Sequel

:For the hydrogen fuel car, see General Motors Sequel. For the database query language, see SQL

Characteristics of Sequels

Often movie sequels are criticized as artistically inferior, and accused of simply repeating the story of the original film. However, sometimes a sequel gives an opportunity to address weaknesses in the original. For instance, the film ' was panned as overlong, boring and short on character play. In reaction, Paramount Pictures hired Harve Bennett to produce a sequel that addresses the criticisms; he produced ', which is considered one of the best films of the series.

Related Topics:
Paramount Pictures - Harve Bennett

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Other examples of sequels which are widely considered as good as or better than the original include The Godfather, Part II, ', ', Toy Story 2, ', ', Spider-Man 2 and '.

Related Topics:
The Godfather, Part II - Toy Story 2 - Spider-Man 2

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Main article: List of the best movie sequels

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The Godfather, Part II was the first major motion picture to use Part II as the title. Previously, sequels would be given more descriptive titles (such as Bride of Frankenstein). Paramount Pictures was initially opposed to Francis Ford Coppola's decision to name the movie The Godfather Part II. According to Coppola, the studio's objection stemmed from the belief that audiences would be reluctant to see a film with such a title, as the audience would supposedly believe that, having already seen The Godfather, there was little reason to see an addition to the original story. The success of The Godfather, Part II began the Hollywood tradition of numbered sequels, as with Rocky II, Halloween II, ', and many others.

Related Topics:
The Godfather, Part II - Paramount Pictures - Francis Ford Coppola - Rocky II - Halloween II

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There are some common plot issues regarding sequels. Often when the original movie involves a character resolving a conflict, it is difficult to arrange the plot so that the characters face a similar problem. Other series do not share this problem like the James Bond series which simply has the character assigned to a new mission in each film.

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Sometimes, the original film deliberately has story developments that a sequel could develop into future stories, such as in the film, Spider-Man. In that film, Peter Parker rejects Mary Jane Watson's love without explaining himself to protect her from his enemies while MJ is left with a suspicion that he is Spider-Man. If no sequels were produced, that development could have been treated as simply a tragic ending for the hero. However, with the film's success guaranteeing sequels, this ending provides the basis for a continued story arc in which the troubled relationship between the characters forms an important basis of future film plots.

Related Topics:
Spider-Man - Mary Jane Watson - Story arc

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With the recognition of the long term profitability of successful film series, most major films where sequels are expected have the major talents like the director and main actors contractorally obliged to participate in sequels. This increases the chance of the sequel being produced with at least the equivalent quality of the original film.

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A related word, prequel, is used to describe a work that portrays events which precede those of a previously completed work. Star Wars is the best-known film that has multiple prequels. A prequel can often avoid the plot problems associated with having to deal with the consequences of the original. An example of this involves the Planet of the Apes series of movies, where the entire earth was destroyed in Beneath the Planet of the Apes. The succeeding movies were technically prequels as they took place before the original two films and explained the events that led up to the original film. Prequels often have the problem of maintaining dramatic interest when the outcome is known, and often gather interest by attempting to show aspects of familiar characters that were not seen in the original.

Related Topics:
Prequel - Star Wars - Planet of the Apes - Beneath the Planet of the Apes

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In video game media, the trend for sequels seen in other media such as film often seems to work in reverse; as increasingly sophisticated technology allows the story to be portrayed more effectively. However despite this, there are examples of game sequels that are intepreted as inferior to the original or earlier sequels. This could be because of a change in concept or gameplay, an inability to integrate new technology effectively, or simply poor production values. Master of Orion III is one notable example that seems to suffer from all three.

Related Topics:
Video game - Master of Orion

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