Underrated Sequels
 

What are some movie sequels you think get an undeserved bad rap or don't get the credit they deserve? A few sequels I really enjoy I feel deserve better:


Ghostbusters II
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Predator 2
Die Hard 2
Jaws 2
Batman Returns


All very good films IMO, and all deserve better.

There are only two sequels that I remember watching that I consider equal or superior to the original:

Aliens

The Empire Strikes Back

Another very strong sequel is Godfather II, but I found it slightly weaker than the original.

Re: Underrated Sequels
 

Well actually the thread is for sequels that you consider underrated and usually don't get much praise or credit. The sequels you mentioned are universally well-liked and praised.

Re: Underrated Sequels
 

Our dear member Honeykid said that Aliens was a piece of crap.

And, anyway, both of these sequels get way less attention from film critics than Star Wars and Alien, which I consider to be slightly inferior films.

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Though, one thing is certain: all sequels tend to be underrated, since they are sequels and so tend to be judged as only commercial excrement derived from the original.

I will probably cop some flak for this but Death Race 2 comes to mind. I liked the first one and the second was also enjoyable.

Off the top of my head and excluding sequels that have gradually become recognised as classics...

The French Connection II
Ginger Snaps: Unleashed
Magnum Force
Trinity Is Still My Name
Predator II
Jaws II
Psycho II
Blade II
Any Which Way You Can
Day Of The Dead
Final Destination II
Escape From The Planet Of The Apes
Maniac Cop II
Shaft's Big Score
Return Of The Living Dead Part III
Back To The Future Part II - I think it's generally accepted part III is a classic.

I should also add Halloween III even though I don't appreciate it's brilliance; there are plenty of horror fans who do. :)

As far as underappreciated, I agree with Die Hard 2, Jaws 2, and Any Which Way You Can. I'd add The Devil's Rejects, The Color of Money and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanomo Bay.

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The Collection. Superior to the first film too.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...tionPoster.jpg



I also agree with sequels that have been mentioned: Blade 2, Final Destination 2 and Batman Returns - All I prefer to the original first films too.

"I just want you guys to know that if we start freezing up here, and I die first... eat me."

"Eat you? What a lovely image. 'Eat me!' Hey, Glen, I'm still hungry, is there any more Phil? Oooh, pass the Phil! Mmmmm, he's even good cold! Great parrrrty! All thanks to Phil!"

"Alright, so DON'T eat me."

after number 2 tarnished the brand,

http://s0.discshop.fi/img/front_larg...ns_blu_ray.jpg

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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom Of the Crystal Skull
Ocean's Twelve

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Jaws 2
Psycho 2
The Exorcist III
2010: The Year We Make Contact
Return To Oz
Day of the Dead
Friday the 13th part 2
Creepshow 2
Bride of Re-Animator
A Nightmare on Elm Street part 3
Halloween II
Gremlins 2
Terminator 3
Alien 3 (director's cut)
Return of the Living Dead 3

This. Excellent film.

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Ghost Rider 2

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Alien 3
The Matrix Reloaded

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I'll agree with whoever said The New Batch. Also Matrix Reloaded.

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http://www.vhsisland.com/wp-content/...pe_From_LA.jpghttp://pbfiles.cixx6.com/tnd/tnd-poster-US-3.jpg
http://www.olivefilms.com/wp-content...ighlander2.jpg

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I wouldn't call Highlander 2 underrated. I'd call it the best "bad" movie ever, but not underrated.

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Wayne's World 2? Loved the first one and the sequel is still very very funny

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I will agree with Escape from LA and Predator 2. Both are films I enjoy quite a bit.

And I know I am in the minority but I really enjoyed Iron Man 2. And lets throw in The Boondock Saints 2, even though it is a rehash.

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I think Ghostbusters 2 is severely underrated, I really enjoyed it. Rocky 2 was another one, it didn't become the circus which was 3,4 and 5 and still maintained the heart of the original.

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Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome - ok the kids are sappy, but still some awesome Max action!

I dig Predator 2 as well, not nearly as bad as made out, a different lead actor and could have been great!

