C.C.C. Issue #6: Top Ten Best Movie Sequels

 C.C.C. Issue #6: Top Ten Movie Sequels

Welcome back to Clayton's Critical Countdown. I've decided to stick to one new list per week. That will give all you readers time to keep up and help me maintain a schedule. This week is all about sequels that are awesome, then next week I might continue the sequel theme and look at some sequels you've probably never heard of. If you have a suggestion for a top ten list, let me know!

Top 10 Movie Sequels 

This past year, as with most years, saw many movie sequels come and go, some of them among the biggest movies of the year (Iron Man 3, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) and others more than disappointing (Riddick, The Hangover Part III, RED 2). For this list, I’m going to take a look at ten movie sequels I feel are better than, or at least on par with, the original. 

Criteria: Sequel must improve on the original in some way, exceed original, or be a worthy continuation of the franchise (if it’s part of one) 

10. The Silence of the Lambs

First up is the unofficial sequel to 1986’s Manhunter, following FBI trainee Clarice Starling and her frightening case involving a serial killer nicknamed ‘Buffalo Bill’, with assistance from Dr. Hannibal Lector: the most memorable cinematic cannibal ever. This time around, Anthony Hopkins plays Lector, and Jodie Foster is Starling. Despite what other critics have said, I didn’t like Manhunter much and didn’t think it was that great.  I thought the whole film was very slow and low key, especially compared with subsequent adaptations of Thomas Harris’ novels, and Brian Cox’s performance as Lector was forgettable at best. This is definitely not the case with Hopkins (he won an Oscar, after all). Both Hopkins and Foster are fantastic in their respective roles, and the dread throughout this film is top notch. I still contest that this film isn’t a thriller, but rather a horror film. Seriously, a guy gets his face cut off and put on another guy’s face, that kind of stuff only happens in a horror film! I can accept it being classified as a psychological thriller because it definitely is that, but there’s no debate about Silence of the Lambs being a horror film. Anthony Hopkins went on to portray Dr. Lector in the sequel Hannibal directed by Ridley Scott, and the remake of Manhunter, re-titled Red Dragon, which I like a lot more.   

9. 28 Weeks Later

 

Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later was a seriously frightening horror film featuring some of the scariest zombies seen in 21^st century cinema—mainly because they were also the fastest zombies seen to date. Although I liked its dark, sinister tone and Cillian Murphy’s performance, 28 Weeks Later impressed me slightly more. It was more action packed, just as bloody, and featured one scene which actually made me gasp and cover my mouth and eyes (if you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about!) This is one sequel not everyone agrees is better, but I find it more enjoyable because it’s more of an action film than a horror film, and focuses on excitement over suspense—not that there isn’t any excitement in 28 Days Later, and not that there isn’t any suspense in 28 Weeks Later. What it comes down to is these are both excellent modern day zombie flicks. 

8. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

This comic book hero first blazed the screen in Guillermo Del Toro’s stylish Hellboy. I really enjoyed this unusual superhero and all the lore of the world, but it still seemed to have some difficulty establishing the hero while simultaneously telling a story worth telling—an issue I feel many first comic book inspired films face. With Hellboy 2, there’s no messing around. The main characters are already established, and now we get to really enjoy some of the drama they go through. This includes meeting new characters and new villains. My favourite new character is Johann Kraus, voiced by Seth MacFarlane. I also thought the action was much improved, and there’s some clear evidence regarding Guillermo del Toro’s love for giant monsters with the presence of the elemental forest god (any question of his giant monster passion was completely confirmed by 2013’s Pacific Rim). Better visual effects, better story, and more spectacle than previously seen, you’ll have a hell of a time with Hellboy 2. 

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

I don’t need to talk too much about this film, but rather why I chose it as number 7. Of all The Lord of the Rings films, Two Towers squeaks by as my favourite one for a few reasons. All three movies are great, however, Fellowship was very slow at times and had trouble getting the story moving, and Return of the King just wouldn’t end; despite being extremely epic, Peter Jackson still felt he had to make three separate endings. With Two Towers, everything is perfect. There is a fantastic end battle sequence, great characterization, excellent creatures, and it’s well paced. It may be darker than Fellowship, but when films are done in three parts (see the original Star Wars and The Dark Knight trilogies) the middle chapter is always the darkest, the low point before the exciting finale. I cannot deny Return of the King’s sheer scope and emotionally gripping scenes (it won how many Oscars, after all?), but Two Towers immersed me in the world of Middle Earth most effectively, and was never boring. 

