# Sequels that were better than the original. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146 "2003-08-23T13:45:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/1 "2003-08-23T13:45:37Z")
We were talking about this at work and most nominations were shot down. First up was Next Friday. I liked Friday. It was funny and true in the way funny movies can show truth without making it hurt too much. I even liked the slightly preachy end. Next Friday was not so preachy, which is it was “nominated”. It wasn’t anywhere near as good, in my opinion. The second Godfather got many votes. But since I’ve never seen either one, I couldn’t comment. Then somebody mentioned Rush Hour 2 (can you tell it was mostly guys making these nominations?) I guess it’s a good sequel, since you can replace alternate scenes from the original with ones from 2 and no one would be able to tell the difference. Which doesn’t make it _better_ in my eyes. Just the same. Everyone agreed with me on Aliens. They took a dark, creepy horror movie and made it into an action movie with monsters. Now, some would say that isn’t an improvement-- but I love a good action movie. Especially movies were women get to kick ass and not run around screaming and getting into trouble (one of my favorite movies of all time is The Long Kiss Goodnight with Geena Davis and Samuel L Jackson— why didn’t that movie do better?) Then we ran out of ideas. Sequels really suck, don’t they? But there has got to be more than these, right? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/2 "2003-08-23T13:47:53Z")
Addams Family Values. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/3 "2003-08-23T13:58:49Z")
I agree that Aliens was better than Alien. Also, the second Indiana Jones was better than the first. Terminator 2 was better than Terminator, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/4 "2003-08-23T14:01:23Z")
“The Road Warrior,” sequel to “Mad Max.” Some claim “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome,” was better still than “The Road Warrior,” a rare feat. “The Godfather: Part II” was NOT better than the first movie; I don’t care what anyone says. It was about as well made, that is all. Without Brando’s classic presence, it had no chance of being better than the first film. ---
**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/5 "2003-08-23T14:02:58Z")
Empire Strikes Back. Superman 2. Rocky 3. ---
**Author:** ![Myria](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Myria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myria)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/6 "2003-08-23T14:11:10Z")
The Wrath of Kahn Arguably : X2: X-men United Arguably : Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Myria ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/7 "2003-08-23T14:38:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lizard \* > \*\*“The Road Warrior,” sequel to “Mad Max.” Some claim “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome,” was better still than “The Road Warrior,” a rare feat. > \*\* I think so anyway. [hijack] Watching Mad Max 3 was a strange experience. I’ve played and finished Fallout 2, and loved it. It takes a LOT of it’s setting from Max so I kept recognizing things even though I hadn’t seen the movie before. Example: every weapon Max pulls out when he has to disarm is a weapon from Fallout. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/8 "2003-08-23T14:44:08Z")
I still find Batman Returns better than the first Batman. I realize that I may find myself in a minority here, but c’mon: Catwoman! That great interplay between Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Keaton! And the side characters are doing a great job as well, in that lovely dark Burtonesque atmosphere. BTW, I liked _The Long Kiss Goodnight_ as well, but then, I like Geena Davis (plus it had Samuel L. Jackson in it, too). However, the movie was marred because the writer ran out of ideas somewhere two-third into the movie. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/9 "2003-08-23T14:44:55Z")
That Temple of Doom thing will not go over well! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/10 "2003-08-23T15:04:02Z")
I’m sorry, but the correct answer to which Indiana Jones sequel is better than the original is: _Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade_. _Temple of Doom_ sucks monkey balls. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/11 "2003-08-23T15:45:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by watsonwil \* > \*\*That Temple of Doom thing will not go over well! 🙂 \*\* Popularity never was my strong suit. I was never Prom Queen, either! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/12 "2003-08-23T15:51:32Z")
Toy Story II. And I absolutely loved Toy Story. It was wonderful to see II was even better. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Tambo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@Mr\_Tambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Tambo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/13 "2003-08-23T17:11:20Z")
I’d agree with X2; I quite liked the first one but, as action/superhero films go, I didn’t think it had anything on the sequel. I’m on the fence with _Terminator 2: Judgement Day_. _Terminator_ isn’t a film that really requires a sequel and, IMO, to make one detracts from the tight, self-contained nature of the original film. Like all sequels it has to expand on its own mythology; on the Terminator, the war against the machines, and John Connor, and this takes away from the sheer drive of the first one, where all you need to know is that a killer robot from the future has come to terminate you and he’s well-nigh unstoppable. But on the other hand, _Terminator 2_ does work on its own terms, as an epic action/sci-fi film. I dunno if I’d call it better; it’s just different. On the whole, I’d say that most films that aren’t planned as part of a series don’t require sequels and they’ll generally not be much good. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/14 "2003-08-23T17:18:01Z")
I’d like to enter for consideration _Shane_ and _Pale Rider_ which are less sequels than remakes on the same basic plot line and character mix. Both of these are fine Westerns. Both have great casts. _Shane_ was a ground-breaking Western in the days when maybe _High Noon_ and a few others (some say _Stagecoach_ but I just don’t see it) were exploring the “adult Western.” _Pale Rider_ was less ground-breaking. How could it be? Many fine “adult Westerns” intervened. But if I had the choice of which to keep in my collection, I’d opt for _Pale Rider_ in spite of the fact that Jack Palance was a much heavier heavy than John Russell. Maybe it’s that I prefer Eastwood to Ladd. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/15 "2003-08-23T17:51:06Z")
Didn’t they do this in _Scream 2_? That was not a better sequel. The Empire Strikes Back (already mentioned). Don’t know if this counts, but _The Silence of the Lambs_ is, in a way, a sequel to _Manhunter_, based on the Thomas Harris book _Red Dragon_ (from which we got the more recent _Red Dragon_ movie). And y’all are NUTS! _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ is the best Indiana Jones movie. You can argue about which is second-best if you’d like. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/16 "2003-08-23T17:58:10Z")
No way on _Temple of Doom_ – I’d rate that one lowest of the series. Gotta disagree with the _Addams Family Values_ vote, also. I like them both, but I’d still have to argue the first one as better. **Tusculan** , I liked _Batman Returns_ better than the first one, also. Michelle in leather. Rowwwr! _Lethal Weapon 2_ ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/17 "2003-08-23T18:17:51Z")
I definitely think that Last Crusade is the best of the Indiana Jones series and one of the very best action films I have ever seen. But Temple of Doom was a horrible film. IMO Godfather 2 is superior to 1 because of its larger scope both in time and place. Attack of the Clones wasn’t that great a film but it was clearly superior to Phantom Menace. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/18 "2003-08-23T19:15:39Z")
Empire Strikes Back was a better made film than Star Wars, though I enjoyed Star Wars more. Aliens was better than Alien. Terminator 2 was better than the original. X Men 2 was better than the original. Sorry for you Temple of Doom lovers, but it was easily the worst of the three Indiana Jones movies by a large margin. ---
**Author:** ![gawen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@gawen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gawen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/19 "2003-08-23T19:57:24Z")
i agree with Addams Family Values, sure the fist one is funny but this one got so many great lines “morticia: she comes to an age where girl have only one thing in mind mother of miss perfect: boys? morticia: homicide”" ---
**Author:** ![DK2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aca169/32.png) [@DK2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DK2)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146/20 "2003-08-23T21:45:01Z")
The Exorcist 3 was better than the first Exorcist, IMO. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sequels-that-were-better-than-the-original/197146.md?page=2)