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Final Destination 2
Gremlins 2

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I did not think Rocky V was that bad imo. Not a good movie yeah, but it's certainly not awful. I thought it was a risky move to have a Rocky film with him outside of the ring.

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Psycho 2 (It's not great, but I think Anthony Perkins is still awesome in it.)
Hellraiser Inferno
Batman Returns (Not great, but I liked this one more than the original to be honest, and it's the best of the original Batman franchise.)
Alien 3

Rush Hour 2. I believe most people consider the first to be the best (the third is obviously not even close in this debate), which is more than fair, but I just love how they reversed the setting for this sequel, putting Tucker in a foreign environment, just opened up more jokes and martial arts opportunities.

I think GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH is a much better film than the original. I cannot get behind GHOSTBUSTERS 2 though...terrible movie. Also nice to see some love for PSYCHO II and ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN. I also think Terminator II: Judgment Day is severely underrated and better than the original film.

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Yeah other movies I think were as good as the first are

Terminator 2
Leathal Weapon 2
Back to the future 2 (or maybe just under)
Sister Act 2 (Guilty Pleasure)
Dark knight (better than the original but it got the credit it deserved so not underrated)

Alines > Alien.

There... I said it!

Re: Underrated Sequels
 

A lot of people like Aliens and T2, and both are often considered better than their predecessors.

True enough, but the originals are better.

Re: Underrated Sequels
 

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.

Most people would say Austin Powers first film was the best and by and large, Goldmember was the worst (and rightly so, it's garbage).

For me not only do I think the Spy Who Shagged Me is underrated, I think it's the best of the 3. Just had something more fun about it as a whole.

International Man of Mystery >>> Goldmember > The Spy Who Shagged Me

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Halloween II, I feel, was as good as the original, although I feel like parts I and II are two halves of a whole.

Neverending Story II
Matrix Sequels (another set of films that seem like one continuous story told in parts.

IRON MAN 2 is as good if not better than the original; I've always felt the climax of IRON MAN was weakened by offering up one fight too many and would have been better served by having the "frozen" Bridges free-fall to his demise.

ESCAPE FROM LA is really quite good if you take it for the satire intended.

Um, no.

True about the sequels, but the first one was clearly its own movie.

There's a sweetness to the original POWERS film that was totally absent from the bigger, louder, and raunchier sequels.

Out of four:

AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY ****
AUSTIN POWERS in THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME ***
AUSTIN POWERS in GOLDMEMBER **

The law of diminishing returns doesn't bode well for the upcoming fourth installment...

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I thought Lion King 2 why not as good as the Lion King was still a solid film

I remember thinking it wasn't that bad, either. Then again, I've never been the biggest Lion King fan (good movie but not Disney's best to me).

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I think The Dark Knight Rises is often overshadowed by The Dark Knight. Though I could have done without most of the football stadium scene, still a very enjoyable movie.

Also agree with Blade II

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I liked Lion King 2. It bothers me that it didn't get a theatrical release.

It's surprising to me that it didn't, especially since the original did very well at the box office.

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Henry II: Portrait of a Serial Killer. A bit too stylistically similar than its predecessor, but maintains the cold atmosphere and underlying creepiness of the first.

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Die Hard 2 is almost as good as the first, imo.

I didn't care for any of the films you mentioned here...I can sit through Temple of Doom if I have to, but I think it's the weakest film in the franchise.

Why don't you list some sequels you find underrated?

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Another I forgot before was The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I used to not be a huge fan of it but it's grown on me over the years. Not without it's issues, but it's still quite entertaining and fun Summertime movie fare. The first half is somewhat dull, but the second half for the most part is a lot of fun with the rampant dinosaur action.

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Halloween II
The Enforcer - an enjoyable follow-up in the Dirty Harry series

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Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
- I think it is a lot funnier and more interesting than Excellent Adventure

Return of the Jedi
- Many people will bite my head off for saying this is underrated, but I don't think it's as bad as people say it is. My least favorite of Episodes IV-VI, but still I like it.

