Underrated Sequels

[Prison Mike]

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I thought it was a fun family superhero movie.

 

[Sam Fisher]

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I thought it was a fun family superhero movie.

Seconded

 

[david icke]

Well, if I remember correctly, Moranis' character did that because the Ghostbusters were more or less broke and that's all they could get. He himself even said it was a bad idea since he was only trained in tax law, and not that type of thing. Outside that small part, what else was there that made the second movie world goofier than the first?

The Statue of Liberty walking down the street...in the first movie we buy into the fact that Gozer is a very powerful god-like figure, so we can accept mystical shape changing abilities for the genius that is MrStayPuft's walk through NY.
But, here we have some ectoplasmic goo that responds to human emotion, ok, they put it in a toaster and it starts jumping around a pool table, that bit was cool and funny, felt real , like the 1st movie. but then they go goofball overload with the idea of the goo becoming attached to TSOL and it gives it shape changing abilities to an extent also, it's suddenly able to seperate it's statuesque legs and move like a person walking down the street.
Unlike the toaster which just had the goo inside and jumped about a bit, as the goo was reacting inside.

and, the thing is, the whole scene with TSOL is just an inferior re-heat of the inspired idea to have a giant Marshmallow man walk down the street. It's goofy, uninspired, schmaltzy and illogical within the rules of the goo, and I can't believe the serious tone with which I just delivered the end of that last sentence.
It's the climax of the film, the big centrepiece, and it's a bit crap and illogical, but, y'know, it's 'Ghostbusters', who cares if it's illogical and goofy.
The attention paid to the reality was what I loved about the first one, it was all very carefully laid out and you could believe this was really happening in the real world.

Things like the Mayor's advisors in GB1, that scene was played straight, and was funnier for it, rather than the way the Mayor's obnoxious advisor is handled in GBII.

Compare the encounters with the environmental protection agency guy in GB1 to the farce of a court scene in GBII. The interview between Venkman and whatshisface in GB1 is a frickin' classic, precisely because he is saying all the things a real guy like that would be asking. He's great as the pain in the pencil-neck civil servant who takes pleasure in his power over people.

Venkman's tv show, very goofy and unreal, compare it to the classic scene with the cards in GB1 which was funnier as it felt like a real world scenario.

Also, making Sigourney Weaver the recipient of yet another random supernatural encounter diminishes the story of the first film, where she is just some woman who happens to live in the wrong apartment. No-one even cracks a joke about lightning striking in the same spot in GBII, because, y'know, it's Ghostbusters, and we all wanted Sigorney back in the sequel playing just as important a role, and that's only natural for every Crocidile Dundee type quality sequel, who gives a crap as long as we can repeat formula and get the bums in seats, so let's not mention what a big coincidence it is to have happened.
So, that's goofy as well, and negates the effect that the first movie achieved so effortlessly, of her feeling like a random person caught up in something major in the first movie.

edit: oh, and the court battle with the ghost gangsters vs Slimer in the hotel. Slimer in the hotel feels like a logical set-up, their first day on the job, making mistakes, feeling around like rookies, Slimer being a ghost who stuffs his face, so naturally he hangs out at a hotel where he can do precisely that, and it's big enough that he can haunt the place without being spotted a lot.
But in GBII we get these ghost gangsters showing up during their case, and conveiniently the Gbs take care of them with the handy proton packs and solve all their legal problems in one fell swoop by doing the judge a favour.
Even apart from the far crappier ghost hunt(the GBII one not even being a hunt, just standing around in one room blasting), it feels goofier and less real than it's equivalent beat in GB1, both come before the montage and signal they are back in business.

I actually feel better finally typing all this out after years of being disapointed by GBII, I'm glad you asked, lol. But, I know a lot of fans like it, some even just as much, and I did watch a lot when i was a kid, i had a bootleg tape of it.
But, it never matched the original for me, even when I was younger, not even close, unlike say how Return of the Jedi did back then.
I wanted to like it as much, so watched it all the time.

