And it's bad. Really bad.
Synopsis: At Alpine University, one senior student will be awarded the prestigious Hitchcock Award for best thesis film, virtually guaranteeing the... [More]
Critics Consensus: A witless follow-up to the surprise 1999 hit, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo is raunchy, politically incorrect, and not particularly funny.
Synopsis: Unlikely gigolo Deuce Bigalow (Rob Schneider) resumes his sex-related antics when his friend and former pimp, T.J. Hicks (Eddie Griffin),... [More]
Critics Consensus: Aiming for the low bar set by its predecessor and never coming close to clearing it, Teen Wolf Too is an unfunny sequel whose bark is just as awful as its bite.
Synopsis: Although awkward college student Todd Howard (Jason Bateman) is particularly adept at science, he's paying for school with an athletic... [More]
Synopsis: Though well-meaning scientists thought they'd destroyed them all, a single gigantic, murderous "Judas Breed" cockroach, which is capable of taking... [More]
Critics Consensus: Sloppy, vulgar, and manic, A Haunted House 2 might be worth a chuckle or two, but mostly it's a string of pop culture references and crude gags that fail to hit their intended targets.
Synopsis: After the ordeal he suffered with his now former girlfriend's (Essence Atkins) demonic possession, Malcolm (Marlon Wayans) has decided to... [More]
Critics Consensus:Rings may offer ardent fans of the franchise a few threadbare thrills, but for everyone else, it may feel like an endless loop of muddled mythology and rehashed plot points.
Synopsis: A young woman (Matilda Lutz) becomes worried about her boyfriend (Alex Roe) when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a... [More]
Critics Consensus: While it's almost certainly the movie event of the year for filmgoers passionate about deer urine humor, Grown Ups 2 will bore, annoy, and disgust audiences of nearly every other persuasion.
Synopsis: Lenny Feder (Adam Sandler) moves his family back to his hometown to be with his friends, but he finds --... [More]
Critics Consensus: It reunites most of the original cast and rounds them up for a trip to Fort Lauderdale for spring break, but Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise forgets to pack enough jokes or compelling characters to make it through its 89-minute running time.
Synopsis: After triumphing over the jocks in the Alpha Beta fraternity at Adams College, the nerds of Tri-Lamba are headed to... [More]
Critics Consensus:The Next Karate Kid is noteworthy for giving audiences the chance to see a pre-Oscars Hilary Swank, but other than a typically solid performance from Pat Morita, this unnecessary fourth installment in the franchise has very little to offer.
Synopsis: Karate master Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) goes to Boston to attend a military reunion. There, he visits with Louisa... [More]
Critics Consensus: A low-brow comedy, minus the comedy.
Synopsis: Van Wilder protege Taj Badalandabad (Kal Penn) heads to England's prestigious Camden University to further his studies and cement his... [More]
Critics Consensus: Boring, predictable, and bereft of thrills or chills, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is exactly the kind of rehash that gives horror sequels a bad name.
Synopsis: A year after killing vengeful hit-and-run victim Ben Wills (Muse Watson), who gutted her friends with an iron hook, college... [More]
Synopsis: Resort islanders (Tricia O'Neil, Steve Marachuk, Lance Henriksen) face flying killer-fish left over from a government experiment that flopped.... [More]
Critics Consensus: Unable to match the suspense and titilation of its predecessor, Basic Instinct 2 boasts a plot so ludicrous and predictable it borders on "so-bad-it's-good."
Synopsis: After a crash that kills her boyfriend, Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) has her car searched by the police, who find... [More]
Critics Consensus: This asinine sequel should be placed under arrest.
Synopsis: Greedy corporation Omni Consumer Products is determined to begin development on its dream project, Delta City, which will replace the... [More]
Critics Consensus: Borderline unwatchable and unspeakably dull, Highlander III is a sloppy third installment that still somehow manages to mark a slight improvement over its predecessor.
Synopsis: An evil immortal swordsman (Mario Van Peebles) catches up to his sorcerer foe (Christopher Lambert) at a deserted New Jersey... [More]
Critics Consensus: Striking out on every joke, Major League II is a lazy sequel that belongs on the bench.
Synopsis: The Cleveland Indians, an endearing assortment of oddballs who improbably won the division championship last season, have since lost their... [More]
Critics Consensus:Universal Soldier - The Return fails on almost every level, from its generic story to its second rate action and subpar performances.
Synopsis: After being brought back from the dead as a genetically enhanced warrior, Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is now fully... [More]
Critics Consensus: Bathed in flop sweat and bereft of purpose, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 strings together fat-shaming humor and Segway sight gags with uniformly unfunny results.
Synopsis: Six years after he saved the day at his beloved New Jersey shopping mall, security guard Paul Blart (Kevin James)... [More]
Critics Consensus: Unnecessary, unfunny, and generally unwelcome, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son offers more of the same for fans of Martin Lawrence's perplexingly popular series.
