Feature for Iron Man 2

Best sequels
With discussion already in full flow about whether or not Iron Man 2 can possibly top the box office success and critical acclaim that followed the release of Iron Man, we are taking a look at the films that beat the curse of the sequel and went on to become renowned for being better than their forerunner…

Die Hard 2: Die Harder, 1990
Sequel to: Die Hard, 1988

With nothing at all wrong with the first Die Hard there were many doubters voicing the opinion that a second John Mclane flick could not possibly be as entertaining a second time around. After all, “How can the same **** happen to the same guy twice?”. However, with as many highly quotable lines, quality action and vintage Mclane the incentive to go Harder over the original is high!

After the Thin Man, 1936
Sequel to: The Thin Man, 1934

After The Thin Man is a classic comic detective film centred around ageing detective Nick Charles and his socialite wife Nora. Expanding on the humorous relationships from The Thin Man between Nick and his fellow cast, After The Thin Man is widely considered the best Thin Man film. Surprisingly, the character who is nicknamed the “Thin Man” is not actually in any of the films past the first, but due to the catchiness of the name they decided to stick with it for all sequels.

Dawn of the Dead, 1978
Sequel to: Night of the Living Dead, 1968

George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead is widely considered one of the most original and genuinely terrifying horror movies ever made, so topping it was going to be a big ask. Yet somehow, 10 years later, he did it. Though using none of the same characters or settings from the first film Dawn of the Dead succeeds in being not only a fantastic movie in it’s own right, but it tops its predecessor in Zombie stakes with incredible gross out effects, fake blood and make-up taking horror to a whole new level.

Bride of Frankenstein, 1935
Sequel to: Frankenstein, 1931

Rooted in a subplot of Mary Shelly’s original novel the Bride of Frankenstein was released in 1935 to great critical acclaim. Now frequently referred to as Director James Whale's masterpiece and lauded as "the finest of all gothic horror movies" it is sometimes forgotten that Bride is even a sequel! Apparently the only thing more terrify than The Monster is a woman created in his image….

Aliens, 1986
Sequel to: Alien, 1979

As a relatively untested director James Cameron’s decision to make a sequel to Ridley Scott’s critically acclaimed Alien looked, to the outsider, like career suicide. However, carrying on the story created by Dan O'Bannon Aliens is anything but a second rate sequel. While it’s respectful of the style created by the first film, Cameron improves on it by making Aliens stronger, faster and edgier than the original Alien.

The Godfather Part 2, 1974
Sequel to: The Godfather, 1972

Topping a film like The Godfather that won Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards may seem tricky. But, with Francis Ford Coppola on board for the sequel along with Mario Puzo and some of the finest actors of our generation The Godfather Part 2 was possibly the most successful sequel of all time - walking away with no less than six Academy Awards.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day, 1991
Sequel to: The Terminator, 1984

With a line like “I’ll be back” in the original, it was almost impossible not to make a sequel to The Terminator, but when you’ve killed off your main character in the first film it can become a little tricky. In one of the most brilliant reinventions of film history, Cameron’s genius brought back Arnie as the good guy and his relationship with the young John Conner added an emotional depth to the mix that was needed to take this film to the next level.

The Dark Knight, 2008
Sequel to: Batman Begins, 2005

With so many different Batman films to compare it to, as well as off-screen events taking this films release to a new level of hype, The Dark Knight really did have a lot to prove. Luckily, a superb cast of actors combined with what seems to be every comic geek’s lust for grittiness served to propel this film into sequel history. Managing to not only better Christopher Nolan’s predecessor Batman Begins, it even has some critics bandying around the wild possibility that this film tops the original Jack Nicholson version…

Spider Man 2, 2004
Sequel to: Spider-Man, 2002

Widely considered to be the one of the best ever superhero movies, Sam Raimi really stepped it up a notch when tackling the sequel to his critically acclaimed Spider-Man. Getting rid of the somewhat suspect looking graphics and proving once again that humour and humanism do not have to be lost when translating a comic book character to the big screen, Spider-Man 2 combines fantastic characters with a great story.

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, 1980
Sequel to: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, 1977

Proving just how disquieting a galaxy far, far away could be Director Irvin Kershner really bought out the big guns for his sequel to Lucas’ Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. With revelations two a-penny in this fantastically dark sci-fi thriller we discover that Darth Vaders’ a dad, while in action elsewhere Luke looses a hand and Hans is frozen only to be taken away by Boba Fett. With its cliff hanger ending it is hard to believe that any movie will ever top the furore caused when fans became aware that they would have to wait three years to discover the fate of Hans Solo.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, 1989
Sequel to: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1984

Following the disappointment that generally was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom many fans breathed a sigh of relief after watching the third instalment of the Indie franchise. Going back to the well worked basics of the first film, characters came to life through back-stories and flashbacks allowing the audience to understand them better, while never letting go of the action packed artefact chasing fun.

Toy Story 2, 1999
Sequel to: Toy Story, 1995

Following in the steps of all great sequels Toy Story 2 hit the big screen following a swirl of rumours about scripting problems and other behind the scenes nightmares. Happily for the Pixar’s spotless reputation the film was everything that fans hoped it would be; having all the heart and charm of the first film but with added characters, plot lines and action scenes, as well as possibly the most heart wrenching song ever made, Toy Story 2 is still one of the best loved Pixar films 15 years on. Let hope that Toy Story 3 lives up to its predecessors!

Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn, 1987
Sequel to: The Evil Dead, 1981

While the second Evil Dead is basically a re-working of the original Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell film, the bigger budget and experience brought from the first turned a great horror film idea into a cult classic. With Raimi’s groundbreaking and exciting camera work and the amazing slapstick brilliance, Evil Dead 2 is proof that sequels can outshine and out-do those that come before.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, 2002
Sequel to: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001

While some may disagree with this being classified as a sequel, as each movie was filmed and released separately (and were actually different books) we think they should be counted separately. Where so many second-of-three films can feel like filler or just a set up for the finale, The Two Towers is so chocker block full of action that they actually had to take some of it out and pop it in the third film! With the introduction of Gollum and the return of Gandalf few films get more exciting that this.

X2: X-Men United, 2003
Sequel to: X-Men, 2000

Released in 2000 to underwhelming critical success X-Men desperately needed a sequel if the franchise was going to be the spark that re-lit the whole super-hero / comic book genre. Luckily, with his 2003 release with a bigger budget and (apparently) more control over the film Bryan Singer managed to pull off, not only a fantastic sequel, but what proved to be the kiss of life to the comicbook-film collaboration.

Iron Man 2, 2010
Sequel to: Iron Man, 2008

Released in 2008 Iron Man hit the cinemas with bang. Although expectation hadn’t been particularly high for the film, the wit, pace and action throughout the movie combined with some of the best acting we’ve seen from Robert Downey Junior in a while made Iron Man the super hero film of the year. With anticipation for the sequel (released into UK cinemas on Friday 30th April) running at fever pitch levels lets hope that Iron Man can do it again!

 (Disclaimer – I have disqualified Kill Bill Vol. 2 because as it was originally shot as one film it doesn’t count!)