Sequels that are as good as (or better than) the original

[MacGuffin]

Because I can't think of any of the top of my head, and it's Halloween--there are a lot of horror movies that have sequels (although don't necessarily feel restricted to horror).

[Spinal]

X-Men 2
Spiderman 2
Manderlay
Evil Dead 2
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome

[DavidSeven]

The three typical picks for this group are deserving of their status and set the standard:

The Godfather Part II
The Empire Strikes Back
The Dark Knight

And now we wait. We wait for the contrarians.

[Qrazy]

Empire Strikes Back
Aliens
Godfather Part II
The Dark Knight
Orpheus
In the Mood for Love
Evil Dead II
Samurai II
X2
Star Trek II
Toy Story II
Terminator 2
Red

[Spinal]

The three typical picks for this group are deserving of their status and set the standard:

The Godfather Part II
The Empire Strikes Back
The Dark Knight

And now we wait. We wait for the contrarians.

Never been a fan of the second Godfather.

Used to agree on Empire, but my most recent viewing was very disappointing.

Definitely agree on the Batman movie.

[Winston*]

Mad Max II: The Road Warrior
LOTR: The Two Towers
Three Colours: White
For a Few Dollars More / The Good, the Bad and The Ugly

[Spinal]

Three Colours: White
For a Few Dollars More / The Good, the Bad and The Ugly

Yes.

[jenniferofthejungle]

Dawn of the Dead as good as. :)

[Raiders]

BABE: PIG IN THE CITY
THE EXORCIST III
THE BOURNE SUPREMACY
THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE
OCEAN'S TWELVE
GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH

[jenniferofthejungle]

Braden here:

Star Trek II:The Wrath of Khan

Friday the 13th Part 2 (I know that's not saying much, but it still holds true)

Return of the One-Armed Swordsman

From Russia with Love

[transmogrifier]

More than you'd think:

Three Colours: White
Batman Returns
Terminator 3
The Empire Strikes Back
Toy Story 3
Infernal Affairs II
The Addams Family Values
LOTR: The Two Towers
The Chronicles of Riddick
The Bourne Supremacy
Hellboy 2
Ocean's 12
Final Destination 2
Babe Pig in the City
Austin Powers 2
Before Sunset
Gremlins 2
Back to the Future 2
The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Aliens

plus (but I don't like these ones either all that much)

The Dark Knight
Spiderman 2
Rush Hour 2

[DavidSeven]

Used to agree on Empire, but my most recent viewing was very disappointing.

Did you rewatch Star Wars too? I rewatched both a few years ago and was surprised by how much better made Empire was than the first. The first 2/3 of Star Wars has the look and feel of a kids' movie (in the worst sense of the phrase). The end holds up though.

---

Two Towers is definitely the best film in that series.

And I recall Red being my favorite of the Three Colors Trilogy as well. Agree on T2, X2, TS 2 as well. No on ITMFL over Days of Being Wild.

Manderlay as good as Dogville? Wow. I actually really like the movie but the downgrade from Kidman to Howard alone seems to render that impossible.

EDIT: And yeah, Ocean's Twelve is so much better than Eleven it's not even funny.

[Winston*]

Surprised no ones mentioned Cuaron's Harry Potter film. What are we? Adults?

[jenniferofthejungle]

More than you'd think:

Terminator 3
LOTR: The Two Towers
Hellboy 2


Your list, but I had to say HELL NO to these.

[transmogrifier]

Surprised no ones mentioned Cuaron's Harry Potter film. What are we? Adults?

It's just as bad/good (delete as applicable) as all the others.

[Bosco B Thug]

Hellraiser II
It's Alive III: Island of the Alive
The Curse of the Cat People
Dr. Phibes Rises Again

All are really "kind ofs" or "almosts"... I actually think none of those are better than the part 1s. Me fail.

[Qrazy]

Did you rewatch Star Wars too? I rewatched both a few years ago and was surprised by how much better made Empire was than the first. The first 2/3 of Star Wars has the look and feel of a kids' movie (in the worst sense of the phrase). The end holds up though.


Agree on how much better made Empire is.

