These highly anticipated movie sequels delivered. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the cinematic follow-ups that managed to outshine their predecessors in almost every way.
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00:00Now don't take this the wrong way, but you are a Terminator, right?
00:03Yes. Sabaton Systems Model 101.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the cinematic follow-ups
00:12that managed to outshine their predecessors in almost every way.
00:16We'll only be focusing on the second installments of these particular franchises,
00:20so threequels and later entries need not apply.
00:24Should we turn it around and run him into our backup?
00:27No! We're good! We sprang it!
00:34Number 30. From Russia with Love.
00:37For this we need the services of a female member of the Russian cryptograph section in Turkey
00:42and the help of the British Secret Service.
00:461962's Dr. No introduced millions of viewers to one of the greatest characters in all of fiction,
00:53but the formula was perfected the following year.
00:55Unburdened by the campy excess that would pin down future installments,
01:00From Russia with Love finds Sean Connery's James Bond as a more lived-in,
01:05yet no less ultra-suave secret agent.
01:08This second installment marks the franchise's first appearance of Spectre,
01:12and sees Bond go toe-to-toe with a slew of memorable baddies to obtain a valuable decoding mechanism.
01:18Although light on the iconic gadgetry,
01:21the action sequences hold up incredibly well,
01:24managing to be fun without losing their grasp on the severity of what's at stake.
01:28In other words, this is everything a James Bond movie should aspire to be.
01:33James, behave yourself. We are being filmed.
01:39Oh, not again.
01:41Number 29. Puss in Boots The Last Wish.
01:44To some, an outlaw. To more, a hero. To all, a legend.
01:51This swashbuckling feline's first spin-off adventure was a welcome shake-up after the
01:56latter two Shrek installments produced diminishing critical returns.
02:00Nevertheless, The Last Wish proved there was more to this franchise than we ever thought possible.
02:05Taking cues from the likes of Into the Spider-Verse and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,
02:10it places Puss in a race against time to restore his nine lives.
02:14The Last Wish is a fairy tale quite literally brought to life through its
02:18marvelous blend of 2D and 3D animation, its quirky spin on well-known characters,
02:24and its thoughtful meditation on mental health and mortality.
02:28It's an unabashedly mature story,
02:30with the courage to treat viewers who grew up with the franchise as the adults they now are.
02:41Number 28. Adam's Family Values.
02:44Wednesday's at that very special age when a girl has only one thing on her mind.
02:50Boys.
02:52Homicide.
02:53They're creepy and they're kooky, and there's never too many of them to go around.
02:57That's what makes the addition of Uncle Fester's conniving new wife, Debbie,
03:02one of the many delights of this Adam's Family sequel.
03:05Joan Cusack and Christopher Lloyd complement each other far too well as a couple destined for doom,
03:11bringing out the madness in one another for a hilariously electrifying climax.
03:16But Adam's Family Values also brings its A-game in the first two acts,
03:20especially when it comes to Wednesday and Pugsley.
03:24With the siblings turning a snobby summer camp into their own nightmarish wonderland,
03:29the movie employs the same demented sense of humor as the 60s TV series to even greater effect.
03:35I don't want to be in the pageant.
03:37Don't you want to help me realize my vision?
03:39Your work is puerile and underdramatized.
03:42You lack any sense of structure, character, or the Aristotelian unities.
03:47Charles Adams would be proud.
03:49Number 27.
03:50Before Sunset.
03:52No, I liked it.
03:53It's very romantic.
03:54I usually don't like that, but it's really well written.
03:57It's really well written.
03:58I really, congratulations.
04:01The authenticity of this second chapter in Richard Linklater's before trilogy
04:06can be felt both on screen and off.
04:08Before Sunset took about as many years to come together
04:11as it did for its two protagonists to find one another again,
04:15but Linklater's patience and delicate approach more than pays off.
04:19Trading in Vienna for Paris,
04:21the writer-director managed to wring out even more profound ideas than before.
04:25Star-crossed lovers Jesse and Selene reunite by chance as if no time has passed,
04:31but Before Sunset finds their incredible connection grow even stronger
04:35because of that passage of time.
04:37I mean, when I read the article, I thought your life was perfect.
