Some movies are just so perfect that no matter how great the sequels are, they will always be worse by comparison. And in some cases, they are unfairly looked at as disappointing and sometimes completely terrible.
Redditors have their own opinions on which films shouldn't be looked at in such a light, and that if they were standalone films, people would love them. Between an underwhelming end to an epic gangster saga and a dystopian follow-up to a beloved children's classic, these films would arguably have much better reputations if not for their predecessors.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park opened to miserable reviews, and it was largely considered inferior to the iconic original. It was also hilariously nominated for a unique Razzie, "The Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property."
But Mr-Otter thinks it would have been reviewed better if the first film didn't exist. The Redditor calls the film "a pretty fine movie, but, of course, will pale in comparison to the original." And in fairness, there are several things The Lost World did well, such as making Dr. Ian Malcolm the lead character, and it's still full of intense scenes too.
The Godfather Part III (1990)
The Godfather Part III is infamous for how disappointing it is compared to the first two. The 1990 movie is unfocused, it replaced Tom Hagen, and worst of all, it was essentially Michael Corleone's redemption arc, who never deserved to be redeemed. It has been well documented that everyone involved in the movie was essentially in it for the payday.
But Mst3kgf thinks the film is decent, and it simply "has the misfortune of following up two of the greatest films ever made." That's true, as few films will look good when stacked up against Part I and Part II, and Part III is not as bad as fans think.
Return To Oz (1985)
Return to Oz is an entirely different movie from The Wizard of Oz. It is dark, grim, scary, and depicts Oz as a dystopian and barren wasteland. The movie even follows Dorothy as she goes through therapy, and the original trailer is edited like it's a horror movie. The film might not be suitable for young children, but kramarod calls that film "amazing and was so much closer to Frank Baum’s original design."
Return to Oz doesn't feature the whimsy and magic of the original, and as the original was one of the earliest and best examples of Technicolor, the sequel is ironically very grey. But it is an interesting interpretation of the source material and takes some huge risks, which so few movies do these days. And if the original didn't exist, the 1985 movie could be seen as an incredible dystopian thriller.
Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)
The Terminator franchise is a case of diminishing returns, as each consecutive release seemingly gets worse and worse. After the incredible Terminator 2: Judgement Day, one of the best movies with an A+ CinemaScore, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines was the start of the downfall. It was a cash-in movie, as the story was succinctly wrapped up in Judgement Day with no loose ends.
But if it wasn't for the second movie, Rise of the Machines would have had a warmer reception according to qweqwe22. The Redditor refers to one specific scene to back up their claim, saying "that firetruck scene is one of the best 'car chase' scenes ever." The scene in question gives the chase on the LA River in Terminator 2 a run for its money. The film also has one of the most devastating endings in a blockbuster movie, and the fact that they had the guts to end on that is impressive in itself.
Quantum Of Solace (2006)
Daniel Craig is the first James Bond that has had a story arc throughout his five movies. And while all of his films add an important layer to the character and are an intrinsic part of his story, Quantum of Solace is the weak link in the chain. The movie is fairly aimless, especially compared to its predecessor, Casino Royale.
But Danishroyalty thinks, "as far as Bond movies go, it's actually decent." The Redditor doesn't sound like the biggest Bond fan, but in the grand scale of the 007 movies, not just Craig's films, it is packed with some of the best action, coolest cars, and one of the most underrated Bond songs.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
In 1999, The Matrix completely revolutionized action movies. Between the special effects and the mind-bending narrative, only 2010's Inception rivals the scope of the cyberpunk epic in the 20+ years since. But The Matrix Reloaded was such a disappointing sequel that it even affected the way people looked at its predecessor too.
However, SirAren thinks the 2003 flick only has its reputation because the first movie is "one of the best movies Hollywood has ever made." They argue that the sequel is "a great film with awesome action that only stinks when compared to the original," and between Zion and the highway scene, Reloaded's effects still hold up.
Scream 2 (1997)
Scream is a classic horror movie, as it makes fun of overused horror tropes while still paying homage to the genre. But by Scream 3 the series had almost become an all-out parody, and while Scream 2 doesn't come close to how ridiculous the third film is, it still isn't held in very high regard.
But Vlazthrax doesn't just think that it's only bad compared to its predecessor, but that "it's fantastic and I kind of like it better than Scream." The movie is full of creative and dynamic scenes, such as the suspenseful chase through the soundproof radio room. And there aren't any sequences in the original that make as great use out of the environment.
The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is more like an anthology movie than anything. It's completely unrelated to the previous two, and it focuses primarily on street racing as opposed to it simply being a backdrop for a crime drama. Triggoon speculates that fans were disappointed in Tokyo Drift because none of the original cast returned for the movie, but that it's still a great standalone movie.
There are loads of entertaining scenes in Tokyo Drift, and some of the characters have become more beloved than half of the cast in the recent movies, such as Twinkie and Han. And the Redditor hilariously follows up by saying that "the original cast would return to disappoint me themselves," obviously not being a fan of the most over-the-top movies of late.
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy is full of iconic villains, and that's why No Way Home has the reception it does because it repurposes those very villains. But Spider-Man 3 ruins what could have been a perfect trilogy, as it suffered from being overstuffed with villains and too cheesy for its own good.
But AlmostColossus claims that it's only seen as a bad film because "Spider-Man 2 is a tough act to follow." And while Spider-Man 2 is perfect and almost anything else would have looked inferior by comparison, it's almost impossible to defend emo Spidey, which is so ridiculous that it has been memed to death.
Home Alone 3 (1997)
The first Home Alone movie is a classic, and the sequel, Lost in New York, is almost as good too. But as Home Alone 3 focused on a completely different family, the series lost a lot of its magic. Instead of following two idiotic burglars, the third installment sees a terrorist organization as the antagonist.
Though The_chalupacabra admits that the plot surrounding the villains is convoluted, they argue that it "sets up the family (especially the kid as an innovative would-be murderer) better than the original." It has become a running gag that every Home Alone movie after the second one is terrible, but Home Alone 3 still has the production value and just as much Christmas spirit as its predecessors. And some of the traps are more inventive too.