Sequels That Are Better Than The Original

Here's a hill I'm prepared to die on -- there are MANY sequels that do it better than the first of the franchise. Let's discuss:

Shrek 2 was a masterpiece. I think we all agree on that.

From the plot, to the cast, to the animation and even the easter eggs (that you notice after the 100th time of watching) - made it a certified classic. The Shrek franchise stands out for many different reasons but the main one is its originality - it started so many trends - that seem to be the norm in animations now such as having the whole cast sing a song at the end.

Why Are Some Sequels Better Than The Original?

The fact that bankable talent reprise their roles and the first film did so well, it gives the writers more opportunity to take risks and be adventurous.

View the video below to see some more titles that are better than the original.

Sequels I believe are better than the first film

Plot development saves the day

Rush Hour 2, Back To The Future 2 and Toy Story 2 are amongst the titles I deem to be better than the first but I also think that this is because they build on the storyline of the first and the plot becomes more juicy and complex. For example, in Toy Story 2 the toy collector Al was willing to do anything to sell the original Woody's roundup toy collection which made for compelling viewing because on the one hand you had Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang trying to save Woody and yet Woody was prepared to have his new life with Jessie, The Prospector and Bullseye the horse.

Honourable mentions

I love the fact that sequels can surpass the original in popularity but there have been some corkers! I'll start with the honourable mentions of other great sequels: Terminator 2, Batman and Robin and Paddington 2. And now for the ones that went straight to VHS and never saw the light of day again: The Fox & The Hound 2, Single White Female 2 and Basic Instinct 2.

Whether you agree or not, I think it's fair to say that without the original there wouldn't be a sequel so here's to filmmaking.