Do you consider this film equal to the first one?

I just watched the first two movies for the first time last night and tonight. The first one was way better.

"And I know that they're both considered classics by critics and fans alike, but what I've been hearing from people lately is that they definitely prefer the first one."

Maybe the cultural influence of the Scream 2 (1997) classroom scene where they talk about sequels, is finally wearing off. In that scene some jackass said that "sequels suck", and then a smug douchebag argued with him about it. Other students then named several sequels that they thought were better than the originals, and were met with disagreement from the class. Then the smug douchebag said smugly, "I got it... The Godfather Part II", and everyone in the class agreed (I'm surprised they didn't clap) - https://youtu.be/XzKYNZY9Hpk.

In 1996 (the year before Scream 2 was released) The Godfather was at #14 on IMDb's Top 250 list, and the Godfather Part II was way down at #77. Unfortunately I can't seem to access any IMDb archives from 1997, 1998, or 1999, but in 2000, The Godfather was at #1 and Part II had made a drastic climb to #7. Currently they are at #2 and #3 respectively, the result of the Scream 2 idea being cultivated on the internet for over 20 years now.

It's similar to the effect that the movie Clerks (1994) had on The Empire Strikes Back. It took a while, but the internet helped cultivate the idea that The Empire Strikes Back is a masterpiece, and anyone who is "in the know" should think it's the best one of the trilogy (the original idea from Clerks was just that The Empire Strikes Back was better than Return of the Jedi because it was "darker", not that it was the best of the trilogy). For example, in 1996, only 2 years after Clerks, Star Wars was #1 on IMDb's Top 250 list and The Empire Strikes Back was #26. Currently, The Empire Strikes Back is #13 and Star Wars is #21.

The general public is comically malleable.

No.

Every sequel starts off at a huge disadvantage: it’s simply never going to be as necessary as the first. As Roger Ebert explained, an original film — even a bad one — is just that: original. It was somebody’s genuine inspiration. A sequel, on the other hand, he called “a filmed deal.”

Though this film is, quite arguably, the finest sequel ever made, it still suffers from covering the same ground as the first. A good joke or magic trick is never as effective the second time.

That said, it is undeniably a very fine and effective film.
The acid test is this: how would it fare on its own for someone who had never seen the original?
I’ll never be able to know. But I’d guess not too badly.

No. It’s not. It’s better. The narrative is richer and deeper, and it has De Nero as the young Don (to be) Corleone.

To appreciate it fully, one must see The Godfather. This does not work well as a standalone film; nor was it meant to; no more that Chicken, Broccoli and Ziti is a standalone meal absent Antipasto (and garlic bread!).