 

[Johnny Drama]

Ghostbusters 2

Robocop 2

Pirates Of The Carribean 3 At Worlds End

Jaws 2-4

Die Hard With A Vengence

Scream 2

 

[Johnny Drama]

The Statue of Liberty walking down the street...in the first movie we buy into the fact that Gozer is a very powerful god-like figure, so we can accept mystical shape changing abilities for the genius that is MrStayPuft's walk through NY.
But, here we have some ectoplasmic goo that responds to human emotion, ok, they put it in a toaster and it starts jumping around a pool table, that bit was cool and funny, felt real , like the 1st movie. but then they go goofball overload with the idea of the goo becoming attached to TSOL and it gives it shape changing abilities to an extent also, it's suddenly able to seperate it's statuesque legs and move like a person walking down the street.
Unlike the toaster which just had the goo inside and jumped about a bit, as the goo was reacting inside.

and, the thing is, the whole scene with TSOL is just an inferior re-heat of the inspired idea to have a giant Marshmallow man walk down the street. It's goofy, uninspired, schmaltzy and illogical within the rules of the goo, and I can't believe the serious tone with which I just delivered the end of that last sentence.
It's the climax of the film, the big centrepiece, and it's a bit crap and illogical, but, y'know, it's 'Ghostbusters', who cares if it's illogical and goofy.
The attention paid to the reality was what I loved about the first one, it was all very carefully laid out and you could believe this was really happening in the real world.

Things like the Mayor's advisors in GB1, that scene was played straight, and was funnier for it, rather than the way the Mayor's obnoxious advisor is handled in GBII.

Compare the encounters with the environmental protection agency guy in GB1 to the farce of a court scene in GBII. The interview between Venkman and whatshisface in GB1 is a frickin' classic, precisely because he is saying all the things a real guy like that would be asking. He's great as the pain in the pencil-neck civil servant who takes pleasure in his power over people.

Venkman's tv show, very goofy and unreal, compare it to the classic scene with the cards in GB1 which was funnier as it felt like a real world scenario.

Also, making Sigourney Weaver the recipient of yet another random supernatural encounter diminishes the story of the first film where she is just some woman who happens to live in the wrong apartment. No-one even cracks a joke about lightning striking in the same spot in GBII, because, y'know, it's Ghostbusters, and we all wanted Sigorney back in the sequel playing just as important a role, and that's only natural for every Crocidile Dundee type quality sequel, who gives a crap as long as we can repeat formula and get the bums in seats.
So, that's goofy as well, and negates the effect that the first movie achieved so effortlessly, of her feeling like a random person caught up in something major in the first movie.

edit: oh, and the court battle with the ghost gangsters vs Slimer in the hotel. Slimer in the hotel feels like a logical set-up, their first day on the job, making mistakes, felling around like rookies, slimer being a ghost who stuffs his face, so naturally he hangs out at a hotel where he can do precisely that, and it's big enough that he can haunt the place without being spotted a lot.
and in GBII we get these ghost gangsters showing up during theiur case, and conveiniently they tale care of them with the handy proton packs and solve all theie legal problems in one fell swoop by doing the judge a favour.
even apart from the far crappier ghost hunt(the GBII one not even being a hunt, jujst standing around in one room blasting), it feels goofier and less real than it's equivalent beat in GB1, both come before the montage and signal they are back in business.

I actually feel better finally typing all this out aftger years of being disapointed by GBII, I'm glad you asked, lol. But, I know a lot of fans like it, some even just as much, and I did watch a lot when i was a kid, i had a bootleg tape of it.
But, it never matched the original for me, even when I was younger, for all the reasons i outlined above.

Yeah. Great. But Ghostbusters II had something the first one was desperatley lacking...

Spoiler

[YT]eO7NhTm6WHc[/YT]

 

[Doctor Jones]

And it didn't have as much cursing, smoking and twinkies as the first one.

At least Annie Potts was still hot.

