Summary
I’m as annoyed as anyone by the manyupcoming sequels and remakes that shouldn’t be happening, but every once in a while, one of these movies turns out to be a valuable addition to a franchise.The announcement of most legacy sequels or follow-ups to solid standalone movies raises eyebrowswhen everyone knows that it has the monumental, if not impossible, task of living up to the original’s legacy. It takes a well-thought-out approach and some luck to convince the audience that this sequel is not completely meaningless.
However,the best movie sequels that fit these criteria organically expand the characters' stories,so it feels like they were always meant to be a part of the series. Some others, strictly speaking, still feel like they did not need to happen but are serviceable. I can think of a fewmovie sequels that were completely unnecessary, and yet, they are conscious enough of this fact that they can move forward with being an enjoyable viewing experience all the same.
Top Gun: Maverick
Cast
Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 original film starring Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a top-tier pilot in the Navy. Thirty years after the original film’s events, Maverick is asked to head up a section of the TOP GUN program to embark on a dangerous mission. Things become personal when the program includes the son of Maverick’s late friend, forcing him to confront his past.
Top Gunworks perfectly as a standalone adventure thriller, accomplishing exactly what it needs to for Maverick’s character. This is why it took almost 40 years for the sequel to come out. However,what happened in those decades is that Tom Cruise became known for his death-defying stunts,making it a shame that he didn’t have the chance to apply this toTop Gunwhen he was still a rising star. Cruise came back toTop Gunwith a new level of passion.
Therefore,Top Gun: Maverickbecame noted not just for its story with instantly beloved new characters but for its intense aerial stunts.Additionally, the movie explores several characters' lasting trauma fromGoose’s deathin the first movie. Now thatTop Gun: Maverickexists, everyone feels like the relationship between Maverick and Goose’s adult son completely justified another movie.
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Kung Fu Panda 2
Kung Fu Panda 2 is the sequel to the popular animated film featuring Po as the Dragon Warrior. Set in ancient China, this film follows Po and the Furious Five as they attempt to thwart a malevolent peacock villain intending to wield a new weapon. Po must also confront his past to succeed.
My reaction to seeing the trailer forKung Fu Panda 2, back in the day, was something like thinking it was nice that they were making a sequel, and I was sure it would be hilarious.I wouldn’t say that I thought it was necessary, or that it occurred to me before that moment thatKung Fu Pandawould be getting a sequel,let alone three. Where the second movie lands among all theKung Fu Pandamovies rankedis debatable, but in general, people were happy with Po and the Furious Five’s second round of adventures.
Kung Fu Panda 2further develops Po’s character and his relationships with the Furious Five,especially Tigress. It tells a more mature story about family and grief, with the same characteristic comedy and choreography. It then sets up a solid story forKung Fu Panda 3(less so forKung Fu Panda 4), but the results of these sequels are another matter entirely. Overall,Kung Fu Panda 2built upon the spectacle and themes of its predecessor well.
Terminator: Dark Fate
Terminator: Dark Fate is a direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day, ignoring the rest of the future films to re-canonize the franchise. Set years after Sarah Connor successfully stopped the impending Judgement Day, a new Terminator is sent to destroy the resistance before it forms. Now forced to team up with a former T-800 terminator model, Sarah will seek vengeance and protect Dani Ramos, the new target of Skynet.
The release ofTerminator: Dark Fateis a hazy memory, lost in several other unnecessary sequels coming out at the time and muddled with theTerminatorfranchise’s streak of bad sequels lasting nearly two decades. However,Dark Fatewas luckily a kind of soft redemption for theTerminatorfranchise. It is not thebestTerminatormovie, by any means. However,Dark Fateis definitely an improvement uponTerminator SalvationandTerminator Genisys,and maybe even better than the last installment of the original trilogy.
