A sequel is almost inevitable these days.
A good sequel is not that hard to do successfully, especially since studios are more motivated than ever to keep a franchise going and not let it die. You will never see the days of “Caddyshack II” or “The Sting II” ever again. It’s hard to even believe “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” was made since it was only one step above a straight-to-video film. Look at how far that franchise has come back.
A great sequel is even harder to do. A higher budget doesn’t necessarily mean a better film. Elements for a great sequel usually include a continuation of the story/formula that worked the first time, bringing back most, if not all, of the original cast or director, introducing complex and engaging new characters, spending more time on character relationships instead of telling the origin story, new motivations or maybe even turmoil within the group that was formed gets resolved.
A sequel that is better than the first is a rare thing indeed. All elements really have to come together like lightning in a bottle to produce a film that is truly special and makes the audience want to take a second journey through the universe that was created the first time around.
For the purposes of this list, I am only looking at part 2 vs. part 1, so you will not see Episode III listed here.
Read more:
http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2015/10-movie-sequels-in-which-part-2-was-better-than-part-1/#ixzz3t2et0Jl7