Synopsis: After stepson Trent (Brandon T. Jackson) witnesses a murder, FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) brings back Big Momma, his... [More]
Critics Consensus: Poorly written, clumsily filmed and edited, and hampered by amateurish acting, Atlas Shrugged: Part II does no favors to the ideology it so fervently champions.
Synopsis: With the world's economy on the brink of collapse, Dagny Taggart discovers a possible solution to the global energy crisis.... [More]
Critics Consensus: Handicapped by a family friendly PG rating, even the talents of Caddyshack II's all-star comic cast can't save it from its lazy, laughless script and uninspired direction.
Synopsis: Jack Hartounian (Jackie Mason), a boorish but good-hearted real estate tycoon, applies for membership at a snooty country club, but... [More]
Critics Consensus:Speed 2 falls far short of its predecessor, thanks to laughable dialogue, thin characterization, unsurprisingly familiar plot devices, and action sequences that fail to generate any excitement.
Synopsis: Annie (Sandra Bullock) is looking forward to a Caribbean cruise with her cop boyfriend, Alex (Jason Patric), who purchased the... [More]
Critics Consensus: With its shallow characters, low budget special effects, and mindless fight scenes, Mortal Kombat - Annihilation offers minimal plot development and manages to underachieve the low bar set by its predecessor.
Synopsis: Every generation, a portal opens up between the Outerworld and Earth. Emperor Shao-Kahn (Brian Thompson), ruler of the mythical Outerworld,... [More]
Critics Consensus: A mirthless, fairly desperate family film, Daddy Day Camp relies too heavily on bodily functions for comedic effect, resulting in plenty of cheap gags but no laughs.
Synopsis: Spurred on by their wives' insistence that their children attend summer camp, daycare entrepreneurs Charlie Hinton (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and... [More]
Critics Consensus: Utterly, completely, thoroughly and astonishingly unfunny, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol sends a once-innocuous franchise plummeting to agonizing new depths.
Synopsis: Feeling that his squad is not up to snuff, a police commander comes up with an unorthodox plan to hire... [More]
Critics Consensus: There should have been only one.
Synopsis: In this sci-fi/fantasy sequel, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) has become an elderly man after losing his immortality. Living in a... [More]
Critics Consensus: Despite its lush tropical scenery and attractive leads, Return to the Blue Lagoon is as ridiculous as its predecessor, and lacks the prurience and unintentional laughs that might make it a guilty pleasure.
Synopsis: When widow Sarah Hargrave (Lisa Pelikan) washes ashore on a tropical island with her daughter and adopted son, she learns... [More]
Critics Consensus: A startling lack of taste pervades Superbabies, a sequel offering further proof that bad jokes still aren't funny when coming from the mouths of babes.
Synopsis: Toddlers use their special abilities to stop a media mogul (Jon Voight) from altering the minds of children.... [More]
This Valentine’s Day, meet the movie romances doomed to be forever single — single-digit on the Tomatometer, precisely! From annoying YouTube people to Paris Hilton, from stalkers to acting bad enough to steam a 1912 Renault: Here’s 24 movies with central romances that got less than 10% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Killing Me Softly (2002, 0%)
Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes stalk their way into each others hearts, with bonus garnish of an incest subplot.
Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991, 0%)
Forever young, forever ridiculous, while lacking the original’s total prurience and chuckles that gave the 1970s its last guilty pleasure.
Fred: The Movie (2010, 0%)
Hyperactive human mouth wrinkle Fred (YouTube’s Lucas Cruikshank) embarks on a high-pitched quest for popularity and the affections of Judy, who he wants to get with and together — cue innuendo jazz hands — “sing.”
The Last Seduction II (1999, 0%)
Femme fatale Bridget flees to Barcelona to bilk another business guy all unsuspecting-like with leg flashes and bad dialogue. Starring Joan Severance in the role vacated by Linda Fiorentino who probably tired of playing ’90s Miss Sexpot America.
Twisted (2004, 1%)
A promicious cop (Ashley Judd) gets what’s coming to her after banging apparently every available guy in the greater San Francisco metropolitan area in Slut Shamer: The Motion Picture.
Down To You (2000, 3%)
Where would the world be without a Freddie Prinze Jr. and Julia Stiles movie from the late ’90s? Suncoast may have gone bankrupt one day earlier.
Mr. Wrong (1996, 3%)
A cynical debunking of the American rom-com starring Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Pullman, neither of whom are directed here towards a watchable movie.
Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997, 3%)
Sandy, see what happens when you leave Keanu for Jason Patric in a Hawaiian shirt? You get Speed 2: Cruise Control, and Keanu makes The Last Time I Committed Suicide. It’s not a good look for anyone.
