There are bad sequels, there are unnecessary sequels, and then there is The Sting II.
Whenever I see a list of disappointing movie sequels, I always think of The Sting II. It wasn’t merely a sequel to a great movie. It was a sequel to one of the greatest movies ever made. The original The Sting won the Academy Award for Best Picture, featured the perfect pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford, had a brilliant script, memorable characters, and one of the most satisfying endings in film history.
Then someone decided it needed a sequel.
Why?
That’s the question I keep asking.
The original film worked because of the chemistry between Newman and Redford. They were two of the biggest stars in Hollywood and their performances elevated an already great script. The Sting II had neither of them. Instead, we got Jackie Gleason and Mac Davis. I like Jackie Gleason. I even have a soft spot for The Honeymooners. But replacing Paul Newman and Robert Redford with Jackie Gleason and Mac Davis is like replacing Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays with a couple of guys from the local softball league.
The magic was gone.
What made matters worse was that the sequel seemed to misunderstand why people loved the original movie. The first film wasn’t successful because it was about con men. It was successful because the audience cared about the characters and wanted to see them succeed. The elaborate con was merely the vehicle. Remove the characters, and you’re left with a shell of the original concept.
Hollywood has always been fascinated with sequels because sequels seem safer than original ideas. If something worked once, executives convince themselves it can work again. Sometimes they’re right. The Godfather Part II justified its existence. So did The Empire Strikes Back. But those films brought back the essential ingredients that made the originals successful.
The Sting II felt like a movie made because someone owned the title.
That’s never a good reason to make a sequel.
I’ve often said that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. That rule applies in the retirement plan business, and it applies in Hollywood. The people behind The Sting II apparently looked at one of the greatest movies ever made and thought, “Let’s do it again.”
The problem was they left behind almost everything that made the first movie great.
So whenever I see The Sting II on television, I don’t get angry. I just shake my head and ask the same question I’ve been asking for years:
What were they thinking?
