Some of Hollywood’s biggest action franchises have gone completely off the rails, getting crazier and harder to justify with each new movie. This has a major overlap with movie franchises that got too big for their own good, as studios contrive ways to keep the franchise going, or too many ongoing storylines too strange to exist are already included. It would have been best for the franchise and its legacy if it had ended after two or three movies.
Movie franchises have been ruined by an actor’s exit, or one particularly bad installment. On the other hand, a select few movie franchises came roaring back after a hiatus with their best movie yet, making the rest of Hollywood believe it can achieve the same thing with series that have been in decline. Yet the weirdest later storylines in some of the most popular action franchises ever demonstrate that this is often a pipe dream, and there is no returning the franchise to its former glory.
10 Terminator
Most Recent Movie: Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
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Terminator has repeated itself too many times, leading to some bizarre results grasping at originality.
The Terminator franchise has struggled with repeating its genre-defining time travel adventure many times, where a Terminator and a protector are both sent back in time to fight over the life of someone important to the future resistance. This has given rise to one of the messiest timelines in pop culture, although Terminator Zero managed to somewhat clarify things.
Terminator 10/10
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The Terminator franchise, launched by James Cameron in 1984, explores a dystopian future where intelligent machines wage war against humanity. The relentless pursuit of key human figures by time-traveling cyborg assassins known as Terminators is central to the narrative. John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance, is the core target of the malicious machines.
Created by James Cameron , Gale Anne Hurd Movie(s) The Terminator , Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) , Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) , Terminator Salvation (2009) , Terminator Genisys (2015) , Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) Cast Arnold Schwarzenegger , Linda Hamilton , Michael Biehn , Edward Furlong , Robert Patrick , Nick Stahl , Claire Danes , Christian Bale , Sam Worthington , Jason Clarke , Emilia Clarke , Mackenzie Davis , Natalia Reyes TV Show(s) Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) Character(s) The Terminator , Sarah Connor , Kyle Reese , John Connor , T-1000 , Kate Brewster , Marcus Wright , Grace (Terminator) , Dani Ramos
Counted among the best action movies ever made, The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day are still easily the best Terminator movies, from before the franchise had worn out its main gimmick. However, aside from the timeline getting progressively worse, Terminator has sadly turned to poorly conceived action concepts to fuel the plots of later movies.
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The later Terminator installments’ faults include the not-entirely-explained origins of Sam Worthington’s hybrid character, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator settling down with a family, and the notorious evil John Connor. Terminator has repeated itself too many times, leading to some bizarre results grasping at originality.
9 Jurassic World
Most Recent Movie: Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
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The foundational theme of Jurassic Park, when it kicked things off, was a cautionary tale about redirecting the course of nature. This drove Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking movie, which left some valid concepts to be developed into sequels. The dinosaurs’ breeding, despite human scientists’ efforts, is an interesting subplot with consequences to be explored. However, the original Jurassic Park trilogy does not escape strange, unnecessary moments, like a dream of a raptor talking to Dr. Alan Grant.
Jurassic Park 8/10
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The Jurassic Park franchise is an action-adventure sci-fi series that began with Michael Crichton’s original novel. The series explores the dramatic repercussions of resurrecting dinosaurs through advanced genetic science. Set primarily in a disastrous theme park, Jurassic Park explores the profound ethical dilemmas about tinkering with the DNA of long ago extinct creatures and the manipulation of the natural world through science.
Created by Michael Crichton , Steven Spielberg Movie(s) Jurassic Park (1993) , The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) , Jurassic Park 3 (2001) , Jurassic World (2015) , Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) , Jurassic World Dominion (2022) Cast Sam Neill , Laura Dern , Jeff Goldblum , Richard Attenborough , Julianne Moore , Pete Postlethwaite , William H. Macy , Tea Leoni , Chris Pratt , Bryce Dallas Howard , Vincent D’Onofrio , Irrfan Khan , Rafe Spall TV Show(s) Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (2020) , Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (2024) Character(s) Dr. Alan Grant , Dr. Ellie Sattler , Dr. Ian Malcolm , John Hammond , Sarah Harding , Roland Tembo , Paul Kirby , Amanda Kirby , Owen Grady , Claire Dearing , Vic Hoskins , Simon Masrani , Eli Mills
The Jurassic World movies abandon Jurassic Park‘s main theme, becoming more of an environmentalist and animal rights narrative. They demand that the audience accept things like raptor training, which *might* be possible. On the other hand, aspects like dinosaur auctions, cloned humans, an unrealistic amount of cooperation between humans and dinosaurs, and simply releasing dinosaurs into the wild of the mainland being treated like a good idea derail the movies.
