Last Updated on August 3, 2021
With so many sequels coming each year from movie studios, we often hear critics and fans lament the lack of any original content on big screens. Well, just because movies are sequels or franchises doesn't mean they aren't good. In fact, there are several sequels that are superior to their predecessors. With that in mind, here is our ranking of the 10 sequels that are superior to the original films in their respective series. If you disagree or think we missed one, let us know in the comments below.
NOTE: THE LORD OF THE RINGS films have been intentionally excluded from this list since they were a single film/story broken out over three movies. Similar approaches have also been excluded but feel free to let us know if you disagree in the comments.
Honorable Mention: Marvel Studios
Few films in the Marvel Studios canon have had sequels that were worse than the original (outside of IRON MAN) but damn if they don't have some incredible sophomore films! As much as I loved the retro fun of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGERS, both THE WINTER SOLDIER and CIVIL WAR are improvements in multiple ways. THOR: RAGNAROK managed to be a heads and tail improvement over both the first and second film in that series. And, of course, both INFINITY WAR and ENDGAME managed to blow the first two AVENGERS movies out of the water in both scale and box office. All together, Marvel Studios has perfected their formula and it remains to be seen if things can continue to improve.
#10 – DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
While RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES delivered a nice refresh to the mythology of how the downfall of mankind happened, it was Matt Reeves' intelligent and technically amazing follow-up that allowed Andy Serkis to shine as Caesar. Wholly different than any Apes film before or after DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES is a contemporary classic that was followed by an equally impressive closing chapter to the trilogy.
#9 – DAWN OF THE DEAD
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is an iconic film in cinema history, but George Romero outdid himself with the sequel. DAWN OF THE DEAD is a masterpiece and one by which all zombie films need to be compared. A stirring score from Goblin and Dario Argento, stunning special effects from Tom Savini, and a prescient screenplay that satirizes the real world of consumerism, no film so perfectly balances horror and the human condition like this movie.
#8 – TOY STORY 3
Pixar Studios has been trashed for making too many sequels in recent years, but their first sequel, TOY STORY 2, was lauded as superior to the first. Years later, TOY STORY 3 delivered cutting edge visuals and the most gut-wrenching story ever put to CGI. While this year's TOY STORY 4 was another solid sequel for Pixar, TOY STORY 3 remains their most powerful and the best in the franchise.
#7 – STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN
When STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE debuted, it felt more like 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY than an action film. So, when the lower budgeted sequel was released, fans warmed immediately to the thrilling space battles and showdown between Captain Kirk and his TV nemesis Khan Noonien Singh. While the rebooted J,J. Abrams take on the tale didn't work quite as well, this classic of science fiction remains superior to the first movie and one of the top STAR TREK movies of all time.
#6 – MAD MAX FURY ROAD
Decades after Mel Gibson went BEYOND THUNDERDOME, director George Miller made fans nervous with rumors of a production out of control on the set of FURY ROAD. But, when the film hit theaters, it instantly became recognized as a cinematic achievement and one of the most stunning movies ever made. MAD MAX FURY ROAD earned it's Oscar nominations and blew the three prior films in the franchise out of the water. As we wait with bated breath for the next entry in the series, FURY ROAD remains one of the most watchable and unique movies ever made.
#5 – TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY
James Cameron brought Hollywood a new level of scale and scope with the sequel to his classic 1980s thriller. Following the standard sequel rules of bigger, badder, and louder, Cameron managed to eclipse his original movie and also set a bar for the franchise that has yet to be met. TERMINATOR 2 remains one of the best movies of all time and a highlight of Arnold Schwarzenegger's career.
#4 – SPIDER-MAN 2
Sam Raimi helped usher in the modern era of superhero movies with his take on SPIDER-MAN, but it was his second entry that remains one of the best comic book films of all time. With the candy-colored visuals of a comic book come to life and with a lot more of his trademark visual tricks and angles, SPIDER-MAN 2 retells some historic moments from Marvel Comics history while delivering mesmerizing action scenes (the train fight) and Alfred Molina's brilliant take on Doctor Octopus. Absolutely a classic and yet to be rivaled by any Spider-man film since.
#3 – THE DARK KNIGHT
Just like with Raimi's sequel, Christopher Nolan took his great BATMAN BEGINS and evolved it into a portrait of a superhero in transition. We get, arguably, the best villain performance of all time from Heath Ledger as the Joker, a haunting portrayal of Two-Face by Aaron Eckhart, and the great Christian Bale as the epitome of Batman and Bruce Wayne. More than a superhero movie, THE DARK KNIGHT is a masterpiece of filmmaking.
#2 – THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
Until THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, sequels built on their predecessor and tried to outdo them. With this sequel George Lucas' tale gives us our heroes losing and needing to regroup, something rarely seen on screen until then. This sequel is darker and more layered than the first, giving us a very different look at the characters and adventures seeen in A NEW HOPE. This movie is the reason why so many sequels have tried to show us heroes struggling to beat their opponents, something that has rarely been done better than in this movie.
#1 – THE GODFATHER PART II
Francis Ford Coppola's epic gangster sequel had a different path to the big screen that most sequels and manages to tell a bigger and grander story than the first. With dual narratives showing us Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as father and son in different phases of their lives, this is a brilliant masterpiece that both compliments and expands on the first movie while also working completely as a standalone film. This is the greatest sequel ever made.
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