04:42A wife, a kid, published author.
04:47Your personal life is more of a mess than mine.
04:50Linklater's observant direction and use of real time
04:53sets the stage for honest yet hopeful conversations about life,
04:57love, and all the changes that come with both.
05:00Number 26.
05:02Austin Powers' The Spy Who Shagged Me.
05:05I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back ribs.
05:08I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back ribs.
05:12Mike Myers' initial outing as the Bond-spoofing spy
05:16became something of a cult classic thanks to its enormous success on home video.
05:20The increasing popularity of Austin Powers allowed his second adventure
05:25to become a phenomenon that grossed almost 10 times its budget.
05:29Throwing time travel into the mix,
05:31The Spy Who Shagged Me places Austin and the nefarious Dr. Evil
05:35back in the swinging 60s for another round of laughs amid world domination.
05:40The Spy Who Shagged Me places Austin and the nefarious Dr. Evil
05:44back in the swinging 60s for another round of laughs amidst world domination.
05:50Here's your wedding present, Mr. Powers.
05:52A kamikaze bride for me, Dr. Evil.
05:57Both hero and villain are still fish out of water,
06:00but Myers' unapologetic brand of self-aware,
06:03raunchy comedy is broadened for greater appeal.
06:06The pop culture references are killer, and the soundtrack is certifiably groovy,
06:11while characters like Mini-Me have transcended the franchise
06:14every bit as much as the titular character.
06:17Number 25.
06:18Dawn of the Dead
06:19On paper, it sounds awfully difficult to top the movie that made zombies a household name,
06:25but George A. Romero made it look easy with this
06:28standalone follow-up to Night of the Living Dead.
06:30All right, Trooper, you better screw your head on.
06:33Yeah, come on, come on, come on, let's go!
06:35I mean it, man!
06:37Now you're not just playing with your life, you're playing with mine.
06:41Whereas Romero's initial effort created its most effective horrors through containment,
06:46Dawn of the Dead took the fright factor to the next level
06:48by expanding the zombie apocalypse to the rest of the world.
06:52Set mostly around a group of survivors in an abandoned mall,
06:55Dawn is arguably the zombie subgenre at its most gory and its most oddly funny.
07:01Between Tom Savini's legendary makeup work
07:04and Romero's dedication to political undertones,
07:07Dawn treats the apocalypse as a terrifying possibility,
07:10yet somehow finds the fun in it as well.
07:13Jesus Christ, Peter.
07:15I don't wanna go.
07:20I really don't.
07:22Number 24.
07:24The Raid 2
07:25How exactly can you hope to top a feature-length action extravaganza?
07:36It's really quite simple.
07:38Make everything so much bigger and badder that it becomes an action epic.
07:42That's precisely what this Indonesian duology did with its thrilling second act.
07:55Picking up right where its predecessor left off,
08:00The Raid 2 pits undercover cop Rama against various crime syndicates
08:05in a quest for vengeance and justice after a personal tragedy.
08:09Leaving the protagonist with nothing to lose,
08:11gives director Gareth Evans permission to go all out
08:15in his firm commitment to unflinchingly brutal fight choreography.
08:19With his mastery of martial arts,
08:21series star Iko Uwais holds his own against every dirty opponent he faces,
08:28solidifying Rama as a hero worth rooting for until the gritty end.
08:33Number 23.
08:34Top Gun Maverick
08:35When it comes to high-octane action,
08:38Tom Cruise is one of the best in the business.
08:40That is one hell of a steep climb out of there,
08:43exposing you to all the surface-to-air missiles.
08:46When you survive that, it's a dogfight all the way home.
08:50Even so, it's fair to say that not even the Top Gun alum's biggest fans
08:54were prepared for just how breathtaking his follow-up to the 1986 classic turned out to be.
09:00Cruise returned to the cockpit as Pete Mitchell with the coolest of ease,
09:05while a promising slate of up-and-comers led by Miles Teller and Glenn Powell
09:10helped level the playing field.
09:12There's more than one way to fly this mission.
09:15You really don't get it.
09:17On this mission, a man flies like Maverick here,
09:21or a man does not come back.
