I love the original, but for some reason I've always preferred FD2, and I like how it actually ties into the original, rather than the third and fourth films' standalone format. It's an actual continuation, and a good one.
Yep, 100% agreed with this. I loved the whole character interaction in FD2 - the way that they all stuck together to avoid Death getting them. I thought it was really fun and clever expansion on the ideas of the original.
The third and fourth ones worked less well because of the lack of this interaction, I thought. Basically, you'd see all the characters die and then get saved at the start. Then the film would focus on 2 or 3 main characters, and you wouldn't see everyone else who'd got saved until their death scene, which was a bit disappointing really.
Having said that, I really enjoyed the fifth one - I thought it really brought the series back on track. It's got a humdinger of a final twist too.
Terminator 2
Prefer Day Of The Dead to Dawn Of The Dead and Night Of The Living Dead
Evil Dead 2
Wall Street 2: The City Never Sleeps
Prefer Silence Of The Lambs and Hannibal to Red Dragon
I love it too...all three films. The first is still the best, but it felt like it was trying to be a proper Hollywood Classic, whilst the sequels didn't feel like they were trying to have that sort of scope. I cannot wait for Jurassic World though
On to my list...I'm going to get slaughtered for some of these;
The Dark Knight > Batman Begins
Just thought it was an all-round more interesting film. While I wish we'd seen more of Cillian Murphy as the brilliant Scarecrow, I honestly cannot praise enough Ledger's turn as The Joker. Superb stuff.
X-Men 3: The Last Stand > X-Men
To most the fact that I find X2 to be better than the original is acceptable. But the fact I enjoy the third film most out of all of them so far seems to be a moral error or something - one person told me I even needed to re-evaluate my life. I don't go in for the comics, and so I didn't know what was being done wrong with the film - it tied up the trilogy nicely, and I really enjoyed the Dark Phoenix storyline.
Meet the Fockers > Meet the Parents
I enjoyed all three films to some extent or other, but the second one is the only one I really, really like. Hoffman and Streisand are on fine form here, and even Ben Stiller doesn't annoy me that much. It was a more colourful film than the first, and while it grows a little dull towards the end, it was a definite improvement on the okay first film.
Night at the Museum 2 > Night at the Museum
There seems to be a thing for Stiller sequels here, but I felt that the first film was missing something. That something was plain and simply Amy Adams - she ignites the film as Amelia Earhart. And while I can do without the One Direction cameo, it was made up for with a hilarious turn from Hank Azaria as the main baddie.
The Prisoner of Azkaban > The Philosopher's Stone
I loved the two Chris Colombus movies... they weren't perfect, but they really captured the magic of Hogwarts. A problem I had with the later films was the fact that magical element became taken for granted... there were less moving portraits and ghosts in the corridors, more teenage angst and unwarranted romance - it felt like an ordinary boarding school. And though the third film misses a fair bit out from the book (as they all do really) it felt like the most coherent story overall. What puts it above all the others though was the beautiful direction from Alfonso Cuaron - he blended that magic and grim reality wonderfully, to the point that successive directors seemed to try and replicate his style...albeit unsuccessfully.
At World's End > The Curse of the Black Pearl
Truth be told, I adore all four Pirates of the Caribbean movies - they're a load of great fun, and nowhere near as muddled as most people would try to suggest. I really like the convergence that unfolds in the third film...it manages to tell a decent story in my opinion, brings together the best characters from the two previous films, and even manages to outdo it in the epic-battle-of-doom department. The final battle at the end along with Beckett's death was some sensational cinema, and Hans Zimmer delivered a brilliant score too. An unpopular opinion to like the Pirates sequels, and an even less popular one to favour this particular film...I don't care, it ranks as one of my all time favourite movies.
Looney Tunes; Back in Action > Space Jam
While I don't quite know what Steve Martin was going for in this, I do feel the film generally works like Space Jam should have done. To me, the basketball element in the first was merely a gimmick to make the film work...the second was a much better use of the Looney Tunes characters. It even managed to crack a joke about Space Jam's nonsensical pairing in a brief cameo from Michael Jordan.
