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The Top 12 Best and Most Beloved Sci-fi and Fantasy Sequels


Sequels get a pretty bad rap. They’re often considered to be pale shadows of the original. And it’s true, there are a lot of awful, awful sequels out there. Here's a list of some of the worst. But there are quite a few sequels that not only managed to outshine their predecessor, but became incredibly beloved in their own right. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the best sci-fi and fantasy sequels! Do you have a favorite sequel? Do you know of a great sequel that didn’t make the list? Say so in the comments!

  1. Addams Family Values (Sequel to The Addams Family)

    While the first Addams Family movie worked as a good introduction to the characters for those who weren’t familiar with their television or comic versions, the sequel was able to really revel in the weirdness of the strange and spooky family. There was a lot of pointed satire in this one and a lot of the physical humor of the  original was replaced with even more wit. It was a genius move to send the Addams family kids to summer camp and show their morbid gothness contrasted with their flummoxed fellow children. It was even more genius to have them brainwashed by Disney movies.

    Rather than focusing on just one plot, this movie had a bunch going at once- in addition to the summer camp things, there was the birth of the newest baby boy in the family and the infiltration of the family a gold-digging, pastel-clad lady who was horrified to find how bizarre her in-laws really were. So things rarely got dull in this one.

  2. X2 (Sequel to X-Men)

    X-Men 2 is one of the many superhero sequels that’s the strongest of its franchise’s initial trilogy. It was probably one of the earliest superhero movies to realistically tackle more serious themes. It took the whole metaphor of the mutants struggling as a minority to the next level, had the heroes join forces with the bad guys, introduced fan favorites like Nightcrawler, included a touching sacrifice and death scene and left things on a great cliffhanger note. Too bad the follow-up movie was completely awful and unsatisfying.

  3. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Sequel to Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

    The first Lord of the Rings movie wowed with its huge fantasy spectacle and The Two Towers continued that trend nicely. Introducing the haunting, tormented Gollum and featuring the intense and action packed Battle of Helm’s Deep (which has been named one of the greatest movie battles of all time), both the tension and the epicness was upped in this installment. It left fans ready and eager for the next chapter. 

  4. Spider-Man 2 (Sequel to Spider-Man)

    Spider-Man 2 is one of the best superhero sequels out there and it truly upped the ante for our web-slinging hero. It took all the drama from the last film and built on it, upping the stakes further for Spider-Man, who had to deal with the grief and rage of his best friend, the tragic and compelling villain Doc Oc and the possibility of losing the love of his life. He was even driven to the point of quitting. The movie was also filled with high tension, memorable fight scenes.

    One particularly memorable one was the subway scene, which ended with an incredible feat of strength on the heroes part and the touching scenes where the civilians he saved realized how young and vulnerable their protector was. Was it schmaltzy? Sure, but it worked. 

  5. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (sequel to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)

    The original Indiana Jones trilogy is solid from start to finish, but Temple of Doom was initially met with mixed reviews. It’s a lot darker and gorier than its predecessor and some, including Steven Spielberg, felt it was a bit too much. Spielberg says it’s his “least favorite of the trilogy.” But Crusade seems to hit that sweet spot. It’s a return to swashbuckling adventure form. Crusade introduces Sean Connery as Indiana Jones father and their dynamic is hilarious. And the comedy is balanced out by the fact the Nazi villains are more chilling than cartoonish this time around.

  6. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

    KHAAAAN! Quite a few Star Trek fans weren’t really wowed by the first film, but man did they love the sequel. It’s credited with renewing interest in the Star Trek franchise, leading to the multitude of spin-offs and sequels that followed. The film captured the swashbuckling feeling of the original and featured a lot of great character moments. It relateably shows Captain Kirk struggling with a bit of a mid-life crisis and contains a truly shocking and moving death scene. Khan was also a great unstoppable and intimidating villain. With strong themes and swift pacing, this film is the most beloved installment among all the Star Trek movies for many. 

  7. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger)

    You know a movie’s solid when even the folks at Honest Trailers have a hard time making fun of it. This movie is a combines superhero action with a spy/conspiracy thriller feel and it really works. It avoids the mistakes a lot of blockbuster movies make and doesn’t just focus on the explosions and spectacle and gives us a few quiet character moments to act as a breather and add a little depth.

    It also gets a little political, showing Captain America himself struggling with the fact he can’t really trust his government and showing how easily even the highest offices can be infiltrated and corrupted. But it also tells the very human story of a man dealing with loss and betrayal and struggling to save his friend. All while still delivering the punching, kicking and other daring stunts we all love in our Marvel movies. 

  8. Mad Max 2 and Mad Max: Fury Road (sequel to Mad Max)

    Mad Max 2 is considered by many to be an action masterpiece and one of the greatest sequels ever made. Many didn’t even know it was a sequel- it was titled Mad Max: Road Warrior in its US release and yet many first-time watchers were able to get super into it. While the first film struggled with its limited budget and had to set up its world before diving in, Mad Max 2 is bigger, better and louder with non-stop brutal post-apocalyptic action.

    Fury Road follows in its footsteps. The film is completely accessible even to those who know nothing about the previous Mad Max movies. It’s an endless, thrilling car chase bursting with beautiful cinematography, badass women and simple but compelling story beats.

  9. Terminator 2 (sequel to Terminator)

    While the first Terminator movie is a sci-fi classic, it is the second that really seems to light a fire in people’s hearts. The movie featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator in a role as an endearing, but still badass ally and cemented him (and his “hasta la vista baby") as a pop culture icon. It added Sarah Connor to the pantheon of badass sci-fi ladies

    . But what it really made an impact with was its astounding use of special effects. It was a breakthrough movie when it came to computer imagery, featuring the first use of natural human motion for a computer generated character. It was also the first movie with a partially computer-generated main character (The Terminator). It’s considered one of the most influential visual effects films of all time.

  10. The Dark Knight (Sequel to Batman Begins)

    The Dark Knight is almost universally regarded as the strongest of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. With Batman’s well-tread origins already told, this movie was able to jump headfirst into the twisted psychology of the rivalry between Batman and the Joker. Heath Ledger’s interpretation of the villain was chilling, immersive and engrossing, easily netting him a posthumous Oscar. The movie was not only a good superhero flick, but a complex crime story with a philosophical undertone.

  11. Aliens (sequel to Alien)

    Aliens is similar to the other James Cameron sequel, Terminator 2, in how it was a completely game-changer after the first movie- the first one was more a horror and suspense film, while this one was wall-to-wall epic action even with the fearful atmosphere. And like Terminator 2, it gave us an awesome sci-fi action heroine in Ripley. It greatly expanded the world introduced in the first movie and really upped the ante. With a war film vibe, it showcased the destructive capabilities of both mankind and the scary aliens. 

  12. Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Sequel to Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope)

    The Empire Strikes Back is the most critically acclaimed chapter of the Star Wars saga and is generally a fan favorite as well. While the first movie is beloved straightforward space opera, this is the movie that really kicked things into overdrive, delivering one of the most memorable and epic plot twists of all time. “I am your father” is now one of the most famous quotes in pop culture. It took the characters to both emotional highs and lows never seen before and had a heartpounding cliffhanger ending. It’s ranked as one of the greatest movies of all time by many and was even put in the Library of Congress for being historically and culturally significant.

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