Support NeoGAF

[Boss Doggie]

Obvious and already stated but:

Godfather Part 2
Empire Strikes Back
Spiderman 2
Dark Knight
Wrath of Khan

Also OP technically Two Towers isn't a sequel. There's only one film/novel called Lord of the Rings that was chopped into three to make it more consumable to joe public size wise so all you're really saying is you liked the middle of the film more. Pedantic I know but it always annoys me when people don't factor this element of LOTR in when they talk about sequels, planning out story etc.

Love the Temple of Doom mention too. Completely wrong but nice to see preaching for the underdog!

I thought The Lord of the Rings had four books? I guess I was wrong then.

 

[Calvero]

We actually have a member here who was the Japanese Studies equivalent.

lmao

 

[Bishop89]

Aliens is the poster child for superior sequels.

All superior sequels:

Rambo 3

Rocky 3

Spider Man 2

Xmen 2

Army of Darkness

Chronicles of Riddick

Die Hard with a vengeance

Indy: Last crusade

Terminator 2

 

[Calvero]

Spoiler

/jk

joking...?

please...

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Not so certain about other DreamWorks sequels, but Madagascar 3 is the best of that series.

 

[neorej]

Obvious and already stated but:

Godfather Part 2
Empire Strikes Back
Spiderman 2
Dark Knight
Wrath of Khan

Also OP technically Two Towers isn't a sequel. There's only one film/novel called Lord of the Rings that was chopped into three to make it more consumable to joe public size wise so all you're really saying is you liked the middle of the film more. Pedantic I know but it always annoys me when people don't factor this element of LOTR in when they talk about sequels, planning out story etc.

Love the Temple of Doom mention too. Completely wrong but nice to see preaching for the underdog!

Actually, there's one novel called The Lord of the Rings, but for publishing reasons it got cut up in three volumes; The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. The sheer amount of story told in the three volumes could not contained in one single film, so splitting the story up in three movies that roughly follows the same cutting lines the novel had (some content was shifted IIRC) was a correct call. The entire trilogy doesn't have too much filler content.
I think you are confused with The Hobbit, which was originally intended as a two-part movie (An Unexpected Journey and There And Back Again), but WB in all it's infinite wisdom decided to make it a three-parter like LOTR. Considering the Hobbit novel didn't have as much content as LOTR had, Jackson & Co had to make a lot of stuff up and stuff it with nonsensical filler content.


OT:
the sequels that are better than their predecessors IMHO:
Godfather 2
Terminator 2
Aliens
Clerks 2
Batman Returns
The Dark Knight
Toy Story 2
Toy Story 3
Lethal Weapon 2
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
X-Men 2
Spider-Man 2
Empire Strikes Back

 

[Boss Doggie]

Not so certain about other DreamWorks sequels, but Madagascar 3 is the best of that series.

Oh this I agree. Forgot about this one.

 

[ZehDon]

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Rocky 3
Rocky 4
Rocky Balboa
Back to the Future 2
Terminator 2
Empire Strikes Back
Hot Shots part deux
Lethal Weapon 2
Lethal Weapon 4
Mad Max : Fury Road
Die Hard 3
Star Trek 2
Star Trek 4
Star Trek 6
Star Trek 8
Indy 3 (I love raiders & temple, but crusade will always be my favourite)

 

[ZackieChan]

The entire trilogy doesn't have too much filler content.

My recollection from reading it decades ago is that there is a ton of filler content...

 

[Browny]

.

 

[chicko1983]

Terminator 2
Godfather 2
Batman returns

 

[neorej]

My recollection from reading it decades ago is that there is a ton of filler content...

Like?

Edit; to clarify; I was talking about the movies not having a bunch of filler content. Jackson had to cut a lot from the books to condens it into three films.

 

[ZackieChan]

Like?

Edit; to clarify; I was talking about the movies not having a bunch of filler content. Jackson had to cut a lot from the books to condens it into three films.

Ah, OK. The books, while great, are stuffed with descriptions and events that I would call filler. I can't be alone here.

 

[Chuckie]

Ah, OK. The books, while great, are stuffed with descriptions and events that I would call filler. I can't be alone here.

Well Tolkien takes his time with describing the world. The nice thing about movie you can show in 1 shot what it takes for a writer to describe in a page (or more in Tolkiens case).

But yeah Tolkien did tend to drag on a bit. It feels like Merry and Pippin spent half a book with the Ents.

 

[babuchy]

there are a lot of sequels better than originals (or prequels)

indiana jones and the temple of doom
godfather part II
star wars revenge of the sith
star wars empire strikes back
lotr the two towers
terminator 2
the dark knight
spiderman 2
x-men 2
captain america winter soldier
star trek the wrath of khan
star trek the undiscovered country
star trek first contact

 

[myco666]

.

This so much! I thought the first movie was actually bad but this is one of the best comedies ever made.

Also I think Police Academy 2 is better than the first one.

 

[Theanine3D]

Star Wars Return of the Jedi. It's better than the original Star Wars...

Spoiler

and better than Empire Strikes Back

 

[MrRudiMentary]

Empire Strikes Back
The Road Warrior/Fury Road
Terminator 2
Star Trek II Wrath of Khan
Evil Dead II
The Dark Knight
The Winter Soldier
Spider-Man 2
Dawn of the Dead (if it counts as a real sequel)
Shrek 2

 

[Unfriendly TimeTraveler]

joking...?

please...

Your question is answered by another question. Does anyone in their right mind enjoy son of the mask?

 

[Ferr986]

I always wonder how lots of Alien fans prefer second movie to the first one!

