Greatest Apology Sequels?

[EricJ]

A chance comment on the Avengers thread was too good not to spin off into its own bar-discussion thread:

If they have to be listed from 1 to 10, what is the general ranking consensus for the greatest Apology Sequels of all time?
You know: The "unwanted" movies that at first made you dread they were following up on a titanic mistake, or misfired first or second movie--the ones for which they "just couldn't have dragged you back" to the theater--and then blew you away with sudden new re-dedication, script smarts and awareness of what the audience wanted from the franchise, that the earlier movie hadn't delivered?

Just taking my own stab at a ranking:
1) Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan
2) Nightmare on Elm Street III: Dream Warriors
3) The Incredible Hulk (the Norton/Leterrier followup to the Ang Lee)
4) Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country (after V)
5) Star Trek: First Contact (after Generations)
6) Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade
7) Batman Forever
8) Jurassic Park III
9) Gremlins II: the New Batch
10) An American Tail II: Fievel Goes West
11) Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

I keep having this nagging feeling that there should be a lot more out there to choose from, which is why I asked.
Which sequels buried their audience hatchet the most by admitting they'd goofed up the first time?

[Mike Z]

I can't think of ten right now but one that popped into my head was actually Christmas Vacation which kind of made up for European Vacation which was nowhere near as good as Vacation.

I'll try to think of others.

Good topic.

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Just taking my own stab at a ranking:
1) Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan
2) Nightmare on Elm Street III: Dream Warriors
3) The Incredible Hulk (the Norton/Leterrier followup to the Ang Lee)
4) Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country (after V)
5) Star Trek: First Contact (after Generations)
6) Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade
7) Batman Forever
8) Jurassic Park III
9) Gremlins II: the New Batch
10) An American Tail II: Fievel Goes West
11) Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

I keep having this nagging feeling that there should be a lot more out there to choose from, which is why I asked.
Which sequels buried their audience hatchet the most by admitting they'd goofed up the first time?

I don't agree with the bolded ones. Batman Forever sucked just as bad as Batman and Robin. I liked Jurassic Park 2 way more than 3. Gremlins was a better movie than The New Batch. And last Fantastic Four ROTSS was ok same as the first it did nothing better than the first.

[Atreyu]

How about Ocean's 13? The director even admitted this should have been te sequel instead of the miserable Ocean's 12.

[Buddy Christ]

Originally Posted by Atreyu

How about Ocean's 13? The director even admitted this should have been te sequel instead of the miserable Ocean's 12.

Yes good one

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Atreyu

How about Ocean's 13? The director even admitted this should have been te sequel instead of the miserable Ocean's 12.

This and I've got a good feeling that Transformers 3 will be a good make up for 2 (considering there isn't a Writers Strike this time!)

[Propellarhead9]

Originally Posted by Foggy

This and I've got a good feeling that Transformers 3 will be a good make up for 2 (considering there isn't a Writers Strike this time!)

I've got that feeling too, or at least I'm hoping.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by Foggy

This and I've got a good feeling that Transformers 3 will be a good make up for 2 (considering there isn't a Writers Strike this time!)

That's what I'm hoping for as well

[Galactus]

Rocky Balboa is another great apology sequel to Rocky V.

[OrlandoEastwood]

I felt Predators was a great apology to those AVP films.

[Lepidopterous]

Mission: Impossible 3 is much better than M:I-2

[kpkelley]

Intolerance.

It's not a direct sequel, but it was most certainly an apology.

[SpotOn]

Rocky III is a major improvement over the snooze-fest of Rocky II.

[Galactus]

Originally Posted by SpotOn

Rocky III is a major improvement over the snooze-fest of Rocky II.

And Rocky IV is better still

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Blu Blood

And Rocky IV is better still

In that case we must include Rocky Balboa, also Rambo IV should be in here to.

And Predators, that was a huge step up from AvP's!

[wonkavision]

Waiting for Ghostbusters III.

[mcfddj74]

Originally Posted by Blu Blood

Rocky Balboa is another great apology sequel to Rocky V.

ABsoLUTEly---But the workprint version of Rocky 5 was definetley different in tone. Theres an additional 15 minutes of alternate cuts and deleted scenes that make the film a different beast entirely....shame that the sequels didnt get a SE treatment. Stallone was definetly interested to add commentary tracks for them. He even joked that the one for Rocky 5 would have been him saying Im sorry for the entire running time.

[mcfddj74]

Originally Posted by SpotOn

Rocky III is a major improvement over the snooze-fest of Rocky II.

I disagree....If you fast forward through all of Adrians nagging & coma scenes....Its great. But then again Im a huge Stallone fan & will see anything he does. I PAID to see Driven on opening day.......what does that tell you.....and yes I knew going in that the film was awful...but thats half the fun with Sly's films

[Propellarhead9]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Mission: Impossible 3 is much better than M:I-2

That's a good one.

[Gaius Marius]

Casino Royale! Made up for the dud that was Die Another Day.

I agree with Predators, Rocky Balboa, and Ocean's 13 as well.