25 best movie sequels ever
Here's our rundown of the finest second – and third – instalments ever made – all cinematic prime beef and not a cash cow in sight
Not all movie sequels are terrible. No, really – here are 25 of our favourites that hit the point home.
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Francis Ford Coppola’s epic crime masterpiece was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, of which it won six, including the coveted Best Picture. Al Pacino returns, along with Robert DeNiro who portrays a young Vito Corleone during flashbacks to the past. Widely regarded as one of the best films ever made, the Godfather Part II is a captivating lesson in silver screen mastery.
The Color of Money (1986)
Martin Scorsese directs Tom Cruise and Paul Newman in the follow up to Newman’s role in 1959’s The Hustler, in which the older experienced Newman teaches his protege the ins and outs of making big bucks on green velvet tables. Best not to watch if you have a fragile ego – our passable Pool skills fade into obscurity in comparison.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
England’s World Cup victory isn’t the only thing of note from 1966. Sergio Leone’s epic Spaghetti western starring Clint Eastwood revolved around three rugged gunslingers searching for a buried fortune in Confederate gold. Quentin Tarantino reckons this is the best film ever made, and he certainly knows a thing or two about movies.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
The toys that live return for one last time in a surprisingly powerful and moving tale revolving around change and growing up as Andy moves away to university. Fear not however, there’s plenty of laughs to be had for both young and old, with a dance-addled Spanish Buzz Lightyear providing just some of the standout laughs.
Evil Dead II (1987)
After the original Evil Dead was a cult hit Sam Raimi got a budget for a sequel and essentially remade the original but better. Less dendritic rape and more chainsaw arm action make this a great sequel-come-remake although it’s debatable if this is better than the final film in the trilogy, Army of Darkness. What do you think?
Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)
Not only is this better than the original film but Ghost Protocol takes the whole Mission Impossible franchise to a new level. It manages to combine Bond and Borne (literally in the case of Jeremy Renner) while maintaining the mission focused enthralling story of the series. And the IMAX shots make it even more encompassing, leaving you dizzy in your seat peering out of a high story building. There are some great gadgets too, something Bond is sorely missing these days.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
After a hit Spider-man reboot, director Sam Raimi had a lot to live up to with Spider-Man 2. But by adding the old web head’s nemesis Doc Ock while grooming a new Goblin in Harry Osborne – and interspersing those relationships with great fight scenes on a train and in a bank – it was a hit. Another great humour-injecting performance from Bruce Campbell helped too.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
He’s back! James Cameron pulled out all the stops for his follow-up to 1984’s The Terminator, recasting Arnie’s murderous machine as a protector to bratty teen John Connor. They’re menaced by Robert Patrick’s feral T-1000 – a throwback to Cameron’s original idea for the Terminator, in which the robot assassin was an ordinary-looking bloke instead of Arnie’s hulking behemoth. Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor is reinvented as a badass killing machine, while then-state-of-the-art CGI was used for the T-1000’s transformations. One scene in which the liquid-metal killer assumes the shape of Sarah Connor was realised using rather cheaper methods – Hamilton’s identical twin sister, Leslie, stepped in to play the role.
Superman II (1980)
A Superman without super powers, surely that’s a bad idea? Especially when Earth is invaded by evil super powered Kryptonians. But it all just adds to the intensity of this great sequel that saw General Zod make a surprisingly un-camp PVC-suited appearance to offer Superman a truly challenging battle. Metropolis sure paid the price for that one.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
After Indy’s dark excursion into the Temple of Doom, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas decided to play it safe with the third entry in the Indiana Jones series. That meant pitting Indy against Nazis in the hunt for a Biblical artefact (the Holy Grail, this time around). It could’ve been a case of same old, same old – but for Spielberg’s brilliant decision to add Indy’s father, played by Sean Connery, to the mix.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Guillermo del Toro is a genius director and Ron Perlman makes all other actors look like wannabes. Add to that combo a funny yet paranormal dark story with Nazis and giant monsters and it’s easy to see how Hellboy II: The Golden Army was so great.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
The third Harry Potter film marked the point when the franchise came of age. Director Alfonso Cuaron brought a darker, fairytale tone to the movie – and made the central characters dress and act like real teenagers instead of the wide-eyed Victorian schoolchildren they played in the earlier films. And Gary Oldman brings some thespian gravitas to his role as the titular Prisoner, Sirius Black.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Batman Begins was a solid superhero origin story – but Chris Nolan knocked it out of the park with The Dark Knight. His second Batman film was a sweeping crime saga in the style of Michael Mann’s Heat – albeit one in which a billionaire in a bat suit does battle with the mob. But although Batman brings the regular criminals to their knees, he’s powerless in the face of Heath Ledger’s anarchic Joker, a force of nature who tears through the film in ragged purple motley, cracked make-up and septic green hair.
