Beverly Hills Cop 2 was terrible compared to the first. I have yet to see the third, and don't plan on doing so anytime soon.

They're very hit and miss. Hangover II tried to be the first one on a larger scale. While it was impressive visually, the focus should have been on making me laugh, which it only did sporadically.

I actually have somewhat of an attachment to Beverly Hills Cop II , as it was my first ever rated R movie in a theater. I now realize it isn't anywhere near as funny as the first. However, when viewed as an action movie with comedy instead of a flat out comedy, it's pretty good. If they wanted flat out comedy they shouldn't have hired Tony Scott.

All of the Thin Man movies were pretty funny. Not sure they count.

I don't know if I consider recycling half the jokes, dropping the full on Bond homage, and adding toilet humor as "parody".

Austin Powers 2 is the only movie I have ever wanted to walk out of. I had to stay because my buddy was my ride. The moment Mike Meyers became dead to me was when Austin Powers drank shit.

Austin Powers 2 is one of the worst sequels ever, IMO. I still remember seeing it in theaters opening day and being disgusted. The first one is still very funny, but I don't remember much about Goldfinger at all. I ended up seeing that one towards the end of its theatrical run.

Beverly Hills Cop II is one of my favorite movies, but I look at it from the aspect of it being an action movie with comedy versus being a comedy with action like the first one. BHC3 pales in comparison, but it's not unwatchable (just not very good).

Clerks 2 is the exception that proves the rule, IMHO. I love that film and consider it one of Smith's best.

The lukewarm to cold reception to Coming 2 America made me think about this thread I started 7 years ago. Funny that I did it just before 22 Jump Street as that was a very good comedy sequel, which is still rare. Coming 2 America is kind of exhibit A of why comedy sequels are so rarely successful.

On the other hand, Borat 2 was very well received, but that was almost like the second episode of a TV show than a true sequel - - it was very episodic and almost seemed to be a bunch of related sketches, which felt different than the single story of the first movie.. But some of it at least was a true sequel and it still worked well.
Most live action sequels still seem to struggle or bomb.

It's tough to catch lightening in a bottle twice.

As I posted in the Coming 2 America thread, Coming To America was a complete story with a "they lived happily ever after" conclusion. There was nothing for them to go back to for the characters, even 30 years later. As many have observed, Murphy isn't even really the lead of the sequel. So your reaction is totally going to depend on how invested you become in the story of Akeem's bastard son in Zamunda, and how funny that story is (which I did not think was much).

A big part of Austin Powers was the journey he went on to go from swinger to marrying Vanessa. Notice that for the sequel, the first thing they did was "kill off" Vanessa and send Austin back to square one as a character.

Plus there is always the problem that the jokes in an original seem fresh and funny, but when they get to a sequel, in order to get jokes from the same characters, they have to go bigger to top themselves.
An original comedy involves the audience in a sense of discovery. Usually, the sequel gives you what you already know, but just MORE of it..

I've always thought Son of Paleface was better than The Paleface, and Toy Story 2 was better than the original Toy Story.

Don't know literally anything about a movie called The Paleface, but regarding Toy Story 2 , From Post #1:

What I find interesting about Borat 2 is that the character we're familiar with and want to see in the sequel is somewhat sidelined by a new character. To go back to Coming 2 America, a lot of people have expressed disappointment by Eddie Murphy's diminished role, but for Borat 2, there seemed to be majority praise for Maria Bakalova. She's like the Poochy that worked!

You could argue the Leprechaun movies are comedies and I like the sequels better than the original movie. My favorites are #3 in Vegas and #4 in space.

I agree with TheAllPurposeNothing that SON OF PALEFACE (1952) was better.

Wait. Buzz Lightyear is not real?? Sorry....somehow missed that.

FWIW, I would also argue that the following comedies are at least equal to their preceding films, if not slightly better:

• A Very Brady Sequel
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
• Army of Darkness

People understood that Borat was too famous for him to get away with fooling crowds of people with the character.

Well, actually....

Twitter

I actually saw "A Very Brady Sequel" again the other night on Amazon or Hulu (can't remember), first time since it came out. And I laughed twice. The first film was cute and fun, and I laughed a lot. The sequel is a pale follow-up.

I didn’t even know until now that there’s a third Brady Bunch movie, The Brady Bunch in the White House. Has a pretty low rating on IMDB though. I sort of remember the first film, but I haven’t seen it in ages. Also didn’t realize that A Very Brady Sequel came out only a year after the first film.

It’s been years since I’ve seen either but I seem to remember the original Brady Bunch movie was almost unwatchable. A Very Brady Sequel was actually somewhat decent. I’m sure my sensibilities have changed over the last 20 years so I may have a different reaction today.

I actually saw both in the theater. Matinee though, I didn't want to pay full price for either. I do remember a lot of laughs during the first one and near crickets on the second from my audiences.

I am shocked I didn't rant about Hangover Part 2 in here. I see the OP mentioned it at the start though.

I regard that film as one of the worst movies of all time after loving part one...it made money of course and that spawned a average part 3.

For the most part sequels are very poor. Look at Smokey and The Bandit Part 2 and 3 also some of the worst sequels and movies of all time. The first one a genuine classic.

Didn't the third one air on televisi rather than being released in movie theaters?

Hell, some of the spin offs (I think I saw about three) were not bad themselves. Band Camp and Naked Mile were entertaining. Though they’re a bit different in that they’re barely related to the movies.

THIS right here. Clerks II is the last KS movie that really made me feel joy.

Also Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey is the most audacious, most polished and most imaginative of the B&T Trilogy.