“The original is better!” we understand This is often true. But there are exceptions where the sequel turns out to be better or even superior to the original film. Here are ten examples, obviously subjective but likely choices.
Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Some rumors might still say that The Empire Strikes Back is the better movie because George Lucas isn’t in charge, but Irwin Kershner. While Lucas undoubtedly laid the groundwork for the myth with the first installment of his saga, and took the time to flesh out his characters and world, that’s less of an insult to the quality of his work and film than to its advantage. The Empire will respond which is far superior to him.
Be it on the level of staging (the first part was a big influence in this regard), the development of the political framework of the story and the saga, the exploration of the dark side of the characters or because of his bravery (the attack on Hoth, for example). But we probably prefer it, too, because it contains one of the most famous twists in The 7th Art. And besides, this is a movie where the bad guys win in the end!
Evil Dead II
Hilarious, funny, insane, yet lovingly directed by Sam Raimi, Evil Dead remains undeniably a gem of the genre. However, it seems that its 1987 sequel, Evil Dead II, slightly surpasses it. No doubt even more exciting, but also more delirious. The most memorable part is Bruce Campbell, who takes part in a life-and-death struggle with the right. An iconic sequence that also lays the foundation for the birth of one of Ash’s iconic accessories: his chainsaw prosthetic.
Instead (again) see…
Terminator 2
Forced to step up his creativity due to an apparent lack of medium, James Cameron manages to deliver a SF film masterpiece with The Terminator, while brilliantly laying the groundwork for a franchise that has unfortunately stalled over the years. But this is clearly not the case with Terminator 2, which entered the pantheon of action films through the front door, with scenes as joyful as cult ones, with revolutionary special effects.
Between Schwarzenegger, who has probably never been in better form, portraying a Terminator this time on the right side of the fence, transforming the fragile Sarah Connor in her early days into an absolute icon of badass movie heroes, his staging that wasn’t. A little dated and seemingly strong themes (nothing about the future of humanity), not to mention the company’s budget – once colossal -, Terminator 2 surpasses its predecessor in many ways.
The good, the bad and the ugly
In the trilogy of dollars, Sergio Leone transforms the Western into brutal (a handful of dollars / and a few more dollars) and realistic tales, completely or almost completely evacuating the traditional morality of the Western, reinventing the grammar of cinema by transforming spectacular landscapes. and sublime Hollywood westerns (Ford and his Monument Valley) in haunting and unsettling landscapes full of close-ups or very close-ups of faces or embarrassing details; Or, on the contrary, landscapes of lateral emptiness.
He also brings a dose of commedia dell’art to his films, which are populated by crooks and scoundrels of the worst kind, which doesn’t stop them from making them cruel and funny. Like the sickening carnage of Eli Wallach, who gives the role of his life as the insane Tuco in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. To put it soberly and simply: almost every scene of this picaresque film is iconic, especially Tuco’s dialogues. And the final duel is undoubtedly one of the most famous in the history of cinema. The quintessence of a spaghetti western. That’s why he rose in front of his two bosses without any problem.
Spider-Man 2
We should thank you Sam Raimi : Without Spider-Man’s authentic declaration of love in 2002, which made a planetary triumph, there probably would never have been the huge craze for superhero movies that we know today. If the filmmaker laid the foundation for his character in the first opus, Spider-Man 2 surpasses it, Peter Parker constantly in full existential doubt.
If the film has much dramatic power, it owes a lot to the sensational character: “Doctor Octopus”, played by the extraordinary Alfred Molina. And then this sequence where the extremely death-defying subway train passengers literally hold a badly beaten Spidey at arm’s length…
Dark Knight
In his “Batman Begins” in 2005, Christopher Nolan offered a rather brilliant interpretation of the Batman myth, insisting and betting more on the psychology of the hero than on the avalanche of action scenes (which are not so forgotten). The film was also warmly received by critics and the public, even if it was far from a triumph at the box office.
Three years later, to say we weren’t expecting a slugfest like The Dark Knight is an understatement. Not content with simply being one of the best comic book adaptations ever made, Black as Black is also Heath Ledger’s legacy film with an absolutely amazing Joker character, hilarious, unpredictable and terrifying at the same time. A composition so overwhelming that it takes everything in its path, something extremely rare, a posthumous Oscar.
There is no doubt that the date in the cinema, both in Nolan’s final orbit, and for the influence of the film and its realistic approach, which is still felt, if only by a wave of films (in particular, superheroes) that also claim a darker and more realistic approach to their characters. For better or worse.
The Godfather, part 2
We can’t say that The Godfather Part 2 tops The Godfather, which simply remains one of the best movies ever made. But without a doubt, The Godfather II is one of the best sequels ever made. Coppola’s genius is not only to show us Michael Corleone descending into hell, alienating and destroying everyone he loves, but above all to show us in Flash Back the youth and the rise of his father Vito Corleone to power. Robert De Niro’s performance at the top, crowned with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Below, Francis Ford Coppola explains exactly why he chose Robert De Niro for the role.
Shrek 2
Let’s be simple: in terms of creativity, looks, pacing, characters and even references to other films, Shrek 2 surpasses the first part of the Green Ogre saga, which, by the way, is far from it. And in animated films, examples of sequels that are superior to the original films are certainly not legion.
A favorite of the second opus, which also owes much to the resounding arrival of Puss in Boots, brilliantly dubbed (VO anyway) by Antonio Banderas. A character that will become so popular that it will even be allowed to spin off. Let’s not forget the really rotten to the core godfather character who is none other than Prince Charming’s mother.
Addams Family Values
In 1991, Barry Sonnenfeld brilliantly brought to the big screen a family (non)adventure both deadly and iconic and funny: The Addams Family. The screenwriter was right to task with a fantastic cast at the top of their form; From Christopher Lloyd, invaluable as the fetid uncle, through the late Raul Julia, the unforgettable Gomez, his wife Morticia (Anjelica Huston) and their children Mercred (Christina Ritchie) and Pugsley (Jimmy Workman). Everything is filled with iconic scenes (Dance of Mamushka!)
Barely two later, Sonnenfeld sets the stage again for a sequel that manages to rise above the first installment with its Addams Family values; The sequel is even funnier and darker than the first part. Between the psychopathic nanny and the arrival of a carbon copy of Gomez’s mustache named Puberté (!), it was enough to satisfy us. But this was without regard to the brilliant (non)adventures of the Addams children at Chippewa summer camp, even giving birth to an idyll worthy of Romeo and Juliet. Worship!
Friday the 13th – Chapter 2: Friday’s Killer
The first film in this never-ending and indestructible franchise functions a bit, mostly as a special case in that it’s Jason’s mother, who is none other than the killer of Friday the 13th. That being said, its sequel, which hit screens barely a year later, coincidentally introduces one of the greatest boogeymen in movie history alongside Michael Myers and the unborn Freddy Krueger.
It doesn’t matter that Jason Voorhees hasn’t yet donned his famous hockey mask in this opus (that’ll be part 3), he’s content with a potato sack on his head. His murderous and ruthless vendetta carried out here makes it one of the best films ever made.
Source: allocine
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
