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Need more laughs? These are our five favorite comedy sequels

The Griswolds are back this week with Vacation, a sequel to the National Lampoon original starring Ed Helms. Though comedy sequels are a tough nut to crack, there are certainly some great comedy follow up films. Here are our five favorites.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

The original Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy remains one of the funniest comedies of all-time, so any follow up would naturally be a challenging task. Luckily enough, Anchorman 2 is everything it set out to be: a hilariously stupid film that is nothing but pure comedy gold, with some expertly crafted dialogue that is improved by the excellent cast of actors that expand upon the original. Additionally, the film perfectly captures the '80s era with some great parodic sequences and unexpectedly cunning satire.

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Christmas Vacation

With the new Vacation hitting theaters this weekend, it's important to remember that the franchise's greatest installment was a sequel. Christmas Vacation, which follows Clark Grisworld's family reunion and Christmas preparation, combines the most ridiculous elements of the series' characters, combining them all in hilarious fashion. Chevy Chase continues the character of Clark in his best performance as the character to date, and the film serves as a great continuation of the characters.

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Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey

One of the most unconventional comedy sequels, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey both takes on the same tone of the first film while still having its own identity as a comedy. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter continue their incredible chemistry, and the film's plot actually takes a chance with the material by taking it a completely different direction. The film's goofy, upbeat style is completely successful in telling the story, and it keeps the laughs up in a great sequel.

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Ocean’s Thirteen

Though Ocean's Twelve was a disappointment in comparison to the original Ocean's Eleven, the franchise's third installment, Ocean's Thirteen, brings the franchise back to the original film's fun, heist-oriented plot. Additionally, the film doesn't just focus on George Clooney's titular Daniel Ocean, but rather gives an extended role to the entire cast, specifically a hilarious turn by Brad Pitt as Rusty Ryan. It's a great ensemble piece, and successfully gives a great comedic end to the character arcs set up throughout the entire film.

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22 Jump Street

22 Jump Street is a hilarious and cleverly satirical film that serves as a worthy sequel to its predecessor and a quality production on its own right. Most of the comedy in the film derives from the satire of both action movie clichés and sequel clichés. Both of these elements allow the film to be self-conscious of its intentions and give many hilarious moments, including a creative credit sequence that makes fun of many of the film's qualities involving the conveniences of a sequel. This adds more humor to the film as well as solidifies the lighthearted tone.

While it's rare for a comedy sequel to be good at all, 22 Jump Street succeeds due to its self-deprecating sense of humor and the strength of the lead performances by Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill.