There's not only a fine art to naming a film sequel but a finer art to naming that sequel's subtitle. Film sequels often opt to go with no subtitle at all and choose to simply go with the number 2 or an entire new name altogether (Stayin' Alive, Empire Strikes Back), and in rarer cases the word "Too" as in "also" (Teen Wolf Too, Look Who's Talking Too). This list focuses on the best use of the sequel subtitle (the ones that stand out whether good or bad). The formula for making a great subtitle includes puns, is descriptive to what the film is about, is funny, campy, cool or uses the word "European." Here are the 12 Best Sequel Subtitles.
12. REVENGE OF THE NERDS: NERDS IN PARADISE
After suffering through years of torture and triumphing over the Alpha Betas the nerds of Lambda Lambda Lambda finally get to relax and spend some time in paradise. The "paradise" that the film refers to is Ft. Lauderdale, Florida hence making it on to this list. Forget what you know about Revenge of the Nerds, the phrase "nerds in paradise" is priceless.
11. AIR BUD 2: GOLDEN RECEIVER
I went back and forth on whether or not to include any films from the Air Bud series because I've not seen any of them and they lack in "hipness" for this kind of list but I just couldn't ignore the sweet golden retriever/receiver pun. I mean, he's a golden retriever that plays football! Look at him. That's ridiculous.
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10. ARTHUR 2: ON THE ROCKS
In this follow up to the popular Dudley Moore film, Arthur, the famous drunk is faced with losing his enormous inheritance to a jilted lover and he is forced to stop drinking and get a job. On the rocks indeed!
9. SPEED 2: CRUISE CONTROL
If you're ever on a bus rigged with explosives that will explode if that bus goes below 50 MPH and you manage to survive then you can expect to nearly go through the same experience again except on a cruise ship. Speed 2's subtitle makes the list for its beautiful triple meaning. Cruise control is a function in a vehicle that allows you to maintain a constant speed and they're on a cruise ship that they need to control!
8. DIE HARD 2: DIE HARDER
I remember when this film was coming out, I was pretty disappointed because I was a huge fan of the original Die Hard. I asked the question, "Really? He's going to be trapped in a hostage situation again?" Sure enough he was, this time in an airport. I was even more disappointed when I heard the subtitle because I thought they were making a mockery of John McClane, but now through the years, I've grown to love it. Die Harder? Yes. Also, it brought us "yippe kay yay em effer."
7. LEPRECHAUN 6: BACK 2 THA HOOD
There was a lot to choose from with the Leprechaun series in terms of subtitles but I had to go with Part 6 (six!) because as a subtitle it has the number 2 in it and you can't leave any sequel off of this kind of list that has "Tha Hood" in it. Also, in looking at the still image above, this movie is now at the top of my Netflix queue.
6. THE TOXIC AVENGER 3: THE LAST TEMPTATION OF TOXIE
Ok, I must admit, I have not seen this film either but in doing my research for this post I could not ignore it. It's the first to make the list that references another film (Last Temptation of Christ) within its subtitle. Much like the Leprechaun movies, there was also a lot to choose from within the Toxic Avenger series but this one is their best. The Last Temptation of Toxie, c'mon!
5. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 8: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN
This is part 8 of the Friday the 13th series where a boat's anchor hits an underwater power line resurrecting the serial killer Jason Voorhees. Jason boards the boat, which is filled with high school students heading to NYC for their graduation. He finds a hockey mask on the boat, puts it on and kills a lot of the students and gets a free trip to reak havoc in Manhattan. I'm not exactly sure if this subtitle is referencing The Muppets Take Manhattan (which would be hilarious) but either way, it's still pretty darn awesome.
4. CHILDS PLAY 3: LOOK WHO'S STALKING
Chucky is back again, revived into a new doll after a drop of blood falls into a vat of plastic at the doll-making factory. Speaking of sequel subtitles that reference other movies, this is THE BEST of it's kind. It's a Child's Play sequel that references a family film (Look Who's Talking) in it's own title to describe what the main character is doing. It does not get any better than that.
3. AIRPLANE 2: THE SEQUEL
They're not actually in an airplane in this one but in a lunar shuttle called Mayflower One on its way to the moon. This Airplane sequel was a pioneer as it was the first to use slapstick humor in it's own sequel subtitle (the filmmakers did this again with their Naked Gun franchise). It's a sequel that is officially titled The Sequel. You've earned your top 3 status Airplane 2, you've earned it.
2. BREAKIN' 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO
Some may argue that this follow up to the break dance flick, Breakin' deserves the top spot on this list and I wouldn't really be able to argue that, as I originally had it at number one. Kelly, Ozone and Turbo are all back (I never actually saw Breakin' but saw Breakin' 2 many, many times as a kid) to try to stop a developer from bulldozing their community recreation center, Miracles. (They break dance on the bulldozers.) Side note: the film also features a very young Ice-T. So why is this so high on the list? Since the release of the film, the subtitle "Electric Boogaloo," (a reference to a funk dance style) has become a commonly used subtitle placeholder for all sequels, usually to imply that a sequel is ridiculous or obscure. It has cemented itself in pop culture and is probably the most well known sequel subtitle there is.
1. SISTER ACT 2: BACK IN THE HABIT
In Sister Act 2, Whoopi Goldberg's character Deloris, stars in a Las Vegas musical about her time spent as a nun at the convent (Sister Act). Three sisters from the first film (Mary, Mary and Mary) find Deloris in the hopes of luring her back to help save a school that is about to be shut down. Side note: Sister Act 2 features a young Lauryn Hill as one of the students at this school. Of course Deloris does return to be a nun, which leads us to the greatest movie sequel subtitle of all time, Back in the Habit. This is a subtitle that is so fitting that I am convinced that the creators of Sister Act only made the first film because they had the idea to call a sequel Back in the Habit. This subtitle is so good that without its tremendous double nun meaning, it would still work as a sequel subtitle. Rocky 2: Back in the Habit. See, it still works. And then to use it for a nun who is physically putting back on a habit, are you kidding me?! It doesn't get any better than this.
Honorable mentions: Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, Problem Child 3: Junior in Love, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses, X Files 2: I Want to Believe, Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave, Garfield 2: A Tail of Two Kitties, Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds, Ace Ventura 2: When Nature Calls
