1989: Year of the Sequel

Few years have contained as incredible an amount of sequelitis as the final year of the 1980's. Quite fitting, as this was the decade in which the commercialization of the Hollywood blockbuster had truly flourished. Without further ado, here's the gigantic list of 1989's franchised follow-ups...

• AMERICAN NINJA 3: BLOOD HUNT
• BACK TO THE FUTURE, PART II
• BARBARIAN QUEEN II: THE EMPRESS STRIKES BACK
• BEYOND THE DOOR III
• C.H.U.D. II: BUD THE C.H.U.D.
• COBRA MISSION 2
• DANGER ZONE II: REAPER'S REVENGE
• EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS II: EDDIE LIVES
• FLESH GORDON AND THE COSMIC CHEERLEADERS
• FLETCH LIVES
• THE FLY II
• FRIDAY THE 13TH, PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN
• GHOSTBUSTERS II
• GNAW: FOOD OF THE GODS II
• THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY II
• GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE
• HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS
• HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD II
• THE HORROR SHOW (HOUSE III)
• HOWLING V: THE REBIRTH
• INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE
• THE KARATE KID, PART III
• LETHAL WEAPON 2
• LICENCE TO KILL (BOND 16)
• NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION
• A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET: THE DREAM CHILD
• OUTLAW OF GOR
• POLICE ACADEMY 6: CITY UNDER SIEGE
• THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING
• THE RETURN OF THE MUSKETEERS
• SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT III: BETTER WATCH OUT!
• SILK 2
• SLEEPAWAY CAMP III: TEENAGE WASTELAND
• SPEED ZONE! (CANNONBALL RUN III)
• STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER
• STEPFATHER II
• STRIPPED TO KILL II: LIVE GIRLS
• THE TOXIC AVENGER, PART II
• THE TOXIC AVENGER, PART III: THE LAST TEMPTATION OF TOXIE
• WIZARDS OF THE LOST KINGDOM II

'89 also saw the launch of franchises that would inspire their own continuations over the following years, such as: Tim Burton's BATMAN, BEST OF THE BEST, BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, DEEPSTAR SIX, Disney's HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS, K-9, KILLER CROCODILE, LOOK WHO'S TALKING, MAJOR LEAGUE, MOONTRAP, RED SCORPION, SAVAGE BEACH, WARLOCK and WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S.

From 1987 to 1989, the amount of sequels seemed to increase little by little. Naturally, I've gone to great lengths (not really) to include lists for years '87 & '88, as well...

1988

• ANGEL III: THE FINAL CHAPTER
• ARTHUR 2: ON THE ROCKS
• BILOXI BLUES
• BLACK COBRA 2
• BRADDOCK: MISSING IN ACTION III
• CADDYSHACK II
• COCOON: THE RETURN
• CRITTERS 2: THE MAIN COURSE
• 'CROCODILE' DUNDEE II
• CURSE II: THE BITE
• THE DEAD POOL
• DEATH NURSE 2
• DEATHSTALKER AND THE WARRIORS FROM HELL
• THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION, PART II: THE METAL YEARS
• EMMANUELLE 6
• ERNEST SAVES CHRISTMAS
• FRIDAY THE 13TH, PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD
• FRIGHT NIGHT, PART 2
• 'GATOR BAIT II: CAJUN JUSTICE
• HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS
• HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II
• HOWLING IV: THE ORIGINAL NIGHTMARE
• IRON EAGLE II
• L.A. CRACKDOWN II
• A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER
• NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER II: RAGING THUNDER
• PHANTASM II
• POLICE ACADEMY 5: ASSIGNMENT MIAMI BEACH
• POLTERGEIST III
• RAMBO III
• RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES!
• RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, PART II
• RETURN TO SNOWY RIVER
• SATURDAY THE 14TH STRIKES BACK
• SHORT CIRCUIT 2
• SLEEPAWAY CAMP II: UNHAPPY CAMPERS
• THUNDER WARRIOR III
• THE UNDERSTUDY: GRAVEYARD SHIFT II

1987

• AMERICAN NINJA 2: THE CONFRONTATION
• BENJI THE HUNTED
• BEVERLY HILLS COP II
• BIG BAD MAMA II
• THE CARE BEARS: ADVENTURE IN WONDERLAND
• CREEPSHOW 2
• CRIMINALLY INSANE II
• DEATH WISH 4: THE CRACKDOWN
• DEATHSTALKER II: DUEL OF THE TITANS
• EMMANUELLE V
• EVIL DEAD II: DEAD BY DAWN
• GHOULIES II
• HELLO, MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II
• HOUSE II: THE SECOND STORY
• HOWLING III: THE MARSUPIALS
• IT'S ALIVE III: ISLAND OF THE ALIVE
• JAWS: THE REVENGE
• THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (BOND 15)
• A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS
• PENITENTIARY III
• POLICE ACADEMY 4: CITIZENS ON PATROL
• A RETURN TO SALEM'S LOT
• REVENGE OF THE NERDS II: NERDS IN PARADISE
• SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, PART 2
• SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II
• SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE
• TEEN WOLF TOO
• THEY STILL CALL ME BRUCE

You're welcome.