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Comedy sequels - they're so hard to pull off


Bellenda Carlisle

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I was watching Dumb and Dumber to the other day and it got me thinking about comedy sequels and how hard they are to get right, if you make it more over the top it can end up a terrible parody of itself, if it's not over the top enough it would be boring, if you change the jokes too much it doesn't feel like the original and the worst option of all is using pretty much all the same jokes.

 

Mike Myers must be decent at it because Austin Powers: The spy who shagged me is the best of the trilogy and I really like Wayne's World 2.

 

Are there any really good examples of comedy sequels? Is there even any point in them, were Anchorman 2 or dumb and Dumber to even successful? Both were based on absolutely beloved films.

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I always thought stuff like Naked Gun, Hot Shots, Airplane etc had good sequels despite using the same sort of gags

Those are great shouts, I guess they reason they work is because it's all about the gags not really the story, as long as you can keep up the same pace of silly gags it's ok, Whereas others have to try to make a whole story that compliments and adds to the first one.

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A good shout for a strong comedy sequel is the criminally underrated Addams Family Values. An excellent little film.

 

Airplane II is just great, the scene where he's talking through the window that you think is a TV screen and then he opens the door gets me evertime.

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I think you should be!

 

Zoolander was a classic, but I'm always sceptical of sequels coming a long time after the original(s).

 

I am unashamedly a big fan of the American Pie franchise.. the core films anyway. Not the shitty spinoffs with Eugene Levy and no-one else from the originals.

 

I think they did a good job with those.

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Yeah American Pie 2 is really good, there's a big drop-off in quality after that though.

 

Agree about Inbetweeners 2 being better than the original too.

 

Not seen it for years but remember enjoying Beverley Hills Copy 2 almost as much as the original.

 

Home Alone 2 wins though. As always.

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I think you should be!

 

Zoolander was a classic, but I'm always sceptical of sequels coming a long time after the original(s).

 

I am unashamedly a big fan of the American Pie franchise.. the core films anyway. Not the shitty spinoffs with Eugene Levy and no-one else from the originals.

 

I think they did a good job with those.

Yup. Like Dumb and Dumber To, it smacks of all involved needing/wanting a pay day and a much needed hit to their name.

 

Jim Carrey was on Howard Stern a few months back basically saying that nobody is willing to throw money at him anymore.

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