Movie Sequels that were better than the original.

[Dee Snider]

It's not often sequels surpass the first one but a few spring to mind.

- Superman II

- A Nightmare on Elm St III: Dream Warriors

- Jaws II -most people probably won't agree but I preferred it. It also had the best tag line ever.

- Rocky II

- The Empire Strikes Back

I'm not counting movies that were part of a triology/series(LoTR, Harry Potter).

Any others?

Really? Its a cool movie but better than the original? I always thought he best thing about part 3 was Dokken's theme song!

Wrong Turn 2 was better than the original.

 

[muesli]

This. Clerks is 10 times the film Clerks 2 was.

Agreed

 

[LadyPants]

Wasn't Star Wars a trilogy/series?

I thought that too? I guess it is just so amazing it can bend the rules.

 

[themidlandmaster]

I thought that too? I guess it is just so amazing it can bend the rules.

All the OP's example's are:

It's not often sequels surpass the first one but a few spring to mind.

- Superman - 4 films

- A Nightmare on Elm St - 9 films

- Jaws II - 4 films

- Rocky - 6 films

- The Empire Strikes Back - 3/6 films


Any others?

 

[stewie griffen]

I thought that too? I guess it is just so amazing it can bend the rules.

The second half of Jedi doesnt exist... I keep trying to tell myself that therefore its more of a 2.5ogy

 

[Paranoid]

The Devil's Rejects

 

[raskolnikov]

All the OP's example's are:

It's not often sequels surpass the first one but a few spring to mind.

- Superman - 4 films

- A Nightmare on Elm St - 9 films

- Jaws II - 4 films

- Rocky - 6 films

- The Empire Strikes Back - 3/6 films


Any others?

That's not what I meant.

By triology/series I mean movies that were made with sequels already planned and that were a continuation of the first one. Harry Potter and LoTR were written as a series and therefore there was always going to be sequels made.

 

[Wallaby]

Toy Story > Toy Story 2

Although IMO Toy Story 3 was the best of the lot!

Interesting. I've had the Toy Story v Toy Story 2 argument a few times - I really like both. Great movies. I was astonished that No 2 was as good, because Number 1 was excellent, and rarely do sequels get close to the original,

But I dont think much of Toy Story 3 - and I am clearly in a minority.

 

[RobbyRoy]

My opinion:

The Dark Knight > Batman Begins
The Two Towers > The Fellowship of the Ring
Empire Strikes Back > Star Wars
X Men 2 > X-Men
Spider-Man 2 > Spider-Man
The Godfather 2 > The Godfather

Alien > Aliens
Terminator > Terminator 2
Toy Story > Toy Story 2
Blade > Blade 2
Rocky > Rocky 2
Before Sunset > Before Sunrise

 

[catman 71]

I believe with most of the films listed, that there were always plans to have a second one, so they had a story to use for the sequel, and probably kept some things back.

I think some of the sequels are better, because in the first, they get too bogged down with character development (e.g. Star Wars, (Luke on Tatooine for 45 minutes)) and Superman The Movie (he didn't even become Superman untilt he first hour of the movie). These films take too long to set the scene, whereas the sequel jumps straight into the story and the action, because the hard work has already been done.

I am someone who thinks character development should be ongoing throughout the film (a bit revealed here and there), not taking up a half of the picture. Some of these films have this luxury, because they always intend on having a sequel.

Where sequels don't work is when they want to "cash in" on a franchise, but just repeat the same things from the first film (e.g. Hangover II). There are numerous sequels which milk the same ten jokes again and again, because they never intended to have a sequel, so have nothing left to say.

IMO, the most unnecessary sequel ever was "Deuce Bigalow:European Gigolo".

 

[raskolnikov]

I watched Final Destination 5 last night. I thought it was pretty damn good for a sequel, especially a 5th one. I liked how they tied it all in at the end too.

 

[SA1NTER]

Back to the Future part 2 was better then the first IMO.

 

[Mr Eagle]

Will cop chit for this but I maintain this belief:

Matrix Reloaded > Matrix

MR needed a decent third film to deliver on everything it put in place. As we all know, that didn't happen.

 

[Alesana]

American Pie 2 > American Pie
LOTR Return of the King > LOTR The Two Towers
LOTR The Two Towers > LOTR Fellowship of the Ring
Harold & Kumar Guantanamo Bay > Harold & Kumar White Castle
Jackass 2 > Jackass
Fast Five > Fast & Furious

 

[Rocco Jones]

I see a few people mentioning Dark Knight > Batman Begins. While I overall agree with this, I think it's not as simple as other original v sequel debates.

