Traditionally, movie sequels are, well, shocking.

Fantastic examples of this degradation in film quality can be seen in series such as "Home Alone" (though the filmic value of the original is questionable), "Smokie and the Bandit", "Highlander", "The Mummy" and many, many more.

But lately, sequels have begun to pick up their act. Most fans consider "The Matrix: Reloaded" to be at least as good as the original film, "The Matrix".

The sequel to the ever popular "The Fast and The Furious" film, the interestingly named "2 Fast, 2 Furious", is also considered to be at least as good as the original.

There are further examples out there, but I'll let you think of them.

As best I can tell, there are two possible reasons. The first is that the quality of film in general is dropping, the second is that the quality of sequels is rising. Permit me to examine both theories in a bit more detail.

The Quality of Film is Dropping

There is some merit behind this. Films were originally, a fine art, not part of what Raymond Williams would term "pop culture". I firmly believe that Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Roger Ebert, Frank Capra and the like would turn over in their graves, should they ever be subjected to the likes of Oedekerk's "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" (voted as the worst film ever on the stinkers.com, and probably not coincidentely, a SEQUEL).

I think it's fair to say that flicks nowadays are made more for the money. At any rate, a statement like that is bound to generate a lot of conversation :).

The Quality of Sequels is Rising

This is the one I'd prefer to believe. I've already mentioned "The Matrix: Reloaded" and "2 Fast 2 Furious", and others spring to mind like "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (though the improvement in this from the first is more likely due to the increasing maturity of the actors). And then there is the amazing "Lord of the Rings" films, of which the second is easily as entertaining as the first.

Is this what we, as movie-goers, have to look forward to? I sure hope so.