The title โTop 5 movies that have sequelsโ can seem to be an oxymoron itself. I mean, sequels are tough to get right, more when the original is a masterpiece itself. They are an essential part of todayโs showbiz world and one of the hardest to make as incredible as the original. Movies with sequels can be either as good as the Godfather 2 or worse than death or taxes.
But some movies have sequels even better than the original. Take Spider-Man 2 or Avengers Endgame, for example. Such mind-blowing movies have sequels that are nothing but treats to us, movie lovers. Making a sequel of a successful original is always a tough challenge. It can either keep you yearning for more sequels in the saga or can dampen the success of the original too.
Sequels are considered follow-ups of the originals. They are essentially made to continue the story of the original. They are the important chapters of your favorite films that enhance the richness of the whole franchise. Not to mention many of them even outstrip their predecessors. After all, lightning can strike twice! So there are definitely some movies that have sequels worth watching on repeat.
This article collected the top 5 movies with sequels that we love to watch and re-watch. These second installments are super awesome, and some of them are even better than the originals. So get ready for the list of the most entertaining packages to include in your binge-watch list.
Top 5 Movies that Have the Best Sequels
1. Avengers: Endgame
When โAvengers: Infinity Warโ ended, it left a void in us. That void was partially filled with its sequel โAvengers: Endgame.โ Many of our favorite characters were turned into ashes (read murdered) by Thanos in the former, and we lost our beloved Iron Man in the latter. Even after the sacrifice of Iron Man, Avengers: Endgame deservingly outperformed its previous installment. Many movies have sequels, but very few are like Avengers: Endgame to leave behind the original.
The story of Avengers: Endgame starts from where it ended in Avengers: Infinity War. The gloominess of Infinity War is prolonged at the beginning of Endgame. And as it proceeds, the melancholic mood is brightened with rays of hope to bring back what is gone. Thanos ended half of the universe with just a snap in Infinity War. And throughout Endgame, our heroes fight against him to get back the universe as it was before the chain of catastrophic events.
With heart-wrenching emotions, larger-than-life superhero battles, and the classic awesomeness of the Avengers franchise, Avengers: Endgame is the sequel of our dreams. It doesnโt depend on the original to make its mark, yet you canโt get the movieโs full taste unless you watch the original, Avengers: Infinity War. And thatโs where the makers have hit the bullโs eye.
Even if you are a non-fan (which will be surprising in case you are), the super heroic battles, the revival of past relationships along with forging new ones, and overall the roller coaster ride throughout the twists and turns of the movie will force you to stay hooked to your seats. In a nutshell, the Russo Brothersโ creation was one of the bests in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one of the greatest movies in the list of movies that have sequels.
Even with a massive heartbreak like Tony Starkโs departure, the movie leaves its permanent mark in our hearts with moments like the unbreakable bond of Captain America and Iron Man. Infinity War comes in the list of greatest movies that have sequels even more significant than the original.
2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
The Terminator was a massive hit. You will agree that The Terminator is one of the greatest movies ever made. With Arnold Schwarzenegger in his heart-pumping fast action scenes, โThe Terminatorโ was a treat to action and adventure movie lovers. So it was apparent such movies that have sequels will throw a tough challenge to their sequel to be at least as good as the original one.
In 1991 Arnold Schwarzenegger came back to take ahead his incomplete mission. What kind of unfinished task? If you have watched The Terminator, you already know how Arnold failed in the original to kill Connorโs mother. In the sequel, Arnold is assigned to save Connor himself. So yes, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is among those movies with sequels to continue their story from where the original left.
A quick knowledge booster for all the non-fans in search of movies with sequels, Terminators are not humans. They do look like humans but have computer brains (sounds dope, right?). Also, they are not made of flesh and blood. Preferably an exclusive high-tech material is used to make them. So you can guess how spectacular the action scenes between the two terminators will be.
Two terminators? Yes, thatโs the real twist in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Arnold is the excellent Terminator coming from the future to save Connor. But if he is protecting him, there must be someone trying to kill him. That role is taken up by our โbad guyโ terminator portrayed by Robert Patrick. And the story goes ahead with jaw-dropping special effects and adrenaline-rushing ups and downs till the end of the movie.
The icing on the cake is the emotional attachment of young Connor and Arnold. You might think, how is it possible for a human and a machine to grow some emotional attachment? But as we said earlier, thatโs the icing on the cake. Arnold protects Connor at any cost per his programming, but young Connor resembles him as his father. The fatherless young lad found the much-wanted safe place with Arnold, and their bonding just enhanced the filmโs attractiveness.
Therefore, โThe Terminatorโ is another of the best movies with sequels as good as the original. Now, if it is better than the original or not, you have to watch both movies by yourself. And if you have watched both of them already, let us know in the comments which one did you like more.
3. Aliens
The trailer and promotion for Aliens (1886) gave rise to high expectations among the fans. And if you have already watched Aliens, you will know it crossed all expectations. Aliensโ is the sequel of the 1979 horror-fiction blockbuster movie โAlien.โ But we can instead call the latter one of the very few movies that have sequels that we love to watch. โAliensโ not only outcrosses its ancestor but also takes you to a whole new journey of stone-cold action drama. This can come under the group of movies that have sequels worth binge-watching.
