With the Dark Knight, the sequel to Batman Begins, topping box office charts for two weeks running, eclipsing some records and set to eclipse others in the coming days and weeks, I thought I’d follow up on an idea which cropped up as I crafted my previous post and ask you to weigh in with your choice for the best motion picture sequel.
While most cliches are duds, not living up to the promise of the original (see e.g., the sequels to The Matrix), a good number have been as good as, if not better than the original. While I enjoyed Toy Story, I find myself watching to watch Toy Story 2 again and again (and yet again).
As as adult, I’ve come to prefer The Empire Strikes Back to the original Star Wars. I thought Spider-Man 2 far superior to Spider-Man (though I did love that original). And as I observed last night, Aliens engaged me more than Alien, the movie which inspired it.
Finally, there’s been that perennial debate between movie buffs over which Godfather movie is superior, Part I or II. I find the movies so different that I refuse to choose. They’re both amazing movies and both won Oscars for Best Picture.
Now, it’s your turn, what is the best movie sequel? And which sequels, in your mind, improve upon the original?
Terminator II was far better than the original IMO but not much else comes to mind.
Aliens.
Dungeons and dragons II.
A lot closer to the game, and better than the first despire a) no name cast and b) no budget
This one is easy. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was far better than Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Any Harry Potter movie that came after “the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
For me, it was “Prisoner of Azkaban.”
FYI – the latest HP film (The Half-Blood Prince) hits theatres the weekend before Thanksgiving. Clips already available on YouTube.
Regards,
Peter H.
Two sequels strike me as massively better than the first – Star Trek II:The Wrath of Khan, and The Road Warrior (sequel to Mad Max).
Leonard Part VI
In terms of story, acting (though still lame-ish), music, pacing, technical effects and in many other ways, _The Empire Strikes Back_ outclassed the original _Star Wars_. And is “the best” of the series. Perhaps coincidentally (?), it’s the one Lucas didn’t direct.
I also thought Austin Powers 2 was better than 1, and 3 better than 2. They got more and more twisted, psychologically. We take Mini-Me for granted now, but at the time the whole thing was original and perverse. And Michael Caine as everyone’s absentee father in AP3? Genius.
I thought the recent Prince Caspian was better than The Lion, Witch & The Wardrobe. Ditto on the others here. As far as Star Trek goes, ever notice that most of the even numbered sequels are the better movies? Then there are the Indian Jones movies. The 1st & 3rd were great but the 2nd & 4th sucked.
Other good sequels I’d pick: Superman II (“Kneel before Zod!”), Rocky II, Aliens & LOTR Two Towers.
Sequels are usually weakened watered down versions of what was great the first time. Unlike McSame who is just a weak watered down version of what was flawed and broken.
Funny thing is that McCain slagged off Paris Hilton and pissed of Rick Hilton, her dad who is a big contributor to his campaign. Ya gotta laugh.
#11
Yeah we need an inexperienced, America hating Marxist to raise taxes, spend trillions and piss on our soldiers.
Even better Terrence Stamp quote:
#13: TGC, this sequel is called, JIMMY CARTER 2! The Appeasement Continues. Tagline: “This time, you’re gonna need more than a sweater.”
Well, Pinky Bear in #11, you just politicized a thread and showed that while some conservatives can talk about things without bringing up politics, liberals like you are obsessed with it.
Why must you repeatedly remind us of your hatred of the current president of the United States and a Republican with a good shot of succeeding him?
And why do you repat the silly name “McSame” a man so vastly different from the incumbent? I guess you guys would rather just throw around names than actually address ideas.
And here I thought we could just take a break from taking about something as divisive as politics. But, maybe guys like you thrive in division. Or you can’t write without having a demon to vilify.
Hey, John, have you seen this?
Re: #16 – GPW, I don’t think anyone would mind if ‘Good Riddance’s’ threadjacks were just deleted. If he wants to rant dementedly against Bush, let him start his own damb blog.
[I pondered this late last night when I first read his comment, but then decided to leave it up to show how certain liberals somehow need to politicize everything. –Dan]
Kill Bill vol. II was superior to vol. I, but this was really one movie cut into two pieces for marketing purposes so maybe it shouldn’t count.
Silence of the Lambs was better than Manhunter, but it wasn’t really conceived or presented as a sequel.
Oldboy was probably better than Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, but these two are parts of a thematic trilogy rather than sequels joined by a continuous plot.
So I guess my inability to identify an honest to God sequel superior than the original (other than the ones mentioned above) probably goes toward proving the conventional wisdom.