09:23And that's to say nothing of Top Gun Maverick's unrivaled action from up above.
09:28An old-school experience with new-school execution,
09:31every flight has big-time stakes for everyone involved,
09:35ensuring that we're left in awe until the last jet lands safely.
09:39Number 22.
09:40John Wick Chapter 2
09:46Instead of the hastily edited, incoherent mess many were prepared to write it off as,
09:592014's John Wick delivered a surprisingly personal story
10:03with beautiful camera work and even better gunplay.
10:06The bar was definitely set for Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski
10:11to replicate their success, and they were more than up to the challenge.
10:16John Wick Chapter 2 is a sequel with enough intelligence to know
10:19that not much about the franchise's formula needed to be changed.
10:23Rather, it amplifies our connection to the Baba Yaga
10:26by expanding the mythology surrounding the Continental
10:29and intensifying the choreography on a grander scale.
10:33Though he takes a few blows along the way,
10:35Chapter 2 convinced us that absolutely nothing could stand in Wick's way.
10:40Jonathan.
10:43Winston.
10:45Number 21.
10:46Deadpool 2
10:47If the current age of superhero cinema has proven anything, it's this.
10:52Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool.
10:54The actor's natural fusion of his own sardonic wit
10:57with the irreverent mercenary's potty mouth and fourth-wall breaks
11:00made his 2016 solo outing an unprecedented success.
11:05Unsurprisingly, the follow-up produced even more satisfying receipts than before.
11:10The Merc with a Mouth commands the spotlight once again,
11:12but he's backed up by a strong ensemble of accomplices
11:16led by Josh Brolin's hilariously deadpan Cable.
11:19You remind me of my wife.
11:22I'm sorry?
11:23I said you reminded me of my wife.
11:24No, I'm sorry that you said that
11:25while making heavy eye contact and applying lip balm.
11:28Deadpool 2 takes the self-awareness up to an 11
11:31without ever seeming repetitive or drawn out,
11:34finding plenty of new targets to keep us entertained.
11:37Plus, we dare you to find an MCU film with a better mid-credits sequence
11:41than this movie's.
11:43Look, eventually, you're gonna hang up the claws
11:46and it's gonna make a lot of people very sad.
11:49Huh?
11:50But one day, your old pal Wade's gonna ask you to get back in the saddle again.
11:54Number 20.
11:55Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
11:58Although Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a surprisingly decent reboot
12:01of the classic sci-fi series,
12:03its origin story plot left something to be desired.
12:07Incoming director Matt Reeves brought that something with Dawn in 2014.
12:11He created a bleak post-apocalyptic world
12:14in which the surviving members of the human race
12:16clash with the burgeoning ape society.
12:19Apes do not want war,
12:27but will fight if we must.
12:33By placing more emphasis on the apes,
12:36the film offered a compellingly nuanced contrast between apes and humans.
12:40The movie also had a political storyline worthy of the lead ape Caesar's name.
12:45And it was absolutely thrilling to boot.
12:48We mean, come on, apes on horses, anyone?
12:57Keeping the momentum,
13:04the series would only get better again with 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes.
13:09Number 19.
13:10The Hunger Games Catching Fire
13:13There wasn't much to complain about when The Hunger Games was adapted in 2012,
13:17especially since they nailed the casting of Katniss Everdeen with Jennifer Lawrence.
13:22But Gary Ross's gorilla-esque direction to the action sequences
13:26was somewhat frustrating.
13:27Another sequel to be improved by a new director,
13:30Catching Fire benefited hugely from the addition of Francis Lawrence,
13:34who, by the way, is not related to Jennifer.
13:36His brisk, crisp visuals gave the games the cinematic treatment they so rightly deserved.
13:52In addition, this is where the series started to see big picture,
13:55and incorporated a slew of fresh faces to make the rebellion subplot that much more dynamic.
14:10It's just a shame the bar wouldn't continue to rise in the other sequels.
14:15Number 18.
14:1622 Jump Street
14:1821 Jump Street was the comedic reboot we never knew we needed back in 2012.
14:22The unexpectedly hilarious pairing of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum made for a kinetic film.
