Sequels that ignored the ending of the previous film

Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" is often considered a horror masterpiece and is credited as one of the summer's premier blockbusters. Unfortunately, the three sequels are often hailed as one of the worst sequels ever made. The second installment, "Jaws 2", is very good, while the third, "Jaws 3-D", released at a time when third entries in a series were released in 3-D as a gimmick, was fine, fine worse. The film stars Dennis Quaid as Mike Brody, the son of Chief Brody (Roy Scheider), an engineer who works at Seaworld. Mike is dating marine biologist Kathryn (Bess Armstrong) and has a younger brother, Sean (John Putch).

"Jaws 3-D" was poorly received by critics, and the next in the series completely ignores it. "Jaws: The Revenge" also focuses on the Brody brothers, but they're essentially different characters. Mike is now a marine scientist played by Lance Guest, and he has a wife, Carla (Karen Young), and a daughter. Sean (now played by Mitchell Anderson) is a police deputy who is killed by a tall white man early in the film. Mike convinces his mother, Ellen (Lorraine Gary), to return to the Bahamas with him and his family after Sean's funeral, and so the bloody events continue.

The decision to forget "Jaws 3-D" didn't go over too well, however, as "Jaws: The Revenge" was universally criticized. The fourth film in the series effectively destroyed the franchise, which really shouldn't have topped the original masterpiece.