20 sequels that are just the first movie all over again

Escape from L.A., as its title suggests, is the sequel to Escape from New York, and the fact that it is almost exactly the same as its predecessor helps to explain why it is such a divisive film. In fact, some have even regarded it as a remake of Escape from New York, which helps to explain so much of the negativity around it. Despite its struggles with critics, it has proven remarkably popular with audiences, and it has managed to accrue its own particular cult following.

Sam Raimi left his indelible mark on the Spider-Man mythos with his trilogy of films from the 2000s. There’s certainly a lot of fun to be had in the various entries, but even fans will admit that Spider-Man 2 repeats many of the story beats of the first movie, particularly since it focuses on Peter Parker having to fight someone he once admired, while also struggling with his personal issues. This doesn’t mean that the movie isn’t still fun, of course, but it does show the extent to which the franchise tends to not vary too much with its formula.

Harrison Ford is the heart and soul of Indiana Jones, and all of the movies are worth watching for his presence alone. The third, The Last Crusade,  is a lot of fun, thanks in no small part to the on-screen chemistry of Ford and co-star Sean Connery. In some ways, though, it’s a return to form after the deviation of Temple of Doom, since it once again features Indy, who ends up fighting Nazis in order to keep them from gaining possession of a powerful artifact. It might be a bit derivative, but it’s no less enjoyable for that.

While Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets has much to recommend it, the truth is that, in many ways, it’s essentially the same plot as Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry begins as a virtual prisoner of the Dursleys before going to Hogwarts, where he has to solve a mystery and ends up having a fateful encounter with Voldemort (in the guise of his younger self, Tom Riddle). 

J.J. Abrams is one of those directors who has definitely made nostalgia a key part of his brand. In The Force Awakens, for example, he returns viewers to the Galaxy, and, while the film is certainly a spectacle, it hits almost every single narrative beat everyone remembers from A New Hope. While it’s a genuine pleasure to return to this particular fictional universe, one also can’t help but wish that Abrams might have taken a few more creative risks with his time at the helm of one of the most successful franchises of all time.

As a rule, horror franchises often fall into the trap of rehashing the same plot over and over again, and this is true of even the most interesting horror films. Smile, for example, was unsettling precisely because it grappled with issues like trauma. The second movie has a plot that plays out in a very similar way to the first movie in the franchise, and while there’s no doubt that Naomi Scott gives a terrific performance, one can’t help but wish the sequel had been a bit more ambitious. 

The second installment in the Austin Powers series is quite funny, and much of this is, of course, due to Mike Myers’ terrific performances as Austin and Dr. Evil (as well as Fat Bästard). However, while the movie tweaks the first one’s formula here and there, it essentially follows the same pattern, with Austin once again squaring off against Dr. Evil. This doesn’t mean that it’s not funny, of course, but it definitely doesn’t really get any points for originality. 

22 Jump Street is, as its title implies, cut in the same mold as the first movie. This time, though, the two main characters, Jenko and Schmidt, have to infiltrate a college rather than a high school. The movie is undoubtedly more than a little derivative, but the undeniable chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, as well as some smart writing and directing, make this sequel one that actually manages to take the established formula and give audiences something surprisingly even better.

The 2020s have been a decade of reboots and remakes, and Twisters is yet another example of this trend. It hits almost all the same beats as the original film, including a young woman traumatized by a twister who spends the rest of her life trying to understand them. It’s an undeniably entertaining film, and it makes the most out of advances in filmmaking technology, but it’s further evidence that both Hollywood and audiences are increasingly content with more of the same.

Long before he reinvented the figure of the Joker, Todd Phillips directed the three movies in The Hangover series. While the second was undeniably funny and even original in its own way, the same can’t be said of the sequel, which is essentially the same plot as the first, except this time the action is set in Thailand. It still features some strong performances from its central cast, but something is missing.

