An omission of this film on this list would be an insult to true Western fans. While all the films in what’s called the Dollar trilogy are considered classics, this is often considered the best. Richard Schickel, who wrote a biography of Clint Eastwood called it “more elegant and complex than A Fistful of Dollars and more tense and compressed than The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."
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Despite the success of the first film, this sequel is arguably the more iconic film. It took what everyone loved about the first movie and amplified it in a major way. The scale and choreography of this film was something audiences hadn’t ever seen, and the practical effects they used to capture action makes the film still impressive today.
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Though Ridley Scott didn’t return to direct this film, James Cameron stepped in to take his place. That, and the retention of Sigourney Weaver was all the film needed to be a sure-fire hit. The filmmakers didn’t rest on their laurels, though, and produced a film that rivals the first in almost every way.
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You’d be hard pressed to find a fan of Batman that wouldn’t call this the best Batman film ever made. Some would even argue it’s the best superhero movie ever made. This is mostly due to Heath Ledger’s unparalleled performance as the Joker, which earned him an Academy Award. This made Ledger the first person to ever receive an Oscar for portraying a comic book character.
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After the surprising success of the first film, no one was shocked to see the sequel being produced. No one was disappointed either. This film was admittedly more focused on comedy than the first, but all the other elements and the lovable duo of Murtaugh and Riggs returned, so fans were pleased and the film was a commercial success.
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While this film wasn’t fully able to live up to the first in terms of commercial and critical reception, it still brought back some of the most beloved characters of the 80s, so fans of the franchise were generally pleased. The events of this film take place immediately after the events of the first and it was filmed back to back with the third installment, Back to the Future Part III.
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Most diehard Star Wars fans will agree that this film is the best in the franchise, new and old. The film takes a much darker tone than the first, and it doesn’t see the good guys winning in any sense like they did in the first. It’s that seriousness in the storytelling, as well as the stunning effects and sets, that makes this film so memorable.
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Despite the troubled production, the resulting film was critical and commercial success. Fans of the first film weren’t disappointed, as the same cast returned with the same charm, but the sequel offered something new in the now-iconic villain, Zod, as well. The film now holds an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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This film broke multiple box office records upon its release—many of which the first film had set. After establishing the world in the first, this movie explored it in greater depth and showed us even more spectacular characters and sets. Audience polls by CinemaScore have this film as the highest rated of the entire franchise.
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This film takes place—you guessed it—28 weeks after the events of the first movie. Since the ending of that film didn’t explicitly show the zombie hordes being completely wiped out, and since this film focuses on an entirely different group of people, this sequel could do little to tarnish the first entry. Thankfully, it did more than live up to the first and they are both fondly remembered for their unique takes on the now-saturated zombie genre.
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The Marvel universe is saturated with sequels, but none stand out like The Winter Soldier. This is due in large part to its significance, as it would set up crucial characters for the film Captain America: Civil War, which brought together over a dozen beloved heroes from the Marvel universe. The film now holds an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Few sequels perfectly capture the essence of what made the first movie so great. The Bourne Supremacy is an exception. While this film does shatter the happy ending of The Bourne Identity, it’s still satisfying and exhilarating like the first, and succeeds in giving Bourne new motivation that would carry him into the next sequel, The Bourne Ultimatum.
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Though this isn’t the first sequel in this franchise, it is widely considered the best. Bringing the trilogy to a close, Return of the King is tied with Ben-Hur and Titanic for the most Academy Awards won by a film. The movie now holds a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Despite the goofy name, this is in fact the second film in this franchise. This movie didn’t reinvent the series in any way, but fans were fine with more of the same. It continued the slapstick comedy found in the first and Leslie Nielsen’s performance was hilarious, as always.
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This film was actually produced simultaneously with the first. They were intended to be released at the same time as one movie, but the runtime was too long (at over four hours). So, this is one of the most essential sequels on this list, as the first is left incomplete without it. As Roger Ebert said, “Put the two parts together, and Tarantino has made a masterful saga... This is all one film, and now that we see it whole, it's greater than its two parts.”