But in regards to the original I feel the opposite. I find the last third by far the weakest part of the film. It's an asinine concept (destroying the death star that way), followed by shoddy execution (really don't care for the cinematics in that final battle) and topped off by a lame medal ceremony. I enjoy everything up through the trash compactor sequence and then I find the film becomes fairly blah.

[Qrazy]

I would say...

The Fellowship of the Ring (theatrical) = The Two Towers: Extended Edition > The Return of the King.

The other two extendeds are fun but I prefer the theatrical cut in both cases.

[megladon8]

Surprised no ones mentioned Cuaron's Harry Potter film. What are we? Adults?


Yeah, that one is not only the best of the Potter films, but ranks among the great fantasy films IMO.

And I'm sorry but Fellowship of the Ring is by far the best of the trilogy.

[Qrazy]

Yeah, that one is not only the best of the Potter films, but ranks among the great fantasy films IMO.

And I'm sorry but Fellowship of the Ring is by far the best of the trilogy.

It is, but The Two Towers Extended is damn good, really adds to that film.

[transmogrifier]

Yeah, that one is not only the best of the Potter films, but ranks among the great fantasy films IMO.

And I'm sorry but Fellowship of the Ring is by far the best of the trilogy.

Why are you sorry? People have the right to be wrong about whatever they like in the privacy of their own home.

[Skitch]

Your list, but I had to say HELL NO to these.

Funny. I was gonna disagree with the same ones.

[D_Davis]

Return of the One-Armed Swordsman
The Swordsman II

[Spinal]

Did you rewatch Star Wars too? I rewatched both a few years ago and was surprised by how much better made Empire was than the first. The first 2/3 of Star Wars has the look and feel of a kids' movie (in the worst sense of the phrase). The end holds up though.

Yes, I did. I see what people are saying when they say that the second film is better made technically, but that's never been a huge factor for me. I prefer the first film's sense of discovery and invention.


Manderlay as good as Dogville? Wow. I actually really like the movie but the downgrade from Kidman to Howard alone seems to render that impossible.


I'd still rate Dogville higher, but not by much. I actually prefer Bryce Dallas Howard to Kidman, so that might have something to do with it.

[Ezee E]

I actually prefer Manderlay. I think Lars figures out what worked well in Dogville and improved on it with the use of the set.

[Spinal]

I actually prefer Manderlay. I think Lars figures out what worked well in Dogville and improved on it with the use of the set.

Yes, it's certainly a film that is clearer in articulating its themes. Perhaps to the point where Trier felt that there was no need to proceed to the thrid part. It was getting too easy.

[Benny Profane]

Back to the Future 2




Are you high? I mean it's not terrible, but nowhere close to as good as the first.

[Qrazy]

Are you high? I mean it's not terrible, but nowhere close to as good as the first.

Agreed.

[transmogrifier]

Are you high? I mean it's not terrible, but nowhere close to as good as the first.

It's darker, funnier, more ambitious.

[Rowland]

I agree with a bunch so far, here are some more:

The Devil's Rejects
Halloween 2 (Zombie)
Transporter 2
Universal Soldier: Regeneration
28 Weeks Later
Spider-Man 3
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning > TCM remake
Saw III > first two
Alien 3
Jeepers Creepers 2
Ju-On: The Grudge 2
Mimic 3

[Bosco B Thug]

I can't post without writing outside of the quotes, so that's why this sentence is here:


I agree with a bunch so far, here are some more:

The Devil's Rejects - PROBABLY
Halloween 2 (Zombie) - I'm gonna AGREE
28 Weeks Later - Ultimately a NAW, not as grossly fashionable as 1, but it's so shoddy...
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning > TCM remake - Are you sure The Beginning isn't just TERRIBLE?
Saw III > first two - I don't really care to recall, but I'm pretty sure I AGREE
Alien 3 - No way
Ju-On: The Grudge 2 - Eh, maybe. The Grudge 1 isn't very good, 2 probably is the more interesting and re-watchable.

[soitgoes...]

Saying Aliens 3 is baffling to me. The first two are so good, way too good for the third installment to even be considered.

