Zane's take at the Cinema's

It might be a tiring debate in certain film circles around the globe. However, I still think there’s always something fun about discussing sequels that surpass the previous film. But I think even in the next 30 years or so, the conversation will change again with more movies that come out that top their predecessors. The 10 movies I mentioned aren’t necessarily going to be ranked based on preference, but rather as ten films that I think speak to me the most as the ten definitive sequels that surpass the original movie. Let’s begin!

#10 PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH

This might get me some hate, but I’m fully prepared when I say that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is not only the best of the Puss in Boots series but also of the whole Shrek franchise; it’s far better than any of them. We know we’re getting another Shrek movie, and I have zero issue with people being excited to see another movie. Even at the very end of The Last Wish, when we see Puss arrive at Far Far Away, I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t get any chills. That said, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish gave us a complete new dimension of this world and of Puss as a character. His first movie, Puss in Boots, back in 2011, certainly was more than a modest success, but it’s essentially a movie about a side character. And considering the diminishment in quality with the last couple of Shrek movies and the huge gap between the two Puss in Boots movies, it never really seemed for a hunger to do another spin-off movie of the swashbuckling feline. I think we need to reevaluate the best animated sequel discussion because this definitely has to be in the discussion.

What makes Puss in Boots: The Last Wish really special is that it transcends the kinds of animated movies that we normally get. You don’t see many movies of this style that put the ideas of Death in the forefront, and to have Death as a physical character that not only is fearful and chilling but also makes it more investing. What’s even more impressive is that you can really see the evolution of animation from the release of the first Shrek film to this one. In all seriousness, Why Shrek 5 when we really should get another Puss in Boots adventure?

#9 CANDYMAN (2021)

I’m not sure if this is considered a hot take, but I think the Candyman 2021 sequel/hybrid reboot is the single best movie in the entire franchise. While I can deeply admire what the 1992 Candyman offered from a technical and substantive angle, this new one (which completely ignores all the other films that came before) does things much more effectively and gruesomely. The first one definitely had its fair share of violence and shaped the slasher genre in different ways, but the 2021 sequel dives far deeper into its violence but also deeper into Black experience…or at least, someone who’s susceptible to it. One of the best things about this reimagined version of Candyman is that it works as its own magnificent piece. In other words, having not seen the other films isn’t necessary. Purely from a visual and stylistic perspective, this is one of the best-looking horror movies of the modern era. The film features stunning cinematography, including unique mirror tricks, low-angle shots, and a vibrant, yet unsettling, artistic setting. At the end of the day, this version of Candyman isn’t talked about nearly enough, and unfortunately, it came out at a time when people weren’t rushing to the movie theaters. It was never going to be a mega hit, especially when you consider that the franchise is more of a cult following. However, this one should be held higher among horror fans.

#8 DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Rebooting Planet of the Apes was met with tons of skepticism because the last attempt was Tim Burton’s remake back in 2001, and that was a colossal disaster on every single level. So going into Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the level of excitement wasn’t there. Not only did it surpass expectations on a box-office level, but fans also ate it up with the amount of attention that went towards the story, characters, and the impressive VFX work. Three years after the release of Rise, the next chapter in the rebooted series titled Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was eagerly awaited, and boy did this movie deliver. There’s always been debate about what the best installment is in this new series of Planet of the Apes movies, but Dawn is usually the definitive pick. Where Rise was this fully realized origin story for Caesar, Dawn grounds this world and layers it even more.

The best thing that can be said about Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is that the motion capture work was absolutely seamless. It was impressive seeing it in Rise, but in the sequel it’s given more room to play with.By taking it into the forest, the scope of the movie already feels bigger. And while the apes are the complete focal point of the movie, the humans get enough to do for a well-balanced screen diet. But it would be a huge problem if one were not to mention how much Andy Serkis has to do with why these movies are so good. Obviously, he’s not the sole main reason why this movie is good and why the others are so well liked; however, he’s a huge pioneer in motion and performance capture, and I think he’s changed how we assess performances on a technical level. There’s so much work that goes into every single detail of VFX work, and I think it needs to be recognized, but not only was Andy Serkis’ performance amazing, Toby Kebbell was just as good, and it proves that other actors, under the right leadership, can work for other actors too.

