There are some movie sequels which elicit groans when they are announced, but not all of these sequels turn out as poorly as expected. As Hollywood has accelerated the trend of producing sequels to beloved movies, many people have grown tired of seeing a lack of originality. When some recent sequels were announced, they were immediately dismissed as unwarranted cash-grabs, although there have been a few surprises.
Legacy sequels tend to come under more intense scrutiny than most other sequels, since fans of the original movies sometimes feel that their favorites are being tampered with. Other surprising sequels in recent years have been those that massively surpassed audience expectations by taking a huge step-up in quality from the movies that came before them. Sequels are generally derided, but they can be just as worthy as any movie if they are executed with care and passion.
Top Gunis a good time, but its simple charms don’t extend much further than that. The paper-thin substance behind the movie’s extravagant, head-banging style doesn’t exactly lend itself to a sequel, and soTop Gunremained a standalone action movie for decades.Top Gun: Maverickdoes a lot of work to differentiate itself from the original, and it’s a much more interesting and dramatic movie as a result.
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One ofTop Gun’s main strengths is its thrilling aerial scenes, butTop Gun: Maverickimproves on these tenfold. It also focuses a lot more on how the characters interact with one another while they’re on the ground, building a more compelling human story that lends added heft to the action.Top Gunhas developed a nostalgic appeal since the 1980s, soTop Gun: Maverickhad to bring things up to date.
Blade Runnertells a perfectly contained story, so there was never any immediate need for a sequel. The mediocre box office returns of the original meant that there also wasn’t any financial incentive, soBlade Runnerremained a brilliant slice of standalone sci-fi for decades. News of theBlade Runnersequel was met with a lot of skepticism, especially when it was announced that Ridley Scott wouldn’t be the one in the director’s chair.
News of theBlade Runnersequel was met with a lot of skepticism, especially when it was announced that Ridley Scott wouldn’t be the one in the director’s chair.
Denis Villeneuve has steadily been establishing himself as one of the most interesting directors in the sci-fi genre over the last decade or so, and he proved to be the perfect choice forBlade Runner 2049.He brings his own unique touches to the legacy sequel, but he respects Ridley Scott’s intricate worldbuilding and his film noir inspirations.Other directors might seek to makeBlade Runnerinto a spectacle, but Villeneuve recognizes its appeal as a detective story.The upcoming TV seriesBlade Runner 2099serves as proof thatBlade Runner 2049paved the way for a viable future for the franchise.
TheHalloweenfranchise’s continuitycan be a little confusing for newcomers.2018’sHalloweenis the eleventh movie in total, and the third to be titledHalloween,but it acts as a direct sequel to the 1978 original, ignoring the events of every movie that came out in the intervening 40 years. This could have been another reboot and another retcon in a franchise that has struggled to sort itself out, but 2018’sHalloweenturned out to be a big hit.
Rather than adding another layer of confusion to things,Halloweensimplifies the entire franchise by bringing it back to basics.
Rather than adding another layer of confusion to things,Halloweensimplifies the entire franchise by bringing it back to basics. Once again, Jamie Lee Curtis' Laurie Strode is on the run from Michael Myers, and that’s all that fans need to know to enjoy the sequel. This simplified approach allowedHalloweento bring in a new audience, and it set up an entire trilogy, revitalizing the franchise when it seemed stuck in a loop.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wishspent years in development hell, which can often be a bad omen for any movie, let alone a sequel. By the time it eventually came out in 2022, theShrekfranchise was long dead, and there hadn’t been aPuss in Bootsmovie for 11 years. The ideal time for anotherPuss in Bootssequel seemed like it had come and gone years ago, butThe Last Wishrevived the franchise in style.
The Last Wishis the best movie in theShrekfranchise since 2004’sShrek 2.
Ultimately, the long gap between sequels ended up benefitingThe Last Wish.It has a fresh animation style that would have been unthinkable a decade earlier, and it’s also much funnier and more exciting than its predecessor.The Last Wishis the best movie in theShrekfranchise since 2004’sShrek 2,which introduced the daring feline. Its success is one reason to be hopeful about the prospects of theupcomingShrek 5.
TheRockyfranchise never quite recaptured the brilliance of the first movie. Throughout its many ups and downs, the franchise gradually seemed to run out of energy and fresh ideas.2006’sRocky Balboawould have been a good point to end thingsonce and for all. It serves as a fitting send-off to the title character, and it also shows one last glimpse of what the franchise should be remembered for, even if it isn’t the very best entry.
While it easily could have been a limp legacy sequel,Creedturned out to be the bestRockymovie since the 1976 original.
