Outstanding Sequels
One of the most frusrating things for producers is making a good sequel to a hit iflm. First off you have to decidee whether it's best the leave and let it be. I strongly believe that if you want to make a good sequel you either have to write on something that could be expanded upon or use more than enough material for one movie. Here is m y list of some of the best noted sequels and they are in no particular order.
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- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydLea ThompsonAfter visiting 2015, Marty McFly must repeat his visit to 1955 to prevent disastrous changes to 1985...without interfering with his first trip.What makes BTTF2 such a big hit is the fact that Back To The Future managed to stay popular enough to make it to 1989 when this hit theaters on November 22. The initial reaction was a disappointed crowd seeing that most people were wanting to only see two films. What makes the film most iconic was the fact that the Delorean actually hovers and the costume design for Michael J. Fox in 2015.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsSigourney WeaverMichael BiehnCarrie HennDecades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.If one of the Alien sequels could stand alone, it would be this one. Three and four have their place, but it was James Cameron who got the series going by taking the directing helm for Ripley Scott. If you haven't seen this, but saw the first two Terminator films, Ture Lies and Titanic, you're in for a treat. Loaded with plenty of action sequences, this installment to the Alien franchise is definately considered an 80s hit.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodSondra LockePat HingleWhen a woman exacts deadly revenge on the aggressors who raped her and her sister ten years earlier, Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan is assigned to the case.Probably the most recognizable sequel to the Dirty Harry franchise with the line, 'make my day'. Compared to the other Dirty Harry films, this one appears to have more of an emotional battle particularly with Sandra Locke's character, leaving it darker than the others. Not only that but it's done up spaggetti western style making several homages to the Man With No Name Trilogy. If the Dead Pool never came about, this would have been a good note to end Dirty Harry on.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordCate BlanchettShia LaBeoufIndiana Jones becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.The highly anticipated fourth installment for Indiana Jones came later than expected. It was nearly twenty years after the Last Crusade made it's debut. Okay, you're probably wondering what kind of a critic are you to put this up on this list??? A lot of people really did enjoy the original three films. I like them. What happened was simply a misunderstanding to most of the 'Indy' fans. This film is more geared toward the die-hard fans of the series. There may not be as much action in this Indiana Jones picture, but it certainly does keep to it's orgin as well as coming up with an original advenutre. The one thing to remember is that Chris Columbus did write a draft for the third film that never happened. So much time in between sequels is typically not good.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsJeff GoldblumJulianne MoorePete PostlethwaiteA research team is sent to the Jurassic Park Site B island to study the dinosaurs there, while an InGen team approaches with another agenda.The facinating thing about Jurassic Park is that the novels were written with Steven Spielberg working closely along side Michael Crichton. It was no surprise that a sequel was going to happen and it did just as well as the first. It was the summer block buster when it opened Memorial Day 1997, until Titanic hit the screen. In the end, Titanic was the movie of the year, but never mind that. The film opened with the newly updated Universal logo that we see today.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsMichael KeatonDanny DeVitoMichelle PfeifferWhile Batman deals with a deformed man calling himself the Penguin wreaking havoc across Gotham with the help of a cruel businessman, a female employee of the latter becomes the Catwoman with her own vendetta.Back before Christopher Nolan came onto the scene to update the Batman franchise, there was Tim Burton. Making the first full length featured Batman film, history was made for the Drak Knight. Questions arose seeing that most people would hardly consider Michael Keaton for the role. The result was a box office hit. Round two for Tim Burton gave both Danny Devito and Michelle Pfeiffer signature roles as the Penguin and Catwoman.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerLinda HamiltonEdward FurlongA cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg.Certainly no one saw this film coming. Plenty of action sequences and chases. What makes the original sequel unique is that CGI was just coming onto the scene in Hollywood. Technology at the time was groundbreaking with the results of CGI images. Not only that, but Robert Patrick made an apperance as the T-1000 becoming the role he is best known for.
