The first film was beautiful, but still nothing more but a retelling of the first 6 episodes. Eva 2.0 however was truly the perfect combination between the thoughtful storytelling of Hideaki Anno and the spectacles that the entire sci-fi genre has become known for. I was amazed at how they managed to condense the basics for 60% of the show, and the changes they made were smart ones. I always thought it would be strange to see the same characters in a different story, but Anno's psychological connection to these characters gave him complete understanding of how to create a story that still stays true to the themes of the original while still not being held back by that in Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Also, Asuka is still best girl and Evangelion 3.0 is trash.