Passion Play (2010, 3%)
Mickey Rourke’s post-Wrestler clout gets the fatal chair to the face in grossly overwrought Passion Play, featuring Megan Fox growing wings out of her back as love interest/freak show attraction, with an appearance by big angel pimpin’ Bill Murray.
Cool World (1992, 4%)
Ever come across a cave drawing you just had to lick off the walls? Those normal feelings are transmuted into Cool World, starring Brad Pitt as a real human being who must fight his throbbing biological urges to sex it with a doodle.
The Hottie and the Nottie (2008, 4%)
Kudos to the makeup team in rendering Christine Lakin so inhuman, her face is like a dead end in the uncanny valley. But the story is really about Joel David Moore (J.P. from Grandma’s Boy) who, after dating Paris Hilton, learns a lesson: ‘Beauty really is skin-deep…and that’s OK with me.’
Serving Sara (2002, 4%)
Matthew Perry’s movie career gets served right back again, as Elizabeth Hurley barely puts up a performance as she passes the 90 minutes wondering why they couldn’t get Joey for this.
Good Luck Chuck (2007, 5%)
Dane Cook’s likability gets pushed to the big screen limit as God’s gift to women: He’ll help you find happiness away from him but only if you sleep with him (because of the implications), and he’ll go as far as denying Jessica Alba bridgeway to his drawers if that’s what it takes damn it.
Swept Away (2002, 5%)
Madonna’s affair with director Guy Ritchie spills onto screen with Adrianno Giannini, and critics were swept aw– ..sorry, critics wept away at Madonna’s wooden performance like so much salted beach flotsam, presented with all the raw power of a soaked sandcastle.
Gigli (2003, 6%)
The movie that destroyed celebrity relationship nicknames forever (we wish), the holy beast Bennifer was here split in twain by the machinations of romantic comedy, curled on the floor releasing one final bray to heaven: “Gobble, gobble.”
Body of Evidence (1993, 6%)
What! Madonna again? The ‘suits and hormones’ craze of the late ’80s/early ’90s gets the gavel with the guilty Madonna as a woman who may have murdered her husbands for millions, and Willem Dafoe as the man who falls for her (who happens to be her lawyer) (in space).
All About Steve (2009, 7%)
The first new movie audiences could see post-Hangover after realizing we all loved Bradley Cooper was All About Steve, where he plays a news cameraman chased by rainboots-in-sunny-weather Sandra Bullock, in character as someone so aberrantly Hollywood-quirky they ought’ve put the Joker ‘damaged’ forehead tattoo on her.
Glitter (2001, 7%)
All that glitters is not gold, neither turned-on microphones: Mariah Carey warbles her way to the top, along the way fulfilling every young girl’s dream of one day meeting a guy named Dice.
License to Wed (2007, 7%)
So the two of you met, started a relationship, moved in, and got ready to get married before now meeting wacky schmackadoo Robin Williams and his grueling marriage prep course of pastorly punishments? Obviously somewhere along the way, Jesus has taken offense to your coupling.
Basic Instinct 2 (2006, 7%) Basic Instinct 2 trades the original’s sleaze-noir hot hues and steam for London’s overcast clouds and spotted dick: David Morrissey stars as the next pawn in Sharon Stone’s wordsmith witch game.
Norbit (2007, 9%)
Nerd Eddie Murphy in love with fat Eddie Murphy with yellowface Eddie Murphy presiding? We don’t call it ‘Oscar-nominated Norbit‘ lightly!
Marci X (2003, 9%)
Lisa Kudrow is Jewish brat Marci and Damon Wayans the esteemed recording artist Dr. Snatchcatcher in a fish-out-of-water romantic comedy that sets back progress, just overall progress, decades back.
The Bachelor (1999, 9%)
Chris O’Donnell and Renee Zellweger are no match for each other, and no match to elevate this story about a dude who stands to inherit $100 million if he marries in 24 hours.
Say It Isn’t So (2001, 9%)
What! Heather Graham again? Yes, she plays sister to brother Chris Klein, who finds out they may be related six months deep into a relationship. Another skewed take on the rom-com from producers Brothers du Farrelly, who begin their long hellish descent to Movie 43 here.
Meanwhile…Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice isn’t the only sequel coming out this week! Nia Vardalos and her Portokalos brood are back with a big family secret in the follow-up to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a word-of-mouth smash that made hundreds of millions of dollars when it was first released. But we’re a long ways away from 2002 now and just how much demand for a sequel was built up in-between? This question inspires this week’s gallery: 24 sequels nobody asked for (and how they turned out)!
Hard to imagine a world where we didn’t want this sci-fi Best Picture nominee around, but
indeed the endless miles of bad road leading to Mad Max’s rebirth had audiences skeptical.
