With so many prequels out in the cinematic world, there’s no surprise that some of them don’t quite match up to the original movies they are based on. Whether they tonally feel like they don’t fit, or perhaps take the characters or world in a completely unexpected direction, these films certainly allowed themselves to stand out for better or worse.
It’s not easy to make a prequel, especially since audiences will already know the fate and consequences of the characters and events taking place respectively. Regardless, these prequels certainly brought something unique to the table, and are memorable in their own right!
10 The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)
The Lord Of The Rings trilogy is one of the most well-respected fantasy sagas in cinema. It brought an almost impossible-to-adapt series of novels to the big screen in a way that respected the source material and gorgeously captured the world in all its glory.
Although the Middle-Earth backdrop of the Hobbit movies was the same, the prestige felt within the original films was certainly lacking despite some of the book-based elements The Hobbit got right. Practical effects were replaced with CGI giving the films quite a different visual tone, and the way in which the narrative was dragged out into 3 films certainly clashed with the pacing of The Lord Of The Rings.Â
9 Prometheus (2012)
The Alien franchise was striking in its combination of science fiction and horror. Each film was an intense thriller and capitalized on the unknown qualities associated with the Xenomorph at the heart of the action. They were less about the lore of this universe and more about survival.
Prometheus, on the other hand, is solely focused on attempting to explain the origins of these creatures and the state of the fictional galaxy itself. It certainly boasts some complex themes and is beyond the quality some fans claim it to be, but it’s high sci-fi in a way that the originals simply weren’t. They carried a gritty quality that hasn’t been matched since.
8 X-Men: First Class (2011)
The original X-Men trilogy was a trailblazer in the superhero genre. The leather suits were definitely a stylized choice and the violence and political themes displayed played into some of the modern narratives that the comic books have brought to audiences.
X-Men: First Class was a much more retro affair, paying homage to the earlier days of the source material, with the bright costumes and over-the-top villains. Although some of those same character arcs are picked up, the release is portrayed like a reboot more than any kind of prequel.
7 Bumblebee (2018)
The Transformers films were arguably in decline before the release of their prequel. They were pitched as massive blockbusters, focusing on the spectacle of the destruction rather than the nuances of the characters themselves. It built up its own mythology, paying little attention to the comics, toys, and TV shows that paved the way.
Bumblebee, on the other hand, played heavily into its source material and stripped back the larger-than-life elements to really focus on a singular relationship. While the Transformers saga focused on stunts and explosions, Bumblebee was ultimately a coming-of-age tale with a sci-fi and retro backdrop. The latest attempt at this Transformers cinematic universe may follow that same path.
6 Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (2016)
The Harry Potter movies were largely focused on the battle against the rising darkness in the Wizarding World and the student’s journey as they progressed in their studies at Hogwarts. It’s a saga with a clear set of character arcs and a satisfying resolution that ultimately boils down to the battle of light and dark, coupled with a coming-of-age narrative.
The first Fantastic Beasts film and indeed its sequel takes the Wizarding World in a startlingly different direction. Although the battle of light and dark is still at the forefront, that’s coupled with elements of hatred from Muggles themselves, alongside Newt’s own fascination with magical creatures. With so many beats at play, all of which take place away from Hogwarts, the films feel very disconnected from the originals.
5 Monsters University (2013)
Monsters Inc. is a hugely celebrated release from Pixar, tracing the life of Mike and Sully who are trying to navigate the arrival of a small child in the monster world. They are at the height of their game, well-experienced on the scream floor, and faced with an impossible situation to overcome.
It’s fair to say that Monsters At Work has far more in common with the original film in comparison to Monsters University. The movie looks at the early partnership of Mike and Sully and their time spent at the educational facility. The characters themselves are in a very different place and it’s more about their relationship which is still being established, rather than changing the monster world itself. The scale is very different.
4 The Star Wars Trilogy (1999-2005)
The original Star Wars movies are iconic in their portrayal of such a simple story with massive repercussions on the cinematic landscape. From the visuals to the inspiration taken from Japanese and Western films, those releases brought so much to the table.
It can’t be denied that thematically there are parallels between the originals and the prequels. Nor can it be ignored that they broke genuine ground on their own technological advances. However, because of the alternative era, the inclusion of the Clones, wider use of Jedi, and diverse never-before-seen locations, they feel very separate from the first films despite the narrative connections.
3 The Scorpion King (2002)
The Mummy was really a surprise hit, bringing audiences an adventurous experience based upon Egyptian mythology. While it drew inspiration from the likes of Indiana Jones, it has left its own mark on the genre and has inspired countless spin-offs and remakes.
One such prequel was that of The Scorpion King, which took away the quest elements of the first films and instead focused on the origin stories of the titular character. In terms of its quality, it doesn’t stand up, but the elements put together here feel more sword and sandal than anything as swashbuckling as Rick O’Connell’s tale.
2 The King’s Man (2022)
The Kingsman films, set in the modern-day, are kinetic, sci-fi infused, comic book-based, and primarily focused as almost a parody of the James Bond series with its own action twists. The original in particular offered something new to the genre that audiences have come to praise.
The King’s Man has very much distanced itself from those films in its portrayal of the spy organization, instead tracking its origins throughout the First World War. Although some of the gadgets and whimsicality are present, tonally it is far different from the escapades and spectacle of the original movies, bringing with it less comedy, further grittiness, and less of a working-class perspective.
1 Kong: Skull Island (2017)
There are countless King Kong movies that portray either the origins of the character or his destruction of New York and other such cities. In the context of the MonsterVerse, there hadn’t been a previous portrayal of the giant gorilla, but there had been other Kaiju-based thrillers.
Kong: Skull Island is therefore a prequel to Godzilla and ultimately Godzilla Vs. Kong. In that sense it’s vastly different, portraying the location that Kong actually grew up on, like an adventure film from the perspective of the human characters. In comparison to other King Kong movies, it has more in common with Peter Jackson’s iteration but contains parallels to few others.
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