Dani and Grace are interesting new characters with a compelling relationship, while Sarah Connor’s character showcases a natural and satisfying evolution following her son’s sudden death.TheTerminatorfranchise did needDark Fateto balance out the disasters ofSalvationandGenisys,but they really should not try their luck again withTerminator 7. However, I, for one, am looking forward to what they do with the fresh new story ofTerminator Zero.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
A sequel to Mamma Mia! (2008), Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is set five years after the events of the first film and follow Sophie Sheridan as she attempts to reopen the Hotel Bella Donna after the death of her mother. The film cuts back and forth between Sophia’s struggles at the hotel and Donna’s past, detailing how she met each of Sophie’s three possible fathers introduced in the first film. The ensemble cast features Amanda Seyfried, Lily James, Pierce Brosnan, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, Andy Garcia, and Cher.
What can be said for theMamma Mia!sequel is that it does not pretend to be anything other than what it is. It is a fun, mildly redundant follow-up with a star-studded cast that uses the pretense of being an unnecessary sequel to bend the plot however it needs to for more ABBA songs to be included.Mamma Mia!never needed a sequel, and it even creates some plot holes(i.e., Donna mentions that her mother is dead in the first movie). However, going in with low expectations allowed me to enjoy what the movie does have to offer.
What can be said for theMamma Mia!sequel is that it does not pretend to be anything other than what it is.
The casting of Lily James as a young Donna was a huge selling point for me;I thought that she perfectly captured everything fans would have imagined this character to be as an adventurous young woman. The inclusion of Cher as Donna’s mother Ruby is over-the-top; the segue into her singing “Fernando” when reunited with a long-lost love even more so. Mixed in are some emotional beats that extend the original’s core theme of Sophie’s relationship with her mother, making this a strange but weirdly enjoyable sequel.
Blade Runner 2049
Set thirty years after the original film, Blade Runner 2049 is a sci-fi neo-noir film by the director of Dune, Denis Villeneuve. The film follows LAPD replicant officer K, who discovers a devastating secret that could throw society into total chaos. To stop a potential war between replicants and humans, he’ll need to locate missing former blade runner Rick Deckard and uncover the truth.
Blade Runner 2049also arrived in the 2010s as a legacy sequel to a sci-fi cult classic that no one ever expected. For fans of the original, it was a worrying continuation;for those unfamiliar withBlade Runner,it was merely another market-driven extension of an older property,in this case, a hazier one from Harrison Ford’s early career. The sequel was divisive like its predecessor, but was well-reviewed and quickly cemented its own status as a new classic.
Blade Runner 2049effectively builds upon the philosophical questions about AI from the first movie,while featuring some interesting trope subversions. I definitely understood people’s complaints aboutBlade Runner 2049being too long and too slow, but could appreciate the profound discourse of the story. The result was deeply complex and visually stunning, making good use of new technology without overdoing it, and is now a component people can’t imageBlade Runnerwithout.
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Toy Story 4
Toy Story 4 is part of Pixar’s animated franchise, where Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, embarks on a road trip with old and new friends. As Bonnie introduces Forky, an unconventional toy, Woody navigates the challenges of his evolving role while exploring the wider world beyond Andy and Bonnie.
Toy Story 3ties everything up in a neat ending to a standard trilogy, with no sequel necessary.In some ways,Toy Story 4undermines the previous movie:The storyline of Woody letting go of Andy is redundant because he hasn’t, while a new life in Bonnie’s room isn’t the happy ending it was suggested to be. Yet this is possibly the point of the movie, that the road to personal fulfillment isn’t linear and Woody and the others will hit more obstacles along the way than they realize.
Toy Story 4is much better than I would have expected it to be,showing another angle on how Woody’s single-minded ideals conflict with his personal happiness. Keanu Reeves was a great addition, while Key and Peele stole the show as a new stuffed animal duo. The return of Bo Peep’s character introduced new themes of independence, while it all concluded with a tear-jerking farewell between Woody and Buzz years in the making. On the other hand, I stand with everyone who is saying thatToy Story 5shouldn’t be happening.
