Worthy successors are hard to come by in Hollywood, but which movie sequels broke the mold? Just what are the greatest genre sequels ever made?
We love a good movie, we really do! But one thing we love more is when they produce a really good sequel.
Sequels aren’t hard to come by in Hollywood. We’re very much in the era of franchises, which are built on sequels, reboots, and prequels. What is hard to come by, though, are great sequels; ones that shine so bright they might even outshine their predecessor.
While the mark of a great sequel isn’t to do better than the first movie (that’s rare, after all), it is to improve or enhance what came before; adding to the legacy instead of desecrating it.
Genre movies love their sequels. Whether it’s comic book movies, action flicks, or science fiction classics, there are just so many great movie franchises that spawn a lot of sequels. A lot of those sequels are bad, some of them are great, and then a rare few are spectacular.
Here at Bam Smack Pow, we’re picking the very best sequels that the sci-fi, and superhero genres have to offer. With that in mind, just what are the best genre sequels of all time?
9. Avengers: Infinity War
The Marvel Cinematic Universe spent a decade telling a long-form story about the rise of a group of heroes, the power of mystical space stones, and a threat waiting for the right moment to enact a deadly plan. To say that Avengers: Infinity War, the beginning of that story’s final chapter, had to succeed would be an understatement.
The movie has a lot to juggle, as the deadly Thanos makes his play to wipe out half of the universe and sends his troops to Earth to retrieve the final Infinity Stone, but it pulls it off expertly well. It slowly raises the stakes, turning up the tension to a 12 anytime somebody utters the name of “Thanos” and sets the stage for the Avengers’ biggest battle. It’s also full of aftermath from previous movies, as those “divorced” Avengers are forced to unite, with outlawed heroes like Captain America, the Falcon, and Black Widow coming out of the shadows to help their old friends save the world.
Infinity War‘s resolution is among the most shocking in movie history. There is no resolution, really, just awe. And in that moment it becomes clear that this movie was never about stopping Thanos, it was about showing us how unstoppable he was. It was essentially a waste of time for the title characters to try, but this movie was anything but a waste; providing us with the most gripping, edge-of-seat and traumatic chapter in the history of the MCU.
8. Aliens
James Cameron knows a thing or two about directing successful sequels. That’s something we’ll talk about again a little bit later on in this list. But what makes his accomplishments with Aliens so impressive is the fact that he managed to deliver a sequel every bit as good (if not better) as the Ripley Scott original – a movie he had nothing to do with.
Set years after Alien, the 1986 sequel sees Sigourney Weaver return as Ellen Ripley, who leads a group of Colonial Marines to the moon on which she first crossed paths with the dreaded Xenomorph aliens. What follows is a powerful and action-packed adventure so drastically different to its predecessor that it feels like it belongs in a completely different franchise. And yet, it’s every bit as thrilling and terrifying.
Aliens is widely considered one of the greatest films of the ’80s and for good reason. Nearly 40 years later and the franchise has yet to produce anything close to the standard of this one. It’s a gripping and explosive reinvention of the Alien saga that turned cinema’s greatest survivor into one of its all-time greatest action heroines. And the Aliens were pretty awesome, too.
7. Spider-Man 2
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is considered one of the most revolutionary movies that the superhero genre has ever seen. It told a serious story while also leaning into the goofier aspects of the world it was set in (and that balance was important after Batman and Robin signalled a huge step backwards for the genre). But the Tobey Maguire-led franchise would reach greater heights with its 2004 sequel, which wasn’t just a great comic book movie, but an excellent movie in general.
The film’s portrayal of villain Doctor Octopus is perhaps its greatest asset, with the complex and emotional backstory making him a tragic character that you could root for (in the same way that Mr. Freeze is in various Batman media). Alfred Molina’s performance is captivating and the chemistry he has with Maguire’s Peter Parker enriches their hero/villain rivalry with so much emotional depth.
Peter’s struggles to balance his life as Spider-Man also adds more depth to the dynamics established in the first movie and feels like a natural progression of his character arc. And it allows Tobey Maguire to offer up his finest work of the whole trilogy.
Spider-Man was excellent, but Spider-Man 2 is an improvement that earned itself a rightful place among the best Marvel movies ever made.
6. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The first Captain America movie is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most underrated movies, but the second is one of its most celebrated. For good reason, too, because Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a thrill-ride.
Set decades after its predecessor, it’s more of a definitive MCU movie in that it’s more closely tied to the events taking place in that world. Steve Rogers may be an Avenger now, but he’s a soldier out-of-time, lost in an advanced world of the present when his heart is still in the past. But the war hero has plenty of trouble in the present to focus on, specifically the corruption hiding in plain sight within SHIELD and the resurrection of Hydra.
