I will probably get a lot of heat for this list but each person is entitled to his/her opinion. I compiled this list based on two factors: what constitutes as a good sequel and personal favourite sequels.
What constitutes as a good sequel? Basically, it should not repeat the premise of the first film or retread any familiar ground. And it should be more exciting and new.So without further ado, let's start the countdown.
Honourable Mentions:
Spider-Man 2, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Bourne Supremacy, Evil Dead 2, Toy Story 3
10) X2: X-Men United (2003)
While the first film spent most of its time establishing the core team and themes of prejudice against the mutants, X2 was allowed to flesh out the story, while creating bigger and better action sequences and allowing new characters to be introduced (hello, Nightcrawler and Stryker), taking the X-Men franchise to new soaring heights. Further light was shed onto Wolverine's mysterious past and indeed, even by the end of the movie, it was still shrouded in obscurity (which made Hugh Jackman's Wolverine all the more kick-ass). And of course, it seemed poised to begin the Phoenix Saga that was tragically squandered with the lackluster sequel X-Men: The Last Stand when director Bryan Singer left to direct the equally dull Superman Returns (thankfully, he returned to help shape X-Men: First Class and its sequel currently in production, X-Men: Days of Future Past).
09) The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
I can already hear the howling protests that this film deserves a higher position on this list. But while it certainly had the best action sequences and set pieces of the Nolan series, it wasn't quite as revolutionary and ground-breaking as its predecessor, not to mention several logistical problems with the script. Nevertheless, the parallelism to A Tale of Two Cities and the French Revolution itself are unmissable and all in all, was a fresh third installment to the Dark Knight trilogy.
08) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
The first two Harry Potter movies introduced audiences to the brighter side of the wizarding world. But it was the third installment that took the film franchise in a completely opposite direction as director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Y Tu Mamá También) brought out the darkness in the Harry Potter universe, setting the tone for all the films that followed. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban also introduced Sirius Black- godfather to the Boy Who Lived- to the franchise, played hauntingly by the brilliant Gary Oldman who shares some beautiful and poignant scenes with Daniel Radcliffe. There's a reason many consider this to be the best film in the series.
07) Before Sunset (2004)
This is the only romantic drama and small-budgeted film on this list. There is a reason. This is a movie with a more-or-less similar premise- except the themes are completely different. In Before Sunset, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) meet for the first time after nine years (coincidentally, the film was made nine years after Before Sunrise) and spend an afternoon together. It's a beautiful, simple and touching movie with some thoughtful themes. If Before Sunrise was about young love and optimism, the sequel is about love nearly a decade later, when you're older, wiser and even cynical. Also, the open ending is one of the best conclusions of most movies.
06) Toy Story 2 (1999)
This was Pixar's most rushed production to date and it nearly turned into a nightmare. Originally envisioned as a direct-to-video sequel, the film was soon upgraded for a theatrical release- except the Pixar team was dissatisfied with the story and rewrote the entire script within a week. Added to their problems, they were unable to shift the release date, so John Lasseter and his team worked flat-out to complete Toy Story 2 within nine months. All of this had to be done, mind, completely by computer with the technology that existed around 1998/1999. The stress and hard work paid off in the end, though: the film was a commercial and critical success- and as far as sequels go, it's constantly up there with The Godfather Part 2. Beautifully written and animated, with a fresh story and new characters, Toy Story 2 is about as good as sequels get.
05) Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
The Terminator was a classic and cult hit, paving the way for director James Cameron's future. While the first film a more low-budgeted affair and along the lines of a horror flick, the sequel decided to take the route of a big-budgeted action-packed adventure. It was also radical change in the premise- this time around, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the good guy, the killer terminator was a dangerous shape-shifting cyborg, Sarah Connor is a hardened soldier and we are also introduced to the future saviour, John Connor, who was only alluded to in The Terminator. But it isn't the outstanding visual effects (that still stand to this day) that won the hearts of the audience- it was the story between the boy and the machine. And that was what made Terminator 2: Judgement Day an extraordinary success.
04) The Godfather: Part 2 (1974)
Cue the shocked reactions of fans adamant that this movie deserves to be at the top of the list. Here's my defense: while I love The Godfather Part 2 and think it to be brilliant, I don't think it's the best sequel of all time- primarily, due to the rather overlong and sometimes-disjointed narrative that feels inferior when compared to the first film. It jumps different timelines between the stories of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as he sinks into a blood-bathed dark pit of hell and a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) ascending to power. Just when you get accustomed to one story, it shifts track and switches to the other. They were both interesting tales-only, not as good as The Godfather. Apart from that, the performances in this picture are top-notch (this is the movie for which Al Pacino should have won) and the themes are equally grand, equivalent to a Shakespearean tragedy.
03) Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Though it opened to mixed reviews when first released, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back went on to become the most critically acclaimed and beloved installment in the Star Wars franchise over the years. It was one of the first blockbusters to completely shift the formula that worked so well in A New Hope- the big battle was over in the first one hour, the main characters were separated from one another and this time around, the bad guys won (the title says it all, doesn't it?). It also introduced new favourite, Master Yoda, as Luke's trainer- the furry green fellow has become one of the most quoted characters when considering anything to do with Star Wars. By the end of the film, the Rebel Alliance are left drifting in space without a base, minus one favourite smuggler, Han Solo (Harrison Ford), the sole Jedi member Luke Skywalker without an arm and to top it all off, one of the most shocker moments that would go down in history: "No, I am your father." (I get goosebumps every time James Earl Jones speaks those lines).
And James Cameron scores another hit on this list! Fresh off the success of The Terminator, Cameron sought to continue the adventure of sole survivor, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), following the terrible aftermath that befell the crew of the Nostromos in Ridley Scott's Alien. However, as he would demonstrate four years later with T2, Cameron has a penchant for changing the formula of a sequel and this was his first attempt- not forgetting with a film that wasn't written or directed by him. If Alien was a 'horror-in-space' thriller, Aliens was an all-out balls-to-the-wall action flick. And it worked brilliantly! Some even consider the sequel to be superior to Scott's film but that's all a matter of opinion. However, James Cameron's film is a taut adventure film, going on to score seven nominations at the Academy Awards that year, including one for Sigourney Weaver's second tour de force, eventually winning two for Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects.
... and my favourite sequel of all-time is: drum-roll, please...
01) The Dark Knight
Why? Many reasons. The themes of escalation, being forced to make tough ethical decisions in tough times, the triumph of evil over good and the necessary measures that must be taken to prevent evil from winning. The pacing and structure of the story that brings such complex story threads all together by the time the credits roll. The ingenious action sequences such as the bank heist and the tunnel chase. Even the visual tones and style were different, ditching the brownish hues of Batman Begins for a clearer bluish hue- the result was The Dark Knight felt more like a crime film than a comic-book adaptation (Christopher Nolan mentioned that the movie Heat was an influence, so that would explain it). And, of course, the late Heath Ledger's Academy Award-winning performance as the Joker. The Dark Knight goes beyond the ordinary conventions of a comic-book film, becoming something else entirely with a story on level with a Shakespearean tragedy. The best way to sum up the story of this movie is in the words of Harvey Dent: "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." And it certainly lives up to that statement.
There you have it, my favourite sequels of all time. Feel free to post your comments and thoughts below.
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