 

[Sawyer]

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Ghostbusters 2
Halloween 4 and H20
Return of the Jedi
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (this is a big one. I loved ToD.)
X-Men 3 (look me in the eye and tell me Kelsey Grammar as Beast isn't some of the best comic book movie casting you've ever seen.)

 

[Soapy]

Yeah. Great. But Ghostbusters II had something the first one was desperatley lacking...

Spoiler

[YT]eO7NhTm6WHc[/YT]

Haha, ****in' A. Too hot to handle; too cold to hold.

 

[david icke]

And it didn't have as much cursing, smoking and twinkies as the first one.

At least Annie Potts was still hot.

I never thought about that so much, all those little touches that made them feel like real guys who were trying to get through the tough and tumble job of constant ghostbusting. I always liked that bit with Vankman telling Ray he never looked so good.

and as for the Bobby Brown track from GBII, GB1 had some great tunes on the s/track, it wasn't missing the tunes at all.

 

[Doctor Jones]

The GBII theme was frustrating to listen to. At least it kicked in at the end. But come on, nothing compares to the original song.

Anyway my underrated sequels -

Indy 4 - a film that captures the spirit of the 50's and perfectly shows that Indy is out of his element and not longer in the 30's. People ***** about the aliens and such, but I don't understand why. Ebert begs to differ. So does did my retired local critic who thinks Raiders is the greatest action film of all time who gave KOTCS a 9/10. The 50's were all about alien and Roswell, drive in B movies, that whole culture. The 30's and accults were in the 30's. Loved it. It deserves to be said in the same breath with the other three. Plus Spalko was a much better villain than Donovan. Quality is up to the viewer but int terms of its elements included in the story, it makes perfect sense. Stop be nostalgic and accept what was used in the film. You don't have to like it, but realize it's the only thing that could have and should have been done for it. An alien is no more ridiculous than a 500 year old knight who looks 80. Plus the fridge scene is too awesome. Tense and classic Indy getting out of sticky situations.

Die Hard 4 - although it could have benefited for it to be R, it's better than the second one. Nuff said.

Scream 3 - It's not the best of the franchise but my God, how many horror movies can boast a solid sequel? A third one nonetheless? None except this one.

Halloween H20 - this should have been the end but unfortunately it wasn't. It gave us a great arc for Laurie's character in finally facing her fears. That scene where she locks the gates and shouts Michael's name is awesome. And when pulls her hand back away and chops off his head it's such a great moment. For me, that's where Laurie and Michael's story ended. Plus LL Cool J as a security guard =

Batman Returns - looking it as a Burton film it's good. You admire the German Expressionist style. It's certainly the most artsy Batman film and you admire it for that. But as a Batman fan, why the **** is Batman a supporting character? But the thing that bugs me the most is match box city. Like 85% of the film takes place in Gotham Square. But Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer shine in their villain roles. Pfieiffer sexy as hell and being the greatest female character in any comic book film. Although they overshadow Keaton, Keaton is still badass as a mother****er as Batman, even if he kills and smiles about it. I can get over that. But probably the best image of Bruce is his introduction of him sitting alone in the dark. Once that Bat symbol shines on him, kick in Elfman's score and you feel this glorious chill up your spine.

Batman Forever - silly summer popcorn fun when not taken seriously. I really enjoy it. Actually it's probably the most fun Batman film. And Nicole Kidman, Jesus H. Christ it made the six year old in me realize that the opposite sex is a gift from God.