French Connection II (1975)
The French Connection pitted Gene Hackman’s detective Popeye Doyle against drug runners from Marseilles – in the sequel, he tracks the pipeline to its source, teaming up with the French police to hunt down the suave smuggler Alain Charnier. French Connection II doesn’t manage to match the heights of the original’s car chase, but its stand-out sequence – Doyle’s forced heroin addiction and subsequent cold turkey – is truly harrowing.
X2 (2003)
Bryan Singer’s second mutant outing proves that handling a large number of major characters can be done, given the right amount of care. It also makes up for its lukewarm predecessor, turning up the thrills and delving deeper into Wolverine’s past. Bigger, badder, better.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Having kickstarted the franchise back into hyperdrive, Wrath remains one of the best Star Treks to date. You’d never tell that Nicholas Meyer hadn’t seen a single episode of the TV series before being asked to take director duties. As for the ending, you’d have to be a Vulcan to not shed a tear.
Aliens (1986)
James Cameron expanded Ridley Scott’s Alien universe in a way that most directors would be afraid to, packing it out with more guns, more gore, and upping the alien count from one to about one hundred. “This Time It’s War”, states the tagline. More of a massacre really, and not in the humans’ favour.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Picking the best Bourne sequel wasn’t easy, but Ultimatum just scrapes top spot. While Supremacy ups the thrills, Ultimatum feels even tighter and finely-honed, tail-ending one of the most accomplished trilogies of all time. We still can’t go into Waterloo station without feeling a little uneasy…
Addams Family Values (1993)
This sequel to 1991’s Addams Family doesn’t just continue the macabre humour of the original, it surpasses it brilliantly. Plenty of dead funny one-liners keep the laughs coming, as does the Addams kids’ trip to Summer Camp. A twisted satire of the “typical” American family.
Before Sunset (2004)
Nine years after they spent an evening together on a train (in Before Sunrise) Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy meet again. Yes, it’s essentially 80 minutes of the pair walking and talking, but the dialogue – written by the two actors and director Richard Linklater – is enthralling, the Parisian backdrops beautiful.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Easily the finest of the six Star Wars movies, Empire is almost gritty at times and its ending is surprisingly downbeat – but not before the audience has been given a shocking emotional punch to the gut in Darth Vader’s famous revelation to Luke Skywalker.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Two Towers is probably the weakest movie in Peter Jackson’s trilogy – it’s tough being the middle film – but it’s still ten times better than the average blockbuster. Highlights include Andy Serkis’ wonderful Gollum coming to the fore and the 45-minute Battle of Helm’s Deep sequence, featuring Legolas and Gimli’s “who can kill the most orcs” contest.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Dumping most of the first movie’s horror elements in favour of near all-out comedy might have seemed like a dumb move from filmmaker Joe Dante, but Gremlins 2 is so much fun you probably won’t care. This time the beasts take over a high tech skyscraper in New York, allowing for more than a little satire to creep into the chaos.
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Marty and the Doc return in this final installment of everyone’s favourite time travelling trilogy. Following on immediately from Back to the Future Part II, Marty travels back to the Wild West to rescue Doc from Burford “Mad Dog” Tannen while repairing the all-important iconic DeLorean in the process. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to eBay for a second-hand flux capacitor.
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
It is a truth universally acknowledged that, once you’ve seen Lethal Weapon 2, you have to repeatedly shout “DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY” in a harsh South African accent. The movie reunites Mel Gibson’s unhinged Riggs and with Danny Glover’s world-weary Murtaugh, pitting the LA cops against wicked Saffa criminals (it was made before apartheid ended). A perky Patsy Kensit pops up as the token “good” South African and Gibson’s love interest.
Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 
