Sequels to Films - Are they any good?

There are many hasty remarks made about sequels both among the hordes of regular movie goers and the more professional echelons of critics. The hasty remark voiced by the average movie viewer is that vast majority of sequels are worse than the original. The hasty remark by critics, specifically those who write for mainstream movie magazines, is that decent sequels have only really started appearing in the 21st century. I consider both views to be gross generalizations at best. The critics' generalization is disproved with 1935's The Bride of Frankenstein. This is often considered a vast improvement on James Whale's atmospheric original Frankenstein. Whale had ...  Read the complete review

You can?t really blame the big studios for running with sequels until the horse is well and truly flogged. But often as not they are pretty awful with only a few second and third time out bettering the original. Latest scores just coming in on the movie prompter. ROCKY 5 JURRASIC PARK 3??.A late own goal settling this titanic battle. DIE HARD 3 STAKEOUT 2?.Truly awful away showing by Richard Dreyfuss in the second half up against a powerful Bruce Willis front line trio. POLICE ACADEMY 8 HONEY I SHRUNK MYSELF 0??.The title sums up the desperation of the away teams tactics to get a winner again for captain Moranis. A truly awful ...  Read the complete review

No. Ok, thats it, can I go home now? Just click VU because I'm sure you all agree and umm thankyou and goodnight. *Sigh* Ok, let me elaborate. "No", would be the immediate reaction to most people faced with that subject heading and for the most part they the reaction would be correct. There have been some really awful sequels produced over the years by greedy Hollywood moguls hoping to cash in on past successes and in general most sequels seem to be somewhat lacking. I wonder sometimes whether if a movie sequel had been released before its predecessor whether it would get quite the slating it does. Still, for the most part movie ...  Read the complete review

These days you can't have a movie without having a sequel, its almost innevitable. In my life I have never encounted a really succesful sequel that can truely be counted as better than the first. True there have been many which can be classed as good, but there is still that thin line between a good movie, and a masterpiece. Now I couldnt have this argument without mentioning that famous scene from Scream 2, where they debate the validity of sequels in general, a little tounge in cheek reference to the fact that Scream 2 is of course a sequel itself. It does raise some good points. Have there really ever been any movies that have been more succesful and ...  Read the complete review