movies

I won't go so far as to say this is better than Terminator 2, but Gremlins 2 is such a great sequel. Some people are turned off by the zaniness, but I love how it's basically a parody of unnecessary sequels and that they just swung for the fences with it.

I saw another comment that spurred my thinking. There are (how many?) sequels in the Terminator series that have only been increasingly worse all because Terminator 2 was so good.

The same goes for Star Wars. Empire Strikes Back is a damn good movie by any measure. I’m confident none of the Star Wars movies since have managed to even come close, and I’d even say the only ones really worth watching are the first, the second, and the immediate prequel (Rogue One)

Hate on Michael Bay and his Transformers movies all you want, but there is only one movie with more robots that turn into more things than cars, more explosions, more ridiculous destruction, more awesomeness, more movie than 2007’s Transformers, and that movie is Transformers: Age of Extinction.

A giant robot that turns into a semi-truck painted with red flames, wielding a sword while riding on the back of another giant robot that turns into a flame-breathing T-rex robot. It’s unparalleled in the stupid dumb action movie genre.

I wouldn't say they are better, per se, but these are some sequels I think are on the same level, when compared to the original film in the series:

• Austin Powers 2

• Die Hard With a Vengeance

• Operation Condor 2

• Back to the Future Part 3

• Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome

Mad max 1 was a revenge cop story nobody watched outside Australia

Mad max 2 was the apocalyptic Mad max everybody know

Hot shots! Part deux.

I may say unlike the movies, Terminator Zero Series is very good!. It is animated, but story telling is sooo good there.

Aliens

• Empire Strikes Back
• Star Trek II

I qualify a good sequel as a movie that can be enjoyed without having to watch the previous. Not that the previous isn't important, just not required.

Terminator 2 clearly fits into this category. As do a lot of sequels. Here is my short list:

• Terminator 2
• The Dark Knight
• Finding Dory
• Toy Story 2
• Spider Man 2 (Toby Maguire)

Do Casino Royal or Rogue One count for anyone?

The Empire Strikes Back

cars 2. Nothing better than a spy movie where the protagonist is literally a car

The Dark Knight

Empire Strikes Back.

And if you're into "it's so bad it wraps around and becomes hilarious" films, Troll 2.

Wrath of Khan

Bending the rules a bit here. I know it is not a true sequel, but it's part of a trilogy. Hot Fuzz is better than Shaun of the Dead. Also, except for the second film, I think the Mission Impossible series just gets better with every entry.

People who grew up with the original will probably flay me for this.

Bladerunner 2049 was a better movie than Bladerunner. It took everything that was great about the original and improved upon it.

Shrek 2

Godfather 2

Godfather II. The first is honestly kind of hokey and people are really stupid when they are trying to be clever. GF II has higher levels of tension and the execution of everything is smarter. And Robert DeNiro just slays playing young Marlon Brando.

I don’t think there’s a better movie sequel than Terminator 2. It’s the reason why it’s still an ongoing franchise today.

Would people still watch the first Terminator if it wasn’t for Terminator 2?

Evil Dead 2, though it’s arguably a re-telling vs a sequel.

Paddington 2