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 21st
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, 20th 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.
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