Written by Valentina Pia Morgillo
The Best Sequels of the Past 20 Years
Making a sequel of an original film can be very hard-working, especially when the original has achieved a huge success. This summer has seen plenty of sequels on display: Furiosa, Mad Max Saga, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Despicable Me 4, and Inside Out 2 with astonishing results worldwide.
Looking at the present is not enough; it is always useful to go back to the past and remember what was worth watching twice. So… Here there are the best sequels of the past 20 years.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
The sixth installment of this movie, Fallout, sees Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) with a formidable adversary in August Walker (Henry Cavill). With the help of his team, Hunt wants to stop three plutonium cores from falling into the wrong hands and triggering nuclear war.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) struggles to live as both Spider-Man and Peter Parker while Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) tries to move on and Harry Obson (James Franco) seeks revenge. The arrival of Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), however, further complicates these crises. The movie shows to be a psychological examination of these characters, challenging their feelings with loss, heartbreak and hope in real terms.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Caesar (Andy Serkis) is a Shakespearean figure, struggling to maintain an impossible peace that ultimately leads to war. Koba exacerbates the conflict, stealing arms from the humans and launching a full-on assault on their sanctuary. A human family also works toward peace, yet it is opposed from their leader.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Avatar demonstrated an incredible advancement in technology with mo-cap, moving digital water, and still alien creatures. The audience emphatized with the characters and the stories being told in the sequel. The Way of Water tells a story about families, mothers, and fathers living up to their children’s expectatitons as well as their children living up to theirs. Even though it is set in the alien world, the sequel and its messages allow us to believe to it anyway.
Doctor Sleep (2019)
Doctor Sleep is a horrifying and moving exploration of redemption, death, and the old ghosts that haunt us all.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson collaborated with hundreds of animators to create a stunning film, putting much emphasis on visual styles, Spider-Man’s history, and characters development.
Creed (2015)
A combination of old-school elements from the previous Rocky films with new ones. Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) struggles to establish his own boxing career and persuades Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) to train him. The situation, however, is not as easy as it seems due to some hardships to face that saw both characters rely on each other as a found family. The movie is an exploration of self-discovery, legacy, and personal meaning.
The Dark Knight (2008)
This sequel demonstrates that a filmmaker does not necessarily need to be a comic book fan to make a great comic book movie. Being just a great writer is enough. Co-written by Jonathan Nolan and David Goyer, The Dark Knight is crafted as a crime saga centered around clashing ideals. It alters the perception of Batman and his universe, making it the most influential sequel of the 21st century.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The film, directed by George miller, creates a dynamic experience between classic and modern action films. It showcases Miller’s innovative world-building with Furiosa (Charlize Theron) as she escapes from the tyrannical Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) with his wives. Along the way, she encounters the legendary drifter Max (Tom Hardy), a survivor of the Wasteland.
