With the recent announcement that Legally Blonde 3 is in pre-production, the question remains as to whether these new installments can perform as well with critics and audiences as the first films in their respective series.
These two series a longer list of comedies from the late 1990s and the 2000s with sequels that underwhelmed audiences when compared to the reception of the first installments. According to Letterboxd, several comedy motion pictures received a rating above 3.0 while their sequels received below-average ratings.
Analyze This (3.2) and Analyze That (2.7)
The 1999 comedy co-written by Kenneth Lonergan and directed by Harold Ramis united mafia screen icon Robert De Niro with comedian Billy Crystal. Analyze This, which tells the story of a mafia boss who starts seeing a therapist, was a more comedic take on a premise that launched the HBO series The Sopranos.
The first film received critical acclaim and even garnered Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor (De Niro). The sequel, however, did not match that same success. Analyze That was unable to stretch an initially intriguing premise beyond the first film. In fact, it even earned a Worst Sequel award from the Stinkers Bad Movie Awards in 2002.
Meet The Parents (3.2) and Meet The Fockers (2.8)
Timeless and highly quotable, Meet the Parents was a significant box office hit for De Niro and Stiller.
Meet the Fockers attempted to build on the same ideas by focusing this time on the meeting of both sets of parents. Although the sequel expanded its all-star cast to include Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand in hilarious performances, Meet the Fockers was not able to earn the same level of critical acclaim, although it did perform well commercially.
The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants (3.3) and The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 (2.9)
Adapted from the young adult novel by Anne Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants tells the story of four best friends who spend the summer apart from one another but are connected by a pair of pants that somehow manages to fit all of them. The film served as an early career highlight for its four leads (Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively, and Alexis Bledel).
The sequel, however, left a bit more to be desired according to Letterboxd reviews. The chemistry among the four actresses was often still praised, but perhaps the reason behind the dip in success was a slightly less cohesive plot. In fact, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 incorporated numerous storylines from different books in the series, leading to a more haphazard structure this time around.
Miss Congeniality (3.3) and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2.6)
Miss Congeniality remains one of Sandra Bullock's most memorable films. The story of special agent Gracie Hart's undercover operation involving the Miss United States pageant charmed audiences and even earned Bullock a Golden Globe nomination. The film also benefitted from great ing turns by Michael Caine and Candice Bergen.
However, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, suffers from a less intriguing premise but even more so, a lack of consistency with regards to its protagonist's characterization. Gracie becomes less recognizable in this version of the film and although Bullock and new cast member Regina King do their best, the film is unable to create the same spark that the first film had.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (3.3) and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2.7)
This independent romantic comedy, written by and starring Nia Vardalos, was a sleeper hit and became a massive success. Vardalos plays Toula, a Greek woman with an overbearing family who falls in love with a non-Greek man (played by John Corbett). Vardalos received an Oscar nomination for her original screenplay, a rare achievement for a comedy.
Unfortunately, the franchise has so far been unable to satisfy critics and audiences with its subsequent stories. There was a short-lived television series that was canceled in the middle of its first season. By the time the 2016 sequel was finally released, audiences were less than impressed with the storytelling and with the comedy itself. Hopefully, the My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 can rectify this problem.
Bridget Jones's Diary (3.4) and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2.9)
Sharon Maguire's film adaptation of Helen Fielding's best-selling novel was highly anticipated despite receiving backlash over its casting of American actress Renée Zellweger in a beloved British role. However, Zellweger overcame the initial criticism and delivered a career-defining performance that led to his first Oscar nomination.
The 2004 sequel, also based on Helen Fielding's next installment in the series, received middling reviews although it still performed well commercially. Critically, Zellweger and the Bridget Jones team were able to slightly redeem themselves over a decade later with the release of the third film, Bridget Jones's Baby, which currently holds a 3.0 rating on Letterboxd.
The Hangover (3.5) and The Hangover Part II (2.8)
The first installment of Bradley Cooper into movie stardom.
However, the subsequent films within the trilogy were never able to live up to the first film's success. The Hangover Part II may have performed well at the box office, but the refreshing crude humor of the first film came off as recycled and uninventive in the second.
Men In Black (3.6) and Men In Black II (2.8)
The Men in Black was a box office smash and an important success for Will Smith's career. His on-screen chemistry with Tommy Lee Jones provided much of the comedy in what was also an action flick.
Men in Black even gained a considerable amount of awards recognition, but the same cannot be said for its sequel outside of its Razzie award nomination. Men in Black II required the filmmakers to take a hiatus and reconsider the direction of the franchise. Eventually, two more films were released a decade later and were generally more well-received.
Legally Blonde (3.7) and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde (2.7)
When it comes to successful mainstream comedies in film, one of the biggest cultural phenomenons of the early 2000s was Legally Blonde. Starring Reese Witherspoon as sorority undergraduate turned "serious" Harvard law student Elle Woods, Legally Blonde has all the elements of a successful comedy: a tightly constructed plot, memorable one-liners, and endearing characters.
The 2003 sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde, still contains charming performances from Witherspoon and scene-stealer Jennifer Coolidge. However, the story did not have the same cultural impact or critical reception. Almost twenty years later, a third installment is currently in pre-production and will hopefully restore Elle Woods to her former glory. It could work out well, especially with Mindy Kaling penning the script.
