Most of the time, sequels don't measure up to the original. The first Tremors movie is the best. The first Jurassic Park movie is the best. The first Jaws movie is the best. And so on and so forth.
Sometimes, though, a sequel manages to outshine the original. Empire Strikes Back is head-and-shoulders above its predecessor.
Aliens is arguably better than Alien, though this is a close one, and I give the edge to Aliens mainly because of the goofy stuff from the first one: the Christmas-style landing lights, the "molecular acid" line, and the obviously rubber and animatronic alien props.
Terminator 2 is better than its predecessor, mainly due to the larger budget and the better visuals that allows, but I think it's a smoother-flowing film in general, too.
Mad Max 2 is better than the first one for basically the same reason: a bigger budget allowing for a better movie. It also flows better.
Long-running franchises can be a tougher call, because the law of averages suggests that there will eventually be a sequel that equals or betters the original. Which Friday the 13th movie is the best one? I honestly don't know. My knee-jerk response would be to say the first one, but that one doesn't feature the full-grown and hockey-masked Jason Vorhees who became the iconic villain of the franchise, so should it really count? And what about the Police Academy movies? If you think Bobcat Goldthwait steals the show--as I do--then you'd be inclined to vote for one of the sequels, not the original.
Of course, some sequels should never have been made. (I'm looking at you, Highlander 2.)
Anyway, just some random thoughts on a Friday night.