Home Alone 2 > Home Alone
Both films are very similar, and the gags at the end are just about memorable enough in each to set them apart. While both very decent, I think the second had a comical edge to it that was present throughout most of the film, while the first took a little longer to get going. The less said about the third, fourth and fifth films the better.
Addam's Family Values > The Addams Family
Loved both of these films, but the sequel was more interesting and satirical and this made it a lot funnier as well.
Yep, 100% agreed with this. I loved the whole character interaction in FD2 - the way that they all stuck together to avoid Death getting them. I thought it was really fun and clever expansion on the ideas of the original.
The third and fourth ones worked less well because of the lack of this interaction, I thought. Basically, you'd see all the characters die and then get saved at the start. Then the film would focus on 2 or 3 main characters, and you wouldn't see everyone else who'd got saved until their death scene, which was a bit disappointing really.
Having said that, I really enjoyed the fifth one - I thought it really brought the series back on track. It's got a humdinger of a final twist too.
I totally agree! I love FD2 because it has the best characterisation, I loved how they all came together and their sense of humor was really enjoyable to watch.
I disagree about FD3 though, I think it was really fun and Wendy was an excellent protagonist (better than Kimberly IMO) but I reckon the lack of interaction was down to the fact they were students and were in different cliques.
I also really enjoyed FD5! The opening scene along was epic!
I often prefer sequels. I think others tend to prefer the original because they saw it first. If you see the sequel first, you may like it more. Admittedly this is because I mostly watch SF type films which are about ideas. A first sequel will generally all the ideas of the original, plus new ones. It'll also have a bigger budget, and the original cast and crew are still around and motivated. They still have the freedom to go in new directions. It is the third film that usually sucks. By then the original talent have got bored and moved on, the first two films have together established a formula (anything in both the first films must be in every sequel), and now the franchise becomes purely about milking that formula for money.
Obviously those are generalities; specific films may differ. A good example of what I mean is Hellraiser 2. The first half hour pretty much recapitulates the whole of Hellraiser 1, and the rest takes it new directions. We get to learn more about the cenobites and where they come from. We still have the original heroine.
All you people saying T2 is better than the Terminator are just wrong.
Sorry.
Completely agree. Making Arnie the good guy just destroyed a big part of what made Terminator so good.
I can see what the makers were trying to do with Terminator 2 - Arnie wanted to be the good guy now that he had the box office pull, there was a whole load of CGI effects available to show off, let's bring in a kid to broaden the appeal etc. However, all the darkness and menace was somehow lost at the same time.
I still prefer Godfather to Godfather 2. It's a tighter story and has the better set pieces of the two.
Completely agree. Making Arnie the good guy just destroyed a big part of what made Terminator so good.
I can see what the makers were trying to do with Terminator 2 - Arnie wanted to be the good guy now that he had the box office pull, there was a whole load of CGI effects available to show off, let's bring in a kid to broaden the appeal etc. However, all the darkness and menace was somehow lost at the same time.
I still prefer Godfather to Godfather 2. It's a tighter story and has the better set pieces of the two.
I don't dislike T2, but the first one is far better. It's tighter, it's darker and it doesn't have the monumental amount of cheese that the second one does. To this day I have to switch T2 off before that ****ing thumbs up at the end.
To answer the original question in any case (and without giving it very much thought), these films I think are candidates for being superior to the original entries:
The empire strikes back
The wrath of khan
The bourne supremacy
All you people saying T2 is better than the Terminator are just wrong.
Sorry.
Couldn't agree more.
I've recently rewatched both T1 and T2. They are both good movies but for me, T1 is definitely better. I think T1 portrayed a more menacing atmosphere.
All you people saying T2 is better than the Terminator are just wrong.
Sorry.
Totally agree. Reading through the thread quite shocked to see it mentioned seemingly every other post.
Edit: T2 is brilliant but it was more of a "pop film" than the original. As the above poster says, the original is much more menacing. I tend to think of T1/T2 like I do Alien/Aliens. The originals are dark and menacing, full of tension and anxiety, whilst the sequels are more about action and one liners.
