On the scale of movie laziness, I rate pointless sequels as slightly better than pointless remakes. Remakes are rehashing someone else's idea, whereas a sequel is just trying to ride the first movie's coattails. The writer might have their own idea, and just wants to cash in on a known name, which (as a writer) I can totally understand.
Backdraft 2 is absolutely one of those pointless sequels that just wanted to use the name of a much better movie in an attempt to make people watch it. This went a little further than most, attempting to tie in characters and get actors from the first one to add legitimacy. Even tried to reference the pyromania of the first as a common type of fire.
But those elements were unnecessary to the story. They actually bogged it down, taking away time from an otherwise average thriller. Attempting to shoehorn them drove it past so-so and into bad.
To sit around and drink with friends, or to jeer at, then maybe watch it. Otherwise, pass it right up, don't even acknowledge that it exists.
