There's a lot of pressure for any sequel to live up to the hype, as the reason why sequels are greenlit in the first place is because the original movie was successful to some extent. And movies that follow years later have even more pressure to be great, as they're being made for huge fanbases.

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While many sequels are serviceable and satisfying enough, very few of them go above and beyond the benchmark the original movie set. But Redditors believe these movies did exactly that. Where the original movies are good to great, and many of them are held close to users' hearts, these sequels made Redditors almost forget that the predecessors even exist.

X2 (2003)

Professor X and Magneto play chess in X2

Mrbaryonyx mentions X2 as being much better than X-Men, which was released three years earlier. The Redditor calls to attention how well the film balances each mutant, explaining that "every character has something to do that contributes to the story, and the arcs all culminate in an emotional climax." The user even thinks it's better than the universally loved X-Men: First Class.

It isn't even debatable that X2 is so much better than the film that came before it, and the difference in every department is like night and day. Whether it's the digital effects, which looked dated in X-Men even when it was released, the storytelling, or the much more ambitious action sequences, X2 still holds up today, unlike its predecessor.

Back To The Future Part 2

Marty standing in front of the flying car in Back to the Future Part II

Back to the Future is a classic and though it's part of a very good trilogy, it's always the first one that gets all the praise. And though the second movie is a worthy follow-up, Cmaffeo3 confesses that they've "always loved Back To The Future 2 the most."

There's plenty to love about the sequel, especially considering it's set in the future compared to the original, which is set in the past. And between the 3D shark and the self-tieing Nike sneakers, the movie's depiction of a not-too-distant future is so entertaining and, surprisingly, there's quite a lot that the film accurately predicted. But pizza lovers are still waiting for the Black and Decker re-hydrating pizza oven.

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Vito Corleone walking on a street in a still from The Godfather Part II

Fans of the beloved gangster series can debate over which is better for hours. Though The Godfather Part III doesn't get the recognition it deserves, the first two movies in the trilogy are in a league of their own. M_daddyp11 notes that The Godfather Part II is superior to the 1972 original because "the parallel storyline just makes it so much better. De Niro is brilliant."

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The Redditor is referring to how the film is both a prequel and a sequel at the same time. Along with following Michael's rise to becoming the feared, evil head of the Corleone family, the movie follows Vito building his empire in the 1910s. If the series were to continue at all, it should depict more of Vito's empire-building, as it always feels like it's cut short when it flashes forward back to Michael's story.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows (2011)

Holmes and Watson dressed in tuxedos in A Game Of Shadows

Studboi69 reckons that Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is much better than its 2009 predecessor. Though there isn't any defining quality that makes either the first movie or the sequel distinctly better than the other, the Redditor makes some good points. They note that they "really liked Moriarty in this one, and their ending duel was just so amazingly executed."

A Game of Shadows is funnier, features Holmes' archnemesis, Moriarty, and it adapts the best and most famous Sherlock Holmes story, The Final Problem. But that doesn't mean there's nowhere else to go, as there are still so many stories Sherlock Holmes 3 could adapt, which is a threequel that fans have been clamoring for.

Batman Returns (1992)

Catwoman wielding her whip in Shreck Plaza in Batman Returns

Even though 1989's Batman features Jack Nicholson's Joker and it turned Batman into a brand and created the way fans perceive the superhero today, Callumsoprano thinks Batman Returns is better. Though they have the exact same scores on Letterboxd, there are so many ways fans would prefer Batman Returns to 1989's Batman, and there are even reasons why it's the very best Batman movie.

Including the animated movies, there are countless feature-length Batman films, but none of them depict Gotham as wonderfully dark and beautifully Christmassy at the same time. On top of that, Shreck is the best non-comic book created Batman character, and the portrayals of the Penguin and Catwoman are iconic.

22 Jump Street (2014)

Schmidt dressed as a gangster with Jenko in 22 Jump Street

Comedy sequels are rarely ever as good as the original movies, and the ones that surpass that bar and end up being even better are like gold dust. But Lukenathaniel thinks 22 Jump Street is exactly that. The Redditor posits that the sequel "one-upped a reboot that I grudgingly laughed my ass off all the way through."

The Reddit user is not alone in thinking it's superior to 21 Jump Street, and there are so many reasons why 22 Jump Street is the better film. Between all the relatable college tropes and featuring one of the best mid-credits scenes ever, The 2014 movie is one of the best comedies of the 2010s.

Evil Dead 2 (1987)

Evil Dead 2 Bruce Campbell Ash

Evil Dead 2 is essentially the same film as the original, only director Sam Raimi had been perfecting his craft for five years between the first movie and its sequel. That means that the 1987 release has such meticulously designed horror sequences, and it added some fantastic comedy bits too.

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Sverd_abr_Sundav puts it best by explaining that while The Evil Dead is a campy horror film, "Evil Dead 2 is a hilarious psychological thriller that enjoyed playing tricks and just going insane." The sequel is better for the shocking final scene alone, as Ash is transported through a portal into medieval times, slays a dragon, and is hailed as a king."

Shrek 2 (2004)

Shrek as a man talking to Fairy Godmother in Shrek 2

GottaGetJam thinks Shrek 2 is far better than its predecessor, which must have seemed like such an impossible feat at the time. 2001's Shrek was the first-ever movie to win Best Animated Picture at The Academy Awards, and the way it interpolated and satirized age-old fairytales was a work of genius.

Though the second movie didn't win Best Animated Picture, it was up against some stiff competition, losing to The Incredibles, and it was totally deserving of the award. The Redditor puts it best, explaining that "the second movie is so much better than the first. There were just so many great little moments that the first movie did not have as many of."

The Dark Knight (2008)

Bruce Wayne looking at the bat suit in The Dark Knight

Writer-director Christopher Nolan made one of the greatest trilogies of all time with the Dark Knight trilogy. And while many prefer Batman Begins for its more accurate depiction of Gotham, and while there are a very select few who prefer The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight is the crown jewel in the series. AdamHD is one of the biggest fans, explaining that there can be no other answer to the question.

The Redditor explains that "I liked Batman Begins, and liked it even more after watching it multiple times, but The Dark Knight is far superior." Between the jaw-dropping portrayal of the Joker, the ambitious action sequences, and the constant, thought-provoking moral dilemmas, the 2008 release is the best non-DCEU DC movie.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

K and giant hologram in Blade Runner 2049.

Melbordo cites the sci-fi epic Blade Runner 2049 as being the superior of the two movies. That opinion might ruffle some feathers, as the original has such a huge amount of fans. But the Redditor explains, "don't get me wrong, I love Blade Runner and it's one of my favorite movies, but Denis Villeneuve's vision and direction blew my mind."

While it's a little too early to say for sure, as the sequel is only four years old, it seems as if Blade Runner 2049 will age the same way its predecessor did. Just like 2049, Blade Runner was a box office bomb upon its theatrical release, but over the years it grew into a cult classic and now has one of the biggest, most passionate fanbases ever. But 2049 probably won't have half as many re-edits.

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