I've gone through all my films on IMDB and (at least amongst those I liked, 5/10 or more) and I only have one sequel rated over the original which is Superman 2 and its years since I saw either of those.
Back to the Future, Airplane, Young Guns all had sequels I thought were brilliant but not up to the originals, which are all 10s.
The Bourne Films I'd say were all on a par, all terrific, none that much better than the others.
There was once a Great Escape sequel, which unsurprisingly didn't eclipse the first.
All you people saying T2 is better than the Terminator are just wrong.
Sorry.
Interesting that this post is getting so much attention, given the fact in the entire thread, only one poster has said T2 was better than The Terminator. All others have said T2 was their preferred choice, not that it was the better movie. It doesn't matter which was better, the thread is about personal preferences.
Comments
The Dark Knight
Short Circuit 2
Terminator 2
Shrek 2
Spider-Man 2
Kill Bill Volume 2 (if that counts)
I think the Toy Story films improved with each sequel. It's a great trilogy, no doubt - but Toy Story 3 is far and away the best one in it imo.
Yep, 100% agreed with this. I loved the whole character interaction in FD2 - the way that they all stuck together to avoid Death getting them. I thought it was really fun and clever expansion on the ideas of the original.
The third and fourth ones worked less well because of the lack of this interaction, I thought. Basically, you'd see all the characters die and then get saved at the start. Then the film would focus on 2 or 3 main characters, and you wouldn't see everyone else who'd got saved until their death scene, which was a bit disappointing really.
Having said that, I really enjoyed the fifth one - I thought it really brought the series back on track. It's got a humdinger of a final twist too.
Prefer Day Of The Dead to Dawn Of The Dead and Night Of The Living Dead
Evil Dead 2
Wall Street 2: The City Never Sleeps
Prefer Silence Of The Lambs and Hannibal to Red Dragon
I love Jurassic Park 3
I love it too...all three films. The first is still the best, but it felt like it was trying to be a proper Hollywood Classic, whilst the sequels didn't feel like they were trying to have that sort of scope. I cannot wait for Jurassic World though
On to my list...I'm going to get slaughtered for some of these;
The Dark Knight > Batman Begins
Just thought it was an all-round more interesting film. While I wish we'd seen more of Cillian Murphy as the brilliant Scarecrow, I honestly cannot praise enough Ledger's turn as The Joker. Superb stuff.
X-Men 3: The Last Stand > X-Men
To most the fact that I find X2 to be better than the original is acceptable. But the fact I enjoy the third film most out of all of them so far seems to be a moral error or something - one person told me I even needed to re-evaluate my life. I don't go in for the comics, and so I didn't know what was being done wrong with the film - it tied up the trilogy nicely, and I really enjoyed the Dark Phoenix storyline.
Meet the Fockers > Meet the Parents
I enjoyed all three films to some extent or other, but the second one is the only one I really, really like. Hoffman and Streisand are on fine form here, and even Ben Stiller doesn't annoy me that much. It was a more colourful film than the first, and while it grows a little dull towards the end, it was a definite improvement on the okay first film.
Night at the Museum 2 > Night at the Museum
There seems to be a thing for Stiller sequels here, but I felt that the first film was missing something. That something was plain and simply Amy Adams - she ignites the film as Amelia Earhart. And while I can do without the One Direction cameo, it was made up for with a hilarious turn from Hank Azaria as the main baddie.
The Prisoner of Azkaban > The Philosopher's Stone
I loved the two Chris Colombus movies... they weren't perfect, but they really captured the magic of Hogwarts. A problem I had with the later films was the fact that magical element became taken for granted... there were less moving portraits and ghosts in the corridors, more teenage angst and unwarranted romance - it felt like an ordinary boarding school. And though the third film misses a fair bit out from the book (as they all do really) it felt like the most coherent story overall. What puts it above all the others though was the beautiful direction from Alfonso Cuaron - he blended that magic and grim reality wonderfully, to the point that successive directors seemed to try and replicate his style...albeit unsuccessfully.
