by John Constantine

I hear the same complaint every summer: why are there so many sequels!? Don’t these movie-maker people have any original ideas? How about some new movies already? Look, everyone. Sequels are awesome. We’ve known this about popular fiction since popular fiction was invented. Long before Optimus Prime rolled out in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” creators and audiences have been itching to return to their favorite characters and stories.

Just look at Cervantes. The guy created the modern novel. His "Don Quixote" was the 17th century equivalent to the summer blockbuster. Know what the guy did ten years after writing it? He wrote part two! Continuing adventures are coded into the very DNA of modern entertainment. The only problem is that they rarely live up to their predecessors. Here are the five movie sequels that not only met expectations, but exceeded them. Read more...