Do you agree that some of the greatest movie sequels ever made were even better than the original movies they followed?
Normally, when one thinks sequels, their mind meanders to the original movie and how good that was, and then to the sequel (if they have seen it) and just how bland or at the very least, satisfying it was, but no more than that.
Sequels have been a red-headed step-child of Hollywood for decades, with hundreds of sequels out there, some being bland, others being total misses, and others being decent, though not as good as the original.
But there are those sequels that are just as good as their original movie, if not better. So, what are the best sequels ever made by movie studios? The following list is in no particular order of which one is better than the other or so forth, but rather just a list of great sequels.
Also, these are just the movies that are directly following the original movies (ie, number 2).
Movie Sequels
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Aliens (1986)
Made with another director (Ridley Scott directed the original), James Cameron’s sequel to the 1979 sci-fi-horror not only brought back the alien that we grew up fearing and loving but made more of them, as well as some intense action sequences.
Sigourney Weaver was brought back to reprise her role as Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of the first movie, and her presence on screen was beyond wonderful.
The supporting cast, led by Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Paul Riser as the ‘human bad guy’ and Lance Henriksen as the questionable android (sorry, “artificial person”), are all top-notch and wonderful in every way conceivable.
This movie has everything for everybody; at its heart, it’s a science-fiction movie, with elements of horror, a love story, a survival story, and a military story. Though a lot of people are killed, little blood is seen, which just adds to the genius and creepy factor of this wonderful film.
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Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Though the first movie (released in 1984) was a classic by the time of its sequel's release, it never reached anywhere near how well box office-wise its predecessor made (it made roughly $38 million). Budgeted at just over a hundred million dollars, T2 grossed well over $200 million, making it the highest-grossing movie of 1991.
For a sequel, it had everything; a great story, an even greater villain than before, a cast and crew that handled this film with great care, and top-notch special effects that stand up even today. It’s extremely sad that a movie as old as this (it was released 20 years ago this year) has better and more realistic special effects than your average movie released with today’s technology.
This movie was also directed by James Cameron (who directed the first Terminator as well) and one can see just how much he loved this franchise. Aside from a few continuity issues between this movie and the first one (and ignoring the next two sequels and TV shows), this movie is a thrill ride from start to finish that will leave you with a single tear in your eye.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Vernon Wells (Actors)
The Road Warrior (1981)
Ah, what can be said about this classic post-apocalyptic movie starring Mel Gibson as ‘Mad Max’, an ex-cop from the first movie (Mad Max, 1979) whose family was brutally killed by a biker gang forcing our anti-hero to wander the Australian outback by himself?
Aside from the wonderful acting and awesome chase scenes that litter this movie from start to finish (including the spectacular final chase scene involving Max driving a big rig), this film proves that Australia can make great movies.
The Road Warrior was the reason why America fell in love with this series and Mel Gibson, as well as giving us a wonderful villain in the creepy head of the road gang, The Humungous, who only wants the oil pump that some people are defending with their lives (the good guys).
There are two very sad moments in this movie, that happen to be roughly in the same scene, but if you want to know what they are, you have to watch the movie. If you don’t whimper for one of their losses, then you’re either extremely inhuman or made of extremely strong stuff.
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Kelsey Grammer (Actors)
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Okay, so technically both this movie and the third movie, Toy Story 3, should be on this list, but we’ll leave that movie for another article. This second installment in the series is more grown-up than the first movie in many ways, including its animation, story, and humor.
Add to it characters we know and love, as well as introducing other great characters we instantly fall in love with, this movie a more than a must-see, it’s a must-own.
It pulls on the audience’s heartstrings, as well as our funny strings, as we watch this movie unfold from a growing boy’s bedroom in the suburbs to a rescue mission downtown and finally to the tarmac and a race with an airplane of an international airport.
If you haven’t seen this movie, stop what you’re doing and go out and watch it now… You won’t be disappointed.
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