At World's End > The Curse of the Black Pearl
Truth be told, I adore all four Pirates of the Caribbean movies - they're a load of great fun, and nowhere near as muddled as most people would try to suggest. I really like the convergence that unfolds in the third film...it manages to tell a decent story in my opinion, brings together the best characters from the two previous films, and even manages to outdo it in the epic-battle-of-doom department. The final battle at the end along with Beckett's death was some sensational cinema, and Hans Zimmer delivered a brilliant score too. An unpopular opinion to like the Pirates sequels, and an even less popular one to favour this particular film...I don't care, it ranks as one of my all time favourite movies.
Looney Tunes; Back in Action > Space Jam
While I don't quite know what Steve Martin was going for in this, I do feel the film generally works like Space Jam should have done. To me, the basketball element in the first was merely a gimmick to make the film work...the second was a much better use of the Looney Tunes characters. It even managed to crack a joke about Space Jam's nonsensical pairing in a brief cameo from Michael Jordan.
Home Alone 2 > Home Alone
Both films are very similar, and the gags at the end are just about memorable enough in each to set them apart. While both very decent, I think the second had a comical edge to it that was present throughout most of the film, while the first took a little longer to get going. The less said about the third, fourth and fifth films the better.
Addam's Family Values > The Addams Family
Loved both of these films, but the sequel was more interesting and satirical and this made it a lot funnier as well.
I totally agree! I love FD2 because it has the best characterisation, I loved how they all came together and their sense of humor was really enjoyable to watch.
I disagree about FD3 though, I think it was really fun and Wendy was an excellent protagonist (better than Kimberly IMO) but I reckon the lack of interaction was down to the fact they were students and were in different cliques.
I also really enjoyed FD5! The opening scene along was epic!
Let's forget FD4 ever happened...
Sorry.
Terminator 2 > The Terminator
Superman II > Superman
Obviously those are generalities; specific films may differ. A good example of what I mean is Hellraiser 2. The first half hour pretty much recapitulates the whole of Hellraiser 1, and the rest takes it new directions. We get to learn more about the cenobites and where they come from. We still have the original heroine.
Completely agree. Making Arnie the good guy just destroyed a big part of what made Terminator so good.
I can see what the makers were trying to do with Terminator 2 - Arnie wanted to be the good guy now that he had the box office pull, there was a whole load of CGI effects available to show off, let's bring in a kid to broaden the appeal etc. However, all the darkness and menace was somehow lost at the same time.
I still prefer Godfather to Godfather 2. It's a tighter story and has the better set pieces of the two.
Same goes for Superman and Superman 2.
I don't dislike T2, but the first one is far better. It's tighter, it's darker and it doesn't have the monumental amount of cheese that the second one does. To this day I have to switch T2 off before that ****ing thumbs up at the end.
To answer the original question in any case (and without giving it very much thought), these films I think are candidates for being superior to the original entries:
The empire strikes back
The wrath of khan
The bourne supremacy
Agreed!
And for me Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (pt 1 and 2) > every other HP movie.
Couldn't agree more.
I've recently rewatched both T1 and T2. They are both good movies but for me, T1 is definitely better. I think T1 portrayed a more menacing atmosphere.
They are both classics IMHO though.
Totally agree. Reading through the thread quite shocked to see it mentioned seemingly every other post.
Edit: T2 is brilliant but it was more of a "pop film" than the original. As the above poster says, the original is much more menacing. I tend to think of T1/T2 like I do Alien/Aliens. The originals are dark and menacing, full of tension and anxiety, whilst the sequels are more about action and one liners.
Back to the Future, Airplane, Young Guns all had sequels I thought were brilliant but not up to the originals, which are all 10s.
The Bourne Films I'd say were all on a par, all terrific, none that much better than the others.
There was once a Great Escape sequel, which unsurprisingly didn't eclipse the first.
Bad boys 2
I love T1, I've heard it criticised for it's dodgy 1980s special effects but the story is so intense and clever that it more than makes up for that.
However, T2 just edges it for me. I guess it's the "epic" action feel to it that sweetens the deal for me.
Interesting that this post is getting so much attention, given the fact in the entire thread, only one poster has said T2 was better than The Terminator. All others have said T2 was their preferred choice, not that it was the better movie. It doesn't matter which was better, the thread is about personal preferences.