Wait – Dawn of the Dead!
Hey, speaking of politics and sequels… Here’s a short list to fill in: Two-term Presidents who were better in their second term.
*Maybe* Eisenhower. Maybe.
Arguably, Bush 43 was on track to have a better second than first term. Finally showing some fiscal restraint, vetoing bad legislation, appointing two great SCOTUS justices, winning the Iraq War, and pushing only one piece of ruinous legislation (The Amnesty Bill) instead of several (McCain-Feingold, NCLB, the Prescription Drug Giveaway.)
Then, he had to go and sign the “Screw the Taxpayers to Bail Out Irresponsible People Who Bought More House Than They Could Afford and Used Their Equity Like an ATM Machine Because No One in a Democracy Should Be Held Responsible for Their Bad Choices” Act of 2008.
Well, you guys took all the good ones. Empire Strikes Back, Aliens, Two Towers, Terminator 2
Xmen 2 and 3 were each better than their predecessors. Addams Family Values was much better than the first (with Joan Cusack and Carol Kane it had to be). National Lampoons Christmas Vacation was infinately funnier than Vacation or European Vacation (I try to watch it every year, and laugh my ass off every time).
It seems theres some big ones we’re forgetting, but I cant think what they are.
Yeah, I know there’s at least one other sequel that was just w-a-a-a-y better than the first, but I can’t think of what it is.
On a related note, the sequel that sucked the worst compared to its predecessor… The Transporter 2. Everything that was great about the first movie was completely trashed in the sequel.
Star Trek II has the distinction of being a double sequel in that is was a sequel to the original TV show and also sequel to the first Star Trek movie.
Aliens has to be the best sequel ever made BUT gotta love ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES….definitely gets the gay vote as the best lines to take to a party. “PASTELS????”
I resist in responding to the PINKO BEAR comments…..
but JUST IGNORE HIM AND HE MIGHT JUST GO AWAY, but he is like a bad rash….he just keeps coming back!
PINKO BEAR, I think I hear your mother calling…oh yes, its Michael Moore (judging by the man boobs)…..GET OUT…..if we want to hear your crap we can just turn on NBC or go to the Daily Krap.
The earthquake the other day was much better than 1973’s “Earthquake” with Charlton Heston and Victoria Principal.
You can blame the Banking Industry for their greed on the Home Market Collapse. Lots of them got rich before these folks ended up in default.
Yup — like the Democrats who were receiving fat campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as the ones like Obama and Dodd receiving cheap mortgages.
By the way, Pinky Bear, just in case you didn’t know, banks that don’t lend to people with spotty credit histories and low incomes get charged with “redlining” and can be forced by law to lend to “these folks”. It’s disingenous for Democrat Party puppets like you to bash banks for making risky loans when you forced them to do it by law, but it’s no surprise that you do it; after all, both Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi got their wealth from shady real-estate transactions.
Because they’re so desperate to run against Bush, even though they failed each time they tried. Somewhere during the primaries, it finally dawned on them that Bush isn’t running. So now they have to pretend that McCain is Bush.
I find it interesting that they’re perfectly willing to make fun of Seasoned Citizens and show us what they really think of them when they attack McCain.
Of the ones that haven’t been mentioned, I’d say Shrek 2 was better than the original. (Shrek 3, however, was the worst of the three.) I agree with Peter H. that P of A is the best of the Harry Potter movies so far. I’ve liked them all, but I found the character interaction to be the most impressive of the movies.
Sean A: “This time, you’re gonna need more than a sweater.†🙂 Great tagline!
It seems that only action movies and sometimes non-action dramas have sequels that top the original. I can’t think of any comedies or romance films with sequels on par with the original.
Oh this one’s easy. Best movie sequel is……….T2.
“Terminator 2” is truly one of the BEST action movies EVER. My god it has been 17 years since that movie came out and it still impresses. The effects have aged well and It’s EPIC. I love this movie.
I like “Spider-Man”, but “Spider-Man 2” was CRAP. I HATED that movie, truly one of THE worst movies I have EVER seen. The romance between Peter and Mary-Jane was vomit unducing, I wanted to slap them both. Hahaha
They were overtly dramatic and sappy and it killed me, I hope to god that I don’t have to watch that movie for many years.
I might be arrested for this, but I did not like ANY of the “Godfather” movies, none.
Movie sequels that were far better (and the title of the originals)
“The Empire Strikes Back” (Star Wars)
“The Road Warrior” (Mad Max)
“Star Trek II–The Wrath of Khan” (Star Trek–The Movie)