Comedy sequels are notoriously difficult to pull off, but there are a few exceptions to this rule that have kept fans laughing. Comedy movies tend to derive a lot of their humor and conflict from a particular situation, and once the story is wrapped up, there is no logical reason to bring the characters back for more. This is why a lot of comedy sequels feel overly contrived, or unrelated to the first movie.
Whileunnecessary comedy sequelshave sadly become the norm, this just makes it even more exciting when a sequel lives up to the standards of the original. Not all movies are set up for sequels, but comedy can often get more creative. Audiences will forgive comedies for coming up with silly premises as long as the movies are just as funny. If a comedy sequel gives beloved characters a fun new story that plays to their strengths, it can be a huge hit.
10 Comedy Sequels That Didn’t Live Up To The Iconic Original Movies
Great comedy movies are hard to repeat, and this unfortunately means that some side-splitting comedy classics have been given limp sequels.
Jim Carrey’s performance in the firstAce Venturamovie helped establish him as one of the funniest actors of his generation.Ace Ventura: Pet Detectivecame out in 1994, the same year asThe MaskandDumb and Dumber. While these two movies have had middling success with their sequels,Ace Venturagot a worthy follow-up withWhen Nature Calls.
When Nature Callsfeatures some ofAce Ventura’s funniest scenes, including the horrific but hilarious sight of a naked Jim Carrey emerging from the rear end of a mechanical rhinoceros.
When Nature Callssends the rubber-faced pet detective on safari, as he investigates the disappearance of a rare white bat which is sacred to an African tribe in the fictional country of Nibia. Carrey is just as bombastic and eccentric as before, and he has a new cast of straight-faced rubes to surround him.When Nature Callsfeatures some ofAce Ventura’s funniest scenes, including the horrific but hilarious sight of a naked Jim Carrey emerging from the rear end of a mechanical rhinoceros.
9A Shot In The Dark (1964)
Sequel to The Pink Panther (1963)
Peter Sellers was never supposed to be the star of thePink Pantherfranchise, but his scene-stealing performance in the first movie meant that he outshone David Niven. InThe Pink Panther, Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau is a bumbling sideshow, designed as the foil to Niven’s debonair jewel thief.A Shot in the Darkputs him in the spotlight, as he is tasked with solving a murder at a luxurious country estate.
A Shot in the Darkshows Peter Sellers at his best, as Inspector Clouseau fumbles his way through an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery.
A Shot in the Darkshows Peter Sellers at his best, as Inspector Clouseau fumbles his way through an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery with no shortage of suspects. It works as a great genre parody, which is one thing that helps set it apart fromThe Pink Panther. This makes the sequel feel like a fresh story that retains the essence ofThe Pink Panther’s sense of humor.
Jackassisn’t a typical comedy movie, so it was never likely to suffer from the kinds of problems which plague other comedy sequels. As long as Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man and the rest of the cast can come up with creative ways to torture themselves, they can make a great Jackass movie. 2022’sJackassForevershowed that this is still true after decades of punishment.
Jackassisn’t a typical comedy movie, so it was never likely to suffer from the kinds of problems which plague other comedy sequels.
Jackass Number Twohad a budget twice the size of the first movie, and this allowed the cast to engage in some more ambitious but equally misjudged stunts.The sequel opens with the cast being chased through a quaint suburban neighborhood by a herd of bulls. This roughly sums up the in-your-face chaos of the following 90 minutes. Arguably the most shocking stunt involves Steve-O piercing his cheek with a fishhook and diving into shark-infested waters as live bait.
Shrekwas an immediate hit, and it won the first ever Academy Award for Best Animated Film, so it was a tough act to follow.Shrek 2also faced the problem of pushing ahead without Jon Lithgow’s hilarious Lord Farquaad as the villain. The one-two punch of Prince Charming and The Fairy Godmother proved to be a more than adequate replacement. Their dynamic is hilarious from the get-go, as a pampered prince and his constantly furious guardian.
Shrek 2expands on the fairy tale world thatShrekstarts to reveal by adding more characters and locations to suit the humor. The most important new character, along with the two villains, is Puss in Boots. The character is a blend of the cunning, servile cat from the fairy tale with a romantic Spanish vigilante archetype, much like Antonio Banderas’ Zorro.Shrek 2remains the bestShrekmovie so far, butShrek 5is on the way.
With the positive reviews forDeadpool & Wolverine, theDeadpoolseries has now gone three-for-three with great action-comedy movies. Deadpool is unlike any other MCU character, and Ryan Reynolds gives him the perfect amount of fourth-wall breaking charm and meta humor. This self-aware style means thatDeadpool 2can comment on its own status as a superhero sequel, just like all three movies crack jokes about the MCU.
The X-Force’s calamitous first mission is a hilarious example ofDeadpool’s R-rated comedy.