- DirectorTed PostStarsClint EastwoodHal HolbrookMitchell RyanInspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan pursues a conspiracy of vigilante cops, who are not above going beyond the law to kill San Francisco's undesirables.If there was one character that you could put a face to with Clint Eastwood most would say Dirty Harry. As far as crime intensity and extreme action in the franchise, Magnum Force is the most driving. Not only that but first time audiences may feel confused as to what is going on in the first ten minutes of the film. Corruption in the police force is not uncommon, but the way the directors hash it out here is rather graphic. Also watch the chase sequence with the cops going after Harry near the end of the film. This is the same warf the was used for his last Dirty Harry film as The Dead Pool.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordSean ConneryAlison DoodyIn 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.The man with the hat is back and this time he brought his dad.
This was the teaser line for the Last Crusade that rings in memories of Sean Connery saying, "Junior?" And in reply, he would get, "don't call me junior."
The beginning does throw the audience mometarily, but once you realize that River Phenoix is portraying a younger Indiana Jones, you do begin to see the resemblence. Not only that, but for a brief moment as the camera does a panning shot to where Henry Senior is sitting, you see the dog that Indy loves so much.
The film has even been ranked better than the Temple of Doom. On the search for the Holy Grail, being the obsession of Indy's dad, they reunite so of the original cast from Raiders as well as some really tough Nazis who will stop at nothing to claim their prize for Hilter. Not only that, but this is one of those movies you can keep coming back to because the storyline is captivating enough. - DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHeath LedgerAaron EckhartWhen the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.The Dark Knight took the summer block-busters by storm. Not only that, but 2008 was a big year for promoted movies. Several films topped number one that year including Iorn Man, which became number one opening weekend.
What director Christopher Nolan did was pure genius. Once Batman Begns had it's run through, he intentionally waited three years between the two films not just because he was working on The Prestige. Every element was taken into consideration for this film and the result was more than a success. The interesting thing was that it remained number one for a month, gaining it's billion dollar mark, not by more and more people wanting to see it, but because everyone who saw it opening weekend was going back two or three times more. - DirectorRick RosenthalStarsJamie Lee CurtisDonald PleasenceCharles CyphersWhile Dr. Loomis hunts for Michael Myers, a traumatized Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and The Shape is not far behind her.John Carpenter's Halloween was a massive success. When Carpenter and Debra Hill saw what other people were doing by 1980, they knew there had to be a sequel. Picking up where the first one left off, Laurie Strode who is played by Jamie Lee Curtis ends up in the hospital only to figure out that the the staff starts to dwindle down due to the fact that Michael Myers is present. Carpenter originally planned this to be the last film his audiences would see Michael Myers and start releasing several different storylines relating to Halloween horrors, but this proved to be unscuccessful when Halloween iii: Season of the Witch bombed in the box office.
- DirectorChris ColumbusStarsMacaulay CulkinJoe PesciDaniel SternOne year after Kevin McCallister was left home alone and had to defeat a pair of bumbling burglars, he accidentally finds himself stranded in New York City - and the same criminals are not far behind.With John Hughes at the helm, anything is possible. He made history with this one, being that it's the only sequel he wrote to any of his material including Home Alone 3. Critics pounded the producers hard saying that it was painful to watch. Despite what they said, it did make a better profit it's first weekend than the original did. With the trailer made up of mostly the 'trap' sequence, this put the audience in greater suspense, being that this element of the original HAD to be in the sequel. Never mind the critics, this movie is played on a regular basis during the Chrismtas season, but watch for the two hour and a half version because the two hour TV version is trimmed down way too much.
