Cinematic history is littered with major movie franchises that didn’t quite make it, but there are several that limped on despite nobody really asking for more movies. In these cases, the franchises in question seem to be endless, stretching on far beyond the point that anybody actually wanted. In these cases, it’s probably best that those franchises simply go away, or at the very least take a considerable break from our screens.
The original 1994 movie The Crow stands out as one of the most influential non-Marvel or DC superhero movies, but sadly, the franchise it spawned was never able to replicate its quality. Three sequels, one reboot, and a TV show all populate the franchise, but, in all honesty, it would have been better to leave the original movie as a standalone story. With each new release, the legacy of the 1994 cult classic seems to be eroded a little more, leaving us wishing the franchise would just go away.
There are many movie franchises with confusing canon, but few that wore their transformations from one idea to another as proudly as the Fast & Furious movies. Its premise started with a gritty crime thriller about street racing, but when that soon grew tired, it found a new lease of life by amping up the vehicular action to outlandish levels. While the franchise has delivered some outstanding and, admittedly, ridiculous thrills, it’s about time that it was retired, or, at least, for it to take a considerable break.
When it comes to the best horror movie franchises, the Amityville Horror movies never make the cut. The classic haunted house tale once chilled audiences around the world, but multiple remakes and sequels significantly weakened its impact. Questions about the authenticity of its supposedly true story have only seen the franchise’s movies suffer even further, and with its number of entries comfortably reaching double digits, it certainly seems about time to retire the Amityville Horror franchise.
Even in the franchise’s heyday, there were very few people who would have considered Tyler Perry’s Madea films among the best comedy movies. The character has appeared in 15 movies over more than two decades, and while Madea has offered us many funny moments, she’s growing more than a little tiresome as the years wear on. Considering the Madea franchise has already delivered more movies than the majority of comedy franchises, it’s probably time for Perry to retire the character.
The Smurfs have proved themselves a lasting staple of the screen, having remained consistently popular over more than six decades. Alongside the success of The Smurfs TV show, there have been several movies released starring the diminutive blue characters. Sadly, the latest movies have failed to add anything of note to the franchise, which is beginning to wear out its welcome. It’s unlikely the Smurfs will ever go away completely, but maybe a long cinematic break would be the best thing for them.
The Expendables franchise followed up its first movie with an action sequel better than the original, but the quality then dropped with later releases. The most recent release, Expend4bles, was not only panned by critics but was also a huge box office bomb, making it one of the worst movies of 2023. With its cast of action stars all aging, it seems high time to retire the franchise and allow some of its actors to consider the same.
The Saw franchise is known for its elaborate and horrifying death scenes, and was once highly praised for the quality of its horror and the clever complexity of its plot. As the franchise grew, however, it became something of a caricature of itself, with the quality consistently declining as its timeline grew more and more pointlessly complex. With 10 entries into the franchise, it certainly seems as though Saw is all out of fresh ideas, and that seems the best opportunity for the franchise to take a long break from our screens.
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