Of all the genres in modern cinema, there are few as versatile or broad in scope as science fiction. One of the most consistently dominant forces at the box office, sci-fi has been enthralling audiences for generations, almost since the very first movies were created. It’s a genre with a rich history featuring many great movies, and, most other movie successes, it also has its share of sequels and franchises. While some of the best sci-fi movie franchises simply seem to get better and better with each passing year, others aren’t able to achieve the same. In fact, some sci-fi franchises only seem to get worse over time.
The sad fact is that not all sci-fi franchises can maintain their quality over multiple movies. That isn’t necessarily to say that the sequels are all bad, but just that they weren’t quite able to replicate the original spark of the first film in the franchise. Sadly, some sci-fi movie franchises peaked with the first movie, and have been trying — and failing — to recreate that success ever since.
5) Predator
The first movie in the Predator franchise was released in 1987, featuring an all-star action cast led by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Its sequels, which continued to explore the hunting habits of the Yautja, predatory and technologically advanced aliens, have been consistently released ever since. While every Predator movie has its charms, none have been able to live up to the original.
The first Predator movie remains the best in the franchise for one key reason: its subtle but crucial subtext. The cast of musclebound alpha males being slowly picked off one by one is a commentary on the false bravado of macho action heroes, which is part of why the first movie works so well. None of the movies since have quite been able to replicate the strength of that subtext, though a few have come very close in terms of overall quality.
4) Planet of the Apes (Original Franchise)
The first movie in the Planet of the Apes franchise is one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. As well as boasting one of the best sci-fi movie twists, it also boasted truly groundbreaking special effects in its day, and its excellent story was brought to life particularly well. The four sequels that followed made up the original franchise, and none of them came anywhere close to the original’s quality.
In fairness, the more modern Planet of the Apes soft reboot franchise certainly comes close to recreating the original’s charm, but not its impact. The first five movies in the franchise stand apart as their own entity, and one that was seriously hurt by wild sci-fi sequel pitches. The original movie remains by far the best, and it’s clear that the franchise peaked very early on.
3) Resident Evil
Video game movies rarely live up to expectations, though occasionally, they manage to strike the right chord. The first Resident Evil movie was released in 2002, and chronicled the original outbreak of the T-virus that prompted the franchise’s zombie apocalypse. Starring Milla Jovovich at the head of a large cast of characters, the first movie’s story was set in the underground Umbrella Corporation facility where the zombie virus originated.
The movie spawned five sequels before the franchise was eventually rebooted. None of the movies that followed were able to recapture the claustrophobic horror or frenetic action of the original, and the franchise steadily declined in quality as it went on. While the second movie was almost as good as the first, none of the other sequels came anywhere close, making it another sci-fi franchise that peaked with its first movie.
2) RoboCop
There are only a select few sci-fi franchises that can claim to have birthed truly iconic characters, and RoboCop is one of them. The first movie, released in 1987, chronicled the tragic origins of the titular lawman and was followed by two sequels released in 1990 and 1993, respectively. The franchise was then rebooted in 2014.
RoboCop is a perfect example of a movie franchise that got worse with every entry. The first movie’s gritty charm was mostly gone in the second movie, and the third saw the character effectively become a caricature of himself. The reboot was somehow even worse, eroding everything that had originally made the character seem so incredible.
1) Starship Troopers
There are many great epic sci-fi action movies, but few are as misunderstood and underrated as Starship Troopers. Paul Verhoeven’s movie was released in 1997 and initially failed to make the impact it deserved. It has since become revered as a cult classic, having been far more favorably reappraised in recent years.
Starship Troopers stands out as a great sci-fi movie that should never have had a sequel. The two movies that followed seemed to forget about everything that made the first movie work, dropping almost all subtext and instead delivering mindless sci-fi action that effectively undermined the ideas of the original. As a result, there is perhaps no sci-fi franchise in cinematic history that peaked so obviously in its first movie as Starship Troopers.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!