Last week sparked the arrival of 22 Jump Street, which actually, partially, enters rarefied air: it's one of the very few sequels made from television adaptations. When shows are adapted, it's a crapshoot as to whether they'll be successful or not. But a sequel? That's a rare thing. Filmmakers now have to not only honor the source material, but they need to do something different, something that doesn't give the viewer deja vu and doesn't just give them what they saw on TV already.
Very rarely does the formula work a second time. Which is why we've cherry-picked the best (and some of the worst!) for your first ever 24 Hour TV Adaptation Sequel Marathon! Allow up to five minutes between each movie and try it at home on your own!
(With apologies to Jackass Number Two and The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear)
(With no apologies to Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie)
The Rugrats Meet The Wild Thornberrys
We begin at noon with this crazy anomaly: not only is this the third Rugrats film, but it's a sequel to The Wild Thornberrys Movie. And, yes, it killed both franchises dead. Also known by the title The Rugrats Go Wild, this mash-up teams both the suburban Rugrats clan and the globe-trotting Thornberrys thanks to Chuckie's dog Spike, who can now talk thanks to the voice of Bruce Willis. Yes, you probably know a Bruce completist, and you can bet that they never even knew he was (sort of) in this!
Wayne's World 2
Based off their Saturday Night Live characters, comedy legends Mike Myers and Dana Carvey slip back into their Wayne and Garth personas for this adventure that sees them try to start Waynestock, the ultimate concert. While lambasted upon its initial release, this cameo-laden follow-up has a lot of really great laughs, many provided by Christopher Walken's memorably odd promoter.
Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Both Scooby Doo movies (there was a third made for television) were largely goofy riffs off the original series, not to be taken seriously. And in that aspect, they work, as lightweight nostalgia baubles that give a decent cast (well, ok, mostly Linda Cardellini and Matthew Lillard) a chance to camp it up in the iconic Mystery Machine. The second film is actually a minor step up from its predecessor due to the imaginative creatures our heroes must battle, and Lillard's Shaggy is still a performance of minor brilliance.
A Very Brady Sequel
No one knew what to expect from a spoofy comedy adaptation of The Brady Bunch that nonetheless preserved the aesthetics of the original series. For the sequel, they decided to blow it all up, or at least pretend to, with mother Carol's former love (a memorably sleazy Tim Matheson) entering the picture. Though it crashed and burned at the box office, A Very Brady Sequel belongs on the very small list of genuinely funny comedy sequels of any genre.
U.S. Marshals
Though The Fugitive was a massive hit, sequelizing it proved difficult: was Richard Kimble going to be falsely accused again? So why not bring back Tommy Lee Jones, who won an Oscar for the first film, and have him doggedly pursue another perp? Sadly, this sequel basically retraces the steps of the first one, with ANOTHER criminal (Wesley Snipes) innocent for his crimes. Stuart Baird does a respectable job filling in for director Andrew Davis, and there are a couple of riveting chases, but this film is mostly notable for featuring a supporting performance from Robert Downey Jr. when, reportedly, he was at his lowest ebb professionally. True to form, he's fidgety, seemingly distracted, and overall unlikable, and his career renaissance was still almost a decade away.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
If you've timed this right, you should be in primetime by now, on the cusp of 8:30. So why not go with one of the Mission: Impossible films? While they're all wonderfully different, this one is not only the consensus, but the one picture that really captures the spirit of the original series. Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt and his IMF team have to go dark when they're compromised, relying on low-tech gizmos to find a techno-terrorist.
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Yet another film lambasted upon its release but mostly enjoyable today, this paper-thin confection reunites the Angels (Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, Drew Barrymore) to face a former operative played with slinky sex appeal by Demi Moore. Like it's predecessor, this McG-directed film plays out like a non-stop beer commercial, barely holding onto the narrative as it favors pop-art submersion over coherence. It's a Charlie's Angels movie. What else were you looking for?
X-Files: I Want To Believe
Years after the show's cancellation, Mulder and Scully returned for their second cinematic adventure. Much more modest than the earlier cinematic offering, Fight The Future, this low-key chiller streamlines the complex mythology of the show to essentially try a feature-length episode about a killer in the snow who may have kidnapped a missing agent and who might be harvesting the organs of his victims. It's strictly a for-the-fans affair, but if you enjoyed the series, this extension should feel like going home again.
Trailer Park Boys: Countdown To Liquor Day
It should be around 2:20, a good enough time to enjoy the second of three (!) movies about Canada's beloved low-income screwups. In this direct sequel to the show, Ricky, Julian and Bubbles emerge from prison and immediately restart their life of crime in an attempt to retrieve Bubbles' missing kittens, while also staying out of the crosshairs of off-the-wagon nemesis Jim Lahey. Again, this is strictly for the fans, but if you enjoyed the show, the movie (which is more insular than the broadly-generic first film) will be a delight.
Sex And The City 2
It's a little after four AM, and you're doing a movie marathon – it's time to really test your ass. In this interminably long sequel, which will take you to dawn, the girls end up flying to Abu Dhabi and generally behave like ugly Americans. It's an absolute chore to sit through. Dare you to do it.
The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas
This way-too-late sequel to the smash-hit original is a major downgrade in star power, with Mark Addy, Stephen Baldwin, Kristen Johnston and Jane Krakowski. But while the scale is laughably small and the effects are cheaper, the cast are actually better and more accurate fits for the material. Look out for Alan Cumming in the absolutely bonkers dual role of The Great Gazoo and rock star Mick Jagged.
Addams Family Values
Have some breakfast with the Addams. The entire cast returns from the first film, delving into a more complex story involving Joan Cusack as a gold-digging villain out to steal Uncle Fester's heart, as Wednesday is shuttled off to Camp Chippewa to destroy a young generation of whitebread squares. This sequel is darker and more malicious, which may have turned some off, but it's arguably got some better gags than the original, particularly thanks to an absolutely game Christina Ricci.
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan
It should be a little after ten, which means that one of the all-time great sequels can take us to noon. The crew of the Enterprise must face off against a old, virile threat who seeks destroy civilizations, both to further evolution and to get revenge for his eternal sentence. Every good hero deserves a great villain, and William Shatner is matched beat by beat by Ricardo Moltanban's devious, unforgettably hairy Khan, in a struggle that may cost the ship the life of beloved Mr. Spock.
