While some films seemed to be set up for a follow-up, there are many others that didn't need sequels. While some fans want more, there are cases where it was never warranted, and sometimes seems like it is nothing more than a cash grab. On top of that, there seems to be a growing discontent when it comes to sequels and reboots instead of original movies. All too often, the sequels come in with the law of diminishing returns, making them not even worth making for the studios.
Of course, there are some cases where everything worked out right. While The Godfather was an almost perfect movie, The Godfather Part II proved that a sequel could not only match the original but also improve on it in some ways. For horror movies like Friday the 13th, sequels are almost a necessity since they end up as successful franchises as time rolls by. However, those are sometimes outliers, and there are a lot of great movies that received unnecessary sequels. While this doesn't always detract from the original movie, it does make the franchise as a whole look bad as a result.
Jaws (1975)
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Not only did Jaws receive one sequel, but it got three - none of which had any involvement from Steven Spielberg. And this was certainly felt as their lack of style really showed the series was nothing without Spielberg. Even Michael Caine, who starred in the fourth film Jaws: The Revenge, didn't seem like he was a big fan of them, recounting, "Somebody said, 'Have you ever seen Jaws 4?' I said, 'No. But I've seen the house it bought for my mum. It's fantastic!" (via The Independent). While the original Jaws remains a classic, it was one of the movies that didn't need sequels and all are mostly forgettable.
Speed (1994)
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One of the best action films of the '90s, Speed cemented Keanu Reeves as an action star. However, that's where the line should have been drawn, for a sequel wasn't warranted. Following the success of the first film, 20th Century Fox wanted a sequel. Sandra Bullock signed on to return, but Keanu Reeves did not, feeling the script wasn't good (via People). Speed 2: Cruise Control might be one of the worst action films of the '90s and undermines the events of the first film. Losing Reeves as the star was hard on the audience too. Die Hard could live on thanks to its star but Speed died without him.
American Psycho (2000)
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The original American Psycho is a darkly hilarious psychological thriller. There is, however, a sequel, and it is not on the same level. Starring Mila Kunis, the sequel doesn't even link to the original other than one scene. It was originally intended to be an original feature, but a scene featuring Patrick Bateman was shot after principal photography, cementing them in the same world. Mila Kunis also denounced the sequel, saying, "When I did the second one, I didn't know it would be American Psycho II. It was supposed to be a different project, and it was re-edited, but, ooh … I don't know. Bad" (via MTV News).
Taken (2008)
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Taken gave Liam Neeson a whole new outlook as an action star. The series somehow expanded into a trilogy, as well as a prequel series, all of which were completely unnecessary movies that didn't need sequels. As the series progressed, it just tried to go bigger and bigger when it should have just been a single stand-alone story. Neeson even said that there shouldn't be another Taken after the second movie, saying that is just "bad parenting" (via MTV). Despite that, there were three movies, mostly regurgitating the same plot and bearing little differences from Neeson's other late-career action movies.
Space Jam (1996)
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Although the first film is still very much just a massive commercial filled with product placements, it had heart and a fun script. Unfortunately, the sequel lacked that completely and was just a movie filled with Easter eggs. LeBron James is clearly a better actor than Michael Jordan, but nothing surrounding him in the sequel matched up to the original. Instead of creating a satisfying story, Space Jam: A New Legacy, at times, felt like an extended commercial for HBO Max. While this is one of the movies that didn't need sequels, the Michael Jordan cameo in the film is genuinely genius.
Dumb And Dumber (1994)
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Not only did Dumb and Dumber receive a sequel in 2014, but there was also a prequel titled When Harry Met Lloyd, which wasn't well-received, with the movie only grossing around $39 million (via Box Office Mojo). Trying to relive the success of something that came before doesn't always work and Dumb and Dumber To is a prime example of that. The first film was a '90s comedy classic that was better left alone, while the film's sequel and spinoff really doubled down on the stupidity and slapstick, going completely overboard with it. For a sequel 20 years in the making, it was a very disappointing turn as far as movies that didn't need sequels.
The Boondock Saints (1999)
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The low-budget The Boondock Saints was a fun and fresh vigilante action film, featuring an exuberant performance from Willem Dafoe. Helmed by Troy Duffy in his directorial debut, the film didn't make an impact in theaters but was wildly successful on home video, which lead to it becoming a cult classic. Years later, a sequel was made, but it lacked the quality that made the original so great. This was one of the rare movies that didn't need sequels in that the director and both stars (Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery) returned, and it still disappointed.
The Mummy Returns (2001)
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Following the first two Mummy films, the franchise seemed finished with a nice bow on top. However, even though Imhotep died, returned, died, then returned and died again, the studio made another one of the movies that didn't need sequels. Despite this, a spin-off came in The Scorpion King and then an actual sequel arrived with The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor seven years after The Mummy II. However, there was no Brendan Fraser or Rachel Weisz. The film was a massive box-office success, earning over $400 million (via Box Office Mojo), but it did not land well with critics or fans.
Jurassic Park (1993)
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After the first Jurassic Park movie, the magic of seeing dinosaurs on-screen never quite hit the same. By the release of Jurassic World: Dominion, critics seemed to grow tired of the franchise, although it was still a billion-dollar movie. The premise only really lends itself to a single film, but as the series continued, it became unrecognizable from the first movie. Each tried to top the previous one with its dinosaurs and action, while completely forgetting about the interesting and complex human relationships that make the first film so great.
Toy Story 4
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Toy Story 3 deserves all the recognition it gets as an epic and emotional finale. However, the fourth film seemed unjustified, other than just another way to make money for Disney. Toy Story 4 is a great movie that gives Woody a proper sendoff, but it completely removes the emotional weight of the previous film's end to Andy's story. If the Pixar franchise had ended with the third movie, it would have been the perfect trilogy telling the story of the toys' duty to their kid and then moving on to do the same with their next kid. The fourth was one of the movies that didn't need sequels, changing the entire plot.