For one thing, it’d been 30 years since Mel Gibson vacated the role after Beyond Thunderdome
(and 10 years since his public meltdown), while series creator George Miller had spent the
last two decades making Babe and Happy Feet movies. But once the world got on board with
Miller’s concept of Max as a myth figure (allowing Tom Hardy to enter the picture) and after
that first trailer, the hype
train revved up full tilt.
2010: The Year We Make Contact Year: 1984
Tomatometer: 66%
Recall 2001: A Space Odyssey, one of the most timeless, beguiling, cosmically entrancing
movies ever made. Now how about a sequel that overexplains every single aspect of it? That’s
something we were all clamoring for, right?
Vacation Year: 2015
Tomatometer: 27%
Chevy Chase, National Lampoon, and the Vacation movies: things that meant something to comedies in the 1980s, not so much now. So when Chase came back for a cameo in a movie that majorly upped the vulgarity, critics barfed it right back.
Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift Year: 2006
Tomatometer: 37%
After the series hit a wall with 2 Fast 2 Furious, viewers weren’t amped up for another
movie, especially one set overseas with none of the original cast returning in lead roles.
Though Tokyo Drift posted the franchise’s lowest box office numbers, it allowed director
Justin Lin to settle in and rebuild the story and transform the series into the global
blockbuster juggernaut it is now.
Basic Instinct 2 Year: 2006
Tomatometer: 7%
The original Basic Instinct came out during that wholesome late-80s/early-90s era of erotic thrillers. There was a distinct whiff in the air that time had moved on when Sharon Stone came back as novelist and possible murderbabe Catherine Tramell. Also, no screenplay by Joe Eszterhas? That guy is synonymous with quality.
The French Connection II Year: 1975
Tomatometer: 77%
Though the original Best Picture winner had zero closure, French Connection‘s
ending was less about an incomplete story than painting a portrait of detective Popeye Doyle
going completely off the deep end in pursuit of a drug crook. John Frankenheimer’s sequel is
adequate but remains not an essential part of the film canon conversation: one serving of Popeye’s goes a long way.
Return to the Blue Lagoon Year: 1991
Tomatometer: 0%
Sexual liberation spread to the movies during the 1970s, allowing Randal Kleiser to produce
and direct a physically charged-up adaptation of The Blue Lagoon in 1980 starring a 14-year-old Brooke Shields (and plenty of body doubles). For some reason, a sequel was made 11 years
later but the shadow of Reagan-era family values and the introduction of the PG-13 rating
rendered this Milla Jovovich movie sanitized and groan-worthy.
Son of The Mask Year: 2005
Tomatometer: 6%
The Mask had a few things going for it: Jim Carrey’s rising star, the introduction of
Cameron Diaz, dark sensibility (for a mainstream comedy), and state-of-the-art CG. None of
these things carried over to the Jamie Kennedy sequel.
Dumb & Dumber To Year: 2014
Tomatometer: 29%
Jim Carrey must’ve figured at some point if studio heads and financiers were going to ruin his ’90s comedies with bad sequels, he might as well get in on the action. Carrey re-teamed with the Farrelly brothers and together turned around a string of middling box office performers with Dumb & Dumber To, which grossed $170 million worldwide.
The Color of Money Year: 1986
Tomatometer: 90%
Nobody was expecting Paul Newman to do a follow-up to his iconic film The Hustler, especially with director Martin Scorsese, who was in the midst of a shaggy decade delivering fun oddities like The King of Comedy and After Hours. But Newman got an Oscar for reprising his Fast Eddie character and co-star Tom Cruise got another foot in on his way to the top.
The Wicker Tree Year: 2012
Tomatometer: 29%
A follow-up to 1973’s The Wicker Man with original director Robin Hardy sounds like a good idea (also as correcting Wicker‘s ruined reputation after the 2006 Nic Cage remake), except that Hardy had directed only one movie since then and that was in 1986. Hardy’s lack of momentum in the directing game shows through in the low Tomatometer.
King Kong Lives Year: 1986
Tomatometer: 0%
The King Kong remake was a box office hit in 1976 but the 80s were less kind to the mega gorilla: Lives, which begins with the King in a medically-induced coma and brings in a Lady Kong, was a huge dud.
Zoolander 2 Year: 2016
Tomatometer: 24%
The original Massacre was a phenomenon that unsettled audiences everywhere. The sequel, coming 12 years later, just threw its hands up and turned it into a wacky family affair.
U.S. Marshals Year: 1997
Tomatometer: 27%
The Fugitive worked thanks to Harrison Ford’s everyman quality pitted against Tommy Lee Jones’ cranky, scary schtick. Remove that, such as in the Ford-less follow-up U.S. Marshals, and you have a workmanlike picture that moves along without much of a center to hold it together.
Return to Never Land Year: 2002
Tomatometer: 45%
The years before Disney outright acquired Pixar in 2006 were grim in regards to their animation output, what with the death of traditional animation that had long been their bread and butter, and tons of brand-tarnishing lackluster sequels that were dumped direct to video. A few of these sequels were able to sneak into theaters but, honestly, was anyone but young impressionable kids clamoring for a second Peter Pan or The Jungle Book 2?
