Last week we got the first trailer for Gladiator II and all I could think about was how this was a legacy sequel we didn’t need. Legacy sequels are all the rage these days. It’s when Hollywood takes a long abandoned movie or franchise and comes up with a new sequel a decade+ later, most often with the same cast. The same cast is usually the selling point.

We’ve already gotten a new Beverly Hills Cop this year, and we’re due to have Beetlejuice 2 later this year. Announcements have been made for legacy sequels to Happy Gilmore and Spaceballs. But we’ve had tons in recent years, from Ghostbusters to the Matrix to The Incredibles. Personally, I’m hit or miss with these. If they make for good movies, fine, but not every movie needs a legacy sequel. In fact, I’ve put together a list of six stand alone movies that don’t need legacy sequels. They’re mostly from the 80s and 90s, because that’s long ago at this point to count as a legacy sequel, and the casts are all mostly still alive and still around.

Join me after the jump for six movies that I don’t think should ever be graced with a legacy sequel. And feel free to share some of your own in the comments below!

Honorable Mentions: Tarantino and Wright films

As I was making this list, a lot of Quentin Tarantino movies popped into my head, like Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction…but then I didn’t want to make the list entirely those movies. And then I also thought of the Edgar Wright films, like Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz. Again, all of his early flicks would probably count. So rather than clog the list, I’m putting the works of both directors here. They shouldn’t have legacy sequels…with the only exception being Kill Bill vol. 3. I’m totally down for a Kill Bill legacy sequel, directed by Tarantino, should he ever feel like making it.

6. Napoleon Dynamite

God bless Jon Heder, he really tried his best. I read a breakdown online once that explained that Heder in Napoleon Dynamite was lightning in a bottle and Hollywood was ready to cast him as the next big comedy breakout star…only to learn that Heder wasn’t really acting in Napoleon Dynamite, that’s just how he was. His star fizzled after that. I’m sure the dude would love a legacy sequel, but that’s not a good choice for anybody. We’ve all moved on. And it’s OK to move on.

5. Forrest Gump

Tom Hanks is still around and is as beloved as ever. And The original Forrest Gump book does indeed have a sequel, called “Gump and Company.” I read the book when I was a teenager and it’s more of the same. Forrest becomes an international soccer player and causes the fall of the Berlin Wall. He meets Tom Hanks. He causes the invention of New Coke. I’m pretty sure the author hated the movie adaptation. But we don’t need a movie sequel. We don’t need to know what old man Forrest or adult Forrest Jr. are up to. We don’t need to check back in with Lt. Dan, even though Gary Sinise is also still with us. Forrest Gump accomplished everything he needed to accomplish on the big screen.

4. Shawshank Redemption

Andy and Red lived happily ever after in Mexico and that’s that. We don’t need to follow up on their lives. We don’t need to put either of them back in prison. We don’t need to revisit Shawshank Prison just to see some new inmates talk in hushed tones about Andy Dufresne. It’s a perfect movie and none of it should ever be revisited.

3. The Goonies

All of the Goonies are adults now, some of them with jobs outside of acting. Could Hollywood bring them all back together for a reunion movie? Yeah, probably. Should Hollywood do that? No way! Goonies never say die, but this franchise should stay dead. Let the memories be the memories. Let that happiness be all we need. Let the treasure stay buried.

2. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Actor Henry Thomas, who played Elliott in the original E.T., is still a working actor. Drew Barrymore is obviously still around. And I’m sure E.T. hasn’t been up to much since his breakout role. But E.T. does not need to return to Earth. We do not need a sequel. We don’t need to visit E.T.’s home planet. We don’t need new lore about his species. We don’t need to see what Elliott is doing as an adult. Surely Steve Spielberg has other movies he can make.

1. Fifth Element

Sadly, Bruce Willis isn’t going to be making any more movies and I hope his remaining time on this Earth is great. But even still, there’s no reason to revisit the world of The Fifth Element. It’s a wonderful, beautiful, fascinating world, but we’ve seen enough and have enjoyed enough. We don’t need to revisit Leeloo and maybe her daughter with Korben Dallas. We don’t need to learn about a sixth element. We don’t need to follow up with any of those weird alien races. The story was done in one and that’s how it should remain.

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