#7 SPIDER-MAN 2

When thinking of the best comic-book movies, there’s a ton to pick. The best comic-book movie sequel is even trickier because some haven’t been as good as the previous films. Iron Man 2, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Joker: Folie à Deuxare just a number of examples where the quality dipped after the first movie in their respective franchise was established. On the flip side, there’s a laundry list of great comic book movie sequels that surpass the previous film. Spider-Man 2 not only does that, but to this day it is still the best live-action or animated Spider-Man movie since. Both of the animated Spider-Verse movies might challenge that because they are great and they’re still fresh on people’s minds. And while Sam Raimi’s first crack at the character in 2002 was great and a complete game changer for the industry, Spider-Man 2 exceeds it to newer heights, and it really was ahead of its time in a lot of ways. It improves upon its predecessor on an emotional level, with better action, stronger moments of character and another fantastic score from Danny Elfman.

I remember crying my eyes out when I saw this movie for the very first time as a child. It’s still to this day why I adore this movie so much. Spider-Man, or in this case Peter Parker, as a character, gets his whole life pummeled throughout the majority of this movie. He can’t make it to class, he gets fired from his job, his Aunt May is facing house eviction, his best friend loses his trust, and to make things worse, he loses his powers. His character in this sequel gets beaten down so hard that it broke my heart, which made him infinitely resonant with me then and especially me now. I’d also be upset with myself if I never talked about Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, who is hands down one of cinema’s best villains, and what makes his relationship with Peter Parker more poignant is the father/mentor relationship he has with him. His arc is full of heart, tragedy and redemption. I’m not going to judge anyone for having the Spider-Verse movies as their favorite Spider-Man movie, and there are valid arguments to be had. But I think every movie after Spider-Man 2 (including their weakest attempts) owes so much to it.

#6 TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY

There was a time in Hollywood when action movies were generally assessed on the same level and were almost structured the same way. Particularly with 80s and 90s action flicks, it basically was a scenario where characters would be spouting out one-liners; they all were 90 minutes long and they never went as deep with internal character conflicts. While there’s nothing wrong with that style of action because there’s definitely a tongue-in-cheek quality to it, some of the best action movies go beyond those tropes. Perhaps The Godfather of all action movies, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is not only a game-changing sequel but also a defining action movie that will forever stand the test of time. It elevated the type of special effects we see in movies to this day; it set the tone for every action movie that followed in its footsteps in the 90s and it invented the type of epic action movie that someone like Michael Bay would go on to make.

Nothing should be taken away from how brilliant the first Terminator is and how significant it was for the careers of James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Coming off films like Hercules in New York or Conan the Barbarian, Schwarzenegger was simply viewed as a bodybuilder and nothing else. His casting in The Terminator was a defining movement in the film industry because his portrayal as a robotic villain, characterized by deadpan delivery and physical prowess, created an iconic, menacing figure that redefined 1980s action cinema. Terminator 2 took all of what was so good about the first film and made a kick-ass action extravaganza that still holds up today. Outside of Schwarzenegger, you’ve got career-defining performances from Linda Hamilton and Robert Patrick as T-1000 is one cinema’s most terrifying and well-crafted villains that’s ever been on screen. The on going debate between Terminator and T2 will always be discussed by it stops and ends with T2.

#5 THE GOOD, BAD AND THE UGLY

If Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven was a sequel to a movie that came before it, then it would by default be the best Western sequel of all time. However, Clint Eastwood had an impressive run as a leading man in a laundry list of Westerns. But in terms of trilogies, a lot of the sets of trilogies that get discussed are usually the original Star Wars movies, The Lord of the Rings and even the first three Toy Story movies are in that sandbox. But the Dollars Trilogy (also known as the Man with No Name Trilogy) isn’t just some of the best set of Westerns of all time but a fantastic trilogy. But its crowning achievement is the film that wrapped it all up and that’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Both A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More are well-respected films that add more to the experience, but the beauty of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is an epic showdown that has that nuance but can perfectly stand on its own.

