Cinema enthusiasts have voiced their opinions and ranked the most disappointing sequels of all time, with some unexpected outcomes given the commercial success of these films.

According to March 2024 statistics from a popular entertainment website, the following list reveals the worst movie sequels based on IMDb reviews.

The list is derived from over 100,000 IMDb reviews that contain keywords such as ‘disappointing’, ‘boring’, and ‘trash’. Interestingly, all 20 films on the list grossed more than $1 billion at the box office, and 10 of them received at least 90% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, multiple films on the list received Academy Award nominations.

While critics and moviegoers have formed their opinions, IMDb users have also shared their thoughts, and their selections for the worst sequels may come as a surprise.

1. Transformers: Age of Extinction

Transformers: Age of Extinction is the fourth installment in the Transformers franchise and the first not to feature Shia LaBeouf in the lead role.

Mark Wahlberg stepped into the leading role, and the film went on to gross over $1 billion at the box office. Despite its commercial success, the film fell flat with IMDb reviewers.

It received a 55% rating of negative-worded IMDb reviews and also garnered negative reviews from critics. The subsequent Transformers movies received mixed reviews, and none of them came close to replicating the box office success of Age of Extinction.

2. Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi

The 2017 Star Wars film was far from a box office flop, and it scored a respectable 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. While Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver impressed critics, they failed to win over IMDb reviewers.

Out of more than 6,800 comments on IMDb, the film received a 45% rating of negative-worded reviews, securing its place as the second-worst sequel on the list.

3. Skyfall

The 2012 action-thriller starring Daniel Craig as James Bond received critical acclaim, earning a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing over $1.1 billion at the box office. It also garnered five Academy Award nominations, winning two of them.

While Craig’s performance was praised by fans and critics alike, IMDb reviewers were less than impressed. According to the 2024 data, the film received a 36% rating of comments with negative words, landing it at number three on the list.

4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third film in the franchise, only managed a 35% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, despite bringing in over $1.124 billion at the box office. It was the final Transformers film to star Shia LaBeouf and the first not to feature Megan Fox in the female lead role.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley stepped into the leading role alongside LaBeouf, supported by a star-studded cast including Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, and Tyrese Gibson. However, the impressive cast wasn’t enough to save the film from negative reviews, as it currently holds a 34% rating of negative-worded reviews on IMDb.

5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

The 2018 sequel to Jurassic World, starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, delivered plenty of action and concluded its box office run with an impressive $1.310 billion in earnings. However, the film fell short in the eyes of IMDb reviewers.

According to the data, 32% of the nearly 2,000 reviews on IMDb include negative words. The film also received mixed reviews from critics, resulting in a 47% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

6. Jurassic World

The film that preceded Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom received positive reviews from critics and was a box office juggernaut, grossing $1.671 billion. Set 22 years after the events of Jurassic Park, the 2015 film was a highly anticipated addition to the franchise.

Jurassic World tied with its sequel, Fallen Kingdom, in the percentage of reviews with negative words – 32%. However, with nearly 1,700 IMDb reviews, it is likely that the higher number of reviews pushed this film to the number six spot on the list.

7. Avatar: The Way of Water

The long-awaited sequel to the 2009 blockbuster Avatar took over a decade to make and went on to become the third highest-grossing film of all time. It received four Academy Award nominations and won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

However, it failed to match the critical acclaim of its predecessor, receiving a lower Rotten Tomatoes rating and earning less at the box office. Despite this, the film received over 3,300 reviews on IMDb, with 31% of them including negative words.

8. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens

The Star Wars film that preceded The Last Jedi brought back original cast members Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill, among others. It was a massive box office success in 2015, raking in over $2 billion.

Despite its impressive commercial performance and a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it failed to impress IMDb reviewers. Out of nearly 5,000 comments on the website, the film received a 30% rating of negative-worded comments.

9. Iron Man 3

The Iron Man trilogy is considered a classic, largely due to the stellar performance of Academy Award winner Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man 3 received a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed over $1.2 billion on a $200 million budget.

With over 1,400 comments on IMDb, 26% of them featured negative words, earning the film a spot on this list. However, this ranking didn’t seem to affect Tony Stark’s popularity, as the character continued to appear in several box office hits.

10. The Fate of the Furious 

The first film in the Fast and Furious franchise without Paul Walker was a commercial success, grossing over $1.2 billion. However, it couldn’t avoid landing on the list of the top 10 worst film sequels of all time.

Similar to Iron Man 3, The Fate of the Furious received a 26% rating on negative-worded reviews. The film has less than 700 reviews on IMDb, one of the lowest numbers on the list.

Surprising Mentions

Even critically acclaimed films like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which won 11 Academy Awards in 2004, including Best Director and Best Picture, couldn’t escape negative IMDb reviews. Recent statistics show that 8% of the 4,236 reviews contain negative wording.

The list also includes Top Gun: Maverick, the highly anticipated 2022 film that became the highest-grossing film of Tom Cruise’s career. With a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s surprising to see it among the negative-worded reviews.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, which also holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, found itself in a similar situation. The fantasy film has received 1,119 IMDb reviews, with 9% of them containing negative wording.

Other notable films that received a significant number of negative-worded comments include Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Avengers: Endgame.