Sequels That Surpass The Original & Visa Versa

You and I are in the same boat - we haven't read the books - so I find it interesting that we still somewhat differ. I'll agree that the last one has been the worst of the four, but it was still decent. I'm more apt to forgive it because I know The Goblet of Fire is the first sizeably thick book in the series, and adapting it to film must have been torture. I fear that the rest of the films, being adapted from even longer novels, will be similarly stretched thin.

But I would say that the first two were splendidly well-made and designed, and the third a near-perfect transition from the childish magic-world to the darkness that is coming. In fact, Prisoner of Azkaban remains my favorite. It's like Halloween - dark, spooky, and foreshadowing; but still very much a good-natured adventure. The style was just so provocative.

By including something, you must ultimately exclude something else. I don't see how they could have shown the other dragons and still fit everything else in subtantially enough and still kept it under a manageable time. I also don't see why we'd need to see four dragon fights in one film, unless it was a film about fighting dragons.

I'll agree, but if I understand correctly, they won't be showing up anymore (someone who's read the books correct me if I'm wrong, please). Why characterize them when they're just one time players who only serve one function? I think they wanted to continue to develop the characters they have - those who will be sticking around for the next three films.

Agreed. That was a mis-step. Fleur and Krum didn't seem to need much depth, but if you're going to have a moving death scene, the audience better care for the character. Cedric had a little more screen time, but little or nothing he did onscreen actually applied to what Dumbledore said about him at the end. I'm thinking they could have cut a little more from the dance/ball sequence to allow more time for Cedric, but I guess they felt showing the growing adolescence of the characters was paramount to making them relatable.

The films are moving away from frivolous fantasy, and into psychological reality. The turns aren't so visible anymore, especially in this last one. I'm a fan of the fun fantasy, and hate to see it vanish; but the new tense, psychological stuff is actually a little more engaging.

Pssh, whatever. Michael Gambon, I think, has saved that character. Instead of trying to make a mockery of Richard Harris' characterization, he made the character his own. It's a different interpretation, but (a) I've been told it's actually closer to the prose character (the cool, wise, bohemian Uncle); and (b) it fits the darker style of the films better than Harris' Dumbledore would have, I'd argue. I think Gambon has translated the character in such a way that, although the actor has changed, the relationship between Dumbledore and the other characters remain (and that's a credit to Gambon moreso than to the writing). In fact, I was only aware of the change in Prisoner of Azkaban until after his first scene, and then I forgot that there was ever a different actor.

Yes, give it one or two watches. It grows on you. And watch it at Halloween. It's not perfect, but it really is a fun watch (just in different ways).

Hi Escape. I actually wasn't too dissapointed with the ending of Devil Rejects, a majority of the 70's exploitation films I've seen usually had the main characters being taken out in a hail of bullets, so I thought the film stayed pretty true to what it was trying to be. My only complaint was turning Ken Foree's character into Lando Calrissian.
On the other hand, House Of 1000 Corpses had a great start but I thought the last half hour was very heavy handed and tried way so hard to be a cult film that it ended up being an over stylised mess.

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I almost always prefer the first movie of a series. I might enjoy the movies that follow, like LOTR, Aliens, Star Wars and The Godfather but the first of the series is nearly always my favorite.

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The ending was great for one reason... Free Bird

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I have to disagree there. The first one had a much better story, and much better acting. And it wasn't as corny. That's not to say I didn't like the sequel a lot though.

No way.

Okay, both of those movies were bad, but the second was so unbelievably bad that I would literally rather poke out both of my eyes than sit through it again.

I concur, they seem to be getting better as they go. Most likely because the characters, and the audience, are becoming more mature.

...Aliens, that's all that comes to mind for me at the moment. I pretty much agree with everyone in here on their picks except for the ones I voiced above.

I agree. The first was very good indeed. That copter scene in the end was super duper though a little impossible to actually maneuver like that in a small train tunnel in reality that is.

Hmmm? Do we dare question the impossibility of a movie called "Mission IMPOSSIBLE?".....We dare, We dare

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I love Zombie's choice of music for Devil's Rejects, especially Midnight Rider in the opening credits.

Worst song ever.

The Devils Rejects was clearly a couple steps above the first film, but both are total pieces of garbage in my mind. I just don'r care for crap like that, I guess...

Meanwhile:

Mulholland Drive (Lynch, 2001)


EDIT - Well, I'm an asshat, for sure. Thought I was posting in the Movie Tab or something, as Mulholland Drive is certainly NOT a sequel...

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Hey everybody I need your help. Being a modern primitive I would like to know in the movie the hunted Tommy Lee Jones wears a special type of shoe. Some of you who know what this shoe is hopefully. I would like to buy a pair of these shoes for my next survival trip. Except I have no idea what these shoes are. So what are the shoes.

...X-2...excepting of course the shoty ending...which could have gone better. my point being that they diodn't even seem like a team, they were more like the
X Associates-beware...

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without a doubt, the best sequel to a movie of all time has to be dumb and dumberer. it was just absolutely amazing!!!! the wit! the acting ability! just amazing!

...yeaaaa

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I WANNA DANCE

Films that there sequels are better thn the originals hmmm.. ?

Rush Hour 2
Godfather pt 2
T2
Aliens
Saw 2
Superman 2
Shrek 2
Toy Story 2
blade 2
Batman Returns

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baaaaaaaaaaahaahahahhaha, probably the most musically talented song out there but ok!

In light of this post I think this Thread needs to be amended to include PREQUELS You know. movies that came out after but are set before ie Star wars eps 1,2 & 3/ Cruel Intentions 2 etc.

The sequel of "The Mummy" with Brendan Frasier, "The Mummy Returns" got ****ed up completely in my sense, seing as they changed Imhoteps powers and removed the whole curse thing completely. *Spoiler* Besides, in the end of the first movie his powers and invulnerability got taken away from him by the gods, so how did he get them back? No logic to it what so ever.

Btw Sedai, what is Mulholland Drive a sequel of?

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I watched the first Spider-Man movie the other day, and when I watched.I realized that the second one was a definitely a lot better than the the first one, and I can't wait til Spider-Man 3 comes out, because I think it will exceed the first two.

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