50 Sequels Better Than Originals, According to Total Film Magazine

[Neverending]

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/50...vengeance-1995

Samples:

50. Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995)

The Sequel: For once, John McClane is at home in New York...but that still doesn't stop him from being targeted in a lethal game of 'Simon Says.'

Why It Measures Up: An accidental sequel, in that the story was written before Bruce Willis was attached - but it's precisely because it isn't a rehash of the original that returning director John McTiernan has room to breathe.

45. Aparajito (1956)

The Sequel: The follow-up to Pather Panchali (and predecessor to The World Of Apu) charts Indian boy Apu from childhood to adolescence.

Why It Measures Up: The only sequel to win the top prize at one of the Big Three European Festivals - specifically, the Golden Lion in Venice - this is the bedrock of Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy.

^ I'm sure Dracula, Doomsday, and SnoBorder will get a kick out of that choice.

43. Daleks - Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (1966)

The Sequel: Second outing for Peter Cushing (following Doctor Who And The Daleks) as the big-screen incarnation of the Time Lord, itself adapted from the original TV series' Dalek sequel The Dalek Invasion Of Earth.

Why It Measures Up: The dystopian London setting - with Daleks patrolling Westminster Bridge - makes this a much more iconic, confident adventure than the space-bound original.

^ For JBond, of course.

41. Rocky III (1983)

The Sequel: Rocky Balboa meets his match in Mr T's upstart Clubber Lang.

Why It Measures Up: While all of the Rocky sequels have their merits (except V, obvs), this is the only one to dare to knock Rocky back. Plus, it features the Muppets, Mr T and 'Eye Of The Tiger.' How much more 80s goodness do you want?

^ Personally, I prefer part 4, but whatever, it's a valid entry too. Plus, they also forgot to mention Hulk Hogan as Thunder Lips.

39. The Testament Of Dr Mabuse (1933)

The Sequel: Psychotic Dr Mabuse - first seen in 1922's Dr Mabuse, The Gambler - inspires a crimewave from behind bars, while police Inspector Lohmann (returning from Fritz Lang's previous film, M) investigates.

Why It Measures Up: Lang was moved to make a sequel as an allegory of the rise of Nazism, ensuring that Testament provided greater social critique than the original film.

36. Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

The Sequel: Riggs and Murtaugh take on a gang of racist South African crooks. Where's your diplomatic immunity now, huh?

Why It Measures Up: Familiarity breeds contentedness, as Gibson, Glover and Donner settle into their action-comedy groove and welcome Joe Pesci to the fold.

35. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

The Sequel: Billy Peltzer and Gizmo have moved to New York, ensuring that the 'new batch' gets to satirise 80s yuppie culture rather than the original's Capra-esque small town ideals.

Why It Measures Up: Joe Dante held out for full creative control, and so got to make probably his most characteristic movie - an anarchic, live-action cartoon that mercilessly rips apart the very nature of sequels.

26. Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989)

The Sequel: Indiana Jones hunts not one but two Holy Grails - the cup that Jesus drank from, and the respect of his dad.

Why It Measures Up: A toss-up between this and Temple Of Doom (but then, that's a prequel). This is truly Raiders Part 2 - Biblical theme, Brody and Sallah, Nazis - with the added bonus of Sean Connery as Jones, Snr.

23. For A Few Dollars More (1965)

The Sequel: Clint Eastwood's 'Man With No Name' (although he's called Manco here) joins forces with fellow bounty hunter Lee Van Cleef to hunt viscous robber Gian Maria Volonté.

Why It Measures Up: Like the title suggests, this is more of what made A Fistful Of Dollars great, giving Eastwood a superb foil in Van Cleef and letting Ennio Morricone rip with the music. It paved the way for The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, which would be on this list if it wasn't, technically, a prequel.

19. Batman Returns (1992)

The Sequel: Think Gotham City was weird when the Joker was around? Try it now, with the Penguin, Catwoman and Max Shreck all vying for Batman's attention.

Why It Measures Up: Between his two Batflicks, Tim Burton had perfected his Gothic, fairytale style with Edward Scissorhands - meaning that the sequel is a true auteur's piece, as vividly drawn as anything in the director's C.V.

^ I'm sure PG Cooper agrees.

13. From Russia With Love (1963)

The Sequel: Fresh from defeating Dr No, James Bond is targeted by SPECTRE in a deadly revenge trap.

