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It’s easy to hate on sequels.
Scientists call it Post-Possessive Narcissistic Reflex Disorder—a condition whereby fans of a particular film, TV show, or artist develop a possessive relationship with the source material, and come to view all future iterations of the product (sequels, spin-offs, adaptations, sophomore albums, and especially Season 2 of The Wire) as an affront to their love. And so they respond to these efforts with inordinate contempt and vitriol.
Said another way? Haters gonna hate.
Okay, so I made that all up. But it feels right. Sequels are disproportionately worse than the everyday output of Hollywood studios, and the few that do surpass their predecessors (Terminator 2, The Dark Knight, The Godfather Part II) are understood as evidence of an unspoken rule: Unless part of a planned series, sequels are always inferior.
It’s perhaps doubly true among comedies, which is why I’m pretty nervous about Dumb and Dumber To. Confession time: I’ve probably seen Dumb and Dumber more than 100 times. There is no mentioning of Samsonite, Big Gulps, or Cranston, Rhode Island, around me without an obligatory reference.
But I can’t help but prepare myself for disappointment, if only because of the plague of dreadful comedy sequels that have assaulted mine eyes.
Not all sequels stink...
To lift our spirits, let’s look at some comedy sequels that did not stink.
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...but most of them do.
And here's an abbreviated list of comedy sequels that did, in fact, stink it up:
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls Addams Family Reunion Airplane 2: The Sequel Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel American Pie 2 American Wedding American Reunion Are We Done Yet? Austin Powers in Goldmember Back to the Future Part III Beauty Shop Be Cool Beethoven's 2nd Big Momma's House 2 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son Blue Brothers 2000 Caddyshack 2 Cheaper by the Dozen 2 City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold Clerks II Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles D3: The Mighty Ducks Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd Evan Almighty Father of the Bride Part II Fletch Lives Friday After Next Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties Grease 2 Grumpier Old Men The Hangover 2 The Hangover 3 Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas Home Alone 3 Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House Ice Age: The Meltdown Ice Age: Continental Drift Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Kung Fu Panda 2/3 Legally Blonde 2: Red White and Blonde Look Who’s Talking Now Look Who’s Talking Too Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Madea's Family Reunion Madea Goes to Jail Major League II Major League: Back to the Minors Meatballs Part II Meatballs III: Summer Job Meatballs 4 Meet the Fockers Men in Black 2 Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous My Girl 2 Naked Gun 2½ National Lampoon's European Vacation Next Friday The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps Ocean’s Twelve Ocean’s Thirteen The Odd Couple II The Pink Panther 2 Police Academy 2/3/4/5/6/7 Porky’s II: The Next Day Porky’s Revenge The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Problem Child 2 Revenge of the Nerds Rush Hour 3 The Sandlot 2 The Santa Clause 2 The Santa Clause 3 The Escape Clause Scary Movie 2/3/4/5 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster Shanghai Knights Smokey and the Bandit 3 The Smurfs 2 Son of the Mask Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 Teen Wolf Too This Is 40 Vegas Vacation A Very Brady Sequel Weekend at Bernie’s II The Whole Ten Yards
Man, why do they even bother?
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