Sequels That Hit Better Than The Original Movie

People wouldn't think that a sequel to a movie could be better than the original, I would almost think that myself. Examples like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Blade Runner, Se7en, Jurassic Park, Grease, and Who Framed Rodger Rabbit are movies that do not, or in my eyes did not require a sequel but were made. In some cases, sequels upset people a great deal. Everyone knows as well as I do, that when a movie becomes a hit and is franchised out, bad things can happen with the subsequent movies.

Get our free mobile app

After a lot of thought, my least favorite sequel ever made has to be The Great Escape 2. It irks me on two levels. First, why? Second, why such a gap in-between movies?

via GIPHY

You can see some of the worst sequels of all time according to Rotten Tomatoes right here. On this list, Staying Alive, the sequel to Saturday Night Fever takes the cake for me. Get back to me if you can make it through without cringing at least once.

via GIPHY

On the other hand, sometimes movie sequels can dazzle you. Some argue, including me right now that certain sequels are in fact better than the original. They move the story in a way that helps the original Idea. The Star Wars, Terminator and Indiana Jones Franchises to a point are great examples of sequels that do in fact work. I always appreciate a good sequel. Below, I have sequels that hit better than the original movie.

The Empire Strikes Back

Some say this is the best Star Wars film, Luke Skywalker realizes his true power of the force. Also, four words. Han Solo in Carbonite.

Star Trek 2: The Wraith of Khan

This is a fan favorite of the original series. It has the perfect marriage of action, story line and constancy.

The Godfather Pt: 2

Regarded as one of the best sequels of any movie. Some say they love this over the initial movie. Godfather 2 delivers with story and production.

Bad Boys 2

The anticipation of this movie was palpable. It was leaps and bounds better than the first movie, and more Bay-hem than you could ever handle. This is a movie with proper action.

D2- The Mighty Ducks

The team had a W under their belt. Coach Bombay is in his true element leading the team to glory as Team USA against the evil Icelandic Hockey Team.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

With more money, more technology, and canon. This sequel set the bar for action, story and special effects. It overshadowed the 1984 film and deeply rooted itself in film history.

Aliens

This falls in line with Terminator 2. From the same director, this sequel brought the franchise into the stratosphere. It's pure rock 'n' roll. Nick Northern told me a tidbit he had heard about pre-production. Rumor is that James Cameron went to the heads of the studio to pitch ALIENS. He simply wrote the title on a whiteboard stylized as ALIEN$, writing the s as dollar sign.