Examples of Late Franchise Buffoonery

Late Franchise Buffoonery is a phenomena whereby a series of films starts out seriously but gets sillier and sillier as later installments go for the cheap laughs.

Live and Let Die (1973)

• Sheriff J.W. Pepper shows up and hilarity ensues.

Superman II (1980)

• Citzens of Metropolis are blown around comically by super-winds.
• Superman trying not to Laugh

Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)

• Movie stops to let Rancor's keeper weep and be consoled for his deceased charge.
• Chewie swings on a vine on the Endor moon while making the "Tarzan" yell.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

• Marcus Brody transforms into a buffoon, completely un-doing the character we met in "Raiders of the Lost Ark".

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

• Uhura, Chekov and Scotty are transformed into bumbling idiots madly leafing through Klingon translation books.

Lethal Weapon sequels (1989 to 1998)

• Adding the Leo Getz character to the sequels drove this action franchise further and further into the buffoonery zone.

Batman & Robin (1997)

• Mr. Freeze's never-ending series of puns.

Terminator 3 (2003)

• "Talk to the hand."

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

• Peter Parker Evil's Dance