Return to Oz Year: 1985
Tomatometer: 55%
The Wizard of Oz is so self-contained and iconic that not many were anticipating more adventures with Dorothy, especially 50 years after the fact. But indeed, we got Return to Oz in 1985, which sees the possibly insane protagonist revisiting her tattered dream world. The movie bombed back then but its relentlessly bleak first half continues to raise eyebrows among cult filmgoers.
The Rage: Carrie 2 Year: 1999
Tomatometer: 21%
After Scream, teen slashers were all the, ahem, rage and thus this Carrie offshoot was conceived.
Another Stakeout Year: 1993
Tomatometer: 14%
“Another?” you might be asking, “How can there be another of something that wasn’t there in
the first place?” Indeed, there was a first Stakeout, which came out in 1987 and is rarely spoken of today.
Benji: Off The Leash Year: 2004
Tomatometer: 33%
Most movie watchers who were aware of Benji became acquainted with him from repeated VHS viewings in the 1980s, meaning the audience willing to come out to watch Off the Leash (the first Benji movie in almost 20 years) was pretty limited.
Saraband Year: 2003
Tomatometer: 92%
A new Ingmar Bergman movie was always a cause for celebration but, honestly, no one was expecting to see more of Johan and Marianne from 1973’s Scenes From a Marriage. But as Bergman’s swan song, it was a fine and fitting farewell.
The Black Bird Year: 1975
Tomatometer: 25%
John Huston’s version of The Maltese Falcon is one of the all-time classics. Knowing it couldn’t possibly maintain that reputation, Black Bird is entirely comedic starring George Segal as Sam Spade, Jr. taking over the family private eye business. The movie is pretty disliked but does at least hold the distinction of having Lee Patrick and Elisha Cook Jr. reprising their roles from Maltese.
An American Werewolf in Paris Year: 1997
Tomatometer: 7%
An American Werewolf in London was a horror-comedy from 1981 with legendary make-up effects that left audiences howling. Paris, coming 16 years later, had audiences going, “Who?” Though London director John Landis didn’t do Paris, he did make his own unwarranted sequel with Blues Brothers 2000 around the same time.
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock Year: 1947
Tomatometer: 89%
Set decades after the glory of The Freshman (1925), director Preston Sturges convinced Harold Lloyd to reprise his role in his first movie after leaving Paramount Pictures. In a fate that befell many silent stars in a world of sound and color, the movie didn’t catch on and Lloyd never appeared on screen again.
Two promising new comedies target different age groups and look to close off a red hot March box office with strong opening weekend sales.
Paramount offers the Will Ferrell pic "Blades of Glory" while Disney goes after the kids with the animated flick "Meet the Robinsons." Together, the pictures should help the marketplace surge and allow the top ten to cross the $100M mark for the fifth consecutive frame. The box office has not seen this kind of streak since last summer. Smaller films entering the multiplexes include the action pic "The Lookout" from Miramax and Universal’s uplifting drama "Peaceful Warrior."
Comedy king Will Ferrell skates into theaters everywhere looking for another gold medal with his newest laugher "Blades of Glory." The PG-13 film finds the funnyman and Jon Heder playing rival figure skaters who must team up as a pair in order to compete again. Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Jenna Fischer, and Craig T. Nelson co-star. "Blades" boasts the two main ingredients to a successful comedy hit – a bankable star and a unique concept. Add in the very funny commercials and trailers and Paramount is well-positioned to score its second number one hit of the year joining fellow star-driven comedy "Norbit." Both pics were produced by DreamWorks.
Ferrell left the competition in the dust last summer with "Talladega Nights" which bowed to a robust $47M on its way to a $148M final. "Blades" doesn’t have as big of a marketing push or the prime summer play period so its opening will not soar as high. But the former "Saturday Night Live" star will again prove that he is a reliable draw. The industry had some doubts in 2005 when both "Bewitched" and "Kicking and Screaming" failed to reach $65M. Ferrell’s 2004 hit "Anchorman" debuted to $28.4M and "Blades" should play out like that one, only bigger. Teens and young adults will be the driving force plus there is plenty of cross-gender appeal. Though the marketplace is crowded with many options, there aren’t too many direct threats. "Wild Hogs," the only major comedy, is getting old as is "300" which most high school and college students have already seen. Spinning into over 3,000 theaters, "Blades of Glory" should finish in first place and win about $37M over the weekend.
Ferrell and Heder in "Blades of Glory."