- DirectorIvan ReitmanStarsBill MurrayDan AykroydSigourney WeaverThe discovery of a massive river of ectoplasm and a resurgence of spectral activity allows the staff of Ghostbusters to revive the business.Five years after a sucessful box office hit and already a cult favortie, specifically for kids, Ghostbusters was a regular thing to watch on Satruday mornings. This was a movie waiting to happen probably because Ghostbusters rocked sales from 1984 up to the release of the sequel. Merchandise really does keep films like these going and not just that, but it is offical, a third film is in the works.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsTobey MaguireKirsten DunstAlfred MolinaPeter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a former brilliant scientist named Otto Octavius.It's Spiderman at his finest. With the first full length featrue film for the Spiderman, fans were literally jumping up and down, because it was highly anticipated. The second go around is bigger, faster and more climactic. There are some things fans might cringe at seeing, but in the end, everyone ends up happy and Peter Parker limps on to face greater enemies for the third film. And by the way, the idea of rebooting the franchise is probably not a good idea, especially when Raimi knew what he wanted the fourth film to look like.
- DirectorDwight H. LittleStarsDonald PleasenceEllie CornellDanielle HarrisTen years after his original massacre, the invalid Michael Myers awakens on Halloween Eve and returns to Haddonfield to kill his seven-year-old niece. Can Dr. Loomis stop him?Ten years later after a major success with John Carpenter's Halloween, the horror genre was thrown wide open. A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Sleep-a-way Camp and other horror slashers suddenly came onto the screen trying to copy the very thing Carpenter had started. By 1982, the third Halloween film plummited with sales and he moved onto other things.
The producers wanted to do a ten year anniversary update. Legal battles were fought. Carpenter finally threw in the towel to say that he was done writing about Michael Myers and gave the project over to Mousapha Akkad who had worked with him previosly on the second and third film of the series.
Coming up with a script that worked, the film went into production and it turned out to be a success. What brought back the originality for the audeince was Michael Myers, the serial killer. The film was very much a throw back to Carpenters work with a fresh perspective. The main characters who were played by Ellie Cornell and Danielle Harris had a lot riding on their shoulders to get it right, and they did. RIP Akkad. - DirectorStephen HopkinsStarsDanny GloverGary BuseyKevin Peter HallThe Predator returns to Earth, this time to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.Quite a bit happened between this film and the original which had Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Several re-writes happened and the direction went towards Danny Glover being the one man show. The second Predator is very much a vampire movie that has the sets of rules. Danny brings an originallity to the sequel as well as familiar face from Aliens, Bill Paxton. Tension keeps the audience equally on the edge, especially on a dark subway tram.
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsMel GibsonDanny GloverJoe PesciRiggs and Murtaugh are on the trail of South African diplomats who are using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.It's a two man showdown! The second Lethal Weapon may have the highest body count, but the bad guys in this one really are well rounded like some of our favorite villians in other popular 80s films like Martin Kove of The Karate Kid or Biff Tannen in Back To The Future. This is probably the funniest and most violent of the three sequels that Lethal Weapon spawned. Not only that, but somewhere in the middle, Joe Pesci turned up as the extra comedy relief.
- DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsVal KilmerTommy Lee JonesJim CarreyBatman must battle former district attorney Harvey Dent, who is now Two-Face and Edward Nygma, The Riddler with help from an amorous psychologist and a young circus acrobat who becomes his sidekick, Robin.As the second Batman film of the 90s, critics were beginning to think the series was becoming a complete joke and ended up being slammed by a lot of people. Never mind critics. This version of Batman may be darker in storyline, but it also allows Jim Carrey to go off the wall in probably one of his craziest roles and does really well along his side-kick Tommy lee Jones.
- DirectorMichael LembeckStarsTim AllenSpencer BreslinElizabeth MitchellScott Calvin has been a humble Santa Claus for eight years, but it might come to an end if he doesn't find a Mrs. Claus.Never mind the fact that there was nearly ten years in between this and the original. Much of the cast hasn't changed much as far as growing older besides Charlie. The focus will remain to keep Scott Calvin at what he does best, being Santa Clause. It seemed a little odd that Elizabeth Mitchell, who ends up tying the knot with Tim Allen's character only ends up getting the ring, and not the full aging proccess by the end of the film. Yes, it's a little bit of a departure of the style of Christmas film from the 90s, but the rest of the magical Hollywood formula helps pull it along. I'd even say it's one of the few successful Christmas movie sequels out there. Yes, Disney has to keep making money, however the third film seems to cash out for this franchise. Maybe if there was no Martin Short and having an overweight Mrs. Santa Clause, it might have been better.
