It’s just not enough people watched them.
It was only at the end of the 90s that comedy sequels suddenly really took off.
Across the 2000s, wed thus getAmerican Piesequels, hugely successfulMeet The Parentsfollow-ups,Dr.
Dolittle 2, a fewScary Moviesand, er,Big Mommas House 2.
Each made solid returns, often sizeable ones.
I cant help but feel sorry for some of the superior comedy sequels of the 90s though.
But the 90s were rich pickings for comedy sequels, even if the box office didnt always agree.
But they surely deserve more.
This ones a regular re-watch for us here, and was well received on its original release.
So naturally, it didnt do as well.
Still profitable, and comfortably over that 65 percent mark.
But one of the funniest films of the 1990s still deserved better.
Hot Shots!
Part Deux, though, director Jim Abrahams was working on a broader canvas.
Most importantly, though, more of the laughs and the lines work inHot Shots!
Its a shame that there was never a thirdHot Shots!film, as the series was developing nicely.
Yet the numbers didnt quite stack up second time around.
The first took $181m worldwide, the second $134 million.
Warner Bros. was confident in Joe Dantes sequel, and thus released it opposite DisneysDick Tracy.
He pretty much hit both targets.
The keyword, clearly, being creative.
It just wouldnt happen.
But itll have to go a long, long way to beat it on the screen.
But success in this case caused problems, and disagreements soon surfaced between Spheeris and Myers.
Cue some high profile cameos, natch.
A $48 million gross was well down on the original.
Addams Family Values
These last two films in particular deserved a lot, lot more.
Weve written aboutthe many problems that beset the originalThe Addams Familymovie before.
Addams Family Valuesintroduced the character of Debbie, played with wonderful relish by Joan Cusack.
But theres so much more going on here, and the highlight is Christina Riccis Wednesday Addams.
That said, few get to the end ofAddams Family Valueswithout a list of moments they fancy rewatching.
Not enough people watched it in the first place.Addams Family Valueswas a surprise box office disappointment.
It was a real shock.
Heck, even theAddams Familypinball machine is a classic.
The sequel, though, had real edge, and was willing to take gambles.
It gets away, for instance, with an incest subplot, somehow making it extremely funny.
Furthermore, theres a sequence where Tim Matheson Hoynes!
ends up accidentally taking hallucinogenic drugs, where the film brings in animation as well.
Its an exquisite, punchy, funny piece of work.
So naturally enough, it did less well than the original, taking just $21.4 million worldwide.
ButA Very Brady Sequel?
The Criterion Collection should really get on the case.
But the 90s would prove to be a graveyard for many comedy sequels.
Nowadays, though, thatd be less of a problem.
Just look atThe Hangovertrilogy.
And one last confession: I do have a soft spot for theNaked Gunsequels.
But Leslie Nielsen as Drebin?
Theyre films I can never switch off.
Even when OJ turns up…