[transmogrifier]

Saying Aliens 3 is baffling to me. The first two are so good, way too good for the third installment to even be considered.

All three of those movies are awesome in their own way. Aliens still takes the crown, however.

Best trilogy ever, front to back? I think so.

[soitgoes...]

All three of those movies are awesome in their own way. Aliens still takes the crown, however.

Best trilogy ever, front to back? I think so.Kieslowski's Three Colors, Kiarostami's Koker and Hou's Coming of Age trilogies are all better, but it's definitely near the top.

[soitgoes...]

Kieslowski's Three Colors, Kiarostami's Koker and Hou's Coming of Age trilogies are all better, but it's definitely near the top.Oh, and The Human Condition trilogy. Forgot that one.

[transmogrifier]

Kieslowski's Three Colors, Kiarostami's Koker and Hou's Coming of Age trilogies are all better, but it's definitely near the top.

Three Colors is good, but not as. The others I haven't seen.

[Killed_by_Smalls]

Red > Blue & White
Sanjuro=Yojimbo
For a Few Dollars More
Return of the King > Two Towers > Fellowship(considering only extended cuts)
Empire Strikes Back
Evil Dead 2
Spider-Man 2
X2
Road Warrior
Bourne Supremacy
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey
Prisoner of Azkaban > Goblet of Fire/Half-Blood Prince/Order of the Phoenix > Chris Columbus
Star Trek II > III & IV > I

[Spinal]

Are White and Red really sequels though? I'm not sure that they are.

[soitgoes...]

Are White and Red really sequels though? I'm not sure that they are.
Not really. Just because they are included in a trilogy doesn't make them sequels. A sequel is the continuation of a story, or so I thought.

[Spinal]

Not really. Just because they are included in a trilogy doesn't make them sequels. A sequel is the continuation of a story, or so I thought.

I suppose in the loosest sense, they are. But when an acclaimed filmmaker makes a series of thematically-related films using different characters, we shouldn't be suprised that the second or third might be superior to the first; whereas, it seems to be a rare accomplishment for a director to come in and breathe new life into an action, adventure or horror series.

[Winston*]

Characters do carry over between the films in the Three Colours Trilogy though.

[Ezee E]

The Three Colors trilogy was intended to be one, so I'd say that's valid.

It's when you get into things like the Vietnam Trilogy by Stone or Gus Van Sant's Voyeur Trilogy (or whatever you want to call it) where it starts to get complicated.

I'll still vie for the Original Star Wars trilogy as the best.

[Skitch]

No love for Star Trek: The Motion Picture? I still think its the best of the originals.

[Skitch]

All three of those movies are awesome in their own way. Aliens still takes the crown, however.

Best trilogy ever, front to back? I think so.

You know what? I'm gonna go ahead and agree with this.

[megladon8]

In my oh-so-humble opinion, the greatest film trilogy of all time is still The Man With No Name.

Re-watched The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly last night and it's still incredible.

They're brilliant in every regard.

[number8]

Heh, why are you guys arguing about Alien 3 when clearly Alien: Resurrection is the best of the franchise?

[Ezee E]

Heh, why are you guys arguing about Alien 3 when clearly Alien: Resurrection is the best of the franchise?
Don't be silly.

[Fezzik]

And I'm sorry but Fellowship of the Ring is by far the best of the trilogy.

Thank you. I was about to ask if I was the only one who thought that :D

As for sequels being better, IMO (some have already been mentioned, but they bear repeating:

The Empire Strikes Back
Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3
The Bourne Ultimatum
Aliens
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Mission: Impossible III
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (nice catch, Killed)
Addam's Family Values
The Silence of the Lambs (dunno if this counts as a sequel, tho)

[bac0n]

A few I'd like to throw out:

* Destroy All Monsters (tho admittedly it's classification as a sequel to Gojira is dubious at best)
* Before Sunset
* Return of The Street Fighter
* Rocky 2

[Dukefrukem]

No love for Star Trek: The Motion Picture? I still think its the best of the originals.

I think it took me 7 sittings to watch it in full. I kept falling asleep. Plus it's a total rip from one of the episodes. Lame.

<3