- DirectorSteve OedekerkStarsJim CarreyIan McNeiceSimon CallowAce Ventura, Pet Detective, returns from a spiritual quest to investigate the disappearance of a rare white bat, the sacred animal of a tribe in Africa.At the height of his career, Jim Carrey was doing everything comedy. He's known for some pretty memorible rolls such as Fire Marshall Bill in the show In Living Color, Lloyd Christmas in Dumb And Dumber, and this list goes on.
What started the cartoon series of Ace Ventura was simply two films that had very much to do with animals. Yes, the films are ranchy, but that's just part of what Jim does when you put a camera in front of him.
Whe Nature Calls seems to be less of a story than the original, but somehow, the laughs are bigger and not so much the suggestive material seen in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. I'd even let my kid watch this one. - DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsJohnny DeppOrlando BloomKeira KnightleyCaptain Barbossa, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann must sail off the edge of the map, navigate treachery and betrayal, find Jack Sparrow, and make their final alliances for one last decisive battle.The third Pirates film was probably the most anticipated film of the What Decade next to Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. Audiences world-wide put this film on the billion dollar mark within the first weekend alone. Even though there is yet another tale to tell, this does put to ease the hanging problem of Jack Sparrow's passing in Dead Men's Chest. With it's numbers, the film still got blased by critics and several hundred people that thought it was not that good. This is another case of confused people who seem to forget the last pirate film they saw before Jack Sparrow came around.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodViggo MortensenIan McKellenGandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.On the tail end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is Return of the King. It is certainly one of the most sucessful trilogies of it's time and brings to life the very book it comes from. Wanting to be as accurate to the book as possible, Peter Jackson spent several years into getting it right. Out of the three films, this was the most anticipated as well as the longest nearly running four hours with the extended version. It made history being one of six films to reach the billion dollar mark, world-wide as well as The Fellowship of thei Ring.
- DirectorSteve MinerStarsJamie Lee CurtisJosh HartnettAdam ArkinLaurie Strode, now the dean of a Northern California private school with an assumed name, must battle the Shape one last time, as the life of her own son hangs in the balance.At the 20th anniversary mark of one of the biggest horror films of it's time, Moustapha Akkad takes up the project of telling the original story, picking up where Carpenter left off from the original sequel, and placing it twenty years later.
Laurie Strode is now a teacher at a private college in California. Trying to rid herself of the past, she is consumed in her seventeen-year-old son and wants to make sure he doesn't fall victim to Michael Myers. How could Michael not resist? Exactly twenty years later, he breaks into Marion Crane's home, finds the file on Laurie and goes on a road trip to California. With several hundred die hard fans to the franchise, it was a smart move, not only for them, but for legacy that John Carpenter started. - DirectorJon FavreauStarsRobert Downey Jr.Mickey RourkeGwyneth PaltrowWith the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy.As the leading summer block buster of 2008, Iorn Man was very much anitcipated by die-hards of the comic book hero. Yes, it was thwarted by Batman with The Dark Knight in the box office, but you have to note that before the Dark Knight it held the spot on the chart for it's first weekend as the number one film at that point in time. Therefore, you might as well call the original the second best film of 2008. To create the same feel in the sequel, creatvie juices had to get flowing and get a storyline going. With two very powerful men side by side, Tony Stark has a lot riding on his plate. The spectacular ending could have been better, however it had to go down Iorn Man style.
