The 1980s gave us some of the greatest movies of all time, but not every film needed a sequel—especially when those sequels ended up being total disasters. Whether they ignored everything that made the original great, recast beloved characters, or just completely missed the mark, these follow-ups left audiences scratching their heads. Some of them were box office bombs, while others made money but tarnished the legacy of their predecessors. Here are 12 disastrous movie sequels from the ’80s that should have never been made.
1. Jaws: The Revenge (1987)
The original Jaws (1975) is one of the greatest thrillers of all time, but by the time Jaws: The Revenge came around, the franchise had officially gone off the deep end. This time, the shark somehow develops a personal vendetta against the Brody family and follows them from Amity Island to the Bahamas—because apparently, great white sharks can now travel thousands of miles for revenge. The film’s special effects were laughable, the plot was nonsensical, and the tagline—“This time, it’s personal”—became an unintentional joke. Even Michael Caine, who starred in it, admitted he never saw the film, but he did enjoy the house it bought him.
2. Grease 2 (1982)
Grease (1978) was a massive hit, filled with catchy songs and unforgettable performances from John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Grease 2, however, decided to reverse the formula—this time, a shy British boy (Maxwell Caulfield) tries to impress a tough, leather-clad girl (Michelle Pfeiffer) by transforming into a mysterious biker. The songs were forgettable, the energy was gone, and the magic just wasn’t there. Even Michelle Pfeiffer, who went on to have a stellar career, later admitted she wasn’t proud of the film.
3. Caddyshack II (1988)
The original Caddyshack (1980) was a comedy classic, filled with hilarious performances from Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, and Bill Murray. Caddyshack II replaced almost everyone except Chase, toned down the humor to make it more family-friendly, and turned a raunchy, irreverent comedy into something painfully unfunny. Jackie Mason tried to fill Rodney Dangerfield’s shoes, but the magic was gone, and the film flopped hard. Even Chevy Chase seemed embarrassed to be there, and it’s no surprise that fans pretend this sequel never happened.
4. The Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
The Exorcist (1973) is widely regarded as one of the scariest movies ever made, but its sequel is remembered for all the wrong reasons. It came a bit soon for this list, but it’s too iconic an example to pass up. Exorcist II: The Heretic ditched the eerie, grounded horror of the original and replaced it with a bizarre, metaphysical storyline involving hypnosis, locusts, and telepathic connections. The film was so confusing and unintentionally hilarious that audiences reportedly burst into laughter during serious scenes. Even director John Boorman later admitted that making it was a huge mistake.
5. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Christopher Reeve was a fantastic Superman, but even he couldn’t save Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. The film had a noble message about nuclear disarmament, but its execution was so cheap and ridiculous that it became a punchline. The special effects were shockingly bad, the villain—Nuclear Man—was a complete joke, and the plot made almost no sense. Warner Bros. slashed the budget to a fraction of what the original Superman films had, and it showed.
6. Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987)
The first Police Academy (1984) was a goofy but entertaining comedy, and even the first couple of sequels had some fun moments. By the time Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol came around, however, the franchise was running on fumes. The same old slapstick jokes were recycled, the storyline was paper-thin, and the charm of the original was long gone. Somehow, they still made three more sequels after this one, proving that even a franchise on life support can keep limping along.
7. The Fly II (1989)
David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986) was a masterpiece of body horror and tragedy, with Jeff Goldblum delivering an unforgettable performance. The Fly II, however, was just a gross-out sequel with none of the emotional depth or originality of the first film. Eric Stoltz starred as the son of Goldblum’s character, going through his own horrific transformation—but instead of being a tragic figure, he was more of a monster movie cliché. Without Cronenberg’s visionary direction, the sequel felt like a cheap imitation.
8. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
By the late ’80s, Friday the 13th sequels were getting increasingly absurd, but Jason Takes Manhattan might be the most misleading of them all. Despite the title, Jason Voorhees spends most of the movie on a boat, with only about 20 minutes actually taking place in New York. When he does arrive in the city, he mostly just wanders around dark alleys instead of wreaking havoc in any meaningful way. Fans were promised a fresh setting, but all they got was another uninspired slasher flick.
9. Staying Alive (1983)
Saturday Night Fever (1977) was a gritty, character-driven drama that explored working-class struggles, all set to the backdrop of disco. Staying Alive, its sequel, turned John Travolta’s Tony Manero into a Broadway dancer in a film that felt like a cheesy music video stretched into a full-length movie. Directed by Sylvester Stallone, it stripped away everything that made the original compelling, leaving behind nothing but sweat, spandex, and bad dialogue. It’s a sequel that completely misunderstood what made its predecessor work.
10. Teen Wolf Too (1987)
The original Teen Wolf (1985) was a fun, campy coming-of-age comedy starring Michael J. Fox as a high schooler who discovers he’s a werewolf. The sequel, starring Jason Bateman as Fox’s cousin, rehashed the exact same story but with a boxing subplot instead of basketball. The humor fell flat, the special effects were worse than the original, and Bateman, while talented, just didn’t have the same charm as Fox. It felt like a cash grab and ended up killing any future for the franchise.
11. Psycho III (1986)
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) is one of the most revered horror films ever made, and while Psycho II (1983) was surprisingly decent, Psycho III was where things went off the rails. This time, Norman Bates is back to his old tricks, but the film leans too hard into slasher tropes instead of psychological horror. It lacked suspense, had an unfocused plot, and turned Norman into a parody of himself. The film tried to expand the story but ended up cheapening the legacy of the original.
12. Conan the Destroyer (1984)
Conan the Barbarian (1982) was a violent, gritty epic that turned Arnold Schwarzenegger into a movie star. Conan the Destroyer, on the other hand, toned down the violence and tried to make the sequel more family-friendly, which completely went against the spirit of the original. The story was weak, the supporting characters were cartoonish, and the action lacked the raw intensity of its predecessor. It was clear the studio wanted to cash in on Conan’s popularity, but in doing so, they stripped away everything that made the first movie great.
Some movies are just too good to be followed up with a sequel, and these films proved that trying to recreate magic isn’t always a good idea. Whether they ignored what made the original work or simply went too far into absurdity, these sequels should have never been made. But at least they give us something to look back on and laugh about—if we’re brave enough to rewatch them.