8 Mission: Impossible
Most Recent Movie: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
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The first Mission: Impossible movie starring Tom Cruise was a comparatively grounded action flick with classic vibes that established many espionage tropes looked upon with fondness. The stakes and action build with each passing movie, which jumps back and forth in the supposed timeline of Ethan Hunt’s life. However, if the audience watches each installment as a standalone and judges it on its own merits, it works. The upcoming Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two is the obvious exception.
Mission: Impossible
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The Mission: Impossible franchise is an American action spy series that began with the 1996 film Mission: Impossible and has since become one of the most successful and long-running franchises in Hollywood. The films follow Ethan Hunt, an agent of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF), as he takes on various high-stakes missions around the world, often involving intricate heists, double-crosses, and death-defying stunts. The franchise is renowned for its intense action sequences, particularly those performed by Tom Cruise, who insists on doing many of his own stunts.
Created by Bruce Geller , David Koepp , Steven Zaillian , Robert Towne , Christopher McQuarrie , Tom Cruise Cast Tom Cruise , Ving Rhames , Simon Pegg , Rebecca Ferguson , Henry Czerny , Hayley Atwell , Vanessa Kirby TV Show(s) Mission: Impossible , Mission: Impossible (1988) Character(s) Ethan Hunt , Luther Stickell , Benji Dunn , Ilsa Faust , Eugene Kittridge , Grace , Alanna Mitsopolis
However, the problem with mounting stakes and each movie trying to outdo the last one is the feeling of the franchise reaching a breaking point. Cruise has become famed for doing his own stunts, and it seems like each new Mission: Impossible movie shows him doing something even more death-defying just for the sake of it. Meanwhile, the action becomes ludicrous in taste from the perspective of the audience, while the espionage plots are now just too complicated.
7 Fantastic Beasts
Most Recent Movie: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore (2022)
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them‘s job was so easy: stick to the Harry Potter canon, while showcasing more action and places with a stellar cast, and the movies would all be hits. Yet the franchise contradicted what fans knew about the books’ timeline, namely with the contested McGonagall Fantastic Beasts plot hole. Meanwhile, instead of sticking to a predictable but visually spectacular take on the war with Grindelwald, the series contrives awkward sub-conflicts.
Fantastic Beasts 6/10
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The Fantastic Beasts franchise is a prequel and spin-off of the Harry Potter series, set in the Wizarding World. It follows the adventures of Newt Scamander, a magizoologist who travels the globe studying magical creatures. The series expands into the political and social conflicts of the magical community, particularly the rise of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald and his confrontation with a younger Albus Dumbledore. The films focus on themes of friendship, loyalty, and the battle between good and evil, against the backdrop of a magical world in the early 20th century.
Created by J.K. Rowling Cast Eddie Redmayne , Katherine Waterston , Dan Fogler , Alison Sudol , Ezra Miller , Jude Law , Mads Mikkelsen , Johnny Depp Character(s) Newt Scamander , Tina Goldstein , Jacob Kowalski , Queenie Goldstein , Credence Barebone , Albus Dumbledore , Gellert Grindelwald , Theseus Scamander
The Wizarding World suddenly adhering to the word of a baby magical creature called a Qilin makes no sense; the lost Dumbledore plot is just as misaligned. No one knows how Yusuf managed to trick Grindelwald or how a Muggle is able to use a wand either. Fantastic Beasts 4 is looking increasingly unlikely in light of HBO’s Harry Potter reboot plans, which might be a relief if it had led to even more bad subplots.
6 Ice Age
Most Recent Movie: The Ice Age Adventures Of Buck Wild (2022)
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As Ice Age becomes more arguably an action franchise, the weirder it gets. The first movie was a pleasantly off-beat take on anthropomorphic prehistoric animals, with a lot of walking and folksy music and only a few beats that could loosely be considered action. The Ice Age franchise then dives into the claim that essentially every major prehistoric event that drastically altered life on Earth happened within a few years, so it can be shown in this franchise.
Ice Age
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The Ice Age franchise is a popular animated film series produced by Blue Sky Studios, centering around a group of prehistoric animals surviving the Pleistocene ice age. Led by a woolly mammoth named Manny, the films feature his adventures alongside a sloth named Sid and a saber-toothed tiger named Diego. Known for its humor, heartwarming themes, and memorable characters, the series has expanded to include spin-offs, short films, and TV specials. The franchise continues to captivate audiences with its colorful animation, family-friendly humor, and ongoing stories of friendship and survival.