 

[Tron Bonne]

The Statue of Liberty walking down the street...in the first movie we buy into the fact that Gozer is a very powerful god-like figure, so we can accept mystical shape changing abilities for the genius that is MrStayPuft's walk through NY.
But, here we have some ectoplasmic goo that responds to human emotion, ok, they put it in a toaster and it starts jumping around a pool table, that bit was cool and funny, felt real , like the 1st movie. but then they go goofball overload with the idea of the goo becoming attached to TSOL and it gives it shape changing abilities to an extent also, it's suddenly able to seperate it's statuesque legs and move like a person walking down the street.
Unlike the toaster which just had the goo inside and jumped about a bit, as the goo was reacting inside.

and, the thing is, the whole scene with TSOL is just an inferior re-heat of the inspired idea to have a giant Marshmallow man walk down the street. It's goofy, uninspired, schmaltzy and illogical within the rules of the goo, and I can't believe the serious tone with which I just delivered the end of that last sentence.
It's the climax of the film, the big centrepiece, and it's a bit crap and illogical, but, y'know, it's 'Ghostbusters', who cares if it's illogical and goofy.
The attention paid to the reality was what I loved about the first one, it was all very carefully laid out and you could believe this was really happening in the real world.

Well, you said you didn't mind the goofiness arising from the supernatural elements, seems like this fits into that category. Though I kind of get what you're saying about the slime's rules, it seemed like the SOL was following the rules of moving with positive feeling, they just found a way to control. Though, yeah, okay, I guess I could understand what you're saying.

I will agree that the SOL was kind of a way of emulating StayPuff. Though, I think it make sense in context of what was happening.

Things like the Mayor's advisors in GB1, that scene was played straight, and was funnier for it, rather than the way the Mayor's obnoxious advisor is handled in GBII.

Honestly, I didn't see that much difference between that guy and Peck. The Mayor's adviser was a little more blunt than Peck, but I don't think that's more unrealistic.

Compare the encounters with the environmental protection agency guy in GB1 to the farce of a court scene in GBII. The interview between Venkman and whatshisface in GB1 is a frickin' classic, precisely because he is saying all the things a real guy like that would be asking. He's great as the pain in the pencil-neck civil servant who takes pleasure in his power over people.

Yeah, I can agree on the court scene. It was pretty goofy, but I didn't think it was that bad.

Venkman's tv show, very goofy and unreal, compare it to the classic scene with the cards in GB1 which was funnier as it felt like a real world scenario.

Well, yeah, that was kind of the point. It was one of those cheesy psychic shows that cashed-in on Venkman's Ghostbuster career. The scene in GB1 was taking place in a college office for paranormal studies, so of course it wouldn't be like that

Also, making Sigourney Weaver the recipient of yet another random supernatural encounter diminishes the story of the first film, where she is just some woman who happens to live in the wrong apartment. No-one even cracks a joke about lightning striking in the same spot in GBII, because, y'know, it's Ghostbusters, and we all wanted Sigorney back in the sequel playing just as important a role, and that's only natural for every Crocidile Dundee type quality sequel, who gives a crap as long as we can repeat formula and get the bums in seats, so let's not mention what a big coincidence it is to have happened.
So, that's goofy as well, and negates the effect that the first movie achieved so effortlessly, of her feeling like a random person caught up in something major in the first movie.

Ok, I can slightly agree, though I don't think goofy is really the right word. I mean it was established in the first one she worked at a museum, and Viggo needed a newborn. Though, yeah, I guess it was too convenient. I'm not sure if I really agree with your full assessment, though. Maybe it was because I liked her character, and didn't mind so much.

edit: oh, and the court battle with the ghost gangsters vs Slimer in the hotel. Slimer in the hotel feels like a logical set-up, their first day on the job, making mistakes, feeling around like rookies, Slimer being a ghost who stuffs his face, so naturally he hangs out at a hotel where he can do precisely that, and it's big enough that he can haunt the place without being spotted a lot.
But in GBII we get these ghost gangsters showing up during their case, and conveiniently the Gbs take care of them with the handy proton packs and solve all their legal problems in one fell swoop by doing the judge a favour.
Even apart from the far crappier ghost hunt(the GBII one not even being a hunt, just standing around in one room blasting), it feels goofier and less real than it's equivalent beat in GB1, both come before the montage and signal they are back in business.

Now, I'm going to have to disagree with you here. That part worked because the only reason the judge was going all fire and brimstone was because he didn't believe in ghosts and felt the Buster's story was hogwash because of that. Showing that the ghosts exist and they are there to take care of them would definitely resolve the problem there.

