Hi, friends!
A popular trend in cinema is to just do the same thing that's been done before, i.e. make a sequel or a remake of a previously made film, but this isn't anything new in Hollywood; just see how many Thin Man or Andy Hardy movies there were. As overused as it is, I get it; sometimes I watch a movie and think "that's so good, I wish there was a sequel!"
What happens most frequently is when a sequel comes out it disappoints me (don't get me started on Descendants 3 (2019), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), or The Son of Robin Hood (1956)). Today, however, I'm going to be looking at those few times when the sequel is just as good or even better than the first.
A rarity indeed, but it still happens! Enough for a top 10 list!
I'm disqualifying things like Marvel movies which are SET UP to have sequels or things that were already books with sequels (that would be a whole list in and of itself). For example, I really enjoy the sequel to Murder on the Orient Express (2017), but as Death on the Nile was already a book I loved I'm not counting.
Talking about sequels is always potentially ripe for spoilers for the original movie, but have no fear, there are no spoilers for any movies here! I'll just be talking about why I love the sequels without talking about the plot or what happened in the first movie. Enjoy!
Honorable mentions: Paddington 2 (2017), Mary Poppins Returns (2018), Descendants 2 (2017), Fantasia 2000 (1999), and Eloise at Christmastime (2003).
10. Men in Black 3 (2012)
I grew up watching the first two movies A LOT. They're quotable and fun, but can also feel a little corny, like they're trying too hard to be wacky. Which is a vibe in and of itself, but that means that sometimes I need to be in the right mood. This one, though, isn't just about fun, it has so much at stake emotionally. It can be HARD to do a time travel movie, but this one absolutely killed it.
It's super clever, too, as by going into the past they created a way to show off "new" tech, meaning 1960s tech, which baffles Jay. It's is an asset, but not always one that works, which creates a new challenge. That's how you do world building, even if your story is still on Earth.
I love getting to "meet" Kay again with a whole new perspective. Then Griffin is super fun, too. The 60s vibes complete with Andy Warhol and mercury cars and eating pie sell the whole story.
9. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
I'm sorry, but I'm not a huge fan of the original movie. I know, I know, you should all be throwing your tomatoes at me. I think what it was missing was an older character to keep everyone grounded...like Indy's dad...
Yep, I love this one because it has Sean Connery. The dynamics between him and Harrison Ford are what make this for me.
I think it's like how in Pride & Prejudice you need the extremes of Lydia being silly and Mary being strict to understand how well balanced Jane and Lizzy are? If Indy is by himself he tends to annoy me, but in contrast to his father, I love what each of them brings to the dynamic.
My experience with this series is unorthodox as the first movie I saw was Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls, so maybe I got used to the idea of an older Indy and going back to the first didn't cut it for me? Whatever the reason, this is my ideal adventure story.
A disclaimer should be that I am not a fan of the original. Like, at all. It always creeped me and made me uneasy. Because of that, I was a little skeptical going in to a sequel, but no fear, I had a BLAST watching it.
I like that we get more time with the kids and the whole role-reversal for the parents (which may only be appreciated sequentially from the original). I love the struggles of navigating boys and math and a burning baby. The new characters we meet are fun and quotable ("Uncrush? Would you unpunch someone?") and even though I could see where the plot was going I wasn't complaining about it. It's about the journey, not the destination, right?
7. Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang (2010)
I've actually watched this one a TON more than the original, so much so that I often forget that the first one exists. It's been long time since I saw last watched this, but now that I'm reminiscing I'm remembering how much I adore it.
I love the premise for this movie. Romances in movies are overrated; give me cousins that HATE each other. The first movie is about tension between siblings, which can happen, but this shows kids uniting against a greater evil: rich relatives. The way that the cousins bicker and then have to resolve their class differences? *chef's kiss*
There are wartime problems not for the faint of heart; "he fell over!" There are pigs and debt collection and ginger soda and gas masks and Nanny McPhee knowing the exact right thing to do.
6. Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
I know I said I was disregarding the MCU, but let's talk about DC briefly: I'm not well versed in their universe, having only seen a couple movies, so I think of these as individual films.
I only read one comic growing up, and that was Wonder Woman, from my mom's old collections. I LOVED Wonder Woman. So I was super hyped for the 2017 movie, and then it did not live up to that expectation one iota. Why are we in World War II?? Steve is a pilot but that's all the mention we get of any war? If you want war go watch Captain America. He's the one with a shield. Where's Diana's magic lasso and invisible plane??
This sequel, though, is my version of Wonder Woman. I love it. I've only seen it once, but the WHOLE TIME I was like yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. I see now that the first movie was to set up all of the payoffs for this, but I still think we could've jumped right to this epic spectacle. It even has the arena training! What's not to love?
The vibe of 80s is so on point, complete with themes of indulgence and wishes and what they cost. I just love it a lot. And we get the Cheetah, so I'm happy.
5. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
When people say sequels are never as good as the first one, I agree with them, and then point to this movie. I talked about my love for the original last year and I have just about as high an opinion of the second one. I can't speak for the third or fourth movie, but this movie is solid.
Mainly because it has one of my favorite movie villains of all time: Lord Shen. Who would've ever thought of an evil albino peacock? It checks out, though, as peacocks are mean.
I love the way that the fighting styles are different for each animal, something that was carried over from the first film in full commitment as new warriors are introduced. The jokes are funny ("my old enemy: stairs.") and the stakes are high. It actually talks about some deep things, including the horrors of (though it never uses the word) genocide. I love the theme of inner peace and find it so powerful in relation to trauma.