With just one movie, Sergio Leone completely reshaped the Western genre with maximum close-ups, slow-burn tension, and a gritty and pioneering story structure that subverts your expectations within the genre and traditional heroic tropes. The movie looks amazing even for being about 60 years old, but two of the most iconic pieces of entertainment are Ennio Morricone’s iconic music and the climactic three-way duel is maybe the best final showdown in any movie ever. Especially for a movie that scratches the 3-hour runtime, the movie moves at such a mature and masterful pace. I often say Unforgiven might be the greatest Western of all time but there’s a real strong argument to be had for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

#4 TOP GUN: MAVERICK

In the realm of 80s movies with legacy sequels, this was a toss up. It was a battle between Top Gun: Maverick and Blade Runner 2049. Both Top Gun and Blade Runner are VERY different 80s movies tone wise but both are highly regarded within their genre. Both got sequels 30+ years later and while both were critical darlings, only one of them was the bigger hit. Nevertheless, Top Gun: Maverick beat out Blade Runner 2049 only by an inch margin. Blade Runner 2049, by all accounts, is a modern sci-fi masterpiece and perhaps is the better movie on all levels. However, Top Gun: Maverick is not only a perfect modern blockbuster and totally kicks the ass out of the original movie (yeah i said it….. so what), it’s a complete shift on what the movie theater was facing at the time of it’s release. It brought back a dying breed of movie goers and it really saved them going extinct at the time.

Top Gun: Maverick surpasses the original by miles. By capturing the spirit and the essence of the original movie, Top Gun: Maverick appropriately fits for the modern era and beautifully strokes on the nostalgic moments for the generation that grew up with this movie. It’s far more emotional than it’s predecessor, the action is some of the best you’ll ever see and it features exceptional performances from the entire cast. Another fantastic aspect of Top Gun: Maverick is it’s music from Hans Zimmer. Obviously, we get to hear Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone but we got to hear in a different and more modern rendition is the classic Top Gun theme. Having Hans Zimmer doing the music for this movie was spectacular and he managed to created some of his most bombastic, poetic and emotional music. Getting all the Oscar attention is really a huge testament to how beloved this sequel ended up being.

#3 LOGAN

Logan isn’t just the best standalone Wolverine movie, this is the best of the entire 20th Century Fox era of X-Men movies. A close runner up would probably be X-Men: Days of Future Past, which is the best of the X-Men movies. But in the totality of all the movies, Logan takes the lead in a heartbeat. The road leading up to Logan took a long time because not only did the solo Wolverine movies make a huge splash (although The Wolverine was a massive improvement compared to X-Men Origins: Wolverine), the X-Men franchises was very hit or miss. You had some great ones (X-Men, X2 or First Class) or some really bad ones (X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine or Dark Phoenix). And while the Deadpool movies are fan favorites, fans have been eagerly awaiting a true, raw and authentic hard R-rated Wolverine movie and Logan delivered in ways that were almost unfathomable.

Outside of the first Deadpool movie, R-rated superhero movies were a huge risk. Sure, films like 300, Kingsman: The Secret Service or even the first Kick-Ass are great examples but there’s something incredibly niche about them. Plus, it’s not like there’s a ton of R-rated superhero movies to begin with because they typically go for a more fore quadrant audience. Deadpool really became the first mega success for the first R-rated comic-book movie but the character of Wolverine was perfectly fit for a hard R movie. Logan definitely features some gnarly and brutal violence because the opening scene tells you how violent and graphic the rest of the movie will be. R-ratings don’t save a movie from being great, but Logan earns its R-rating pretty damn well. But what makes Logan so unique is ultimately what’s at its core. This movie is submissive, heartbreaking, brutal and it’s about pain, suffering and brokenness, yet still with hope at the end of the tunnel.

