In theaters tomorrow is Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too?, the sequel to his 2007 relationship drama Why Did I Get Married? And while we haven’t yet seen it, we’re already deeply appreciative of it. Why? It’s the name. Perry wisely avoided the pedestrian sequel-naming technique of slapping a “2†onto the original, going with the far more elegant “too.†Read it to yourself; it’s just right, isn’t it? In tribute to the title, we ran through a few other prominent sequel-naming possibilities Perry wisely avoided for Why Did I Get Married Too?
Roman Numerals, e.g., Trancers II, Halloween II
An obvious no-go: Yes, roman numerals are classier, but the title would read exactly the same out loud, thereby make people wonder why the producers actively avoided the more sensible “too†spelling.
Tweaking the Name to Suggest an Increase in Intensity, e.g., Die Hard With a Vengeance
Why Did I Marry My Ass Off? Why Did I Get Even More Married? The trailer does make the movie look insane. But it’s probably better to lull the viewers into a false sense of security with a calm title, thereby making the nuttiness more effective.
Adding a Subtitle, e.g., Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
So clunky! It’s the most common sequel-naming technique, but the original title is just too long for a subtitle to work. To wit: Why Did I Get Married: The Drama Continues, Why Did I Get Married: Seriously, Why? Yeah, no good.
Adding Words That Clearly Indicate Previously Introduced Characters Have Returned, e.g., Batman Returns, Dennis the Menace Strikes Again
Why Did I Get Married Asks Again? Too threatening. The question, and its implication of major whole-life-impacting screw-ups, is scary enough on its own.
Adding a Location, e.g., Bad News Bears Go to Japan, Ernest Goes to School
The movie is set in the Bahamas. But naming it Why Did I Get Married Goes to the Bahamas would insinuate that the four couples at the center of the drama are part of a crew they’ve named “Why Did I get Married,†which is not the case.
Abbreviations, e.g., D2: The Mighty Ducks, D3: The Mighty Ducks, TMNT
WDIGM: 2. Ugh.
Adding a “Vs.â€, e.g., Freddy vs. Jason, Alien vs. Predator
Marriage vs. Divorce? That’s what this movie’s about, right? Kind of makes it sound like a super-boring, super-depressing town hall–style debate, though.
A Completely Different Name, e.g., Army of Darkness, Clear and Present Danger
Generally a classy call. But Tyler Perry makes so many same-y looking movies that viewers would assume it was any other Tyler Perry movie, thereby losing the marketing pull inherent in the specific association with the successful original.
Yeah, Why Did I Get Married Too? is indisputably the right call. The lesson here? Always do what Teen Wolf did.