4. Enola Holmes 2 (2022)
Mysteries have some of the best sequels as there's so much more fun in store to investigate. I don't love this one as much as the first, but it's still a delight and I ADORE getting more time with Sherlock. Especially because we see Sherlock and Enola interact more which brings out their similarities and differences, strengths and weaknesses.
"One should always have steps to avoid people stepping on you. That's a tip. You should probably write that down."
More screen-time for Enola and Tewkesbury is always a good time and this one plays into it adorably. Dance lessons and fan lessons and walks in the park. Tewkesbury really is trying his best and as his mother, I'm quite proud of him.
This film is a good continuation as it takes the message from the first movie ("you'll do well on your own, Enola") and tweaks it: one should be able to get by on one's own, but that doesn't mean that has to be the way it is. Because I love and relate to the first movie so much I think doing things on my own would be the extreme that I would fall into, so it's a good reminder to have. Enola inspires me by always being so willing to help others and any chance we get to watch that is a joy.
It's about fighting abuses in the working class, which is totally up my alley.
And there is another sequel coming this year! Expectations are high, but Jack Thorne hasn't let me down yet.
3. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
Did I mention that I love sequels to mysteries? Or maybe it's just Sherlock Holmes adaptations.
ACK. The VIBES, folks. From Guy Richie's directing choices to Hans Zimmer's score, this movie (and the first, too!) is immersive like no other. The pacing is on fire, the quips are witty and scorching, it's brilliant. There's Don Giovanni and roaming around Europe and chess.
Really, all a movie needs to get me devoted to it is to include chess elements.
It's so clever that everything I try to say about it seems dull in comparison, so just take that as one of the highest recommendations I can give. I could just watch this movie over and over again, and I know that because I have.
Plus, I've talked about it before, but I really love Madam Simza. She makes this whole movie for me.
The following get the top places as they have not just one sequel I adore, but multiple. They are:
2. Back to the Future Part II and Part III
The second time travel story of this list, so maybe that's a sign.
You know how some people say that The Lord of the Rings is just one book? That's how I feel about these movies. They all go together so well, I think of them as just a solid chunk. Yet it wasn't originally planned to have a sequel, so I can count them in this list.
On paper, what they did in the sequels shouldn't work; they reused scenes from the first one basically shot for shot, just with a different context. It should be a cop-out, it shouldn't work...but it does. It's all about playing with history repeating itself and it's brilliant. It works because they change enough around everything else. It's cheesy at times but it knows it and plays into it. The audience knows certain "comeuppances" and can look forward to them and be satisfied.
The characters do the same things because they are who they are, but they also have moments of change. For example, Marty's character arc through all three is one of my all-time favorites, so what more could I want?
The first movie is classic and great as a standalone. The second movie introduces new themes (indulgences and depravity at its worst...huh, same as Wonder Woman 1984...) and gives a future to avoid. Then the third movie is probably my favorite of the whole bunch. My favorite genre of westerns are parodies (see Support Your Local Sheriff) and I love seeing Doc and Marty in the wild west, complete with inventions and Clint Eastwood references.
And finally, the series that claims the first spot is:
1. Star Wars
It's a given, as this is one of my favorite stories of all time. The original is, of course, iconic, but the continuation in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and The Return of the Jedi (1983) gave the story so much more.
I mean, the huge plot twist didn't come until The Empire Strikes Back (1980), so without that we wouldn't be able to say, "Nooooooooooo!"
With that fan base established, "the prequels" and "the sequels" were born. Do I think every sequel in this franchise is great? No, as I've seen Rogue One (2016) twice and Solo (2018) once, and they were fine but not for me. I haven't gotten into the spin-off series such as The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch, Asoka, etc.. I can take or leave the prequels. The point is, it has created a lot of other stories that many people do enjoy, and that's beautiful.
Speaking of the ones I really enjoy...
This is always controversial, but I LOVE the sequels; in fact, The Last Jedi (2017) might be my favorite movie of the whole series. I know, I know, crazy! And you probably feel Rick-rolled after reading this whole post just to get that answer. If you want my explanation for why, check HERE.
Do I think Rise of Skywalker (2019) lived up to The Return of the Jedi? No, I don't, as the creators got caught up in marketing and trying to please everyone instead of making the story the way they wanted to. I still really love Rise of Skywalker (in fact, to this day it's the only movie that I've seen twice in the theater!) and think it has a ton of merits, just that as far as endings go, The Return of the Jedi takes the cake.
So let's talk about that.
The Return of the Jedi has everything I could want: facing one's fears and temptations, a masterclass in tension and suspense, and adorable Teddy bear creatures. It set up what redemption means so that the rest of the series (prequels and sequels) could follow. It became the standard for an ending, taking everything that had happened in the first two films and completing the (motion) picture.
I love it, and I hope the film says, "I know."
This is my entry in Hamlette and Quiggy's Film. Release. Repeat. Blogathon!
If you want to hear discussions about more fun sequels or remakes, check it out! And thanks to Hamlette and Quiggy for hosting and giving me a chance to do one of my favorite things: make lists!
What are your favorite movie sequels? Are there any other mystery sequels I should watch? How do you feel about time travel? Has anyone else seen Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang? Thanks to all of you for reading!
Chloe the MovieCritic
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