Batman (Batman Forever)

Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s first two Batman movies had an unorthodox, gothic edge. When the studio pushed for something more mainstream-friendly, Joel Schumacher and Val Kilmer took over on 1995’s Batman Forever; not a terrible film, but basic and garish compared to what came before. Worse yet, it set the stage for 1997’s Batman & Robin, and there was no coming back from that.

Shrek (Shrek the Third)

Shrek and Shrek 2 remain landmark animated movies, balancing a sardonic tone with genuinely heartfelt storytelling. Alas, on 2007’s third film, all the heart went out of the window. Soulless, unfunny and shockingly mean-spirited for a film aimed at families, Shrek the Third was a major let-down. Things improved just a little on final instalment Shrek Forever After, but the rot had already set in.

X-Men (X-Men: The Last Stand)

Yet another instance of the third film proving a major drop-off point, 2005’s X-Men: The Last Stand killed almost all the goodwill generated by the first two superhero movies, with some characters pointlessly killed off and others developed in terrible ways. To some extent the franchise recovered with later instalments First Class and Days of Future Past, but things were never quite the same.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master)

In his original 1984 appearance, Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger was one of the scariest horror antagonists ever – yet by 1988, he was little more than a latex-covered clown. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master takes Freddy’s signature wisecracks and over-emphasizes them, rendering him goofy and totally non-threatening. This was how he remained until the franchise was semi-rebooted on 1994’s New Nightmare.

The Mummy (The Mummy Returns)

Let’s be clear: The Mummy Returns is mostly a worthy successor to 1999’s The Mummy, but there’s a clear shark-jump moment in its final reels, when the villain we’ve been waiting for the whole movie – Dwayne Johnson’s Scorpion King – turns out to be one of the most embarrassingly bad CGI creations ever. Belated follow-up The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor proved even more disappointing.

The DC Extended Universe (Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice)

The DCEU was off to a shaky start with Man of Steel, but the idea of DC’s two greatest superheroes clashing seemed a surefire winner. Alas, while Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice isn’t without its strengths, it’s woefully misjudged on so many levels – not least that “Martha” scene. Despite subsequent franchise highlights Wonder Woman and Aquaman, the DCEU never really found its groove.

Jaws (Jaws 3-D)

Jaws is generally considered the original blockbuster, as well as an all-time classic. Jaws 2 isn’t in the same league, but it’s still watchable enough. Jaws 3-D, however, is where this particular shark was well and truly jumped, thanks to lame storytelling and even lamer three-dimensional FX. Things only got worse from there, with Jaws: The Revenge proving the final nail in the watery coffin.

Alien (Alien³)

It’s never going to be easy to follow up two films that are both considered genuine masterpieces. Even so, there’s no getting around the bitter disappointment of Alien³. While there are hints of a good film in there, these are lost amidst a quagmire of mistakes. Every subsequent Alien film has been worse, but it was the third one that started that downward spiral.

Pirates of the Caribbean (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest)

How did things go so wrong so quickly? The original Pirates of the Caribbean was a delightful swashbuckler with a witty edge. The sequel was an overblown mess, with so many plot threads and macguffins that it became impossible to keep track. From that point on the series only grew progressively more excessive and convoluted, to the point that the films became unbearable.

Halloween (Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers)

Opinions have always varied on where the Halloween franchise went wrong. Not everyone likes the Michael Myers-less Halloween III, but when Myers returned in Halloween 4 many fans rejoiced. However, by Halloween 5, they were just going through the motions with an aimless plot, characters no one cared about, and a killer that barely even looked the same thanks to the poorly rendered white mask.