Created by Chris Wedge , Carlos Saldanha Cast Ray Romano , John Leguizamo , Denis Leary , Queen Latifah , Simon Pegg , Seann William Scott , Josh Peck , Keke Palmer , Chris Wedge Character(s) Manny , Sid , Diego , Ellie , Scrat , Peaches , Buck , Crash , Eddie
A massive flood and dinosaurs are a little wacky, but at least these movies maintain the feel of an animal-centric setting with nothing too modern. However, Ice Age gets bolder with its claims about its comic side character causing continental drift and a collision course in minutes, and this somehow does not instantly kill all the main characters. As of the latest movies, it is just another cash-grab goofy talking animal franchise rather than the gritty and tragic but still family-friendly originals.
5 Pirates Of The Caribbean
Most Recent Movie: Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
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The supernatural half of Pirates of the Caribbean doesn’t truly go off the rails until the most recent movie.
The first Pirates of the Caribbean executed a perfect blend of classic swashbuckling adventure and supernatural intrigue. The supernatural elements got bigger and wilder with the second and third movies, but at least feel like they have a place in the story. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End‘s depiction of Davy Jones’ Locker is weird, but this surrealistic adventure was promised as the main event.
Pirates of the Caribbean 10/10
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A series of fantasy swashbuckler films produced by Disney, featuring the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow. Known for its supernatural elements, high-seas action, and iconic characters, the franchise has become a cultural phenomenon and was loosely based on the Disney theme park ride of the same name.
Created by Gore Verbinski , Jerry Bruckheimer Movie(s) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl , Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest , Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End , Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides , Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Cast Johnny Depp , Orlando Bloom , Keira Knightley , Geoffrey Rush , Sam Claflin , Astrid Bergès-Frisbey , Brenton Thwaites , Kaya Scodelario Expand
The character arcs are handled with less finesse in each additional Pirates of the Caribbean movie. The biggest offender in this regard is the storyline of Captain Jack Sparrow himself, who worked better as a mascot rather than a grounded character. Revealing more elements of his backstory and giving him a serious love interest was to the detriment of his freewheeling persona.
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However, the supernatural half of Pirates of the Caribbean doesn’t truly go off the rails until the most recent movie. A meaningless new ghost storyline and contradictions of established Davy Jones lore make it the most bogged-down movie yet.Margot Robbie’s Pirates of the Caribbean spinoff can only hope to do better.
4 Die Hard
Most Recent Movie: A Good Day To Die Hard (2013)
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John McClane being an intrepid everyman is a major part of Die Hard‘s selling point. John and his wife Holly get caught up in a terrorist attack and do their best to protect everyone in the building, making the movie thrilling by invoking a sense of reality. It is plausible that they are real people who act this way under pressure. Alan Rickman’s brilliant performance as Hans Gruber is also an amazing element the franchise lost after the first movie.
Die Hard
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The Die Hard franchise, which began as a series of books in the 1960s, is an action-adventure series that chronicles the harrowing exploits of NYPD Detective John McClane. Renowned for its action-packed sequences and intricate plots, the series showcases McClane’s battles against various adversaries, especially the infamous Hans Gruber, during high-stakes crises.
Movie(s) Die Hard (1988) , Die Hard 2 (1990) , Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) , Live Free or Die Hard (2007) , A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) Cast Bruce Willis , Alan Rickman , Bonnie Bedelia , Reginald VelJohnson , William Atherton , Franco Nero , Samuel L. Jackson , Jeremy Irons , Justin Long , Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Jai Courtney Character(s) John McClane , Hans Gruber , Holly Gennero , Sgt. Al Powell , Richard Thornburg , General Ramon Esperanza , Zeus Carver , Simon Gruber , Matt Farrell , Lucy McClane , Jack McClane
Like many action franchises that go on for too long, Die Hard gets caught up in trying to outdo itself with the action. By the time of A Good Day to Die Hard, the franchise is another empty spectacle with a bunch of plot points that make no sense for John’s character. Flamethrowers, crashing vehicles, and intergenerational CIA missions are a long way off from one average police officer finding himself in unfortunate circumstances.
3 Indiana Jones
Most Recent Movie: Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (2023)
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The first three Indiana Jones movies share the trait that supernatural or technical marvels are isolated incidents. Indy goes on an adventure into a temple where there are some impressive but technically possible traps; he discovers an interesting artifact that has a specific, contained effect. None of them are the biggest cinematic spectacles, serving the movies’ semi-realistic aesthetic. This changed with the two most recent Indiana Jones movies.
Indiana Jones
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Created by George Lucas, Indiana Jones is an action-adventure multimedia franchise that began with the launch of its first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, in 1981. The series follows Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr., an archaeologist who adventures across the world with various friends as he faces off against the likes of Nazis and other groups bent on collecting ancient artifacts of power. Seeking to preserve history, Jones races against his incidental foes to stop them from conquering – or destroying- the world.
