X2
How often do we say 'the sequel is never as good as the first film?' However, every so often, a sequel comes along that is better than the original.
We take a look at some of the sequels that really were superior to their predecessor.
- X2 (2003)
X-Men hit the big screen for the first time back in 2000, and the fantastic X2 followed three years later.
The first film was very much about introducing the characters to the audience and established backstory and so on.
X-Men was made for a reasonably modest budget, and director Bryan Singer was not able to focus on action and spectacle.
All that changed with X2, he continued to develop the characters while adding huge slices of action set pieces and special effects: X2 is the movie Singer would have made first time around if he had had the budget.
X2 went on to be a critical and commercial hit, taking over $407 million - nearly twice as much as the first film.
- Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Terminator 2: Judgement Day was released six years after the success of The Terminator, and saw James Cameron return to the director's chair.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day works so well because it didn't do what everyone expected it to. Cameron was willing to take a risk on turning the plot on its head... and it really did work.
This time around, Arnie is the good guy and meets his match against the T-1000.
It would have been so easy for Cameron just to go bigger with the second film, but he was brave enough to make Terminator into a hero rather than the villain.
Despite further films, Terminator 2: Judgement Day remains the best movie in the franchise, and it grossed over $519 million at the global box office.
- Toy Story 3 (2010)
Toy Story 3 was the last time we saw Woody, Buzz and co-star in a feature film, and it is still the best film in the franchise.
It is so rare that a franchise gets better and better with each movie, but that is exactly what happened with Toy Story.
By the time the third film hit the big screen, audiences were already emotionally invested in these terrific characters, - the second film really did help set this emotional core.
Toy Story 3 is a superior animation film in every way, as it is as funny as it is truly heartfelt. It battles with universal themes of family and coming of age, and it is something that every audience member can relate to.
Toy Story 3 showed off Pixar at their very best, and it became the first animation film to gross over $1 billion at the box office.
- The Dark Knight (2008)
It looked like Batman was dead and buried on the big screen until Christopher Nolan took over the reins of the franchise.
Batman Begins breathed new life into this popular character, and we all knew that he was in safe hands.
In 2008, The Dark Knight was the second film in the franchise, and it remains the pinnacle of superhero filmmaking.
The Dark Knight is a dark and complex film that was as intelligent as it was visually stunning. Nolan really pulled out the stops and upped the stakes, and this is the superhero film again which all others are measured.
It is dark, visceral and chilling, with a terrific performance from Heath Ledger as The Joker. These are two flawed heroes that go head to head, and is unforgettable.
- Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars remains the most iconic franchise of all time, and delighted and influenced a generation of fans and filmmakers.
Star Wars grabbed everyone’s attention back in 1977, and the second instalment was one of the most anticipated films of 1980.
Set three years after events of Star Wars, and really is a story of resistance against evil.
The Empire Strikes Back featured some of the most iconic moments from the franchise - and there is none greater than that revelation at the end of the film.
The Empire Strikes back went on to be the most acclaimed instalment of the franchise, and was the highest grossing film of 1980.
- The Godfather Part II (1975)
The Godfather was widely regarded the best gangster film of all time when it was released back in 1972, and would surely never be surpassed, right?
Wrong. When The Godfather: Part II was released three years later, it was met with even more critical acclaim.
Francis Ford Coppola was back in the director's chair: he also wrote and produced the film.
Coppola mixed it up second time around, as he made this both a prequel and a sequel: one storyline follows Michael Corleone in 1958, while the second follows Vito Corleone during his childhood.
This clever storytelling technique set it apart from The Godfather, and gave the film an identity of its own.
It was nominated for eleven Oscars, and became the first sequel to win Best Picture.
Other superior sequels include Aliens, The Silence Of The Lambs, Before Sunset, and The Bourne Supremacy.