That's what we do in Hollywood... though everyone knows that the sequel's never quite as good!
Wait a minute.
Shrek 2.
Shrek 2. Toy Story 2. And the grand champion of them all- The Empire Strikes Back.
That got me thinking... what's the difference?
(By the way- I was actually watching that musical number on Youtube* and reading the comments about Shrek 2 and other great sequels!)
After much thought, I realized- all of them- Shrek 2, Toy Story 2, Star Trek 2, The Empire Strikes Back- all of them avoid simply copying the original, but instead have new story elements.
Star Trek does this the hard way: they came up with a premise for a TV series, for a series of episodes with recurring characters and a recurring situation, that has room for a really sophistocated plot. Few TV shows or equivalent of TV shows have ever come up with a premise with recurring characters and a recurring situation that allows for really sophistocated stories, the kind that can carry a really great serious movie.
The Empire Strikes Back, on the other hand, is part 2 of a larger story in three parts.
And other great sequels, like Shrek 2, follow up on the story of the original, but where the original leaves plenty of room for more new story development. Like Toy Story 2, for example. It explores the idea of what happens to the toys when a child grows up. Shrek 2 explores Princess Fiona's background and family and shows that the character of Shrek still had plenty of room for character growth. That kind of thing.
That's what makes a great sequel: new story elements, with real emotional weight, that were not covered in the original.
That's what Shrek 2, Toy Story 2, The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Trek 2 all have in common.
God loves you!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson
*search 'we're doing a sequel' to find the musical number!
P.S. This is why 'Inside Out 2' worked so well, even though the original Inside Out is this really sophistocated indie art movie. There was so much room for more story and emotional growth. After all, Inside Out is about the emotional growth of a child, and Inside Out 2 is the teenage years.
Which is why I expect an Inside Out 3, and I expect it to be great. Because the early years of adulthood are just as big as the teenage years when it comes to emotional growth. Especially if Riley gets married or becomes a mother!
Be prepared for a new Emotion... Love!