Created by George Lucas Cast Harrison Ford , Denholm Elliott , John Rhys-Davies , Karen Allen , Kate Capshaw , Ke Huy Quan , Amrish Puri , Sean Connery , Julian Glover , Alison Doody , Shia LaBeouf , Cate Blanchett , Ray Winstone , John Hurt , Phoebe Waller-Bridge , Mads Mikkelsen Character(s) Indiana Jones , Marcus Brody , Sallah , Marion Ravenwood , Wilhelmina Scott , Wan Li , Mola Ram , Henry Jones, Sr. , Walter Donovan , Elsa Schneider , Henry Jones III , Irina Spalko , George Michale , Harold Oxley , Helena Shaw , Jürgen Voller Expand
First was the highly ridiculed claim that a refrigerator would offer the protection needed to survive a nuclear blast. The discovery of aliens and the sequence of their flying saucer taking off feel distinctly out of place in the established tone of the franchise. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is at least better than the last movie, but still takes things to bizarre places with literal time travel and Indy meeting Archimedes.
2 Fox’s X-Men
Most Recent Movie: Dark Phoenix (2019)
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Although not as successful or acclaimed as Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy or the best MCU movies, Fox’s X-Men movies did relatively well in the early 2000s. Later on, they recast many of the characters with admittedly great actors for a prequel, moderately scrambling their canon with some contradictions. In their own right, X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past are good movies.
X-Men
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The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
Movie(s) X-Men (2000) , X2 , X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) , X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) , X-Men: First Class (2011) , The Wolverine (2013) , X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) , Deadpool (2016) , X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) , Logan (2017) , Deadpool 2 (2018) , Dark Phoenix (2019) , The New Mutants (2020) , Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) TV Show(s) X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men , X-Men (1992) , X-Men: Evolution (2000) , Wolverine and the X-Men (2008) , Marvel Anime: Wolverine , Marvel Anime: X-Men , Legion (2017) , The Gifted (2017) , X-Men ’97 (2024) Character(s) Professor X , Cyclops , Iceman , Beast , Angel , Phoenix , Wolverine , Gambit , Rogue , Storm , Jubilee , Morph , Nightcrawler , Havok , Banshee , Colossus , Magneto , Psylocke , Juggernaut , Cable , X-23 Expand
X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix are where things start to fall apart, just before Disney acquired the rights to the characters. The former repeats Magneto’s tragic backstory before launching into a strange investigation of Apocalypse’s powers, which is partially the fault of the source material.
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After this, Fox tried and failed again to do a good adaptation of the famous Dark Phoenix storyline. The movie is weighed down by multiple laughable elements that were traded for a good character arc for Jean. Aliens invading this movie was the final straw before Disney bought out the franchise, enshrining its best standalones and ignoring the worst parts in the future.
1 Fast & Furious
Most Recent Movie: Fast X (2023)
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The car stunts in the first Fast & Furious movie are relatively plausible when considering the most ridiculous scene in every Fast & Furious movie. The premise was essentially crime concerning people with a passion and affinity for cars and racing. Yet the Fast & Furious movies became notorious for their wild, completely ludicrous action sequences and stunts, which get crazier with each passing movie.
Fast & Furious
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The Fast & Furious franchise revs through the adrenaline-fueled lives of Dominic Toretto and his crew of street racers turned global heroes. From the neon-lit streets of Los Angeles to the bustling cities and remote outposts worldwide, they take on high-stakes heists, espionage, and the underground world of street racing. Bound by loyalty and driven by the need for speed, they confront mercenaries, corrupt officials, and personal vendettas all in the name of their found family.
Movie(s) The Fast And The Furious , 2 Fast 2 Furious , The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift , Fast & Furious , Fast Five , Fast and Furious 6 , Furious 7 , The Fate of the Furious , Hobbs and Shaw , F9: The Fast Saga , Fast X , Hobbs and Shaw 2 , Fast X: Part 2 Cast Vin Diesel , Paul Walker , Michelle Rodriguez , Tyrese Gibson , Eva Mendes , Lucas Black , Sung Kang , Bow Wow , Jordana Brewster , Dwayne Johnson , Jason Statham , Charlize Theron , Idris Elba , John Cena Character(s) Dominic Toretto , Brian O’Conner , Letty Ortiz , Roman Pearce , Monica Fuentes , Sean Boswell , Han Lue , Twinkie , Mia Toretto , Luke Hobbs , Deckard Shaw , Cipher , Brixton Lore , Jakob Toretto Expand
Audiences can take their pick of which one they think is the worst: the tower jump, the zombie cars, the space voyage, or Dom driving almost straight down into a dam (with his son in the car). Meanwhile, the movies become more entrenched in global espionage threats and faked deaths, leaving behind the realistic underground racing setting. When pondering movie franchises that went completely off the rails (or the highway), many moviegoers will immediately think of Fast & Furious.