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What are the most underrated sequels in movie history?

D

Darth_Pazuzu

Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
There's certainly been a lot of talk around here about what the best and worst movie sequels are, but what about the most underrated? You know, the movies which definitely have individuality and personality but never ever really received their due from fans of the original film?

Personally, here are my six favorite underrated movie sequels (and one prequel):

1. Exorcist II: The Heretic (John Boorman; 1977)
2. Alien 3 (David Fincher; 1992)
3. Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones (George Lucas; 2002)
4. Hannibal (Ridley Scott; 2001)
5. The Godfather, Part III (Francis Ford Coppola; 1990)
6. Star Trek Generations (David Carson; 1994)
 
Brief comments on your list:

I agree on AOTC and the third Godfather movie. Neither is the best in their series, but both are worthy entries.

Generations is okay, but I can definitely see where the criticism comes from.

Alien 3 is better in the second DVD version, but it can't hold a candle to the other three in the quartet.

I haven't seen the other two on your list.

Personally, I love Batman Forever and the two Matrix sequels, and I think they are better than their reputations online.
 
Yeah, I almost forgot about Batman Forever and the Matrix sequels! Yeah, Batman & Robin was a major cheeze-fest, but Batman Forever somehow seems to find itself guilty by association, on account of both having been directed by Joel Schumacher.

Y'know, I think I'll add those to my list!:
7. The Matrix Reloaded & The Matrix Revolutions (Larry and Andy Wachoskwi; 2003)
(I regard this as really one big four-and-a-half-hour movie cut in half!)
8. Batman Forever (Joel Schumacher; 1995)
 
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest & Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Both of them are just as fun, if not more fun, that than the first movie.

Star Trek: Generations & Star Trek: Insurrection.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. This is based on the discussions in the Science-Fiction & Fantasy forum at the moment. I would say this is much better than Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and certainly holds a candle up to the other two.
 
I think Wes Craven's New Nightmare is a vastly underrated addition to the Elm Street series.

It's quite a clever little deconstruction of horror psychology really. He tried to do the same thing with Scream, but he dumbed it down for a more mainstream audience, and Scream was pretty crap.
 
Star Trek: Insurrection

Through all the lame corny jokes about moles and singing in shuttles, there was a great story here with good action and some good bits. I still think Generations is as close to TNG as any of the movies got, but Insurrection almost reached it, mainly through Picard.

Batman Forever

I've always liked this movie because it gave backstory on Bruce. I never had a problem with Kilmer as Batman, and Carry and Jones were great as the Riddler and Two Face.

Toy Story 2

Disney sequels tend to suck generally, and who could hold a candle to the brilliance that was Toy Story. Well, the sequel was equally as good if not better.
 
I'll second Hannibal. Sure, it's a lot of style over substance, but it's beautiful style at that. Hans Zimmer also delivers his most haunting score to date.
 
Star Trek Insurrection...I liked this movie better than Generations, there is that great scene while Worf and Picard are chasing Data where they're distracting Data by signing H.M.S. Pinefore (I probably mis-spelt it).

Batman Forever...I agree with this as well. Its a pretty good movie that tries to explore some of Bruce Wayne's feelings about his parents death. Jim Carey and Tommy Lee Jones are over the top but still fun.

I'll go with Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menance. It normally gets a lot of flak becuase of lame Jar Jar jokes and perhaps a too intense political storyline that younger fans had a hard time understanding but its my favourite movie of the prequel trilogy.
 
When A Stanger Calls Back - This movie is better than the original. The first movie is only suspenseful when it comes to the opening scene. The rest of the movie is dull. The sequel is suspenseful all the way through and manages to keep the tension high.

