Movie Duologies-A Rare Breed

Lady Snowblood/Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance

Battle Royale/Battle Royale II: Requiem

 

Trouble With Angels/Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows

A Hard Days Night/Help

 

I did - the OP wants movie series that ended after 2 movies. He even notes that "Home Alone" isn't a "true duology" due to its sequels that didn't include the original cast.

If you wanna argue that the 1st 2 Superman movies are joined at the hip, rock on - but they're not a "duology" as the OP intended...

 

I think he probably wanted you to take note of the sentence “Though not a duology, Halloween and Halloween II would have made for a very good duology if the series had stopped there.” Which opens the door for more “this almost fits” answers.... which I know you love...

 

The Blob (1958)
Beware! The Blob (1972)

There was a remake of the first movie in 1988 but the less said about it, the better.

 

Well the first film is a classic, the second not so much.

 

It's actually very very good and the script was written by Frank Darabont.

 

If we throw in mini-series the Syfy Channel's "Dune" and "Children of Dune" (which adapted three novels into two mini-series) were pretty good.

 

In truth, I don't mind "this almost fits" answers - as long as there's an acknowledgement that they don't fit exactly.

I'm whining here because we're being told that the 1st 2 Superman films are a perfect match for the thread without recognition that they don't match the OP's requirements.

And I like to whine!

 

Delta Force/Delta Force 2

 

Both with original TV cast.

 

I think there are probably more movie pairs than there are movie trilogies, or trilogies plus. However... I’d bet the majority of those pairs consist of a successful first movie and a failed, or at least disappointing or underwhelming sequel... all those films that were never written to be the first chapter of a series but whose succcess made the temptation to contrive a followup irresistible.

There could be another discussion question: successful sequels that were not followed by a third installment?

 

As already mentioned, the second "National Treasure" did better than the first!

Also, the 2nd "Home Alone" did very well - not as well as the 1st, but it still made a ton of money.

Like the OP notes, the "Home Alone" series doesn't truly count for this thread because it produced a 3rd and 4th film - through the OP is wrong when he claims "HA 3" was straight to video, as it ran theatrically. It bombed, but it still ran on movie screens in wide release!

"HA 3" doesn't include any of the original cast, but John Hughes wrote it, so it's not totally divorced from the 1st 2. As far as I can tell, it lacks any continuity with the 1st 2 otherwise - no common characters, just a common theme. It also has a very young Scarlett Johansson in a small part!

"HA 4" was straight to video but brought back the original characters. None of the original actors, though...

 

I just assumed Home Alone 3 went straight to video. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

I would've assumed the same but I recall its theatrical run - partly because it did flop so hard.

"Home Alone": $285m US, $476m total WW.

"HA2": $173m US, $358m total WW.

"HA3": $30m US, $79m total WW!

 

Time to bring back Macaulay for a rated R, Home Alone meets Die Hard Home Alone 4.

 

Fox does own both the "Home Alone" and "Die Hard" franchises...

 

Die Hard wasn't the same after 2. Should have simply been a duology.

 

Disagree - I think "With a Vengeance" and "Live Free" are superior to "Die Harder".

"Good Day" is complete crap, though:

A Good Day To Die Hard [Blu-Ray] (2013)

 

We'll have to agree to disagree...those later DH's, esp after Vengeance are pure dogs. Live Free being my least favorite.

Btw; I was going to post Crocodile Dundee 1 & 2 but looks like there was a turd, I mean third. I had no idea.

 

I liked "Die Harder" a lot back in 1990, but I don't think it's aged well. On the other hand, I tended to like "With a Vengeance" more every time I watched it.

I've not seen "Live Free" for a while, so maybe it doesn't hold up. It has to be better than the God-awful, unwatchable "Good Day", though!

 

FTR I've never been able to make it through Good Day. Wasn't there a commandeered tank or something? It was over the top from the first minute. Die Harder ages well for me mainly due to its subtext and continuity from the first one. Without a doubt, there's a long fall after the first which I think in many ways was the perfect action movie.

 

Going My Way/The Bells of St. Mary

 

Black Caesar / Hell Up In Harlem
Slaughter / Slaughter’s Big Rip Off
Superfly / Superfly TNT

 

The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)
War of the Colossal Beast (1958)