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The derided conclusion to a billion-dollar phenomenon never needed to exist in the first place

Stretching a thin premise will past the point of common sense.

the-hangover-part-III
via Warner Bros.

While there are regularly a thousand good reasons for a franchise to continue churning out new installments, it’s often very easy to spot the ones that are made for the most cynical reasons. After the first installment exploded to become a certifiable sensation, The Hangover was monetized to within an inch of its life, even though there was really no need to tell any more stories.

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Coming out of nowhere to go down in the history books as one of the most successful R-rated comedies in the history of cinema, the first chapter showed incredible legs at the box office to haul in $467 million on a $35 million budget, earning stellar reviews in the process, and becoming one of the most widely-quoted comic capers of the decade.

the-hangover-part-III
via Warner Bros.

The sequel cost over twice as much and earned over $100 million more from theaters, despite being widely-panned for simply rehashing the exact same story in a different location. Returning to the well once more against better judgement, The Hangover Part III never once for even so much as a second felt as though it was a movie that needed to exist.

That was reflected in the critical and commercial response, too; armed with a budget north of $100 million, the profit margins were whittled down massively when the trilogy-capper limped to a solid-if-unspectacular $362 million in ticket sales, hitting franchise-low scores on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic in the process in terms of both critical and audience reception.

If ever there was a cautionary tale of running a popular property into the ground by needlessly extending its lifespan, then The Hangover Part III has definitely got to be up there.