Making a sequel is always a risky endeavor. There have been several instances where sequels failed to match up to the brilliance of the first installment. However, there have been times when the sequel went on to overshadow the first installment in plenty of ways. Improvement is a good thing but the movie that started it all might be totally forgotten, thanks to a better sequel.
Sequels are common in the sci-fi genre. Even the B-movies tend to get not only one but plenty of sequels. As a result, plenty of franchises have been developed over the years. So, which are some of the sci-fi movies whose popularity faded thanks to better sequels? Here are the 10 most notable ones.
The Terminator (1984)
Even though Terminator 2: Judgement Day is often considered the best film in the franchise, the first installment is equally as good too. The plot, which was quite unique at the time, revolves around The Terminator (Schwarzenegger) being sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill a woman whose son is destined to be a savior against machines.
The Terminator sat at the top of the US box office for an entire fortnight. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 100%. The movie also helped solidify Schwarzenneger's status as a major Hollywood star. It helped solidify James Cameron's place too as one of Hollywood's best moviemakers.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
Perhaps the major reason why the sequel G.I. Joe: Retaliation is more popular has all to do with the star power. The sequel has an ensemble cast that includes the likes of Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis while the first installment has Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt before they were as big as they are now.
Both movies didn't get any love from critics. However, they were revered by fans. Even though the sequel got way more praise, it only outperformed G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra by $50 million at the box office but both movies were above the $300 million mark.
Star Wars (1977)
The 1980 sequel The Empire Strikes Back always gets all the credits for bringing all the fans to the Star Wars universe. However, the first installment brought in the bucks and the praise too.
The movie won 8 Oscars after its release. It also became one of the first 25 movies to be selected for preservation by the U.S. Library of Congress and National Film Registry for being "historically, culturally, or aesthetically significant." It was also praised for setting a new standard in special effects that would later be copied by other sci-fi movies.
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)
There are many reasons why the sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is considered the better movie. Its aesthetics were so good that the movie received an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. It also made way more money ($710 million) compared to the $481 million made by the first movie.
However, Rise of the Planet of the Apes stood out for its character development. It also did a great job of rebooting the original '70s film series by generating massive fan interest. An earlier reboot released in 2001 had failed to appeal to both fans and critics.
Blade Runner (1982)
Sometimes when a Sci-Fi sequel is released years or decades later, it tends to overshadow the original film. This is mostly due to improvements in technology and film-making techniques. That's exactly the case with Blade Runner.
Blade Runner 2049 came out 35 years after the original and its visuals are more modern. The sequel was also nominated for 5 Oscars. But this doesn't mean the original movie was inferior. Despite generating plenty of controversies, Blade Runner soon became a cult classic, influencing plenty of video games and sci-fi movies.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is never talked about as much as its sequel Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan but without its clever plot, all the sequels, games, and current TV show would never exist.
Even though some of the performances by the actors were criticized, the special effects were singled out for praise. At the time of its release, the movie failed to impress critics but the reception changed over time, especially after the release of the second installment. Today, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is considered one of the best sci-fi movies ever made.
Alien (1979)
Sc-Fi fans are often in agreement that the second installment in the Alien franchise—which languished in development hell for years—is superior. It has greater stakes, greater tension, and more aliens. Most importantly, it is directed by James Cameron. The first installment had been directed by Ridley Scott.
While Scott's movie was nominated for 2 Oscars, Cameron's movie was nominated for 7 (winning one). Despite Cameron's work getting all the praise, Alien was near perfect too. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 98%.
Hunger Games (2012)
Hunger Games: Catching Fire is often described as more polished than its predecessor. It's also considered the best installment in the franchise. But even though the second installment gets more love, it isn't that much better than the movie that kicked things off.
Hunger Games has a score of 84% while Hunger Games: Catching Fire has a score of 90%. And while the latter has a box office score of $694 million, the latter has a score of $865 million. It's thus accurate to conclude that even though the sequel got more love, the first installment is just as good.
Tron (1982)
Like Blade Runner, Tron was also overshadowed by its sequel because they were released too many years apart. Tron: Legacy outperformed the first installment by hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office. It also received an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Editing at the box office.
Tron was termed "confusing" when it came out. This was probably because it tackled software-related themes which were still new at the time. Years later, it developed cult status. Sadly, it never got much appreciation from modern-day audiences. The fact that the sequel is comprehensible without needing to watching the first installment, means Tron is likely to be forgotten.
Men In Black (1997)
Part of the reason why Men In Black II outperformed Men In Black at the box office might be due to the fact that Will Smith had become a bigger box office draw in the early 2000s than he was in the mid-90s.
Both films were not creative enough to become classics but they had all the thrills and action sequences to make sure audiences enjoyed every minute. They also had similar scores on critic review websites.