Disney uses its patented moves to go after the family audience with its latest animated offering "Meet the Robinsons." With most digital toons these days being of the PG variety, "Robinsons" carries a G rating which it hopes will help convince parents to buy tickets for even the youngest of their children. The story follows an orphan boy who befriends a kind family and features the voices of Angela Bassett, Tom Selleck, and Adam West. In the cartoon world, films sell best when they are comedies and feature popular comedians in central roles. "Robinsons" at least has the first factor working for it.
The marketing has been strong and trailers have been funny. But unlike the studio’s last film for kids, "Bridge to Terabithia," this time competition will be a force. "TMNT" and "The Last Mimzy" will only be in their second weekends and are set to steal away about $20M worth of business from the same target audience. Luckily, the weekend’s two other new films will attract different segments of the moviegoing crowd. "Meet the Robinsons" does not have the firepower to reach the heights of Pixar pics. Rather, it may bring out the same size audience as last fall’s "Open Season" which bowed to $23.2M from an ultrawide 3,833 locations. "Meet the Robinsons" bows in roughly 3,200 sites but could exploit its studio’s brand name to deliver a similar gross of about $23M.
Let’s "Meet the Robinsons."
Years after leaving the sitcom world of NBC’s "3rd Rock From the Sun," Joseph Gordon-Levitt anchors the heist thriller "The Lookout." The R-rated Miramax release comes from writer-turned-rookie-director Scott Frank and co-stars Jeff Daniels. Starpower is seriously lacking here and that will hurt its box office prospects. Reviews have been good, but the target audience of young adults have "Blades of Glory," "300," and "Shooter" to choose from and all of them offer more for the money. With only so much marketing and distribution strength behind it, the film will have a tough time just getting an invite to the top ten. "The Lookout" debuts in about 1,000 theaters on Friday and could collect about $4M over three days.
Jeff Daniels and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in "The Lookout."
In an unorthodox approach, Universal will be releasing the inspirational drama "Peaceful Warrior" in 615 theaters this weekend but most moviegoers will actually be getting free tickets through a promotion with Best Buy. The PG-13 film starring Nick Nolte was given a limited release last summer and grossed more than $1M from just over 40 theaters. Universal will report box office grosses that include regular paid sales plus full ticket prices for each free admission. With $15M worth of free tickets allocated for opening weekend, it will be unlikely that the paid portion will make up a sizable amount. Film fans who visit the promotional web site can get up to ten complimentary tickets each. However, the studio should get some extra buzz that it could benefit from when the DVD is released a few months down the road.
Nick Nolte and Scott Mechlowicz in "Peaceful Warrior."
The Ninja Turtles ruled the box office last weekend in "TMNT," but will face a formidable foe in Disney’s "Meet the Robinsons" which will play to the same audience. A 40% drop would give the animated actioner $14M for the frame and $43M after ten days. Warner Bros has also been raking in the dough with its stylish war epic 300 which has been holding up surprisingly well. Another 40% fall will put the R-rated battle pic at $12M boosting the cume to $180M after 24 days. Mark Wahlberg‘s "Shooter" could decline by 45% to $8M giving Paramount a ten-day total of $27M.
LAST YEAR: Smashing the March opening weekend record set four years earlier by its predecessor, "Ice Age: The Meltdown" shot straight to number one with a colossal $68M debut. The Fox juggernaut went on to gross $195.3M domestically and a towering $657M worldwide giving the "Ice Age" duo over $1 billion in global grosses. Dropping to second was "Inside Man" with $15.4M. Warner Bros. launched its urban drama "ATL" in third with $11.6M on its way to $21.2M. Rounding out the top five were "Failure to Launch" with $6.5M and "V for Vendetta" with $6.3M. The horror flick "Slither" creeped into eighth place with a $3.9M opening leading to a $7.8M final. Sony claimed the year’s most notorious flop with "Basic Instinct 2" which bowed to $3.2M on its way to a pathetic $5.9M before sweeping the Razzie Awards.
With the arrival of the Oscars comes the stench of the raspberries. The Razzie Awards, of course, which claims to "honor" the very worst of the past year’s films … but really they only focus on three or four turkeys and beat ’em senseless.
Here for your enjoyment are the wonderfully amusing and insightful Razzie Award winners:
Worst Picture: "Basic Instinct 2" — only the Razzie crew calls it "Basically, It Stinks, Too." Cleverrrrr.
Worst Actress: Sharon Stone for "Basic Instinct 2" (and on the press release, they actually re-mention "Basically, It Stinks, Too," as if it’s the pinnacle of wit or something.)
Worst Actor: Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans for "Little Man," which is odd because they’re actually two different actors.
Worst Supporting Actress: Carmen Electra for "Date Movie" and "Scary Movie 4" (The Razzie voters really need to see more movies.)
Worst Supporting Actor: M. Might Shyamalan for "Lady in the Water" (Actually … great pick.)
Worst Director: M. Might Shyamalan for "Lady in the Water" (OK, OK, I can name 50 directors from 2006 that deserved it more than Night did. This is just ‘easy target’ practice at this point.)