6. Die Hard With a Vengeance 

Many deny that any of the Die Hard sequels come close to the original, but I think Vengeance does. The third in the series, this one sees John McClane in his native New York for once, the return of director John McTiernan who directed Predator and the first Die Hard, and the addition of Samuel L. Jackson as McClane’s new sidekick. The action may reach points of total ridiculousness, but I thought it was appropriately elevated from Die Hard 2, and the villain is a pretty cheesy throwback to the first film, but Jackson and Willis make a good duo and exchange some great dialogue—a hundred times better than the comparably lame Die Hard 2. And let’s not even talk about 2013’s A Good Day to Die Hard, because it definitely was the film in which this series died, hard. Die Hard With a Vengeance is an underrated action flick that I highly recommend. 

5. Spider-Man 2

 

2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man was admittedly way better than Spider-Man 3. A lot of fans claim it’s a better origins story than Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man, which I think is debateable. What I can’t debate is which Spider-Man film is the best, because I firmly believe Spider-Man 2 is indisputably the greatest. Doc Ock is a superb villain, perfectly balanced with villainy craziness and scientific reasoning. The action is great, but what’s most well done is the emotional journey Peter Parker/Spider-Man goes on. It is unparalleled by superhero movie standards. One of the best superhero films, Spider-Man 2 still thrills me as much today as it did when I saw it as a kid in theaters. 

4. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Now I’m getting into some seriously awesome movie territory. The original Star Wars is beloved, but many fans and critics alike see Empire as being the pinnacle of Star Wars films for a number of reasons. It is considerably darker, the special effects were perfected, and of course it has one of the most renowned lines of dialogue ever: “Luke, I am your father.” New characters are introduced, and all of them instantly become iconic, none more so than Yoda. The film has perfect momentum, slowly building up to the legendary showdown between Darth Vader and Luke, then ending on one of the best cliff hanger endings in cinematic history.  The Empire Strikes Back isn’t just my favourite Star Wars movie, but one of my favourite movies of all time.

3. The Dark Knight

 

Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy reinvented Batman in a bold, realistic way three successful times—a feat within itself. It’s probably not surprising that the second entry is my favourite. Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker will be studied by film students decades from now, I’m sure of it. He may be the highlight of the film, but everything else about The Dark Knight works, from Christian Bale’s solid performance to the edge of your seat thrills and action, from the adrenaline pumping score by Hans Zimmer to the scene by scene suspense. From the opening scene to the final shot of Batman riding away on the Bat Pod, the movie has you in its grasp and doesn’t let you go.

2. Aliens

Ridley Scott’s Alien was a benchmark for both the science fiction and horror genres. When it was announced that James Cameron, a relatively unknown director then (he would one day claim the top 2 spots for most successful films with Avatar and Titanic), people were shocked to hear that his sequel would be more a hard hitting action flick than a slow paced horror. Luckily, 20^th Century Fox backed up Cameron’s vision for the sequel, and the bold move paid off, as Aliens received even higher ratings than the first film. Even though I loved H.R. Giger’s alien design, I think I like Stan Winston’s re-design even better, and the Queen Alien is one of the most foreboding animatronic creatures ever. The film is full of fantastic effects, totally quotable dialogue, and emotional depth lacking from the first film. Aliens is a near perfect movie in my eyes. “Game over man, game over!”

1. Terminator 2: Judgement Day

James Cameron claims the top 2 spots on my favourite sequels list, just like the list of most successful films. If you read C.C.C. #1 on Top 5 Movie Trailers better than the actual movie, then you know my opinions in brief on the Terminator films. T2 is a masterpiece. It’s incredible to think that it came out in 1991, and the effects don’t even look dated. Everything one looks for in a sequel was checked off by Cameron, who crafted what I believe to be his greatest film achievement ever. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 returns to the past, but his mission this time is to protect teenage John Conner from the ruthless T-1000, a liquid metal terminator much more advanced than Arnold’s model. The action is suitably elevated, as are the depth of the characters and well constructed plot. It could not have been better. The action is flawless, the plot is incredible, and the list goes on. If you call yourself a fan of actions movies (or movies in general) and haven’t seen T2, then you won’t truly be one until you see this. This is a must watch.