19 Movie Sequels That Are Actually 100% Good

"First is the worst..."

We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community which sequels they think are 100% better than the original. Here are the ones that prove sequels don't always have to be a huge letdown.

1. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Marvel

"Taika Waititi finally let Hemsworth be Hemsworth, who has phenomenal comedic timing. One of the best Marvel movies overall."

—emmac486329ad2

2. Shrek 2 (2004)

DreamWorks

"Does the first Shrek have a musical montage with a fairy godmother singing 'I Need a Hero' while wearing a red dress on a grand piano? I didn’t think so."

—bailreckin

3. An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000)

Disney

"An Extremely Goofy Movie is so much better than A Goofy Movie. While the original has amazing music, the second one has a plot that is a thousand times more enjoyable."

—tindsey14

4. Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002)

Dimension Films

"Spy Kids 2: The Island Of Lost Dreams is, and always will be the best in the series just based off the iconic quote, 'Do you think God stays in heaven because he too is afraid of what he created?'"

—shannona4f5e1d132

5. Scream 2 (1997)

Dimension Films

"Slightly controversial, but I love Scream 2 more than the original. There's great character development for all the leads (especially Sid, who’s even more of a badass) and the twists are brilliant!"

—rachelg49b663c96

6. High School Musical 2 (2007)

Disney

"Not only did High School Musical 2 produce some amazing music, it also gave us the dynamic between Chad and Ryan that I still think about to this day."

—kristenkubek22

7. National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

Disney

"I love National Treasure, but National Treasure: Book of Secrets is better. The City of Gold is a way cooler treasure, and the story of Ben winning Abigail back is way more compelling than the first movie. Also, Riley’s even funnier in this movie (somehow) and the dynamic between Ben’s parents is basically the only thing I think about on a daily basis. Absolute perfection."

—nosveremosenlostribunales

8. Magic Mike XXL (2015)

Warner Bros.

"The characters actually have depth and the story is interesting. Yes you read that right: there's a nice story to a movie about male strippers. The original one completely lacked any depth. I’m so glad I saw the sequel first."

—paigeelampe

9. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

Universal

"It's just so much more fun than the first one. It has more fantasy creatures and a better story altogether. I just wish Gulliermo del Toro made a third movie."

—s44ded1f3d

10. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Marvel

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the perfect example of building a monument from somewhat shaky foundations."

—lamanz

11. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

TriStar Pictures

"This sequel gave us the matriarch and full badass Sarah Connor. The character arc, the early '90s special effects, and the soundtrack all built a fantastic and powerful sequel."

—traceygatmin2

12. D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994)

Disney

"This movie combined our favorite characters from the first film along with a new cast, like teen heartthrob, Mike Vitar, aka Benny 'The Jet' Rodriguez from The Sandlot. It also featured Kenan Thompson with his infamous 'knucklepuck' and introduced us to The Bash Brothers. Lastly, the sequel gave us the best villain team ever with ICELAND. The Quack Attack was back, Jack!"

—ccvalentinemusic

13. Addams Family Values (1993)

Paramount

"Addams Family Values puts The Addams Family to shame! It has a better storyline, the characters inhibit their original cartoon-y selves."

—c4b44fa98b

14. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Disney

"Even though the first had so much hype (and truly delivered), the second had so much more background into the characters and their stories were so beautiful. Each one was so fleshed out, and the acting really brought it all home. Tens across the board. And Davy Jones is one of the best, most underrated Disney villains out there."

—bauxjangles

15. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Warner Bros.

"Mad Max: Fury Road is shockingly excellent. I’m sure this is blasphemy to fans of that franchise, but I think it’s significantly the best one by a wide margin."

—reginaldcartwright

16. Toy Story 2 (1999)

Disney/Pixar

"Unpopular opinion, but I've always thought Toy Story 2 is way better than the first. I think it's because of the song Jessie sings, but even as a little girl I always asked for Toy Story 2 to be put on instead of the original."

—sing6388

17. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Lionsgate Films

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is better than the first Hunger Games film and, in my opinion, the best film in the franchise. It's faithful to the source material and adds new moments to the film that make it an action-packed and empowering film from beginning to end."

—lightheart16

18. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

20th Century Fox

"The OG of sequels upstaging the original."

—b492e17612

19. And Paddington 2 (2017)

SutdioCanal

"Don’t get me wrong: the first one is great, but the second one is amazing. Hugh Grant steals the film as Phoenix Buchanan and the it manages to take what everyone loved about the first film and then build on it."

—kerryb4e7ff4e7a

Note: Submissions have been edited for length/clarity.

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