'Serenity'
A place to talk about movies--old and new, good and bad, high art and high cheese. It's the place to place your kittens on the award winners, gossip about upcoming fims and discuss DVD releases and extras. Spoiler policy: White font all plot-related discussion until a movie's been in wide release two weeks, and keep the major HSQ in white font until two weeks after the video/DVD release.
I've never been less scared at a scary movie than with I Know What You Did Last Summer. I can't even begin to imagine how much less scary than that the sequel was.
And of course, the direct to DVD I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer. Though I don't think DtDVD counts for this, since you're pretty much admitting to the worthlessness by default (there are probably exceptions - that is, DtD sequels that aren't worthless - but I can't think of any offhand).
Is there a franchise that bounced back on the third try?
I want to say yes, but I can't think of one off the top of my head. Indiana Jones, maybe?
Is there a franchise that bounced back on the third try?
Goldfinger.
Goldfinger.
I dunno, I prefer From Russia With Love to Goldfinger, and I think it was also better than Dr. No.
shrugs
Not all direct to DVD releases were conceived that way, though. Some of them are an admission post-completion of suckage.
Scarlett the horrendous sequel to Gone With the Wind.
Bring It On 2.
Even worse, Bring It On 3. Coming out on DVD soon! (To be fair, I haven't seen it, but it is a straight to DVD flick and I can't imagine it's any good.)
Sometimes the straight to DVD surprises. About as often as Haley's Comet, but it can happen. Lion King 1 1/2 cracked my shit up.
Toy Story 2 was originally supposed to be a direct to DVD, but then TPTB decided (rightly, IMO) it was good enough to be a theatrical release.
Some of them are an admission post-completion of suckage.
Prophecy 3 & 4.
Now, the fact is, I loved them...but I'm bent that way.
Still, with no Walken, the point was lost like a lamb in a wolf den...BUT...shirtless Jason Scott Lee...so there's that.
The commentaries pretty much confess that the film makers were just doing it for a lark. They filmed both together and, with hope, or perhaps delusion, included a cliffhanger at the end of 5.
With a wobbly lack of shame, I admit that I'd rent 6 if it existed.