Many ppl consider GF2 a better film than GF1.
Same thing with SW - many ppl rate TESB above ANH.
I disagree with both.
Yes, GF2 has the young Vito scenes, and yes, TESB has the Vader theme. But overall, the originals are better movies. (that doesnt diminish the fact that GF2 is one of my top 10 movies)

Now, my choices for sequels that are better than the originals :

Terminator II (...and T1 bloody rocks, so that should tell you just how amazing is T2...)
Superman II (best superhero film to date. Beats the crap outta stupid Spiderman films, and much better than Batman Returns & Begins. Yes, I totally mean that)
The Bourne Supremacy
Batman Returns

Thats all I can think of now.

Any other superior sequels?

The Empire Strikes Back is better than A New Hope. I thought that was a universal truth.

I think Empire is better then the first. It's darker side is more impacting to me. As for The Godfather films, it depends when you ask me.

Batman Returns is better then Batman, IMO.

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is better than few more dollars and A Fist Full Of Dollars. I know they aren't direct sequels but it has the same main character in all of them

Actually, THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY is a "prequel" to FISTFULL OF DOLLARS and FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE. Why? Because Eastwood doesn't get his trademark coat vest until the end of UGLY. But for practical purposes, I'll let it slide.

I always thought that Aliens was better than Alien. They should've stopped at the second one, though.

Hands down the best sequel to date

Toy Story 2

I've seen this said other places and completely do not understand it. I thought Alien blew Aliens away, no contest.

I really liked Indiana Jones 2 & 3 ! I think they were just as good as the first movie

Weekend at Bernie's 2.

ALIENS rocks, but ALIEN is a superior picture. Even James Cameron has admitted as much.

Hmm, I never picked that up. You learn something new everyday

I agree about Empire Strikes Back being better than Star Wars. But I always thought GF was better than GFII. And that's not a slam on II.

I agree. Part II is good but nothing, IMO, beats the original

Disagreed

I'll go one step further. GFII is probably the best sequel ever made. I don't consider II a sequel, but more of a continuation of the original. I like the original better because of the actors who played the characters - Tessio, Clemenza, Carlo, Sonny, Luca, Woltz, Sollozzo, and most importantly, Vito. I realize their younger counterparts play in II, but it's not the same. Although as much as I like the characters, I don't think there has been a better antagonist in a movie than Hyman Roth.

The plot in II is far more complex and sophisticated. Telling a dual storyline was a brilliant idea by FFC. Despite all of its great qualities, I rank II slightly behind the original.

And what do you think the definition of 'sequel' is?

I like Alien more than Aliens, Empire Strikes Back more than A New hope, and GF I more than II. BTW.

One of the few times I find myself agreeing with you.


Sequels better than the original?

GodfatherII
Empire Strikes Back

Here's my list:

- The Godfather: Part II
- Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
- Spider-Man 2
- Toy Story 2

Don't forget about X2 beating out the original. I'd also say Kill Bill Volume 2 was better than Kill Bill Volume 1.

I agree Irish on both counts.

Too bad X3 sucked fucking outright(damn, I should post my version of it if I had made it!)

Still waiting on it :p

And what do you think the definition of 'sequel' is? [/b][/quote]I know you're joking, but I think GF & GFII are continuations vs another separate story. When I think of sequels (not necessarily good ones), look at the 2nd Die Hard, Rocky, Friday the 13th, etc. They take the same theme, some of the same things that worked in the original and just repackage.

I think GFII picks up perfectly from the time we see Neri close the door on Kay at the end of the original and when we first see the Corleone's at the first communion.

I'm not saying there are no similarities between the first & second GF - I think it's far more clever and better than any other sequel, Part II - whatever one wants to call it.

Agree with GFII and TESB without a doubt - both superior to the originals.

Disagree with Spiderman 2, purely because Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin is twenty times the villain that Doc Ock could ever be. And the Batman franchise? The previous films pale in comparison to the masterpiece that is Batman Begins.

Have yet to see Superman Returns, or Clerks II. MInd you, I've not seen Clerks yet...

I think Before Sunset is a very worthy expansion of Before Sunrise.

And 2046 may well just be even more devastating than In the Mood for Love.

I agree. Willam Dafoe was the MAN in Spider-Man and is the main reason why I like it more than 2