It’s raining sequels in Hollywood! They say it is not good to gild a lily but in some cases, it is a great thing. Here is a look at my pick of the Top 10 Best Hollywood Sequels Ever Made.
1. The Dark Knight
Drum Roll! How can it not be The Dark Knight? Christopher Nolan the genius gave us a brilliant start with Batman Begins but this movie takes the legend of Batman to a whole new, unimaginable level. Heath Ledger as the Joker, Christian Bale as a tormented Batman and amazing direction and stunts makes this my pick for the best sequel of all times.
2. The Godfather Part II
This 1974 gangster movie needs absolutely no introduction. The winner of six Oscars including Best Picture, The Godfather raised the levels of movie making forever. The rise of the powerful Corleone made for riveting movie watching and we’ve been hooked ever since.
3. Rocky II
Firmly establishing Sylvester Stallone as an action here, Rocky II reintroduced us to our love affair with the beloved Rocky Balboa. His journey to success and the impact it had on his life and relationships made for compelling viewing as we walked along this path with him.
4. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
George Lucas had already created a cult series in the Star Wars saga and he added to that status with this movie that became one of the most highly rated films of all time. It earned over $500 million worldwide and the world has not stopped talking about this space opera classic ever since.
5. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
You might remember this film more for T-100, the cool CGI villain, played by Robert Patrick than for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s heroics. But the movie also speaks of the sheer courage in the line of fire of Sarah Connor whose fear audiences everywhere connected to and whose bravery they applauded.
The Sting did exceptionally well when it released in 1973 and the main reason was that it starred the likes of Robert Redford and Paul Newman. Universal decided to make a sequel which was pretty drab and it was mainly because they replaced the two legendary actors.
Return of Oz was released 46 years after the immensely successful The Wizard of Oz. Prominent characters like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion were not given too much importance for some absurd reason. The film was a colossal failure and was hated by the fans of the original film.
This film was as good as the original, Patton but unfortunately, was given the status of a TV movie instead of a mainstream film. The plot revolves around the General who is reminiscing about his past with his wife. It is shocking that it did not do well especially because it starred George C. Scott, the protagonist of the original.
This film is The Bridge on the River Kwai’s sequel and came out in 1989. The plot is based on those workers who are shipped off after the bridge is blown up. The action is mundane and the acting is decent but the film is nothing compared to the 1957 classic.
A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia was also shown only on television and starred Ralph Fiennes. The actor was compared to Peter O’Toole who starred in the original, Lawrence of Arabia and the former was considered to be more authentic and real.
