DVD Talk Forum

DVD Talk Forum (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/)
-   Movie Talk (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk-17/)
-   -   Which of These Critically Maligned Sequels Do You Feel Improves Upon the Original? (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk/426828-these-critically-maligned-sequels-do-you-feel-improves-upon-original.html)

Crocker Jarmen 06-14-05 07:33 PM


Originally Posted by Julie Walker

I also would have to say Psycho II is on par with the greatness of the original. A taunt truly suspensful chiller that delivers on all accounts. While this does get some good reviews,most critics are lukewarm with ** star ratings since they just 'can't' admit to finding it as good,if not better than a Hitchcock film.

Since I assumed it was going to be some cheap knock-off obviously made for some quick money, I was shocked at how good Psycho II is. I won't say that it is better than the original, but it is far better than a sequal to one of the best movies ever made has any right to be.

Superboy 06-14-05 09:35 PM

I honestly thought that Predator 2 was superior to the original. It was faster paced, had better action sequences, and didn't star a bunch of crappy ham-handed soon-to-be governors. Naw, i'm just kiddin'. Of course I remember Jake Busey and the Predator liking beef. Mmmm. Beef.

scott shelton 06-14-05 10:08 PM


Originally Posted by Filmmaker
so I'd still be curious to encounter people who enjoy John Woo's take on the franchise over DePalma's...

Then meet me!

I thought Woo knocked that sequel out of the park. Watching MI2 is like a night at the opera - I just adored how baroque the thing is.

DePalma did a great job too, but the sequel is more brave and deliriously grandiose in design.

Al_Tahoe 06-15-05 05:54 AM

Another vote for 'none of the above'. Certainly wouldn't be Jurassic Park 2... saw that one for the first time a few days ago and could hardly believe how grossly inferior it was to the original. :thmbsdwn:

On the bright side, I thought Red Dragon was very good and it exceeded my expectations :thumbsup: - but it still wasn't as good as Silence of the Lambs.

The Bus 06-15-05 09:40 AM

Expecting to see Ocean's Twelve, voted for BTF2, Hannibal would've been a close second.

ianholm 06-15-05 09:50 AM

Predator 2 is the closest from that list.

chess 06-15-05 09:51 AM

Another none of the above...

Voted for The Matrix just to see the results. I actually really enjoyed those sequels...but they weren't better than the original.

wendersfan 06-15-05 10:04 AM

While I don't think it was as good as the original <b>Alien</b>, I thought <b>Alien 3</b> was a lot better than that POS <b>Aliens</b>.

Rival11 06-15-05 10:22 AM

Matrix Revolutions was better than reloaded but neither were as good as the first.

Groucho 06-15-05 10:25 AM

MI:2 by a large margin. I enjoyed it quite a bit, whereas the first movie just pissed me off.

Geofferson 06-15-05 10:31 AM

I'm surprised to see all the votes for BTTF II. To me, that was the worst of the trilogy (yes, even worse than III, which I didn't think was that bad). I still stand by M:I 2 as being better than the original. DePalma's take was cold and confusing with a lack of direction and style (especially for DePalma). Woo took over and turned the franchise into a movie that was fun and full of effective action sequences.

taa455 06-15-05 11:05 AM

M:I 1 was a much smarter movie. It requires you to think. M:I 2 was a straight up special effects fest. Bad, cheesy SFX at that. Personally I'm surprised at all the praise for 2. Just my opinion of course.

Groucho 06-15-05 11:07 AM

At no point during MI:1 was I called upon to "think." Nor do I understand why everybody says that it's plot was "complicated." It's just a simple "MacGuffin" plot.

taa455 06-15-05 11:34 AM


Originally Posted by Groucho
At no point during MI:1 was I called upon to "think." Nor do I understand why everybody says that it's plot was "complicated." It's just a simple "MacGuffin" plot.

I'm not saying you have to be a genius to "get it," but you are required to connect a few dots. Even though most every detail is made obvious at some point, M:I 1 does require you to use your brain a little bit relative to most mainstream stuff out there.

TheAllPurposeNothing 06-15-05 11:52 AM

Where's Conan the Destroyer or Short Circuit 2 or Gremlins 2?

Seriously.

Falc04 06-15-05 11:59 AM

I enjoyed MI:2 over MI:1

Not sure it qualifies, but Star Trek II was a much better movie than Star Trek I.

Matthew Chmiel 06-15-05 12:02 PM


Originally Posted by TheAllPurposeNothing
Where's Conan the Destroyer or Short Circuit 2 or Gremlins 2?

Seriously.

Conan the Destroyer?!?!
Short Circuit 2?!?!

Are you crazy? ;)

But Gremlins 2, I fully agree with you on. Easily one of the better sequels of all time.

whynotsmile 06-15-05 01:02 PM

alien 3 was fucking great. (well only saw the directors cut)

matrix reloaded was better than the first IMO, as was mission impossible 2

cleaver 06-15-05 01:42 PM

I'm shocked how good M:I2 is doing. I thought M:I is 1000 times better.