The movie’s compelling plot makes it more of a spy thriller, and it works incredibly well. For a character that could have been adapted in a corny manner, Steve’s conflict couldn’t be more serious, and it grounds the MCU with some realism after its big alien invasion in The Avengers. It’s also a personal tale, as the movie’s central villain forces the Star-Spangled Man With A Plan to confront his past.
The Winter Soldier is easily one of the MCU’s greatest accomplishments and perhaps its finest standalone movie.
5. Prey
It still feels a little strange to acknowledge the fact that Prey is a sequel when it’s technically a prequel, but it blows almost all of the Predator sequels out of the water, so it wouldn’t be right to overlook it.
Coming off the back of two decades of lacklustre follow-ups, Prey took the Predator franchise back to the beginning. It wasn’t concerned with adding to the mythology of the creature or kicking off a new convoluted chapter in the franchise. Instead, it channelled what made the first movie so successful by keeping it simple, focusing on the here and now (or in this case the there and then).
The result is a tight, concise and thrilling 99 minute horror that sees young Comanche woman Naru prove herself as a hunter by taking on the most extreme of opponents. It’s a simple story that gets to the point very, very quickly. As a result, the Predator franchise rediscovered why it was so successful in the first place.
Prey may be all about the Predator’s past, but it’s also its future. If the franchise continues to give us standalone offerings like this, there should still be plenty of thrills ahead.
4. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
It’s no secret how impactful the Star Wars franchise has been to cinema but it’s its second installment that truly defied expectations. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1980 and it changed the game for Star Wars, movie sequels, and film itself, becoming a welcome chapter of each of those categories.
The ironic thing is that it wasn’t as well-received as its predecessor initially, with many critics disliking its darker approach and more mature themes before it was retroactively appreciated for the groundbreaking gem that it is. It wasn’t the last time this happened either as iconic films such as Predator and The Thing weren’t as beloved as they are now upon release. Thankfully, they also received their flowers as the years went on.
The Empire Strikes Back is bigger, grander, and more harrowing than A New Hope and that makes it a much more powerful watch. It’s also a captivating adventure that never quite stops and features one of the most infamous (and iconic) plot twists in cinema history – one that is still heavily quoted by fans of the franchise.
This one was so bold that audiences weren’t quite ready for it back in 1980. Thankfully, we can all show it the love and respect it deserves today.
3. The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight film series is considered one of the finest trilogies in film history and the biggest reason for that is The Dark Knight. A rare example of the middle movie in a trilogy being its strongest outing, the 2008 film wasn’t designed to bridge the gap between the first chapter and the final chapter, it was a standalone entry that changed the face of superhero movies.
The Dark Knight is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies of the century because of just how incredible it is. It’s often easy to forget that it’s actually a sequel because there are quite a few tonal shifts from the more Gothic Batman Begins. It’s less eerie and more grounded, with The Joker’s anarchy setting the stage for a gripping crime-thriller that really doesn’t feel like a comic book movie in any way, shape, or form.
Christian Bale continued to make a case for why he could be the best Batman, while Nolan’s ensemble cast was once again impeccable. The standout, of course, was the late, great Heath Ledger whose Joker remains a larger-than-life presence in movie history nearly two decades later.
They didn’t make superhero movies like this before The Dark Knight, and they still don’t even after its game-changing presence was felt.
2. Batman Returns
Tim Burton’s Batman is one of the most revolutionary comic book movies ever made because it was, in many ways, the first of its kind. Its sequel, 1992’s Batman Returns, is very much its own kind of beast, and that’s what makes it stand out in a vast sea of comic book sequels that go back to the same well.
Where to start with how unique this one is? Is it the original interpretation of The Penguin that sees Danny DeVito rise from the sewers of Gotham and become a mayoral candidate even though he’s an evil crime boss? Is it Michelle Pfeiffer’s career-defining and powerful performance as the sinister, revenge-driven Catwoman? Or is it the fact that a movie set at the most wonderful time of the year is the very antithesis of Christmas?
Batman Returns is a Tim Burton movie through and through in a way that Batman ’89 wasn’t. Heck, it’s barely even a superhero movie. It’s an appropriately Gothic tale that truly captures why the idea of a vigilante protector dressed as a bat is the only sane solution to this insane world. And even though it wasn’t the sequel many expected at the time, it’s aged so well that it’s now considered one of the most unique and ambitious movies the genre has ever seen.
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!