14:28Since the high school setting was subversive and fun,
14:30the idea of taking the pair to college didn't seem too avant-garde.
14:34You two sons of bitches are going to college!
14:38Yes!
14:38No!
14:39Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
14:41injected the sequel with the same levels of comedic freshness.
14:45They also poked fun at the process of sequel making in a similarly shrewd wink-wink kind of way.
14:50So now this department has invested a lot of money to make sure Jump Street keeps going.
14:56We've doubled their budget.
14:58As if spending twice the money guaranteed twice the profit.
15:02Even if the movies remain tied in those estimations,
15:05the end credit sequence at the end of 22 Jump Street
15:08breaks it with the hilariously endless slew of fake sequels.
15:19Number 17.
15:20Gremlins 2 The New Batch
15:23This one might be a little controversial,
15:25as the first film is an esteemed classic, but hear us out.
15:29The first Gremlins proved to be a solid introduction to the title creatures
15:33with a relatively simple plot and execution.
15:35But Gremlins 2 saw the full realization of the concept.
15:39Unencumbered by origin story dynamics,
15:42the sequel devoted its attention to poking fun at consumerism and corporate culture.
15:47We may stumble along the way, but civilization, yes.
15:50The Geneva Convention, chamber music, Susan Sontag.
15:53Everything your society has worked so hard to accomplish over the centuries,
15:56that's what we aspire to.
15:58We want to be civilized.
15:59Allegories aside, the film is also simply more enjoyable.
16:02The meta commentary alone reaches Deadpool levels of self-awareness.
16:07Okay, you guys, listen up.
16:09People pay good money to see this movie.
16:11When they go out to a theater, they want cold sodas,
16:14hot popcorn, and no monsters in the projection booth.
16:19It unfortunately floundered at the box office,
16:21so the prospects of a third film have remained in our hopes and dreams
16:25for three decades and counting.
16:27Number 16.
16:28Hellboy 2 The Golden Army
16:31How did this not get another sequel?
16:33Though 2004's Hellboy wasn't the most faithful comic book adaptation,
16:38it was Holy Guillermo del Toro's creative vision come to life.
16:41Hellboy 2 The Golden Army took his vibrant vision even further.
16:46Del Toro's signature dark fantasy stylings become more dynamic and pronounced.
16:50Furthermore, the interpersonal relationships felt much more relatable and endearing.
17:02The prospect of Hellboy and Liz starting a family,
17:05or the adorable courtship between Abe Sapien and the Princess Noirla,
17:09were particular standouts.
17:11The sequel also planted the seeds of a fascinating conclusion to the would-be trilogy
17:16that, as we mentioned, never came to fruition.
17:34Instead, we were treated to a lifeless reboot.
17:37Number 15.
17:38Bride of Frankenstein
17:40It's difficult to make a case for a sequel to one of the landmark horror movies in cinema history,
17:45but we're going to give it a shot anyway.
17:47Before further sequels ran the team-up concept into the ground
17:50by pairing the green meanie with the wolfman or Abbott and Costello,
17:54there was Bride of Frankenstein.
18:02This sequel delved further into the fractured psyche of the monster to tremendous effect,
18:07taking place immediately after the events of the first,
18:10the monster desperately seeks companionship now that he's been villainized by society.
18:15This ushers in the advent of the Bride, an equally iconic creature with fabulous hair.
18:27Her presence further fleshes out the first film's themes
18:31and provides a cathartic resolution to the saga.
18:34Number 14.
18:35Superman II
18:37Before Spider-Man 2 or X2, the superhero sequel to end all superhero sequels was Superman II.
18:44Granted, the first film did make us believe that a man could fly,
18:47but this one made us believe that and then some.
18:55While the film was essentially the second half of one film rather than a direct sequel,
18:59Superman II still stands out in terms of excitement and character development.
19:04Superman is given more of a physical match than a 70s-era Lex Luthor could ever dream of
19:09when Zod and his Kryptonian followers return.
19:13At one point, we even feared for Superman's life.
19:20There's also more of an interesting relationship between Lois and Clark
19:23as the former discovers the latter's alter ego.
19:26Number 13.