I voted for Red Dragon. I thought it was the easiest to follow of the series and the most exciting.

Cartload 06-15-05 02:08 PM

There needs to be a none of the above option, but if someone put a gun to my head and told me I had to vote for one of the listed movies, I'd probably say M:I-2. It helps that I'm not a huge fan of the first movie, and M:I-2 has the unintentional comedy to put it in the "so bad, it's good" territory along with movies like Armageddon. I think my roommate my freshman year in college said it best: if all the slow motion sequences were played a normal speed, M:I-2 would be 20 minutes long. Also, it gets bonus points for tying up Dougray Scott, thereby making him unavailable to play Wolverine in X-Men and resulting in Hugh Jackman getting that role.

I enjoy the Back to the Future sequels, but they are definitely not improvements upon the first movie.

As for a maligned sequel that I feel improves on the original that wasn't listed, I nominate Batman Returns. Not a great Batman movie, but at least it is a pure Tim Burton movie as opposed to the first one. The first one came off as an attempt to make something more mainstream that didn't play to Burtron's strengths as a director. The romantic subplot with Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer is much, much superior to the vapid Kim Bassinger relationship in the first one. The scene where Bruce and Selina realize that they are actually costumed enemies is definitely the best out of the entire series. Finally, it has the Christopher Walken factor, which is always a good thing IMO.

kajs 06-15-05 02:23 PM

What did MI:2 have to do with "Mission: Impossible" except the name? Even that was distanced by playing off the whole "M:I-2" thing, which is even the only title on the DVD cover. The end should have had everyone reveal they were all wearing face "masks" and rip them off, because I don't think they did that enough during the movie...

I would also vote for "none of the above." Back to the Future is my favorite movie of all time, but reducing Marty to that whole "chicken" thing really bothered me in the sequels.

jeffkjoe 06-15-05 03:34 PM

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:


I think BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II is the most "original sequel" I've ever seen.



With time travel as its advantage, it is able to go back to the original and screw with the events that happened there, much to hilarious results.

A+

RogueScribner 06-16-05 01:30 AM


Originally Posted by uberjoe
You need a "none of the above" option -- I'd click it. I just don't think any of those improved upon the originals. Doesn't mean I don't like them, just means they weren't as good.

Ditto.

L8r

TheAllPurposeNothing 06-16-05 03:20 PM


Originally Posted by Matthew Chmiel
Conan the Destroyer?!?!
Short Circuit 2?!?!

Are you crazy? ;)

But Gremlins 2, I fully agree with you on. Easily one of the better sequels of all time.

Conan the Destroyer-

What can I say? I find myself mostly bored to tears by the original Conan flick. Little to no sense of humor. The worst performance by James Earl Jones ever. When it came out, I chose to sit outside the theatre door and listen to Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid instead of seeing it again (DMDWP was sold out).

But Conan the Destroyer never took itself seriously. Silly, yes. Terrible casting decisons (Wilt Chamberlain???) - of course. But I had great fun reveling in all of its glorified cheesiness. Plus, it contains my all-time favorite Arnold moment...Arnold playing drunk!

Barbarian better??? Lot on your knife!!

Short Circuit 2 -

Let's start with part of my view here. I hated...no make that detested...Short Circuit. John "War Games" Badham made this festering pile?? Johnny Five should have been made into a toaster oven. Ally Sheedy was annoying to a fault. And though I've never had quite the hate for Steve Guttenberg others do (I personally thought he was great in Diner), he just did nothing for me. The only saving grace of the first was Fischer Stevens. His role was marginal but at least he was entertaining.

Now Short Circuit 2 is no great flick. But it doesn't take much to be better than the first. And its greatest success was putting Fischer Stevens at the forefront. The whole bank robbery subplot with Jack Warden is idiotic, but whenever it focuses on Fischer Stevens' romance with Cynthia Gibb, its actually quite charming.

Like I said..nothing great, but definitely better than the first.

Joe Molotov 06-16-05 04:07 PM


Originally Posted by TheAllPurposeNothing
Conan the Destroyer-

What can I say? I find myself mostly bored to tears by the original Conan flick. Little to no sense of humor. The worst performance by James Earl Jones ever. When it came out, I chose to sit outside the theatre door and listen to Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid instead of seeing it again (DMDWP was sold out).

But Conan the Destroyer never took itself seriously. Silly, yes. Terrible casting decisons (Wilt Chamberlain???) - of course. But I had great fun reveling in all of its glorified cheesiness. Plus, it contains my all-time favorite Arnold moment...Arnold playing drunk!

Barbarian better??? Lot on your knife!!

I don't think I can agree with you completely, but Destroyer does have Conan punching-out both a camel and a horse, and I could never bring myself to hate a movie that has all that.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:21 AM.


Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.