20 Best Comedy Film Sequels Of All-Time

Can the same joke prove just as funny the second time around?

By Sam Hill /

Comedy sequels, generally speaking, tend to suck. The same joke told twice is rarely as funny as the first time, after all - which is why comedic follow-ups tend to fall by the wayside, desperate to tap into those original hi-jinks, but unable to find new and creative ways of doing so. The best comedy sequels, of course, are those that manage to transfer what worked about the first film into a second whilst maintaining a sense of freshness that stops it from feeling like just a "lazy rehash" (cough: The Hangover: Part II - awful). Truth is, there are very few comedy sequels that are actually better than the movies they were inspired by. That's not to say there aren't a few exceptions to that rule, but for the most part it's one that sticks. It's also not to say that there aren't any worthwhile comedy sequels at all; there are, in fact, a good number of funny follow-ups that managed to both live up to the hype and offer fans the chance to relive the magic of those first flicks. Here, then, are the 20 greatest comedy sequels of all-time; every one of which managed to make franchises out of great comedy movies without tarnishing all of the good will brought on by the first installments in their respective series. Most importantly, they're all hilarious. Please Note: In order for a movie to make the list, its primary genre has to be that of "comedy." Back to the Future: Part II wouldn't count, for example, as it's mainly a sci-fi adventure flick. Lethal Weapon 2, though hilarious throughout, is still an action movie. Also: this list is confined to live-action flicks only (for fear that Pixar sequels would saturate it).