15 Unnecessary Sequels That Are Better Than You Think

Sequels are rarely necessary, but that doesn't mean we won't watch them, hoping that a follow-up will refine and expand a story in a way that fulfills the promise of the original, rather than letting it down. Any movie fan can list the great and successful sequels, but this is different.
These aren't the Godfather IIs or the Empire Strikes Backs. It's not that these sequels are better than their predecessors, necessarily—and maybe they're not even quite as good. But they all have something to say and something to add, sometimes by continuing a story that we didn't know needed continuing, but just as often by taking a sharp right turn and heading off into uncharted territory.
Many of them are movies that audiences avoided because the originals couldn't be topped. But damned if there aren't hints of brilliance squirreled away in these cinematic orphans—these sequels we didn't need and didn't necessarily ask for. This is a tribute to some less-loved follow-ups that deserve a second look.