Should movie sequels ever be judged as standalone works, or do they only make sense as extensions of the original? I walked into Fury Road without seeing the earlier Mad Max films and loved it, but when I tried watching the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot without nostalgia, I felt lost in the callbacks. Some franchises like The Godfather Part II manage to deepen the first story, while others just recycle plot points for profit. I'm torn between judging each film on its own merits versus recognizing that sequels inherently depend on prior knowledge—what's your take?