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsBruce WillisWilliam AthertonBonnie BedeliaJohn McClane attempts to avert disaster as rogue military operatives seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.After breaking ground with Die Hard, a film like this would logically call for at least one sequel if not more. Bruce Willis gave an excellent performace with his now famour line, 'Yppie Kay-yaye, Mother f-er'.
This time, John McClane is back in DC for the Christmas holiday. There's a big snow sotrm brewing as a foreign prisoner is being flown into the airport for transfer. That's when the trouble starts with a group of terrorists who take control of the airport in order to rescue the prisoner, once again putting John McClane in the middle.
Excellent performances all around, but it's too bad that Wilis didn't think so. It keeps up the same tension as did in the first film. Aside from the action, William Atherton reprises his role as Richard Thortonburg who happens to be sitting across the way on the plane from Holly McClane.
The diologe is well written and Bruce does a great job playing the abused cop who is trying to get to the bottom of things. - DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodLee Van CleefGian Maria VolontèTwo bounty hunters with the same intentions team up to track down a gang of outlaws led by a psychotic Mexican bandit, who is plotting an audacious bank robbery.Some may call the Good, The Bad And The Ugly the best of the Man With No Name trilogy. It would be hard to say which is the best of the three, but as far as the sequels go, this one is outstanding. For two bounty hunters, there's nothing better than trying for the worst amigo you can think of when it comes to robbing banks.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsHayden ChristensenNatalie PortmanEwan McGregorThree years into the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi pursues a new threat, while Anakin Skywalker is lured by Chancellor Palpatine into a sinister plot to rule the galaxy.With the success of the Star Wars trilogy, George Lucas went on to do other work when finishing Return of the Jedi in the mid 1980s. It took him almost a near twenty years until he picked up the idea of working on the prequel part of the story.
Originally starting out as books, there were nine total all authored by Lucas himself. As history goes, according to Lucas himself and the die-hard fans he started with the fourth in the series to be the original film release. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
With plans to add to the storyline, production began in 1997 and wouldn't finish until early 2005, months before this film was ready to hit theaters. The actual third film in the Star Wars franchise is what helps bridge the gap between both troligy sets. It may be the most destructive film of the series, but it was also very much anticipated by the die-hards as well as everyone else who watched them as a kid in the 70s. - DirectorSam RaimiStarsBruce CampbellEmbeth DavidtzMarcus GilbertWhen Ash Williams is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., he must retrieve the Necronomicon and battle an army of the dead in order to return home.Deciding to close out the Evil Dead with a trilogy was something ntable for Sam Raimi. The first two films don't seem to be a part of this film, but if you really want to know about this 'weird' Book of the Dead thing that goes on in this movie, you really do need to watch them.
As opposed to the first two films, Army of Darkness is very much a comedy/horror film because a lot of creepy things do come out and grab the attention of the audience, but at the same time it is crazy, but stupid crazy. Not only that, but if you want to watch something at two in the morning just to laugh at, this is one of those. - DirectorJeannot SzwarcStarsRoy ScheiderLorraine GaryMurray HamiltonPolice chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.Some would say they would have wanted Spielberg to direct this one. Hard to say, because it would have been different if he had claimed the sequel for directing. Jeannot Szwarc's direction was the finaly cut, but without him, the series would have gotten much worse in ratings. A few plots in the storyline were stretched a liitle bit, but somehow becomes believable when you see Roy battling out the shark at the barge. Another great summer memory at the box office.
- DirectorJack SholderStarsRobert EnglundMark PattonKim MyersA teenage boy is haunted in his dreams by deceased child murderer Freddy Krueger, who is out to possess him in order to continue his reign of terror in the real world.At the height of the 80s, horror films were becoming numberous. It wan't Wes Craven's idea to do a sequel to Nightmare on Elm Street, but the producers thought it a good idea. Not only that, but it very much helped support the new film company it started, New Line. Freddy doesn't have as big a presence in this film as the rest of them, but the tension helps remind you that he's there are waiting for the pounce.