2015’sCreedacts as a reboot and a sequel, allowing the franchise to focus on a younger character while still benefiting from Sylvester Stallone’s presence as Rocky Balboa. While it easily could have been a limp legacy sequel,Creedturned out to be thebestRockymoviesince the 1976 original. This is partly because Stallone has the humility to take a back seat to Michael B. Jordan, who rises to the challenge.
The firstPaddingtonmovie is a delightful family comedy that brings a beloved book character to life, but the sequel surpasses it in every way imaginable.Paddington 2has been hailed as one of the greatest moviesof all time. While some of this praise is a little tongue-in-cheek,Paddington 2definitely deserves a place in the conversation as one of the best children’s movies of recent years.
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The team behindPaddington 2stepped things up for the sequel.Paddington 2retains the same funny dialogue and risible physical humor that gave the first movie its identity, but everything seems more refined. The final chase scene on the train ties every subplot together wonderfully, as the Brown family come together to rescue Paddington and stop Hugh Grant’s entertaining villain, Phoenix Buchanan.
Mary Poppinsis a classic family musical, overflowing with the magic and warmth that characterized Disney movies of the era. Although there were sequels to P. L. Travers' novel, the movie remained untouched for decades. This seemed like it was probably for the best, since a sequel would be almost impossible to pull off. WhenMary Poppins Returnswas announced, many people saw it as another cash-grab, not too dissimilar from Disney’s uninspired live-action remakes of animated classics.
With Emily Blunt replacing Julie Andrews,Mary Poppins Returnsdefied expectations to become an unexpected hit.
With Emily Blunt replacing Julie Andrews,Mary Poppins Returnsdefied expectations to become an unexpected hit. With a batch of new songs to suit the sequel’s new identity,Mary Poppins Returnsrecaptures the same sense of playful mischief. It even has an animated sequence just like the original and a role for Dick Van Dyke, who looks remarkably spry. Despite these similarities,Mary Poppins Returnsdoesn’t live in the shadow of its predecessor.
Stanley Kubrick’sThe Shiningis the kind of perfect movie that shouldn’t be toyed with.Any reboot or remake would invariably come up short when compared to the original, so a sequel seemed doomed to suffer the same fate. Ultimately, Mike Flanagan’s intelligent approach meant thatDoctor Sleepwas able to avoid too many direct comparisons, since it pays homage toThe Shiningwhile telling its own story.
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Flanagan stated that he wanted to reconcile the differences between Kubrick’s movie and Stephen King’s book. King also wroteDoctor Sleep,the book on which Flanagan’s movie is based, and he sticks to King’s ideas more faithfully than Kubrick ever did.Doctor Sleepremains an underappreciated gem, and fans ofThe Shiningshould give it a chance, even if the idea of a sequel may have seemed ludicrous not too long ago.
After theThorfranchise got off to a solid start, it faltered a little withThor: The Dark World.Something special was needed to halt the downward trajectory, and this is just what Taika Waititi brought toThor: Ragnarok.The threequel is much funnier, more colorful and more exciting than either of the two movies which came before it.BeforeThor: Ragnarok,Waititi was best known for his work on indie comedies in New Zealand, and he didn’t compromise his style to fit with the MCU.
Something special was needed to halt the downward trajectory, and this is just what Taika Waititi brought toThor: Ragnarok.
Waititi’s style makesThor: Ragnarokunlike anything else in the MCU at the time, and it provides the breath of fresh air that theThorfranchise needed to reinvent itself. AlthoughRagnarokis funnier and lighter than otherThormovies, it doesn’t neglect its duty to its audience, and it delivers plenty of thrilling action scenes. Cate Blanchett’s villain Hela is a bonus in this regard, as is the unconventional portrayal of Hulk. TheupcomingThor 5will inevitably be compared to the success ofRagnarok.
Mad Max: Fury Roadfaced the daunting prospect of reviving the franchise after 30 years, and it would have to do so without Mel Gibson in the lead role. Since George Miller had spent the intervening years directing movies likeBabeandHappy Feet, some wondered whether he would be able to deliver the goods. Fortunately,Mad Max: Fury Roadsurpassed all expectations, becoming the franchise’s most thrilling entry yet.
Mad Max: Fury Roadfaced the daunting prospect of reviving the franchise after 30 years, and it would have to do so without Mel Gibson in the lead role.
Tom Hardy manages to be intense and captivating as Max Rockatansky without being given too much dialogue. He spends long periods of the movie trapped in an iron mask, which illustratesFury Road’s paramount commitment to exhilarating action.Fury Roadis one of the best action movies of the 21st century, partly because it blends cutting-edge CGI with old-fashioned practical stunts so expertly.Fury Roadshould have signaled a new dawn for the franchise, but it seems unlikely thatMad Max: The Wastelandwill ever happen now.
