Because we’re in the doldrums of the summer blockbuster season, our minds have been preoccupied with the state of studio filmmaking. Following the tepid domestic response to “Terminator: Genisys” and “Magic Mike XXL” over the weekend, we wondered aloud on Monday if sequels might need the same level of scrutiny that failures of “original films” like “Tomorrowland” garner. There must be something going on in the internet psychosphere because a video is making the rounds that attempts to break down what exactly makes or breaks a sequel.
Bluntly titled “What Makes A Sequel Good?,” the new video from Now You See It attempts to answer the titular question. In five minutes, examples of both good and bad sequels – specifically part 2s – are compared to each other to find distinct differences. The good examples include both Terminator 2: Judgment Day and “Toy Story 2,” with the bad featuring “Speed 2: Cruise Control” and “The Hangover Part II.”
The two theories put forth on how sequels can be good are, although pretty basic observations, interesting to mull over. Watch “What Makes A Sequel Good?” below and tell us what you think are some of the most successful – creatively – sequels whose praises have gone unsung.