4Frozen 2 (2019)
Sequel To Frozen (2013)
Frozen 2faced a bigger challenge than most animated sequels whenFrozenwas a cultural phenomenon the likes of which Disney hadn’t seen for many years. However, the sequel pulls off some good storylines with Anna and Elsa’s characters and relationship.Elsa’s iconic “Let It Go” power ballad is actually undermined by the plot of the first moviewhen she ultimately returns to the responsibilities and confinement of being queen.Frozen 2shows Elsa moving beyond this, reminding the audience that her power is ever-evolving and demands freedom.
However, the team behindFrozen 2ultimately seemed to know that they are not going to top the impact ofFrozen.
Meanwhile, Anna becomes more mature, until she is ready to step into the role of queen after Elsa abdicates. However, the team behindFrozen 2ultimately seemed to know that they are not going to top the impact ofFrozen. Therefore, they take the movie to all the extremes, which at least makes it engaging. I was drawn in from minute one when Elsa has two power ballads in the sequel, Kristoff gets to sing a 1980s-inspired number with reindeer backup, andElsa and Olaf both (temporarily) die on-screen, a dark first for a Disney princess movie.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a standalone film set in the Star Wars universe, where a group of resistance fighters, led by Jyn Erso, embarks on a mission to steal the Death Star plans. This pivotal event sets the stage for the iconic saga to follow.
Rogue Onewas the first of the barrage ofStar Warsmovie and TV show spinoffs; it is a surprisingly strong start, even if we didn’t yet realize at the time of its release how too muchStar Warswould be to the detriment of the franchise.I was apathatetic about the idea ofRogue Onewhen it was first announced,with most of my focus on the new trilogy. I saw Rey’s journey as the obvious way to carry on the legacy ofStar Wars(keep in mind that only the first one had come out at that point).
YetRogue Onetells an even more powerful storythan Episodes VIII and IX. It is a tragic narrative that emphasizes the human lives lost in the war against the Empire, a theme which is deftly expanded upon by the TV showAndor. It is also just less concerned with fan service and marketability than the rest of the recentStar Warsproperties (although the Easter Eggs are still there). Personally, I have only come to appreciate the cast and story ofRogue Onemore with time.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish follows the titular character as he embarks on a quest to restore his nine lives. Realizing he has exhausted all but one of his lives, Puss seeks the mythical Last Wish, embarking on an epic adventure to rediscover his destiny.
When it came out back in the early 2010s,Puss in Bootswas a shockingly decent spinoff.TheShrekfranchise had seen a decline into plots that were just too crazy, butPuss in Bootstold a strong story about the rogue supporting character, with some good new additions. Yet when the sequel to this spinoff came out, I was puzzled by why it had a new animation style and pretty skeptical — until people started insisting to me that I needed to see it because it far surpassed its predecessor.
Indeed,Puss in Boots: The Last Wishhas even better jokes and supporting characters, with an improved, universal story about mortalityand even more swashbuckling flair. My initial bewilderment about the updated animation wasn’t exactly resolved (as there is no story reason for it) but it dissipated — stylized 3D animation had arisen in the intervening decade, they used it because it looks amazing, and the movie is all the better for it. My hope now is thatThe Last Wishwill stylistically and thematically influenceShrek 5, heralding a new era for the franchise.
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Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road is a post-apocalyptic film set in a desolate desert landscape where society has collapsed. Released in 2015, the story follows two rebels, Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa, as they attempt to survive and bring balance to a world torn by chaos and strife.
Mad Maxis another franchise that might have been a vague concept to anyone born after the 2000s. It getting a sequel preceded the complete avalanche of legacy sequels, although there were enough in existence already thatthe announcement ofMad Max: Fury Roadmight have provoked both excitement and outrage.Little did any of us know that this would become thebest legacy sequel ever madeand one of the best action movies of all time.
To me, the distant concept of a legacy sequel to a series I was not very familiar with at the time, once again, seemed like a cash grab.ThenFury Roadblew everyone away with its production design, road warfare sequences, and story,stealing an astounding number of Oscar nominations from the more formulaic Oscar-bait movies. Of all the movie sequels people might have thought were unnecessary, we are doubtlessly glad that this one happened.