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Pirates of The Caribbean 2 : Dead Man's Chest and At World's End are two very underrated sequels

also Evil Dead 2 is underrated

Evil Dead II has a lot of fans, not really underrated, though I agree it's a great movie.

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Iron Man 2 is another I find is quite underrated. While I agree it isn't as good as the first or The Avengers, it's still a pretty entertaining film that has important elements that tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. I find Iron Man 2 and 3 are pretty equal, while the former is seemingly more disliked.

2010 is a rather underrated and ignored sci-fi film.

The Descent 2 was pretty decent.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is easily as good as the original, just different because of its abundant dark humor.

Ripley's Game is an excellent thriller.

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Never even heard of 2010 or Ripley's Game.

to me that was the best Rambo movie

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in a way I think is underrated. Not without serious issues but it's not nearly as bad as some make it out to be and wasn't without entertaining parts.

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For the record, Temple of Doom is a prequel (it takes place in 1935, whereas Raiders of the Lost Ark takes place in 1936) so its status as a sequel is extremely debatable at best.

As for underrated sequels...since nobody else has said it, I'm going to nominate Halloween III. A decent enough premise that worked because it changed things up radically from the whole Michael Myers thing, which was starting to get a little stale by the time II finished. Not a lost classic, but not as bad as everyone seems to think.

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Return to Oz

I know it's a prequel, but I do think it's deserving of a mention at least.

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IMO the two sequels deserved its mixed reaction from critics and audiences- certainly not underrated.

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I'm not familiar with the POTC films, not sure if I'd say the sequels count as underrated, but their reception seems mixed whereas the first is a generally well-liked film.

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I would agree regarding Wayne's World 2...not quite up to the original, but still a very funny movie and you don't see a lot of discussion about it on these boards.

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I didn't like back to the future part II that much when it came out in 1989 but enjoy it a lot more now!

Robocop 2
Gremlins 2
Predator 2
Airplane 2
The karate kid part 2

In addition to these I'll also add:


The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Iron Man 2
Thor: The Dark World
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Poltergeist II: The Other Side


I'm tempted to add Avengers: Age Of Ultron, but I think it's too early to tell. Seems it has a somewhat mixed reception compared with the unanimous love the first film got.

AMEN, I actually quite liked the second JP, the third one was written terribly which is why I can see why people don't like it but I thought it was a decent popcorn flick since the special effects were still fantastic.

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The Lost World isn't without it's flaws but I find it's still quite entertaining and far superior to the third, IMO.

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I would say Alien 3 would be one. While the theatrical cut is a complete nightmare, the Assembly Cut basically fixes most issues with it.

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Return Of The Living Dead Part II is another for me.

I'm including prequels and remakes here as well

Terminator 3 - Not a great sequel, but not awful

Star Wars Episode I-III - Didn't have the acting talent that the first one did, but no where nearly as bad as some die hard fans claim

Halloween remake - One of the better slasher films I've seen

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Scream 2
Halloween 2 (1981)
The Purge: Anarchy

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Having been rewatching the Pirates of the Caribbean movies I think Dead Man's Chest is a lot better than some may give it credit for. Although the 3rd is a jumble mess and the 4th just doesn't have that same atmosphere as the first couple IMO


And I thought the new Halloween was very good actually like many have been saying

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Ocean's Twelve was a steaming pile of crap.

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I will probably cop some flak for this but Death Race 2 comes to mind.

I dig those.

I also like Rambo sequels.

Halloween III was meant to be a new beginning! Carpenter hated writing Halloween 2 and wanted to end Michael's story. He had a concept to turn the franchise into a big screen Halloween themed horror franchise of different Halloween themed stories with ideas, plots, new villains and all that in each standalone sequel. It was gonna be like tales from the crypt, twilight zone, Are you Afraid of the Dark or Creepshow or Tales from the Darkside with this concept.

Yeah, I'm very aware of Carpenter's own intentions regarding the franchise and, given what I've seen of the other pre-reboot sequels, I'd probably have appreciated this approach more.

