JFG Nation, there are so many “best movie” lists out there – comparing works of art is a played out tradition. But what if we were to rank sequels? And ONLY #2’s – no third movie in a trilogy, no Live Free or Die Hard (that’s a joke), no Fast Five (not a joke).

In terms of movies, sequels have sometimes the best positioning to be great. If the first movie was wonderful and got your juices flowing, whether or not it ended in a cliffhanger, sequels are your chance to see “what happened next?” Did they live happily ever after? What happened after the protagonist won the day?

Off the top of my head, my favorite sequels:

BACK TO THE FUTURE 2: CMON. Hover boards? Pepsi Perfect? Getting a glimpse of a flying Delorean AND seeing the future? Plus a HUGE delay between first and second movie? Everything came together perfectly for BTTF2. It didn’t need roads.

THE DARK KNIGHT: NERD ALERT. Yeah, what of it? TDK was pretty epic – it showed how an actual city might react to a caped crusader and a truly messed up villain. It explored the depths of humanity. IT MADE ME CRY NERD TEARS. Although if I hear another tween at Halloween say WHY SO SERIOUS again I’m just gonna kick him in the nuts.

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Duh. You don’t even need nerd genes for this one. Classic case of the second movie ruling a trilogy.

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION 2: RED AND ANDY’S BOAT ADVENTURE: what, you guys didn’t see this one? Shame, you missed a good one.

So tell me in the comments below – what are your favorite sequels? Which still hold up? Let me know in the comments below.

Today’s junk food: Biena Habanero Chickpea Snacks, Honey Roasted Chickpea Snacks!!

DO THESE TASTE GOOD? Oh, YES.

WHY OR WHY NOT? To answer your question, YES, these have a serious kick. We’re not talkin Carolina Reaper or Blair’s Mega Death Sauce, but these have the same kick as Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. The spice pairs with the chickpeas perfectly – bold and consistent. The powdered coating highlights the almost sweet flavor of a habanero pepper. These snapped in my mouth beautifully like the Sea Salt variety. Awesome stuff. The JFGal stole these from me.

DO THESE TASTE GOOD? Yes but…

WHY OR WHY NOT? But I’ve never been a honey roasted peanut guy, so I’m not predisposed to like these. That being said, I did like the flavor – there is no denying the nice balance of sweetness with this variety. Did I love it on top of the chickpeas? It was good – not my favorite, but good. I’ve eaten plenty of Asian sweet bean things, so that combo didn’t throw me. I can see these being REALLY good when added to yogurt or the like.

So yeah – flavor wise excellent. Not quite in my wheelhouse, but I can appreciate.

ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD KNOW? It’s National Junk Food Day! I hope everyone has a good one. Go eat some of your favorite chips to celebrate!

PURCHASED AT: Sent to me, but you can find them with a store locator here.

WHERE FOUND IN STORE? n/a.

COST? n/a.

Sincerely,

The JFG