Sequels that catapulted original?
 

As I was saying in another thread, I think the phenomenal success (both critically and financially) of Terminator: Judgement Day catapulted Terminator to what it is today. Not other way around. I think original did good and got great reviews, but don’t think it was as enjoyed or appreciated until after the huge success of T2. It was more cult fav until T2.

Are there others where the sequel catapulted original more than it would have ever been?

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Austin Powers

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

The Road Warrior turned “Mad Max” into the post-apocalypse character people associate the character with.

Same could maybe be said for Rambo: First Blood part 2. That’s when we really got the character “Rambo” that everyone knows now.

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Grease 2

Staying Alive

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn

I had not even heard of the first one when this showed up on cable in the late '80s. Only then did I seek out the original and start following the careers of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Friday the 13th seems like a give me.

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

I completely agree with you on Terminator. A funny example is Roger Ebert writing in his Terminator Salvation review that he never saw the original film... only he had and apparently forgotten he'd done so :lol:

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Dawn of the Dead

Silence of the Lambs

John Wick 2

FAst and Furious sequels

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

The MISSING IN ACTION franchise apparently was helped by releasing the sequel as the first film, and then the original later as MISSING IN ACTION 2: THE BEGINNING. Apparently, the original was the worse of the two and Cannon wanted to make sure the the franchise wouldn't be killed off prematurely.

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

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I certainly loved the Terminator long before the sequel.

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Evil Dead

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Lethal Weapon 2 started the trend where it made more money than the first. That was not always the case as sequels almost never made more than the first. It is the better movie as well. Equally rare for a sequel.

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Aliens... I feel it brought Alien to a broader audience that weren't into horror. And I also think the franchise wouldn't have had the number of sequels and prequels without Aliens.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...d8dfe9f9cf.jpg

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

The Mission Impossibles got exponentially better as they've gone along

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Further proof of the superiority of the first film.

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The Empire Strikes Back

Sure, the original wass a massive hit, but it probably woulldn't be held in as high regard today if Empire hadn't taken the story down a more dark and serious path.

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Goldfinger

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https://prodimage.images-bn.com/pima...1_s550x406.jpg

The original film was from one of those unnoticed/forgettable movies from the "10 films to die for" or "Afterdark fest" lines. This sequel, on the other hand, almost caused riots at Sundance.

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Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Adams Family Values
Dawn of the Dead
Spider-Man 2

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

I have to agree. And while I absolutely, absolutely love the first film, this is the one I watch more often. Like, I probably watch this one at least 5-6 times a year (and always the extended cut; I love the additional scenes). Just so intense.

And I'll agree with Silence of the Lambs, even though I rarely consider that a sequel, as Manhunter was a whole different thing and studio, I believe.

And I've said it before but I'll say it again, I absolutely love Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. I simply love that movie. I also love Friday the 13th Part IV. I actually love the Friday sequels way, way more than the Halloween or Nightmare on Elm Street sequels (those ones I particularly can't stand)...I'll say this, though, Halloween III: Season of the Witch is very, very good...I liked how they kind of abandoned the story of Michael and went in a different direction...And every time I hear the theme song it stays in my head for days...

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Also agree with George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead. I recently rewatched Night of the Living Dead but that only made me realize how much better Dawn was. Hell, I even prefer Day of the Dead to Night...Day of the Dead is very underrated in my mind...Love the batshit crazy performance by Pilato...

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

great example. I don’t even think I knew 1st existed until many years later. I just remember my grandpa taking me to see this and scaring the living daylights out of me. I think I had nightmares for a year. True story. But didn’t see 1st till probably 15-20 years later, when I starting learning and knowing about cinema. And have since loved it and seen many times and think is a masterpiece by Scott. And I do like the extended cut of 1 better. But, great example.

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

yeah, but the 1st is still widely seen as the stepchild, well maybe 2, but while sequels have gotten exponentially bigger and better, I still think the first is viewed as flop (though not financially) and not well liked. I liked it, but certainly many didn’t take to De Palma’s take.