Worst Screen Couple: Shawn Wayans and either Kerry Washingtonor Marlon Wayans in "Little Man" (It’s just getting silly by now.)
Worst Remake or Ripoff: "Little Man" (Yes, for stealing from that old Bugs Bunny cartoon.)
Worst Prequel or Sequel: "Basically, It Stinks, Too" (Sorry, that just never gets old.)
Worst Screenplay: "Basic Instinct 2" (Yawn.)
Worst Excuse for Family Entertainment: "RV" (Yay, I had "RV" in my Razzies office pool.)
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So basically they trashed three movies: "Little Man," "Lady in the Water," and "Basic Instinct 2," while movies like "BloodRayne," "Material Girls," "Van Wilder 2" and "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector" escape the spotlight. Great.
The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation has issued its annual press release announcing the latest batch of Razzie nominees. In an ever-more-crowded field of bad scripts, bad acting, and all-around bad films, the Foundation has somehow managed to narrow its nominations down to a select few.
So enough with all the Oscar talk already — what’s more important is who’s taking home the most Razzies this year (and who’ll actually show up to collect). Anybody want to start laying odds on the appearance of an enraged Uwe Boll, threatening to fight everyone in the parking lot?
With a new actor in the role of James bond, as well as a grittier, back-to-basics approach for the 007 franchise, "Casino Royale" has been overwhelmingly embraced by the critics, one of whom opined that the movie "is everything you could ask for in a Bond movie, and more." It scores an impressive 95 percent on the Tomatometer. "Die Another Day," Pierce Brosnan final movie as a double O, scores 59 percent in comparison.
New York Times Crossword Puzzle Editor Will Shortz with his Golden Tomato trophy for "Wordplay." Photo credit: Kevin Tachman
Dame Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen are perfect in their roles in "The Queen." The movie is near perfect on the Tomatometer as well, scoring 98 percent. Mirren and Sheen anchor a movie that illuminates what goes on behind the scenes in Buckingham Palace at a time when the royals faced a crisis of confidence from the populace. New York Magazine’s David Edelstein calls the film "a small masterpiece."
No puzzle here. RT’s Senh Duong hands writing/directing team Patrick Creadon (left) and Christine O’Malley their well-deserved Golden Tomato trophy for best-reviewed documentary, "Wordplay." Photo credit: Mieke Kramer
Here’s how some of the award recipients responded to their Golden Tomato recognition:
"Critical acclaim is the lifeblood of a quality independent film like ‘The Queen‘ and it is a dream come true to be recognized as the best reviewed film in limited release by Rotten Tomatoes," said Daniel Battsek, president of Miramax Films, which distributed the film. "The award will take pride of place in the Miramax trophy cabinet and will hopefully be joined by many more in the future. Long live ‘The Queen!’ May she be forever fresh."
Guillermo del Toro, writer and director of Foreign Film winner "Pan’s Labyrinth," was equally pleased with his win: "The positive response to ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ has been overwhelming. I can’t tell you how many times I have clicked onto Rotten Tomatoes and been bowled over by our positive rating. Rotten Tomatoes provides a much needed, though nerve-wracking service, to all filmmakers. I am proud and honored to accept this award on behalf of ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’"
Neil Marshall, writer and director of "The Descent," winner of the Golden Tomato for Horror had this to say about his win, "This is by far the coolest award I’ve been lucky enough to receive!"
Director Michel Gondry cherishes his Golden Tomato trophy, but wishes it was a pen instead. Photo credit: Kevin Tachman
Michel Gondry, writer and director of the Golden Tomato winner for Romance, "The Science of Sleep," demonstrated that he can sling barbs as well as any critic when he said, "I am thrilled by this Rotten recognition of the critics. Although, one of them said I should not be allowed to hold a pen, so I wanted to know if I could be offered a Rotten Tomato pen as a trophy that I would gladly present to this critic to place in a not so romantic location."
Other major winners include "Borat" for Comedy; "The Departed" for Thriller; and "Cars" for Animation.
The Golden Tomato Awards honor the best-reviewed (as well as worst-reviewed) movies of the previous year by tallying critics’ reviews using a weighted formula to account for the variation in the number of reviews.
Silly Scrat and his "Ice Age" buddies have returned to the multiplexes … and the result was an absolutely mammoth opening weekend frame. Fox’s CG-animated sequel squeezed about $70.5 million from the first-weekend moviegoers, making "Ice Age: The Meltdown" the year’s first bona-fide box office bonanza. (By comparison, the original "Ice Age" made just over $46 million during its own opening weekend.)
Hanging on in second place was Spike Lee‘s bank heist thriller "Inside Man," which added an additional $15.7 million to its $52.8 million grand total. Debuting in third place was WB’s urban skating drama "ATL," which rolled to the tune of $12.5 million from 1,600 theaters.