19:28Blade II
19:29Another Guillermo del Toro feature,
19:31Blade II proved to be a sharper and more agile adventure for the Daywalker.
19:35The best thing about the trilogy will always be Wesley Snipes as Blade.
19:39Fortunately, the second installment seemed to nail his characterization more than the first.
19:51The film also brought back Chris Christopherson as Abraham Whistler,
19:55while adding Donnie Yen, del Toro mainstay Ron Perlman,
19:59and Daryl Dixon himself, Norman Reedus.
20:02In typical sequel fashion, the film also ups the ante in terms of plot.
20:06As the Reaper virus threatens to upend both the vampire and human societies,
20:11enemies are forced to work together to quash it.
20:13It's a bucket full of bloody fun.
20:22Number 12.
20:23Evil Dead II
20:25The first two entries in the Evil Dead franchise are both cult hits,
20:29but the second was lucky enough to get a much larger budget.
20:32This allowed for even more campiness, better gore, and enhanced special effects.
20:37The sequel further transcends the original by adding in a ton of
20:41horror comedy that cemented Bruce Campbell's legendary B-movie status.
20:46Of course, its budget was still small in comparison to other mainstream films,
20:50so it manages to retain the sense of a gritty and twisted reality
20:54that only low-budget movies can achieve.
20:58Number 11.
20:59X2 X-Men United
21:02An already large cast of superheroes gets even bigger,
21:05and this sequel has the plot to go with it.
21:15X2 deals with issues that resonate in real life,
21:18and that combined with the refined action and improved performances
21:21makes for a surprisingly grounded comic book movie.
21:25It never gets bogged down by the serious points it addresses, however,
21:28as the fight scenes are exceptionally choreographed.
21:32And we simply can't talk about the excellence of this sequel
21:34without mentioning the White House nightcrawler scene,
21:37which is easily one of the best sequences in the entire X-Men franchise.
21:45Number 10.
21:50Captain America The Winter Soldier
21:52So many superhero films sacrifice intimate action for sweeping scenes of mass destruction,
21:58but that is not the case in Cap's second solo film.
22:07This movie's been compared to a Bourne-style thriller
22:10where the hero gradually unravels a mystery,
22:13filled with a building intensity all along the way.
22:16Unlike the first film, there's a greater emphasis on tight hand-to-hand combat
22:19that feels like a much better fit for the leader of the Avengers.
22:27There's also far more personal conflict than in most other Marvel movies,
22:31as Cap faces off against his best friend, Bucky Barnes.
22:39Number 9.
22:40Paddington 2
22:41How do you follow up what is essentially a perfect film?
22:44Simple, with a more perfect film.
22:47All kidding aside, Paddington 2 cleared the already extremely high bar set by the original
22:52by being more enjoyable and delightful.
22:55The prison sequence alone is already one of the funniest
22:58and most endearing parts of any movie in the last decade.
23:01Oh, it's only one red sock.
23:03What's the worst that can happen?
23:08And though Nicole Kidman proved to be a fantastic villain in the first film,
23:12Hugh Grant absolutely steals the show here,
23:14to the point that he had many people calling for awards consideration.
23:18Indeed, Magwitch.
23:20And we gave quite a performance, you and I.
23:24Just like the old days.
23:26Not convinced?
23:27The film not only holds a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than its predecessor,
23:32but also actually has an almost perfect rating at 99%.
23:37Number 8.
23:37Mad Max 2 The Road Warrior
23:40The Mad Max series has a pretty simple list of features that make it so good.
23:44Crazy action, gorgeous cinematography, and a hero anyone can get behind.
23:49The sequel to the first movie has all of those elements in abundance,
23:53and takes the story beyond the simple detailing of the apocalypse.
23:57It's an exciting ride.
24:06With action that keeps up its intensity for so long,
24:09it leaves moviegoers satisfyingly exhausted.
24:12Plus, it has one of the most exhilarating climaxes ever put on screen.
24:19Number 7.
24:20Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan
24:22One of the greatest challenges any Star Trek filmmaker will face
24:26is pleasing the devoted followers of the franchise.
24:30While the first film adaptation received mixed reviews,
24:33it was enough of a hit to warrant a sequel,
24:35restoring the faith of the fans with a successful film that pretty much saved the series.
