There were actually quite a few sequel duds this year, though I’m not sure if anyone actually expected them to be anything but duds. The Hangover was a surprising success 4 years ago, but its subsequent followups were rather poor by comparison (and I wasn’t even a big fan of the first one). The good news is that its stars all gained higher profiles and have done exceptional work since their breakthrough back in 2009.
Other sequels from this year that I didn’t watch because I heard they were so bad: The Smurfs 2, Insidious Chapter 2, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Monsters University (this one may not have been bad but nah), Red 2, and whatever number Scary Movie is at now.
It’s understandable to assume that anything with a “2” in the title is a cynical attempt by some movie studio to capitalize on the success of a previous movie by making audiences think they’ll be getting the same product if they pay to see the new one. This is often the case. My wish is merely that franchises themselves are treated on an individual basis based on the quality of the filmmakers and finished products themselves, because dismissing good movies based on a prejudice like sequelphobia is a tad narrow-minded.