Fourth and fifth place went to a pair of old pals: Paramount’s "Failure to Launch" exhibited some staying power, netting an additional $6.6 million ($73.2m total), and WB’s "V for Vendetta" commanded another $6.5 million ($56.8m total).
Two other newcomers fared … not as well. Universal’s strongly-reviewed "Slither" was able to scare up only $3.7 million from 1,900 theaters, while Sony’s "Basic Instinct 2" netted an anemic $3.2 million from 1,400.
This week at the movies, we’ve got a pair of sequels that will appeal to widely disparate demographics ("Ice Age 2: The Meltdown," "Basic Instinct 2"), a slimy mix of comedy and horror ("Slither"), and a tale of young ATL-liens coming of age ("ATL"). What do the critics say?
For those of you who like a healthy dose of laughs between scares, there’s a gleefully nasty little piece of business in theaters this week. "Slither," a tale of creepy crawly little beasts that invade Smalltown, USA, is a B-movie through and through. But critics say it’s one of the most enjoyable of its type in years — if you’ve got the stomach for this sort of thing. At 86 percent on the Tomatometer, the Certified Fresh "Slither" may make you squirm — when you’re not busting a gut laughing. And it’s the third best-reviewed film of the year, behind only Dave Chappelle’s Block Party (at 93 percent) and last week’s Inside Man (at 88 percent).
The first "Ice Age" was warmly received. The second? It’s getting a chillier reception. In "Ice Age 2: The Meltdown," Manny the woolly mammoth, Sid the sloth, Diego the saber-toothed tiger, and the cross-species wiseguy Scrat are back, and they confront two major issues: The end of the ice age, and mating. The critics say while "Ice Age 2" may not be red-hot, it’s moderately entertaining. It’s at 59 percent on the Tomatometer, a bit behind its predecessor (78 percent and Certified Fresh).
"ATL" is a movie about the last summer before a group of African American high school students go off into the real world and attempt to navigate potential pratfalls. And critics say the film is at its most involving when it sticks to a smart, laid-back vibe and affectionate portrayals of its young leads; the scribes say that the film is less successful when it starts follow the mechanics of its plot. It’s currently at 61 percent on the Tomatometer.
"Basic Instinct" is something of a recent cinematic touchstone – albeit one many are a bit embarrassed to say they actually enjoy. According to critics, moviegoers may be in an even deeper quandary with the sequel. In "Basic Instinct 2," Sharon Stone is back to play deadly games of cat-and-mouse with spellbound guys. The scribes note that while the original was subversively trashy (and, at 63 percent on the Tomatometer, fresh), this sequel is more in the so-bad-it’s-good category — or perhaps, so-bad-it’s-bad. At 6 percent on the Tomatometer, trust your instincts on this one.
Also, props to lovelykeira, who correctly guessed that the Tomatometer for "Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector" would be 4 percent, and to mizzoucritic, who came the closest to "Stay Alive"’s 6 percent.
Denzel Washington‘s bank heist thriller "Inside Man" snagged the #1 spot at the weekend box office derby, pulling in an estimated $29 million from about 2,800 theaters — which is good news, because if the big-budget, big-actor flick had debuted behind a Disney horror movie or a Larry the Cable Guy comedy, Universal would have been pretty darn angry.
Last week’s #1 title, WB’s "V for Vendetta," plunged more than 50% and raked in an additional $12.3 million, giving it a grand (domestic) total of about $46.2 million. Third place went to Disney’s PG-13 "horror" movie "Stay Alive," which made $11.2 million from 2,000 screens, while fourth and fifth place went to the rom-com "Failure to Launch" ($10.8 million, $63.9m total) and the kiddie flick "The Shaggy Dog" ($9.1 million, $47.9m total).
Next week’s big releases are Warner’s urban drama "ATL," Sony’s long-arriving "Basic Instinct 2," Fox’s animated sequel "Ice Age: The Meltdown," and Universal’s tongue-in-cheek splatter-fest "Slither."
We’ve been hearing about the possibility of a "Basic Instinct" sequel for several years now, and the thing’s finally finished with and ready for release. It stars an older, but still plainly sexy, Sharon Stone as femme fatale Catherine Trammell, who is once again suspected of committing a sex-related murder. Click here for the trailer (while wondering why this flick isn’t going direct-to-video).
"Novelist Catherine Tramell is once again in trouble with the law, and Scotland Yard appoints psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Glass to evaluate her. Though, like Detective Nick Curran before him, Glass is entranced by Tramell and lured into a seductive game."
(Interesting to note that the producers were so adamant about letting you know about Ms. Stone’s newest crotch-shot that they included it in the trailer, but only before jamming a huge black box over the offending body region. Movie marketing is a crazy profession, I’m tellin’ ya.)
