It sounds like a combination of common sense and straightforward logic to state that sequels should always seek to improve on their predecessors, but as everyone knows, that isn’t always the case.
In fact, you could list countless franchises off the top of your head that kept on keeping on having never managed to get better than the opening installment, not to mention any Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Predator, The Matrix, Jurassic Park, or Die Hard in particular, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
There are the exceptions to the rule, though, with film buffs now praising them to the heavens. On Reddit, a debate was started when the original poster stated their belief that Terminator 2: Judgement Day easily dwarfed the original from a qualitative perspective, but that might not be the best example when both of James Cameron’s sci-fi thrillers are classics in their own right.
Needless to say, cinephiles piled in to offer their own two cents, and it’s hard to argue with many of the selections being put forth.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Mad Max: The Road Warrior are fairly unanimously received, but as you’d expect from an online stirring of the pot, not everyone agrees with everyone else. Many comic book aficionados remain adamant that Batman Begins is superior to The Dark Knight, but the latter gets more attention because it made a billion dollars and featured Heath Ledger’s iconic Joker. Top Gun: Maverick is one of the most recent additions to the conversation, but also one of the most apt.
“Overshadowed” is a very broad term that can be interpreted a thousand different ways, which is exactly what’s happening.
Published: Jul 23, 2022 03:36 am