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This is the most profitable film in George Romero’s Dead series—and for good reason. While the film shares no characters or settings with the first, it manages to take the intense storytelling and convincing practical effects from the first film and apply them on a larger scale. The film holds a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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This continuation was made 15 years after the release of the original (The Hustler). Paul Newman reprised his role from the first film and that, coupled with the addition of Tom Cruise, made for an all-star cast. Not only this, but Martin Scorsese was brought in to direct the film at Newman’s request.
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Many fans remember this as the best entry in the franchise (and the last good one). That being said, the second movie (The Temple of Doom), could have just as easily made it on this list. However, this film has the distinction of featuring Sean Connery as Indy’s father, giving the character a new dynamic than in any of the previous films.
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This film was considered a minor commercial success. However, like the first, it has since gained a cult following. The first movie had impressive special effects, but the sequel took them even further. The film now holds a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Following the massive success of first film, it was just accepted that this movie would be a money-maker, and it was. What people didn’t expect, however, was a film that rivaled the first in quality. Shrek 2 would become the highest-grossing animated film until the release of Toy Story 3 in 2010.
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Choosing between Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 for a list like this is difficult, as both are great choices. What sets them apart, however, is 1% on Rotten Tomatoes. Toy Story 3 is the only in the franchise to not receive a perfect 100% upon its release. What’s most interesting about Toy Story 2 is that it was initially intended to be a straight-to-DVD release, but early viewings of the movie were so promising, the studio was asked to clean them up and make the film box office quality. The result was greater than anyone expected.
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This film pulled off an incredible feat and managed to be more iconic than the first. It maintained the charm of the first by bringing back Arnold Schwarzenegger (this time, as a good guy), but outdid its predecessor by adding a new Terminator variant. The new liquid metal T1000 terminator is still one of the most iconic movie antagonists of all time.
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This film wasn’t a critical success by any means, but fans of action movies love it and for good reason. This film took the antics and chemistry of Tucker and Chan to new levels in this sequel, while still retaining all the charm of the first. The film still holds many box office records for martial arts films.
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After establishing the universe with the first installation, Sam Raimi had free reign to dive into it with deeper storytelling and more intense action sequences. Luckily for fans, he did just that. This is widely considered the best Spiderman movie of the recent reboots, and the film holds a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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Many of the sequels on this list take the successful elements of the first film and crank them up a notch. Case in point? X2: X-Men United. This film gave us more of the universe we loved from the first, but also added so much depth with the introduction of dozens of new mutants.
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No one expected the first film to be as smart and funny as it turned out to be, so when the sequel was announced, fans were more than willing to give it a go. They weren’t disappointed. Rotten Tomatoes’ critical consensus reads, "Boasting even more of the bromantic chemistry between its stars -- and even more of the goofy, good-natured humor that made its predecessor so much fun—22 Jump Street is the rare sequel that improves upon the original."
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Though many fans were thrilled with the first film, it had lackluster reception in the box office and with the critics. However, critics and fans alike were pleased with this sequel. So much so, that this film broke the record for highest grossing weekend upon its release. Today, it holds an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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This is one of those rare sequels that outdoes the first in nearly every way. Not that the first film was a failure, this film just did all that the first did, but even better. The special effects and fantastical sets were even grander than those of the first, and it was a greater financial success as a result.
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This film was the second installment in the Pink Panther film series and is considered by many to be the strongest entry. The film was released shortly after the first to mixed reviews, but it garnered more acclaim in time. The film now holds a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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This sequel is number one on many movie buffs' lists, and for good reason. Currently, the film holds a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It initially divided critics but is now seen as an equal, or even suprerior, film to the first. Pacino’s performance in this movie is considered by many to be his best work as an actor.
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