2. Gremlins 2: The New Batch
The debate has raged on for years, but there's a firm argument to be made that Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a vastly superior sequel to the still ludicrously entertaining comic horror Gremlins. Joe Dante, given seemingly free reign to do whatever he wanted, made Gremlins 2 one of the most riotously funny sequels ever made, not only sending up the very Hollywood system that facilitated the film, but popular culture in general, and of course, his own film. With its expansion of the Gremlins' abilities, as well as ramping up Gizmo's cuteness to seemingly unimaginable levels, this proved one of the more clever and wildly inventive films of its kind. However, being programmed against Dick Tracy certainly didn't help its box office, which pulled in about a third of what the original did, failing to break even, even if it was critically lauded and remains a cult classic. Despite its failure, rumours of a third film continue to persist, and one remains optimistic that it would probably be a hit, too (as long as they schedule the damn thing better than this one).