Batman Begins reminds me of a migrant who works his arse off in crappy jobs to ensure a better life for their kids. It's not flashy but it built a wonderful base of substance for the new series after the crapfest that was Schumacher.

 

[Icanwalk]

Toy Story 3
Terminator 2
LOTR: ROTK
Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkhaban
Empire Strikes Back
Dark Knight

Don't know if these count cos not really direct sequels so to speak, but
Oldboy (Vengence Trilogy)
The good, the bad, the ugly (Fistull trilogy)

Godfather >> Godfather II

How could someone prefer Martix: Reloaded to the original. Blasphemous.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Christmas vacation better than the original? I adore the original, can take or leave the Christmas one.

Never really cared for Xmas Vacation since the Griswolds don't actually go anywhere.

 

[FootyJunkie]

American Pie 2 > American Pie

Disagree... 2 really had no plot, just a bunch of gags with familiar characters, 3 had the opposite problem... had a story but the jokes were getting tired by then running on a skeleton cast... hopefully 4 (the Reunion) has some spirit of the original.

 

[FootyJunkie]

BTTF 2 has NOTHING on BTTF.

Back to the Future part 2 was better then the first IMO.

hardcore fans will say yes to II, due to the more extensive use of the DeLorean, more darker, cliffhanger ending, and doing what no sequel had ever done before... literally return to the original

casual fans would probably be turned off a bit by the scene where Doc has to get a black board out to explain wtf is going on, and would prefer the much more simple original

3 was watchable, but was the weakest of the trilogy, pretty much a re-hash of the first one

 

[ManWithNoName]

hardcore fans will say yes to II, due to the more extensive use of the DeLorean, more darker, cliffhanger ending, and doing what no sequel had ever done before... literally return to the original

casual fans would probably be turned off a bit by the scene where Doc has to get a black board out to explain wtf is going on, and would prefer the much more simple original

3 was watchable, but was the weakest of the trilogy, pretty much a re-hash of the first one

I'm the most hardcore fan possible but BTTF obliterates number 2. BTTF is one of the greatest films ever made.

 

[TheStinger]

Aside from the many quotable Paxton lines ("Why don't you put her in charge then?"), Alien is so far ahead of Aliens it isn't funny. But then again I am a Ridley Scott fanboy, so what would I know.

I too am in the TDK is better than Batman Begins camp.

How about Lethal Weapon 2 > Lethal Weapon?

 

[Xtreme]

The original BTTF is streets ahead of BTTF 2 and BTTF 3. Growing up i loved BTTF 2 more as it was more fun and cool, but much like my thoughts on Terminator vs Terminator 2, the story in the original BTTF eclipses the other movies.

I still get goosebumps when

Spoiler

Marty thinks he is too late when he returns back to 1985, only for Doc to be shown wearing the bullet proof vest

 

[TheStinger]

The original BTTF is streets ahead of BTTF 2 and BTTF 3. Growing up i loved BTTF 2 more as it was more fun and cool, but much like my thoughts on Terminator vs Terminator 2, the story in the original BTTF eclipses the other movies.

I still get goosebumps when

Spoiler

Marty thinks he is too late when he returns back to 1985, only for Doc to be shown wearing the bullet proof vest

Is the spoiler really necessary? The movie is 26 years old for crying out loud.

I thought of another one. The Naked Gun 2 1/2 > The Naked Gun.

 

[Xtreme]

Is the spoiler really necessary? The movie is 26 years old for crying out loud.

This is the internet, i have been on forums where people whinge about such things despite the age of the movie

 

[FootyJunkie]

I'm the most hardcore fan possible but BTTF obliterates number 2. BTTF is one of the greatest films ever made.

One criticism of the sequels was that the "chicken" taunt became really forced... was not even brought up at all in the first one (since no sequel was ever originally intended), yet became a significant plot point in II and III. Some may argue that Marty's involvement in 1955 changed the timeline in his family, and so by the time Marty reaches 2015, the ripple effect had already caught up with him with new history/experiences/issues like the "chicken" taunting that wasn't even shown in the first movie and was never explained how it came about.

Another thing was Jennifer Parker. I personally preferred Claudia Wells (I) over Elizabeth Shue (II and III), but besides that, she was pretty much a useless character in the sequels... they had her in the "riding off into the sunset" ending of I, but couldn't find anything decent for her to do after realising they were stuck with her at the start of II, so Doc knocks her out after a minute into the sequel. Was a bit weak IMO.