Coming directly to the plot, unlike the horror-fiction ancestor, the story of โAliensโ revolves around a classic adventure drama. Even though the plot seems to be different at first, as the story proceeds, you will realize it irrefutably connects to all the incidents that happened in the first segment of the saga, โAlien.โ The story starts from where the original left, hence keeping a perfect continuation of the previous segment. But as a sequel, โAliensโ stands out by uncovering its unique set of ideas and events. So, โAliensโ can be included in those movies with sequels that are the same yet different from the original.
The story goes on with Ellen Ripley (played by iconic Sigourney Weaver) being the only survivor after 57 years from where โAlienโ ended. Being rescued by a salvage ship after those long years where Ellen put herself in hibernation after the horrific events of โAlien,โ she finally wakes up. And to her surprise, she realizes it has been 57 years, and everyone thinks she is dead. With the plot taking chilling twists and turns, another expedition is sent to the mysterious planet of terrifying aliens.
Ellen is once again on board to face those dangerous extraterrestrials, but this time way more experienced and knowledgeable than before. The movieโs roller coaster takes an unexpected lift with the revelation of a human colony on a mysterious planet. And the more terrific fact is, the colony has lost all connections with Earth. What happens next? You have to get on the roller coaster ride with Ripley to uncover the multi-layered entertainment package by James Cameron.
4. The Dark Knight
I am a proud Marvel fan, but if we are talking about the best movies with sequels, then the DC series does not fall behind. Do you need an example? Just go and watch The Dark Knight. You might not know, but The Dark Knight is Batman Beginsโ sequel and the first segment of The Dark Knight trilogy. Batman begins the perfect beginning presented to the adventure-action superhero fans by none other than Christopher Nolan. With the rise of our favorite dark superhero character Batman in Batman, the sequel lets the phoenix fly even higher.
If Batman is the best version of โgood,โ then you have to agree Joker is the best version of โevil.โ He is probably the most loved villain ever. And if you are a real Batman fan, then you know why Joker is a worthy villain to go gaga over. Forget Pennywise from โIT,โ Heath Ledger portrayed the perfect clown villain to get scared of. The Dark Knight story revolves around Gotham city citizens blaming Batman for the nonstop vigilance in the city and police officersโ mysterious murders. Yes, I know he is the silent guardian of Gotham, but Joker is more than just a mere villain in superhero movies.
He is the perfect example of a Mephistopheles who creates ethical dilemmas in Batman and his team. He smartly creates situations that force the watchful protector to make some impossible moral decisions. And by the time Batman copes with his evilness, Joker gets all prepared with his next move. And by the end, as we can see, the moral standards of the Batman team are being questioned; we can feel Jokerโs spine chilling spine behind it. Now, if you have such brilliant actors in your film, you can surely expect the audience hooked up on their couches throughout the movie with their nails biting.
The character of Batman is more complicated than you think. Talking about his rise in Batman Begins, we have seen the reason and mission of his growth in the dark. And in its sequel, The Dark Knight, Joker does all it takes to bring Batman out of the dark under the light. After watching the movie, you will realize it is way eviler than you can imagine. The whole movie is larger than life and will leave you trying to get that big red smile out of your head, asking you, โWhy so serious?โ Not to mention, it is not only a perfect sequel but also one of the best movies ever made.
Batman Trilogy has movies with sequels competing with each other to stand out in their unique ways.
5. The Godfather Part II
There are good films, and there are bad films. But some movies deserve tags like awesome, amazing, mind-blowing, breathtaking, and so on. The Godfather Part II must be considered one of those films. The Godfather was a masterpiece itself. So when โThe Godfather Part IIโ came out, fans had high-end expectations surrounding the film. And kudos to Francis Coppola; he has outcrossed our expectations and given us another golden movie in the history of cinema.
Godfather itself was a perfect creation in the category of movies that have sequels. If you have already watched the movie, you would know how our tragic hero Michael Corleone was brought up in the wealthy and powerful family of Don Vito. He was indeed the best of Don Vitoโs sons and hence the success of his reign in the mafia world. The sequel โThe Godfather Part IIโ is the sequel telling his success story but in reverse.
You can argue how the Godfather series glamorizes organized mafia crimes, but you canโt deny that thereโs more to the series than just the portrayal of a ruthless mafia world. How a bright and kind Michael turned into a cold and power-obsessed man is a story that will blow your mind. As we go through Don Vitoโs past, we start to sympathize with him by heart. But then the character complexity of Corleone takes over, and through the flashbacks of a light family dinner, we find him standing mid-life all alone.
The Godfather Part II can be called a back-and-forth recap of The Godfather. The sync of don Vitoโs past and Michael Corleoneโs present is so different yet so connected to each other. Even after a long history of murder and extortion, you canโt help but consider Don Vito a man of honor and dignity. On the other hand, Michaelโs vast estate gets under the shadow and gloominess of his cruel and lonely life. Overall we can bet โThe Godfather IIโ is the sequel we were not expecting, but the sequel we are lucky to have.
Thatโs all, folks! This was our list of the top 5 movies that have sequels that we love to watch. Did we miss some movies that have sequels worth mentioning? Feel free to let us know in the comments section. Also, let us know which movies with sequels on our list were the bests, according to you. Till then, happy watching! Both originals and films have sequels.
Last Updated on by Steffy Michael