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

What I think is cool is that Terminator is now seeing resurgence, because it's now considered somewhat of a sci-fi horror film by film fans. Before it was a straight science fiction action film. I can also see why folks would consider it a horror film, as well.

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

who says it's a horror film? i would never think horror with any of the franchise. the 1st to lesser extent, but horror is a real big stretch, no?. It's like saying Runaway (1984) is horror or Blade Runner...

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Stuff like this:

https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/why...orror-classic/

https://screenrant.com/terminator-mo...-scifi-reason/

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Mostly because Reese spends the whole movie wearing a hobo's pants.

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Wut?

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I can see it as a horror in the vein of say... a futuristic slasher film. Is it that much different than Halloween?

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Yes?

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

No disrespect to other people's opinions, but personally I would quibble with the Aliens pick. Aliens is a fantastic film - easily one of the best films of the 80s and one of the best sequels ever. But (in my opinion) Alien is an absolutely masterful work of cinema that stands completely on its own and would remain a masterpiece even if none of its sequels ever happened, so it's hard for me to buy the notion that Aliens elevated the original. Maybe Aliens brought a slightly wider audience to the original in more recent decades, but Alien actually had more wordwide box office revenue than Aliens.

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Avatar 2

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People didn't like the first movie because the plot was too complex. The sequels were dumbed down to cater to the limited attention span of modern audiences. The first is still the best overall Mission: Impossible movie, if you have the mental capacity to give the movie your full undivided attention.
The first film is like a Harry Palmer movie while the sequels are closer to Bond. All the Harry Palmer movies are superior British spy movies to any of the Bonds.
I'm surprised the original M:I tv series was as big a hit as it was given the complexity of the plots and lower sophistication of 1960s audiences. You can't even go to the bathroom or get a beer during an M:I episode or you miss something.

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The Terminator is basically Halloween set in the city instead of the suburbs, down to the eye trauma and the synth score. "Loomis" just finds "Laurie" faster in the sci-fi version.

Not a knock on either film. They're both masterpieces of restricted-budget film.

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THIS. This right here. This was the movie sequel that not only created a movie franchise, but took a cancelled TV show and helped to turn it into a billion dollar entertainment juggernaut.

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What about The Good, The Bad and The Ugly? Didn't the first two kinda go unnoticed until the third brought them to people's attention.

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

Yeah, it's weird. I just rewatched The Terminator the other night (after it was brought up in the Avatar 2 thread), and it's really sort of fascinating.

The Terminator is a b-movie. The kind of low-budget schlock that went directly to VHS or late night cable. Pure drive-in fare. Low budget, and you could tell that Cameron stretched the budget as far he could. Cheap synth soundtrack. Big showdown in what looks like a factory they rented out for a few nights. The actions scenes are simple and perfunctory.

But it just hits the ground running and never stops firing on all cylinders. Objectively, it's a shitty b-movie, but it doesn't know it. It takes the limited budget and turns it into a taught, claustrophobic thriller. The synth soundtrack is pure 80s cyberpunk kitsch. The stop-motion endoskeleton evokes Harryhausen's sword-fighting skeletons. Even the fake-looking Terminator head used in the eye removal scene takes on an eerie, nightmarish quality. The final showdown at the factory had no-frills, which makes it seem all the more realistic -- no crazy stunts, just two people fighting for their lives against a metal monster. But most of all, I "buy" the premise, that Reese and Sarah are really fighting to save the world. It just works. The stakes seem real. The movie just hints enough that this horrible future is out there for us to completely buy it and understand it.

I enjoy The Terminator more than T2.

I have to say, between Alien, Aliens, The Terminator, Robocop, The Thing, and Predator, there must have been something in the water in the 80s. Lots of great sci-fi schlock that still holds up decades later.

Re: Sequels that catapulted original?
 

question is...did you say that about Alien (and i totally agree, but i will definitely say it wasn't until after Aliens did i realize or even see it!) prior to any remote chance of a sequel? because if not, couldn't the fact that Aliens was made and was successful, cloud your judgement a bit? if prior than great, but think about it...