Psycho II - I love this movie. Sure there are a few slasher moments, but it's more a psychological thriller. Anthony Perkins is great once again and I love Goldsmith's score.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch - I don't care that Michael Myers isn't in it. He's in nine other movies, most of which were pretty crappy. I would have prefered they stuck with their original idea of making each movie different with the team of Carpenter and Hill producing. Season of the Witch is a pretty good old fashioned b-movie body snatcher type film. It's far from perfect and has some huge plot holes, but I find it a lot of fun.
 
tomalak301 said:
Carry and Jones were great as the Riddler and Two Face.
Click to expand...


What exactly did you find great about Jones as Two-Face?

He wasn't honest to the character, and basically attempted to clone Nicholson's performance as The Joker.

It was lousy and dishonest. No better than if Jones had been playing Batman and acted in exactly the same manner - Batman isn't The Joker.

And neither is Two-Face.
 
Haytil said:
tomalak301 said:
Carry and Jones were great as the Riddler and Two Face.
Click to expand...


What exactly did you find great about Jones as Two-Face?

He wasn't honest to the character, and basically attempted to clone Nicholson's performance as The Joker.

It was lousy and dishonest. No better than if Jones had been playing Batman and acted in exactly the same manner - Batman isn't The Joker.

And neither is Two-Face.
Click to expand...

Well, at the time I didn't know what kind of character Two-Face was. In fact, I still don't so I went by what the movie gave me. If it's supposed to be a rendition of a comic book, than I don't read comics. If it's supposed to be based on the TV show, well, It's been a long while. I like Two-Face and Jone's portrayal of him because it was menacing, and at the time kind of cool. Saying it was "dishonest" is kind of irrelevant to my perspective.
 
I'd have to say Generations, though that one I love mostly for nostalgia. I understand completely the complaints against it.

Most of the films others have mentioned I honestly did not care for, so I can't say much about them. I guess I'm not big on sequels.
 
Admiral_Young said:
Star Trek Insurrection...I liked this movie better than Generations, there is that great scene while Worf and Picard are chasing Data where they're distracting Data by signing H.M.S. Pinefore (I probably mis-spelt it).
Click to expand...
Close. Pinafore. I also love that scene. :D
 
The Karate Kid part II

The first movie is the coming of age classic that everyone will remember and the third one is pretty godawful by bastardizing Miyagi, bringing back Kreese and beating the Cobra Kai/people who want to beat up Daniel (who keeps regressing and forgetting everything he's gone through and accomplished in the previous movies) drum to death.

But part II was for all intensive purposes Miyagi's story.
 
2010: The Year We Made Contact. Sure it's more pedestrian than 2001, and suffers for the comparison amongst the "arty" crowd ;) but it's a solid SF film that deals well with more concrete ideas.
 
I loved the sequels to Pirates and Matrix. Matrix Reloaded and Dead Man's Chest were the best movies of their trilogies.

Haven't seen it in years but I loved 2010. "Because something is coming, Dave... something wonderful" "All these worlds are yours, except Europa. Attempt no landings there"

The Star Wars Prequels are unfairly maligned. I love 'em! Yes they have flaws. But they're still classics.
 
I can understand the abject loathing directed at most of TNG movies (much more dull than Voyager actually) but I don't understand the venom directed at Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (which bucks the trend with uneven numbered ST movies) nor do I understand the hatred for PotC: Dead Man's Chest (although it would've been better is it was more self-contained and leaner). I find most of the criticism directed at The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to unwarranted as well, a byproduct of the big falling out between fandom and George Lucas over his Prequel Trilogy.
 
Haytil said:
tomalak301 said:
Carry and Jones were great as the Riddler and Two Face.
Click to expand...


What exactly did you find great about Jones as Two-Face?

He wasn't honest to the character, and basically attempted to clone Nicholson's performance as The Joker.

It was lousy and dishonest. No better than if Jones had been playing Batman and acted in exactly the same manner - Batman isn't The Joker.

And neither is Two-Face.
Click to expand...
In the first openning moments you see him in the film talking to the security guard is the only time he's in character as Two-Face. The rest is a joke.



I think Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is underrated and far superior to the first one.
 
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