Are sequels always as good as the first?

It is known throughout the film industry if you're going make a sequel it better be good or awesome!
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the humble sequel ... due to narrative... it doesn't alway live up to the original... the same can be said for the remake ... you know it was made 10 years ago and a film company goes hey we'll make another version.

Problems can stem from critics down to the normal cinema goer with fans posting on the internet their utter disgust or lovefor  the second film.
So when the exciting news that Kick Ass 2 was going to be released this year, part of me leapt in the air whooping like the little geek that I am!
But then it dawned on me, Kick Ass 1 was epic enough and also shocked a lot of audiences when they heard a 12 year old say the 'C' word numerous times on screen, Chloe Mortez admits that she never swears herself so swearing on camera was a little bit more difficult than we imagined, but then there is Arron Johnson (who to most girls is known as Robbie, the rockstar 'Sex God' from Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging!) playing the teenage misfit Dave who's mother who has just died, still grieving he  decides to become a vigilante having his first major hollywood role after being in a few British Teen Films.

The difference with this is it is an adaptation of a book, sequels only work in this way normally ... Harry Potter and Twilight (think what you like ) only work as their is always a continuous narrative. 

One of the most successful film franchises in history!

It's harder to follow on a narrative that hasn't been written previously... or if they are a trilogy but with example of The Matrix ... number 2 was a flop with fans not to happy about the narrative although the third and final instalment in the series made up for it's mistakes.








But why should the third film make up for the second films mistake?


The only example of a sequel that has rocked and not needed the third film to save it from the bargin bin at your local supermarket is The Terminator. Judgement Day had a bigger budget than the first film which to be fair allowed it to go further in the CGI and technology department... and it just made sense with Arnie coming back, John Conner now a troubled boy and his mum Sarah banged up in a mental health unit by the FBI and the CIA. The thing with The Terminator was that although number 2 rocked... 3 and 4 didn't live up to it... really it should've stopped but who is to argue with James Cameron?

What ever you may think about the sequel there is always room for one somewhere... you just have to hope it'll do justice to the original.