Re: Underrated Sequels
 

The Exorcist III is the first one that comes to mind. I like Godfather II, Aliens and Empire Strikes Back more than the originals but I wouldn't consider them underrated. The people I talk to usually like T2 more than The Terminator but I like the first one more.

Nightmare on Elm Street 3 is really underrated I think. While we're on the subject of 3's, Halloween III isn't great but I prefer it to II. Call me crazy.

Re: Underrated Sequels
 

What do you think of the concept in mind?

I love Nightmare 3 but most people I know of like it a lot and it's a big fan favorite, not exactly underrated.

Here's an updated list from me:


Ghostbusters II
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Predator 2
Iron Man 2
Thor: The Dark World
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Die Hard 2
Jaws 2
U.S. Marshals
Escape From L.A.
RoboCop 2
Batman Returns


I'm tempted to add Avengers: Age Of Ultron to the list but feel maybe it's too soon for now. It still has a pretty divisive reception among several.

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Iron Man 2 is still a fun movie. I don't understand all the hate it got.

Iron Man 3 on the other hand.....

I don't know about US Marshalls...the movie goes on forever and has too many endings...loved Robert Downey Jr. though.

Second Avengers was good. It might appear bad when comparing with first Avengers which was great.

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It wasn't as good as the first but it came close to matching it for me. In some ways it was better, Ultron was definitely a better villain, IMO.

My updated list is largely the same as before with a few new additions. Here's a little comment I have for each movie:


Ghostbusters II - Always loved it as much as the first and never got the hate. Always watch both of them together.

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom - Never kept my love for this one a secret. Always been my favorite of the series.

Predator 2 - I like this better than the first which is also a big favorite of mine. The urban setting, new Predator weapons and this particular Predator is my favorite one.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron - This one has had a mixed reception since release. I loved it and it came close to surpassing the original for me. Ultron was an entertaining villain.

Iron Man 2 - Not as good as the first but still entertaining and I liked seeing a slightly more frail side to Tony Stark.

Thor: The Dark World - I actually prefer it to the original which I still like.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park - Grown on me over the years. Not as good as the original but so much better than the third and fourth combined. Not without flaws but it entertains.

Die Hard 2 - Not as good as the original but not far off from it, either.

Jaws 2 - Same as Die Hard 2.

RoboCop 2 - Same as Die Hard 2 and Jaws 2. Falls short of the original but still entertains and RoboCain is all sorts of awesome.

U.S. Marshals - Another I controversially prefer to the original, which I love as well.

Escape From L.A. - I enjoy it as much as the epic Escape From New York. Dare I say I actually may like it a wee bit more?

Batman Returns - IMO the best of the pre-Nolan era Batman movies. I admit it hasn't aged overly well but it has some entertainment value and has nostalgia for me.

Independence Day: Resurgence - Not a classic but I found it to be a harmless and entertaining alien invasion movie. Don't get the lashing it got since release.

Fright Night Part II - Never enjoyed the same status as the 1985 original but it's just as entertaining. I might even like it a little better.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret Of The Ooze - Flawed, heavily toned down from the original and not nearly as good as it, but it gets more flack than deserved. Childhood nostalgia aside, I enjoy the Turtles' dynamics and the new addition of Tokka and Rahzar.

Basic Instinct 2's probably quite underrated. I think there were some clever ideas in it, and David Thewlis is brilliant as the policeman.

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Scream 2
Halloween 4
The Dark Knight Rises, while still has decent reviews and a fanbase gets allot of flack for not being The Dark Knight.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
I agree with Both Jaws 2 and The Lost World and would extend that to Jurassic Park III, that movie has some genuinely good to great sequences.

Re: Underrated Sequels
 

I am no fan of terms such as "under" or "overrated". It kind of gives me the impression of "your opinions about this movie are wrong".

I prefer to see it as movies I like that others don't, which I'm completely fine with.

That said, I don't think X-Men: The Last Stand was that bad. Sure, I like X2 far more, but to me it seemed like a good ending to the trilogy.

I thought X-Men Apocalypse was pretty good as well, though that one is more liked in general than X3.

Also, Ghostbusters 2 I don't think is that bad. Not as good as the original, but a solid sequel.