That's what happens to me with Terminator though. I feel like the first one is so much better.

 

[Dommo]

Also OP technically Two Towers isn't a sequel. There's only one film/novel called Lord of the Rings that was chopped into three to make it more consumable to joe public size wise so all you're really saying is you liked the middle of the film more. Pedantic I know but it always annoys me when people don't factor this element of LOTR in when they talk about sequels, planning out story etc.

No, technically TTT is a sequel. It's its own separate film, released a year apart from its predecessor. Just because the films were shot together/planned out together and it serves as a continuation of a larger overall story doesn't change its sequel nature. I'd argue you're going down a far more vague, murky path when you classify a sequel like this. Would you say that The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions are the same film?

Obviously the film benefits greatly from being planned out in advance/being filmed together with the rest. It does almost feel unfair because most sequels have to piece together a story out of jigsaw puzzle pieces that aren't made for this puzzle. That just makes it smart filmmaking. But it's still technically a sequel.

 

[Netrunner2k2]

Beethoven's 2nd is up there.

 

[AAK]

Living proof that you don't need relatable characters to tell a good story. I easily find this one of the best Pixar films because of its unique character conflict, the whole outlook of the toys and their future (again, relatability blown the fuck out), and well, on the technical side, it made Toy Story look really good.

Tron Legacy;

A true masterpiece...

I agree with these.

 

[Dommo]

Oh, I actually don't think this film is better than its predecessor, but it damn well gives it a run for its money, and I know it's often considered the stronger entry.

Before Sunset. Sequels often fall into the trapping of just putting its characters through the same arc as previous, even if unintentional. In the end, they're almost telling the same story. The best sequels take what came previously and use that to build a story that can now hit higher emotional highs. It avoids treading on its predecessor's shoes. The characters in Before Sunset are so clearly them from the first film in an entirely new place emotionally. They're more world weary, less optimistic. Before Sunrise is the fairy tale. Before Sunset is the sobering reality. They work together in perfect harmony but they're completely different films with different identities. I can't ask for anything more from a sequel.

 

[newtypepilot]

Infernal Affairs II
best one of the trilogy imo

 

[jett]

 

[Goodstyle]

How can people possibly like Home Alone 2 over the original? It must be the laziest God damn movie in history. They did the exact same plot twice, it's actually kind of incredible.

 

[George Oscar Bluth II]

Evil Dead II
Spider-Man 2
The Empire Strikes Back
Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 

[neorej]

Ah, OK. The books, while great, are stuffed with descriptions and events that I would call filler. I can't be alone here.

You most definitly are not. Tolkien spent a lot of time building Middle Earth in his books, describing every minute detail, which goes on and on and on. I love the attention to detail, but at some point you just got to move on already. And as someone pointed out; the part with Merry and Pippin during the Entmoot... holy shit, I felt like I had become an ent myself.

 

[Sojgat]

 

[ChackanKun]

The sequel of sequels.

Perfect in any way.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

I could not disagree more. I find it the most boring and drawn out of the 3 movies by far. Fellowship to me is easily the best of the trilogy. It has the best pacing and manages to feel epic without having to rely on a massive battle to do so.

Yeah, I like the LOTR movies overall, but the Fellowship of the Ring is the only one I really love. Pretty much perfect.

I'd say X-Men 2, Wrath of Khan, and The Empire Strikes Back would be picks.

Terminator 2 and Aliens are good, moreso Aliens, but I feel like their originals are much better.

 

[Violence Jack]

I'll just stop here.

 

[User 479360]

Evil Dead 2
Silence of the Lambs
The Empire Strikes Back (although A New Hope is second, and fantastic)
The Devil's Rejects
Terminator 2
The Dark Knight
X-Men 2

I would've said Home Alone 2 years ago, because I preferred that one growing up and it's the one I owned, but I don't know if I'd say that now.

 

[Count Dookkake]

Attack of the Clones

 

[Fancy Clown]

Aliens is the poster child for superior sequels.

All superior sequels:

Haven't seen a higher concentration of choices I disagree with in this thread. Impressive.

 

[Christopher]

Home alone 2!!!!

 

[jmdajr]

 

[User 479360]

Forgot this one:

 

[SamuelSupreme]

Forgot this one:

Excellent choice right here.

Id loke to say TDK, Episode V and Episode III

 

[Laputa_94]

OP your right Toy Story 2 is fantastic. It's possibly my favorite Pixar movie.

 

[NerdEyeBlind]

The sequel of sequels.

Perfect in any way.

NOT perfect in it's casting of young John Connor. Garbage acting from Furlong. Thankfully once the action starts he's relegated to the background

 

[Sephzilla]

Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom / Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade.

-- Not sure if Temple of Doom counts since it's technically a prequel to Raiders, however I think it's a better shot and better paced movie than Raiders and has better action set pieces.

-- Last Crusade is technically a true sequel to Raiders and it's the GOAT Dr Jones movie.

 

[bobawesome]

I'll just stop here.

I thought Hostel II blew donkey chunks compared to the first one. The best part of the first movie was the ending and the sequel just takes a giant poopoo on it.

 

[rtcn63]

Feels more like a low-budget ResEvil knockoff, but the first film was just that bad.

 

[NHarmonic.]

Shrek 2 for me.

And OP, agree completely with Toy Story 2, so much better than 1.

 

[PIMPBYBLUD]

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

For shame GAF, for shame.

 

[Evil's Bane]

The Winter Soldier was such a huge step up, and this is coming from someone who liked the first Cap film.