The real problem behind this was the fact that it's totally unbelievable that someone who lived in New York would not believe that ghosts exist after the first movie. Even if they haven't showed up recently, a giant ****ing marshmallow man walking through Times Square would not be forgotten so easy. I get that it was suppose to be New York humor (key to the city on Monday, crapping on your Mother's grave on Friday), but it's just too much of a stretch, in my opinion. Maybe the Judge wasn't from NY, and thought it was a huge hoax from somewhere else, but they should have established that if that was the case.

I actually feel better finally typing all this out after years of being disapointed by GBII, I'm glad you asked, lol. But, I know a lot of fans like it, some even just as much, and I did watch a lot when i was a kid, i had a bootleg tape of it.
But, it never matched the original for me, even when I was younger, not even close, unlike say how Return of the Jedi did back then.
I wanted to like it as much, so watched it all the time.

Oh, yeah, the original is better. No doubt at all. I just don't think the second one is that bad. I kind of get some of your points and all, but meh, I still can't say they bring the movie down all that much.

 

[GreenKToo]

Maybe its just me, but I got the feeling that the mood slim was affected by the judges negative rant and THAT'S what caused the ghost hoods to appear...
maybe I misinterpreted it, I dunno.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Yeah, that's what happened. He was going all fire and birmstone and the slime channeled those guys he'd sent to the chair

 

[james82]

Back to the future 2 - def my fave of the 3
Indiana jones and the last crusade - seen it more than any of them
star wars - return of the jedi - as a kid i always like this over the other 2
Bill and Ted Bogus Journey - William sadler made this film

 

[The Navigator]

BTTF 3.

Why do people make a big deal about going to the Old West?

 

[Prison Mike]

I'm surprised people are saying Back to the Future 2 is underrated. I thought everyone loved that movie? They did exactly what the title said...they went to the future!

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Alien 3. Especially the directors cut.

Predator 2.

Batman Forever

Die Hard with A Vengeance

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

 

[DarthDaveBanner]

Robocop 2 was pretty good.

I also liked Return to Oz better than the original....even as a child I'd take dark and twisted over bright and cheery any day.

 

[Doctor Jones]

The Lost World: Jurassic Park I guess. Apart from the finale, I think the film is alot of fun and still felt like Jarassic Park. I always dug the over the cliff scene as a kid. Plus Malcolm coming back is always a plus. Vince Vaughn's in it too.

"Hammond said something that guys would come to the island like this. So he sent a back-up plan."

"What back-up plan?"

"Me."



And Pete Postlelthwaite! Classy as a mother****er!

Anyone seen the deleted scenes? They're actually very good. Including a badass fight scene with Postlewaithe.

 

[Octoberist]

Robocop 2 was pretty good.

I also liked Return to Oz better than the original....even as a child I'd take dark and twisted over bright and cheery any day.

same here.

 

[david icke]

Well, you said you didn't mind the goofiness arising from the supernatural elements, seems like this fits into that category. Though I kind of get what you're saying about the slime's rules, it seemed like the SOL was following the rules of moving with positive feeling, they just found a way to control. Though, yeah, okay, I guess I could understand what you're saying.

I will agree that the SOL was kind of a way of emulating StayPuff. Though, I think it make sense in context of what was happening.



Honestly, I didn't see that much difference between that guy and Peck. The Mayor's adviser was a little more blunt than Peck, but I don't think that's more unrealistic.



Yeah, I can agree on the court scene. It was pretty goofy, but I didn't think it was that bad.



Well, yeah, that was kind of the point. It was one of those cheesy psychic shows that cashed-in on Venkman's Ghostbuster career. The scene in GB1 was taking place in a college office for paranormal studies, so of course it wouldn't be like that



Ok, I can slightly agree, though I don't think goofy is really the right word. I mean it was established in the first one she worked at a museum, and Viggo needed a newborn. Though, yeah, I guess it was too convenient. I'm not sure if I really agree with your full assessment, though. Maybe it was because I liked her character, and didn't mind so much.