Deadpool 2carries on the good work from the first movie, with enough funny quips and thrilling action scenes for casual fans, but plenty of subtle references for the diehards.Deadpool 2will also be remembered as the movie that introduced the X-Force. Their first mission, parachuting down to ambush an armored convoy, is a hilarious example ofDeadpool’s R-rated comedy.Deadpool 2still manages to sideline its snark for long enough to provide a thrilling finale, however.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill revitalized the buddy cop genre with21 Jump Street. The typical pairing of buddy cops has one competent professional and one comedically inept rookie to get in his way. By contrast, Tatum and Hill’s characters are both useless in their own ways, and they are constantly egging each other on to develop hare-brained schemes and ideas that make no sense.
22 Jump Streetworks so well because it manages to shift genres while retaining what makes the first movie so special.
22 Jump Streetworks so well because it manages to shift genres while retaining what makes the first movie so special.21 Jump Streettakes place in a high school, and it parodies raunchy teen comedies. The sequel is set in a college, so it pokes fun at college movies instead. The end credits show an endless stream of potential sequels with the characters in every kind of school imaginable, poking fun at franchises which outstay their welcome.Years later,23 Jump Streetcould still be a possibility.
The entireBack to the Futuretrilogy is consistently enjoyable. Often, classic movies don’t get the sequels they deserve, butBack to the Future Part IIbuilds on the success of the first entry. The first movie sends Marty McFly on a time-traveling journey to reckon with his own birth.Back to the Future Part IIis just as ambitious, but completely original, as Marty travels forward in time to ensure the preservation of his legacy.
Often, classic movies don’t get the sequels they deserve, butBack to the Future Part IIbuilds on the success of the first entry.
Back to the Future Part IItakes Marty and Doc to 2015. There are a lot of jokes about the future, and it’s become even funnier in retrospect now that 2015 has come and gone without hoverboards and people wearing two ties at the same time.Back to the Future Part IIalso shows off Michael J. Fox’s comedy skills, as he plays even more characters than he does in the first movie, including Marty’s future children.Part IIcontinues the franchise’s ability to inject sci-fi and action with humor.
3The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell Of Fear (1991)
Leslie Nielsen delivers a masterclass in deadpan comedy inThe Naked Gunmovies. Lieutenant Frank Drebin may be ignorant, clumsy and lacking in basic social skills, but Nielsen plays his part with the utmost seriousness. Frank believes that he’s just another hard-nosed detective pounding the pavement in search of answers, like Sam Spade or Jake Gittes. TheNaked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fearsimply has to give Nielsen a script that capitalizes on his strengths.
Richard Griffiths makes a strong addition to the franchise, but the sequel is wise enough not to shake up the formula too much.
After foiling an assassination attempt against the Queen of England in the first movie, Frank is tasked with recovering a kidnapped scientist inThe Naked Gun 2 ½. Richard Griffiths makes a strong addition to the franchise, but the sequel is wise enough not to shake up the formula too much. The detective genre allows for a fresh new story featuring most of the same parts, so Nielsen’s supporting cast is largely unchanged. The comedic superteam of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker are masters at rapid-fire humor. It remains to be seen how theNaked Gunrebootwill fare without them.
The firstPaddingtonmovie is a charming adaptation of the popular children’s books of the same name, but the sequel takes things to a whole new level.Paddington 2has been praised as an all-time classic, which is a remarkable feat for a comedy sequel. The second movie benefits from the introduction of Hugh Grant as Phoenix Buchanan, a self-obsessed actor-cum-thief.
Paddington 2maintains the spirit of the beloved book character, but it sends him and the Brown family on an exciting original adventure.
Paddington 2maintains the spirit of the beloved book character, but it sends him and the Brown family on an exciting original adventure. One ofPaddington 2’s great strengths is the way that the layers upon layers of callbacks in the third act provide comedic payoff for seemingly inconsequential jokes much earlier. The thrilling railroad chase at the end combines genuinely breathtaking action with some brilliant gags, including Henry’s coconut shy skills and even his “chakrabatics”.Paddington in Peruwill need to be just as ambitious and tightly-scripted to achieve the same success.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Mestarts off with a cheeky plot device to get Vanessa out of the way so that Austin can go on his next adventure as a single man once again. The reveal that Vanessa is a fembot makes no sense. Austin Powers uses this as a comment on the ludicrous nature of comedy sequels, as well as a satirical dig at the way theJames Bondfranchise treats women as interchangeable and disposable.
The comedy genre gives it license to come up with whatever cockamamie plot it wants, as long as it keeps things moving and has more of the humor that fans love.
The fembot reveal underlines the way thatThe Spy Who Shagged Meapproaches the entire idea of a sequel. The comedy genre gives it license to come up with whatever cockamamie plot it wants, as long as it keeps things moving and has more of the humor that fans love. Mike Myers gets a chance to add another character to his roster, the vulgar Scottish assassin Fat Bastard, whileVerne Troyer’s Mini-Me and Heather Graham’s Felicity Shagwell are also great additions.