Kevin McCallister and his family return in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, where Kevin is once again left behind. This time, of course, he ends up in New York City, where he crosses paths with Harry and Marv, with predictably hilarious (and violent) results. This sequel hits all the same beats as the original movie, up to and including Kevin encountering a person who seems strange and menacing but turns out to be an invaluable ally as he tries to keep the crooks from robbing a toy store.

Steven Spielberg had already proven himself a titan of Hollywood by the time Jurassic Park was released, but the film helped cement his place in the history books. The sequel, however, leaves much to be desired, mostly because most of its run is just a retread of the original, with folks going back to an island and running afoul of dinosaurs. On the more original side, the film does feature a scene in which dinosaurs run amok in San Diego, so there is at least something original here.

Jaws remains one of the most famous blockbusters in Hollywood history, and it helped revitalize the industry in the 1970s. It also spawned a franchise, but unfortunately, most entries don’t even come close to the magic of the original. It is without a doubt a very formulaic film, and though it’s a pleasure to see Roy Scheider come back to reprise his role from the first movie, it’s hard to see this entry in the franchise as anything other than a cynical cash-grab.

The first entry in the Mummy  franchise was an unqualified success, and much of that can be attributed to its sense of humor and its tremendously talented cast, which includes Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Once again, the heroes find themselves facing off against sinister forces and magical beings, but there’s something distinctly missing from this retelling of the first movie. Its lack of a sense of style and originality didn’t keep it from being popular at the box office, however.

Eddie Murphy is always a delight, and that remains true even in movies that are sequels that are essentially retreads of the original. Beverly Hills Cop II is definitely in that camp, and it’s not going too far to say that it is essentially a clone of the first movie. It’s thus not surprising to find that the movie wasn’t particularly popular with critics — many of whom derided its mediocrity — though it was successful enough to guarantee that the franchise would continue with two further sequels. 

Ridley Scott returned to ancient Rome after over two decades with Gladiator II, which follows Maximus’ illegitimate son, Hanno, as he follows in his father’s footsteps. Like Maximus, he fights as a gladiator and, also like Maximus, it’s up to him to save Rome from its own corrupt leaders. While Gladiator II isn’t a bad movie, it is very much the same narrative as its predecessor, and, since it’s much less focused, it has often been unfavorably compared to the first movie. It is thus a warning of having too much of a good thing.

Few Disney characters are quite as beloved as Mary Poppins. In the original movie, she was, of course, portrayed by Julie Andrews, but in the long-awaited sequel, Mary Poppins Returns , she was played by Emily Blunt. It is a sweet and magical film, and to be fair, it does have more than a little of the old Disney magic. At the same time, one can’t quite escape the sense that it’s also trading on nostalgia for the original, and many of the plot points feel comfortingly familiar rather than unique.

Liam Neeson entered the action hero part of his career with a bang, showing that he has what it takes to be a true action star. Taken 2  is pretty much the same kind of movie as the first installment in the franchise, in that Neeson’s character, Bryan Mills, once again has to save himself and his family from a kidnapping. It certainly has more than its fair share of adrenaline and thrills, but, as the critics pointed out, it is definitely lacking in originality. This didn’t stop it from becoming a financial success, however, and there was yet another movie in the franchise. 

While the first Ghostbusters movie was an unqualified success and became a true cultural milestone, the same can’t be said of the sequel. As with so many other sequels of the era, Ghostbusters II hit many of the same notes as the first movie, without really moving things forward in any meaningful way. It’s thus not surprising that it failed to recapture the original's success and, while there were talks of a sequel, this was the entry that effectively brought the nascent franchise to an end.

The enormous success of the first Die Hard  practically guaranteed a sequel, and indeed the second film also stars Bruce Willis as iconic action hero John McClane. The movie hits all the same beats as the first, though this time the action takes place on an airplane rather than in an office building. It has its fair share of pulse-pounding action and well-constructed action sequences, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that this one is just going through the same motions as the first movie with little motivation of its own.