Now, I'm going to have to disagree with you here. That part worked because the only reason the judge was going all fire and brimstone was because he didn't believe in ghosts and felt the Buster's story was hogwash because of that. Showing that the ghosts exist and they are there to take care of them would definitely resolve the problem there.

The real problem behind this was the fact that it's totally unbelievable that someone who lived in New York would not believe that ghosts exist after the first movie. Even if they haven't showed up recently, a giant ****ing marshmallow man walking through Times Square would not be forgotten so easy. I get that it was suppose to be New York humor (key to the city on Monday, crapping on your Mother's grave on Friday), but it's just too much of a stretch, in my opinion. Maybe the Judge wasn't from NY, and thought it was a huge hoax from somewhere else, but they should have established that if that was the case.



Oh, yeah, the original is better. No doubt at all. I just don't think the second one is that bad. I kind of get some of your points and all, but meh, I still can't say they bring the movie down all that much.

Yeah, I don't think it's a terrible movie at all, it's just not in the same class as the first one imo, and diminishes it in some ways for me, due to the reality of their world being a little more unrealistic in the second one. I take onboard some of your points though, and that point about the judge is a good one, in fact , that's a good criticism that could apply to a lot of the movie, the Ghostbusters being sued by the city etc, how could they have hoaxed the Marshmallow man, who could deny that happened with all the burnt marshmallow that would've laid about town that night.

As for Sigourney, I liked her character a lot as well, I just would've liked to have seen her integrated in a different way.
and you are right about the tv show, I mean, I do like that scene a lot, but not as much as the college scene. It's not goofy in the way I made out though, it should be goofy, you're right.

I do think Peck is far more realistic than the guy they have trouble with from the Mayor's office in GBII though.
Peck is a classic character, I was reading that the actor who played him kind of came to regret taking the role as people in the street used to treat him like he really was that guy, and give him crap all the time, lol, shouting at him from buses and things like that. He was as funny as Murray in that interview scene.

Robocop 2 was pretty good

I can really enjoy RC2, it has some really good ideas in there, but ultimately is not a patch on the 100%classic original as those ideas are not realised to their full potential.
When I have just watched RC1, I can usually feel like I want to see the further adventures, so can whack on RC2 right after. But, I can't really do that with GBII, as the universe feels a little different for the reasons I already described.
I have always thought that the scene where Robo is clinging to the front of the villan's van, trying to punch the window in, and is then driven through a bar, was ripped from Amazing Spider-man issue 251, the exact same thing happens with the Hobgoblin driving the van with Spidey on front.

 

[Sawyer]

I dont necessarily think it was underrated (or even all that good, really) but the inclusion of Kane in Poltergeist II was great. He was one creepy ass mofo.

 

[david icke]

I dont necessarily think it was underrated (or even all that good, really) but the inclusion of Kane in Poltergeist II was great. He was one creepy ass mofo.

That's funny, because the villan introduced in Robocop 2 was called Kane as well, and he was one creepy ass mofo too, lol.

Another underarted sequel is Chronicles of Riddick...yes, it's not as good a movie as Pitch Black, but considering the slating that movie got on release, and still gets from lots of people, it is underated, it's really not that bad, just some bad design here and there, and a little pompus, but still a lot of sci-fi action fun, and the character is still great, with scenes like that one with the cup-fu, classic.

 

[DocHoliday]

I shall have the best list of them all:

Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (I still don't understand the mixed reception though in the long run, it's still well liked)

Agreed. I'd add Crystal Skull and the Star Wars Prequels though.

 

[Wesley Dodds]

The Matrix sequels, while not a patch on the original, are still nowhere near as bad as some people like to make them out.

Pirates Of the Carribean: Dead man's Chest. I enjoyed this movie probably more than i enjoyed the first one. It does everything a Part 2 should, strengthens the characters, expands the universe and ends on a satisfactorily downer note. The third one is ****, though.