24:49The story in Wrath of Khan is incredibly strong,
24:52epic even, as it brilliantly brings back the iconic characters
24:57and a memorable foe from the original TV series.
25:00There was a lot of pressure to right the wrongs of the previous attempt,
25:03and it does that and much more.
25:15Number 6.
25:16Spider-Man 2
25:18This acclaimed superhero film isn't burdened by the need to tell an origin story.
25:22Allowing it the opportunity to delve further into the characters we met in the first film.
25:27What's more, we're introduced to Dr. Octopus,
25:29a wonderfully insane evil genius who is brought to life
25:32by a phenomenal Alfred Molina performance and Oscar-winning special effects.
25:47With a more sinister and captivating villain,
25:49better cinematography, and more compelling action sequences overall,
25:53it's clear that this sequel greatly improves upon the original.
26:04It's a trend that the third film couldn't live up to.
26:07We're looking at you, emo Peter Parker.
26:09Making the middle film the best in the trilogy.
26:17Number 5.
26:18Shrek 2
26:20The popularity of the first two Shrek movies can largely be attributed to their ability
26:34to include a little something for everyone.
26:36The original's unconventional humor and sincere message
26:40helped secure it the inaugural Best Animated Feature Oscar.
26:43But it was Shrek 2 that refined the formula to create something truly magical,
26:48turning the lovable ogre into a pop culture mainstay.
26:52Taking Shrek to meet his in-laws in the kingdom of Far Far Away,
26:55it's a sequel that stays true to the franchise's penchant for parody,
26:59while also creating an entirely separate identity for itself.
27:03New characters like Puss in Boots and the egotistical Prince Charming keep things fresh,
27:09as does an epic soundtrack that could give any other a run for its money.
27:19Number 4.
27:25The Dark Knight
27:27Batman Begins establishes the dark tone that defined Christopher Nolan's trilogy,
27:31but its sequel perfects the recipe.
27:40Add in a legendary performance by Heath Ledger,
27:42and you have the makings of one of the best comic book films of all time.
27:49The Dark Knight even transcends the superhero genre,
27:52and is considered a magnificent crime thriller in its own right.
27:55The action sequences are mostly created with practical effects,
27:59making for a sense of realism that no other movie of its kind has yet been able to emulate.
28:10Number 3.
28:11Aliens
28:12The unlucky Ripley has to fight the xenomorphs once more
28:15in this action-heavy follow-up to Ridley Scott's acclaimed sci-fi horror flick.
28:20There are more aliens, more guns, more classic one-liners,
28:23and somehow even more intense scares than the first film.
28:30It must have been incredibly difficult to improve upon a movie that's considered
28:33a cinematic masterpiece, yet James Cameron manages to take the greatest elements from
28:38the first film, enhances them, and turns the result into one of the best action movies of the 1980s.
28:45Number 2.
28:52Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
28:55Even though A New Hope received higher praise upon initial release,
28:59the second film in the original space opera trilogy has come to be accepted as the best in the series.
29:04Its aesthetics, complex characters, and iconic dialogue set the standard for an entire generation
29:18of filmmakers, and the story is more intriguing than almost any other movie at the time.
29:27It's one of the highest-grossing films ever, and is a memorable picture for many reasons,
29:32including the unforgettable twist in its final act. We're pretty sure you know what we're talking
29:36about, and that's because this film is simply inescapable. Before we continue,
29:42be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
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29:57Number 1. Terminator 2 – Judgment Day
30:00Once again, James Cameron manages to take an already phenomenal picture and improve upon it.
30:14The first Terminator is essentially a stalking horror flick, but the second becomes more or
30:18less a definitive action film. The T-1000 is one of the most menacing villains ever,
30:24and the CGI that created the character revolutionized the special effects industry.
30:30The film took home four Academy Awards, which was fitting recognition for a movie that managed
30:42to expand upon its predecessor's story while also being a triumph in filmmaking. Plus,
30:47what other franchise could turn the original villain into the hero and do it so convincingly?
30:52We rest our case.
31:00What sequel do you feel surpasses the original? Let us know in the comments.
31:30you