In 2017, we already had a ton of great superhero movies but something needed to change and feel different than the rest. Logan was that one comic-book movie that you get every once in awhile where it deconstructs the genre in terms of what kind of storytelling you want to do. Hugh Jackman gives not only an Oscar-worthy performance, but maybe the best performance of his entire career as this character. To see him daunt the claws for 17 years (at the time) kept getting better and better, but Logan was a beautiful way to wrap up this era of the character. Even Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier breaks your heart. Seeing Logan aid Charles was a beautiful way to switch up the relationship, when it was Charles who took Logan in and cared for him. Patrick Stewart EASILY gives his best performance as Xavier. Logan is, without question, one of the best comic-book movies ever made. It’s got outstanding performances, storytelling that feels poetic, violence that beautifully enhances the atmosphere of the world and a conclusion that moves you to tears. Thank you, Fox.

#2 STAR WARS: EPISODE V-THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

There would almost be no list of the best sequels of all time if The Empire Strikes Back had no place on it. A New Hope is regarded very fondly but it’s where The Empire Strikes Back took Star Wars down a darker and far more mature direction. At the time of its release, The Empire Strikes Back subverted expectations and it’s something we take for granted. A New Hope is regarded very fondly, but it’s The Empire Strikes Back that took Star Wars down a darker and far more mature direction. There’s a reason why many people believe that The Empire Strikes Back is the definitive and superior sequel: it completely changed the meaning of the franchise for everyone by adding an unimaginable amount of depth, darkness, and myth to the original Star Wars’ joyful juggernaut.

At the time of its release, The Empire Strikes Back subverted expectations and it’s something we take for granted. Where the first Star Wars movie has a beginning, middle and an end, The Empire Strikes Back takes our beloved characters and raises the stakes. Not only is this the best Star Wars movie, but it also has the best lightsaber fight between Luke and Vader, the opening battle on Hoth is one of the very best and it even introduces one of the best and most beloved Star Wars characters with Master Yoda. Where both of the first two original Star Wars movies delivered on groundbreaking spectacle, The Empire Strikes Back gives you the awe and wonder with its spectacle, but on top of that is a much heavier, grounded and fully realized story with depth. It’s not really a surprise anymore for this movie to be on anyone’s list of the best sequels, but at the same time, it’d be shocking if it wasn’t even listed in the top two.

#1 SKYFALL

Let the comments flow with questioning and anger. I’m not here suggesting that Skyfall is the absolute best sequel of all time. But the more I think about it, it’s maybe my favorite because it’s a personal choice. Daniel Craig, by my estimation, has been my favorite iteration of James Bond. Sean Connery is iconic, Roger Moore is wonderful, Brosnan was a delight, and even George Lazenby, who only got one go at a Bond movie was solid, but Daniel Craig embodies everything about the character that Ian Fleming had envisioned. Craig had a remarkable debut as the character when Casino Royale first hit theaters, and while Quantum of Solace is by no means the worst Bond movie, it definitely was a step back from the previous film. The saving grace is that it was followed up by the biggest and most successful movie to date in the 007 franchise with Skyfall.

Skyfall goes beyond being a great Bond film and is an all-time great film overall. James Bond, as a character, has never really dove deep into his origins. Of all the Bond movies, Skyfall gives us a deeper and more emotional exploration of the character by going back to his original childhood roots. This has never been a thing that Bond movies do, but this was a wonderful aspect that only enhanced the experience. The last Bond movie where the stakes were high was On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, where Bond was actually faced with a personal tragedy. Having M being killed off in Skyfall was probably the best decision they had to offer because it showed that they weren’t afraid of taking major risks.

The best James Bond movies have to deliver exactly what they promise and Skyfall does that the best. It’s maybe the best-looking James Bond film with Roger Deakins’ gorgeous cinematography. Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ is the quintessential Bond song that automatically tells the audience what kind of movie they’re going to watch. Javier Bardem as Silva is maybe the best villain the franchise has ever had, but the best thing about this comes down to Daniel Craig himself. Now that his era of the character wrapped up in 2021 with No Time to Die, Craig was at his peak with Skyfall. Whoever takes on the role has some really big shoes to fill because Daniel Craig did the character justice.