Why It Measures Up: One of the few Bond movies to actively position itself as a sequel to the previous film, this raises the stakes with increased globe-trotting, bigger action and the arrival of Q. In doing so, a one-off hit becomes a timeless franchise that is still going strong.

^ To think that JBond said no one respected this movie.

[IanTheCool]

Gotta disagree with Indy and Die Hard.

They even try to get away with Shrek 2 and Back to the Future 2.

[Neverending]

Originally Posted by IanTheCool

Gotta disagree with Indy and Die Hard.

And I gotta disagree with you.

They even try to get away with Shrek 2 and Back to the Future 2.

I'd say both are equals to the originals.

[Ramplate]

Batman Returns (1992) has a better sound track than the first movie too - no strange Prince stuff - that really blew the first movie for me

[Tornado]

There are a lot on there I strongly disagree with.

[PG Cooper]

Originally Posted by Neverending

^ I'm sure PG Cooper agrees.

Sigh

[FranklinTard]

worst website design ever. total film magazine sucks, they just try to increase their ad revenue.

[DarthVader 2004]

If you want correct list I will do one but I think I'll leave off the pictures. These would be my top 15 sequel films list.

1The Empire Strikes Back.
2 LOTR TTT
3Terminator 2 Judgement Day.
4 The Godfather Part 2
5 The Dark Knight.
6 Batman Returns.
7 Spider-Man 2.
8 Star Trek 2 The Wrath Of Khan.
9 Aliens
10 X-Men 2 X-Men United.
11Superman 2.
12 Back To The Future 2.
13 Crocodile Dundee 2.
14 Robo Cop 2.
15 Hellboy 2

You see i am basing the list after the sequels that is second movie.

[Neverending]

Conan the Destroyer? Really?

[DarthVader 2004]

Ok its a far stretch but i couldn't think of a sequel and Conan just popped in my head. Should have used Hellboy 2.

[Dracula]

Originally Posted by Neverending

^ I'm sure Dracula, Doomsday, and SnoBorder will get a kick out of that choice.

I actually remember Aparajito being my least favorite of the trilogy, but it's been a while.

[JBond]

From Russia with Love is not a "sequel." And calling it better than Dr. No doesn't mean it has great respect.

Die Hard 3 is great, but not bettter than the original

Gremlins 2 was ridiculous, if I recall.

Last Crusade...I may agree with that one.

[Neverending]

Originally Posted by JBond

From Russia with Love is not a "sequel."

Of course it is. The whole movie is SPECTRE getting revenge for the events in Dr. No. They even say that the movie takes place 6 months later. Keep in mind that in 1963 no one expected this series to last 50 years and 23 movies. For EON, the movie was a sequel for a modestly success film. It was made and treated as a sequel.

[mooveebuff]

Road Warrior!
I saw Road Warrior first. Later I saw the original mad max, and it was good, but it couldn't compare to road warrior.
Beyond Thunderdome was so so.

[Neverending]

... okay?

[PG Cooper]

Lol, it's moviebuff's ugly cousin

[Neverending]

I can't wait for PC Cooper to join the site.

[PG Cooper]

And Everending

[sshuttari]

The list is still pretty bad. But At least they got Number 1 and 2 right. Unlike the last list they posted.

[JBond]

Isn't it time for a Before Sunrise 3? After Moonset, or something?

[DarthVader 2004]

Um now when the say sequel do they mean any film made after the original or do they mean the second movie. I think it make's more since to base that list off of the movie that came after the first film.
For example.
Rocky 2 should be considered because I think it was better Then Rocky One.
I think Rocky 3 Is ok but not as good as the first 2 and yet Rocky 4 is still the best.

[shained]

Out of the ones I've seen I only really disagree with Hostel 2. That film was shockingly bad!

[Nick1988]

I actually enjoyed X-men 1 and Spider-man 1 over the sequels.

I also enjoyed Fellowship of the Ring over TTT and ROTK, and found Revenge of the Sith to actually be the weakest of the pre-quels(I know i am gonna get a ton of **** for this one)

I agree with Die Hard though, i actually found it to be almost as entertaining as the first one, Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis where golden in that movie in terms of chemistry.

[thebtskink]

Originally Posted by sshuttari

The list is still pretty bad. But At least they got Number 1 and 2 right. Unlike the last list they posted.

yep.

[PsYkOoOoO]

1) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is definitely my favorite out of the trilogy. Yes, TRILOGY.
2) Toy Story 2 is most definitely not better than Toy Story.
3) Yes, The Lord of the Rings is ONE BIG MOVIE.
4) Happy to see Terminator 2 up there.