Movie Sequels Better than the Original

Sequels are often popular favorites, but seldom are they critical favorites. And who’s to argue with the experts when gems like “Weekend at Bernies II” and “Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha' Hood” get the green light?

But sometimes, there’s a rare cinematic achievement that actually surpasses the original. “Prove it!” you say? We would be delighted.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photos: Warner Bros, Disney)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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Movie Sequels Be... Sequels are often popular favorites, but seldom are they critical favorites. And who’s to argue with the experts when gems like “Weekend at Bernies II” and “Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha' Hood” get the green light?

But sometimes, there’s a rare cinematic achievement that actually surpasses the original. “Prove it!” you say? We would be delighted.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photos: Warner Bros, Disney)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
20. 'Wrath of th... During a January interview with Xfinity.com, actor Sam Worthington confessed he was unhappy with his work on "Clash of the Titans" and that he "tried a bit harder" to play a character worth rooting for in the sequel. It appears to have worked, as critical reviews of "Wrath" are well ahead of its predecessor.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Warner Bros)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
19. 'Kill Bill V... Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Especially a bride on her wedding day. How could anything be more over-the-top than "Vol. 1’s" battle scene with the Crazy-88? Leave it to Quentin Tarantino to find a way.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Miramax)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
18. 'Addams Fami... A psychotic nanny, a baby with a mustache and Carol Kane combine to make “Addams Family Values” a much funnier and darker movie than its predecessor. This movie blew the lid off the evils of summer camp sing-alongs and delivered a story of young love that rivals "Romeo and Juliet." —Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Paramount)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
17. 'Toy Story 3... Sure, nothing will ever be the same as the moment we first met Woody, Buzz and the other toys in Andy's room, but nothing will rip at our heart strings quite like the end of their beautiful story of friendship and growing up.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Disney)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
16. 'Dawn of the... Better effects and a modernized storyline made George Romero’s second zombie film in the "Living Dead" series a superior creature to the original. Buckets more blood helped too.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: United Film Distribution Company)

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15. 'From Russia... "From Russia with Love" was the film to set up the Bond formula fans have come to know and love … with love. The train fight scene upped the Bond action ante and Tatiana Romanova set the bar for all villainous Bond beauties to come.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: United Artists)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
14. 'Evil Dead I... Sam Raimi took his horror masterpiece, "The Evil Dead," and expanded upon it in "Evil Dead II." There’s a bigger storyline, tons of grossness and non-stop silliness. But the most memorable part has to be the fight between man and his hand and the subsequent chainsaw prosthetic that Ash adopts.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Rosebud Releasing)

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13. 'The Twiligh... What began as the story of a teen girl and her vampire crush finally morphed into a full-fledged grown-up film with real acting and a story that is actually quite engaging. And it only took three years. —Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Lionsgate)

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12. 'Aliens' Believe it or not, the sequel to "Alien" is superior to the original. James Cameron was able to up the tension and the special effects and make Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) even cooler in this mother of all monster movies.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: 20th Century Fox)

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11. 'Bride of Fr... There are some things you just don’t do to a girl. And that hairstyle is one of them. Known for the effects as much as the acting, “Bride of Frankenstein” influenced the look of many a monster movie to come, and the bride herself is one of the most enduring pop-cultural images ever created. “Bride” also caused a great deal of controversy in its day. It was subjected to censorship when scenes of murder and Elsa Lanchester’s cleavage were considered too bold for the 1935 audience.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Universal)

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10. 'Die Hard 2:... How can you "die harder"? Just ask John McClane, who manages to destroy a plane by dropping from a helicopter onto the wing and lighting it on fire. This might be the best Christmas movie ever made.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: 20th Century Fox)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
9. 'The Dark Kni... We enjoyed "Batman Begins" for director Christopher Nolan's grittier portrayal of Batman, but it is nothing compared to the fanboy dream that is "The Dark Night." And, more importantly, The Joker.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Warner Brothers)

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8. 'Star Trek II... Who can forget Ricardo Montalbán’s oily (and perhaps, plastic?) chest and the mind-controlling pincher beetle? But what sets this film apart is the most shocking moment in "Star Trek" history: Spock’s torpedo to the stars. It was so moving it even made a Vulcan tear up.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Paramount)

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7. 'Terminator 2... Before Edward Furlong got mixed up in drugs and freed lobsters from their watery jails in a Southern supermarket, he was in this amazing movie playing the savior of humanity with a robotic Arnold Schwarzenegger as his wing man?—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Lionsgate)

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6. 'Goblet of Fi... Technically, these "Harry Potter" films are sequels to sequels, but they far surpass the movies before them. "Goblet" is where Harry begins to get dark, angst-y and really do battle with Voldemort, while "Deathly Hallows" features the stunning two-part battle for Hogwarts. These movies are where the "Potter" series outgrew the constraints of typical book-to-film adaptations to become cinema gems.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Warner Brothers)

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5. 'The Road War... Where to even begin with this one? "Mad Max" was just the appetizer for the all-out car carnage in "The Road Warrior." Plus, remember Mel Gibson? He used to be great.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Warner Brothers)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. 'The Empire S... Why is this the crowning achievement of George Lucas’ famed franchise. Maybe it was because Lucas stepped out of the director’s chair? Whatever the reason, “Empire” delivers an epic story, gut-wrenching battle scenes and the planet Hoth. Not to mention the super smooth Billy D. Williams as Lando Calrissian.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: 20th Century Fox)

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3. 'The Lord of ... Why do we love this film? Maybe it's because it features the most epic battle scenes ever shot on film (or created by computers) or the fact that every character in Rohan looks like he should be in a '70s rock band.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: New Line)

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2. 'The Silence ... We can’t speak for Clarice, but for us, the lambs never stopped screaming. “Silence of the Lambs” is an unforgettable adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name. The story and imagery has been referenced in more movies than you can count and the film won five Academy Awards. Who even remembers its precursor “Manhunter?” Sorry, but Brian Cox is no Anthony Hopkins.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo by Vince Bucci/Newsmakers)

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1. 'The Godfathe... Not only was it a Best Picture winner, but “Godfather 2” takes audiences further inside the Corleone family, providing a back story for Vito Corleone while continuing the tale of Michael’s rise to power. Amazing performances and beautiful cinematography elevate Coppola’s second installment beyond the first.—Xfinity Entertainment Programmers (Photo: Paramount)

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.