9 best movie sequels of all time, ranked

1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

No list of outstanding sequels would be complete without the best of them all: Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The successor to James Cameron’s 1984 thriller The Terminator,  Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to the role that made him a household name in a movie that completely flipped the script, turning one of cinema’s greatest villains into an action hero.

The story had similar beats to its predecessor but that’s essentially where the similarities stop. T2 isn’t a straightforward thriller, it’s a big-budget action movie with cutting edge special effects and a larger-than-life story that enriches the foundations Cameron gave us in the first movie.

Linda Hamilton also became an action hero after this one, with her commitment to Sarah Connor’s evolution turning the character into one of the best to ever grace the big screen. And Robert Patrick offers up a performance so chilling that the T-1000 is still regarded as one of film’s most frightening villains.

James Cameron accomplished greatness with The Terminator and that should have made it hard for the sequel to succeed. But T2 didn’t succeed, it exceeded; blowing every expectation out of the water and catching audiences off-guard at every opportunity. It’s a rare example of a franchise going bigger and better. Absolute perfection.

What is your favorite movie sequel? Let us know in the comments below!