Greatest Sequels Of All Time: You Can Only Pick 3

movies sequels

When I think of a movie sequel, I automatically think of a film that’s bigger and raised the stakes from its predecessor. That doesn’t mean it works. In fact, I’d argue that most sequels fail because it can’t recreate the magic that made the first film successful. In turn, failed sequels usually don’t bring anything new to offer so the film can’t stand on its own. When a sequel is done right, it’s special. When a sequel outdoes the original, it’s legendary.

On the Unafraid Show’s Twitter, we asked which three sequels would you pick from a list of nine films.

The Choices

  • The Dark Knight
  • The Godfather Part II
  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day (T2)
  • Toy Story 2
  • Aliens
  • Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  • Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
  • Before Sunset

This lineup is the 1927 Yankees aka Murderers’ Row. Not only are they some of the best sequels ever made, but these movies are some of the most important films ever made. It’s like choosing between children (that I don’t have). One is by far your favorite, but all the others make compelling cases for spots two and three. You truly can’t make a bad decision when it comes to narrowing it down to three films, or can you?

By definition, a sequel is any movie that continues the story or expands upon the previous entry so, therefore, you could make a case that the third, fourth, and fifth films from a series are sequels. However, when I think of sequels, it’s the second movie that comes out after the original or the second film in a series of movies. It’s why films like Toy Story 3 or Mad Max: Fury Road were not included on the list.

Here are my picks.

The Dark Knight – This is my favorite child out of the nine. The Dark Knight is one of my top five films of all time. I hold it near and dear to my heart. It changed how I thought critically about films. A superhero premise disguised as a neo-noir blew my mind. Christopher Nolan, one of my favorite filmmakers ever, opened up new doors for comic book adaptations and how these films could be massive events on a global scale. I haven’t even mentioned Heath Ledger yet, who gave the most memorable performance by any actor in the last forty years. Whenever The Dark Knight is on television, whatever I planned to do takes a backseat to the cat-and-mouse game between Batman and The Joker.

Aliens – Imagine looking at Alien and The Terminator (which Cameron wrote and directed) and thinking not only could you make a sequel, but you could make it better than the original? There’s a reason why James Cameron has two films on this list. T2 is a great movie, but Aliens kicks so much ass. It’s one of the greatest action films ever. Alien is more of a slow burn as the Xenomorph plays “hide and seek” as it takes out the crew one by one. On the other hand, Aliens is in-your-face, nonstop action as soon as Ellen Ripley and the crew land on LV-426. Aliens changed genre filmmaking forever. Aliens include edge-of-your-seat thrills along with being downright terrifying especially when the marines invade the nesting ground of the creatures. This movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Actress for Sigourney Weaver. A female action star receiving a Best Actress nomination in a sci-fi epic is something that doesn’t happen today. That’s how important Aliens is to the history of moviemaking.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – When making this list, I did not expect The Two Towers to crack the top 3 with the likes of Empire Strikes Back, Godfather Part II, and T2 still on the board. However, when I started to compare The Two Towers to its competitors in terms of rewatchability and enjoyment, The Two Towers stood taller than the rest. It starts and ends with The Battle of Helm’s Deep. Battle scenes were not a new thing in 2002. Just look at the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan and the fighting scenes in Braveheart. However, Helm’s Deep became the new standard for battle scenes thanks to its use of CGI. Before the Battle of Winterfell in Game of Thrones, The Two Towers had the title of the longest consecutive battle scene in movie and television history. The Battle of Helm’s Deep is a spectacular feat of filmmaking. However, the quieter moments behind the city walls and the scene-stealing Gollum are what make The Two Towers one of the best fantasy films ever made.

We took the discussion to Twitter and let’s just say people had some thoughts.

https://twitter.com/ThatBlackMike/status/1248446486058110983?s=20
https://twitter.com/KaiorDiie/status/1248442243012165635?s=20

@JagsApologist, Spider-Man 2 barely missed the cut. It’s in the Top 15.

Which three sequels are you picking? Let us know on Twitter, @unafraidshow.

Watch 1 Movie At The Theater For Rest Of Your Life. What’s Your Pick?

Although streaming is taking over the universe, I’m still an old soul and enjoy going to the movie theater. While scrolling through Twitter, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer posed this question on Twitter. One movie at the theater for the rest of your life. What movie are you choosing?

So what’s your pick? Here are some of my suggestions,

Contenders

Interstellar

KOC made a great choice with Interstellar. Christopher Nolan’s time travel epic is one of the coolest depictions of space travel I’ve ever seen on the big screen. I saw Interstellar by myself and was instantly blown away. I rank Interstellar higher than other space films like Gravity because of its mysterious plot and the ensemble cast. Sandra was tremendous in Gravity, but give me Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and black holes every day of the week.

Saving Private Ryan

The greatest war movie of all time with one of the greatest opening scenes of all time. The storming of Omaha Beach as part of the Normandy Invasion is worth the price of admission alone. It’s 25 minutes of pure carnage and chaos as Tom Hanks and company navigate their way to safety. Good luck trying to keep your heart rate down with bombs and explosions constantly going off in the background.

Avengers: Infinity War OR Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame / Marvel Studios

Take your pick. Do you want the War in Wakanda or the War at Avengers HQ? Both are legendary battles with unforgettable finishes. If I chose Endgame as my theater movie for the rest of my life, I would die on the third viewing once Captain America says, “Avengers, assemble.”

Get Out

Get Out holds a special place in my heart because my theater included the most lively and engaged audience I’ve ever been apart of. At times, it felt like I was at a Yankee Stadium because of the screaming and cheering. Get Out was a roller coaster of emotions and I’m happy I didn’t have to go through them alone. Now, sink into the floor.

Any Star Wars Film

https://youtu.be/fyIPvIjVMYo

I’m being nice when I say “any.” If you pick The Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones, consider us enemies. That being said, Star Wars are entertaining popcorn flicks with great action sequences and stellar visuals. You can’t go wrong! (Unless you pick The Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones. Then, you’re wrong.)

If I could only watch one movie at the theater for the rest of my life, I’m choosing The Dark Knight.

If you’re sick of me discussing The Dark Knight, well, prepare to feel ill once again! For me, it’s the most rewatchable movie of all time. If I flip through the channels and land on The Dark Knight, it’s an instant “stop what you’re doing and watch this movie.” The opening bank robbery, the introduction of the Joker, the Hong Kong kidnapping, etc. You name it and I love it. If you don’t hear from me soon, it’s because I’m watching the greatest chase scene of the 21st century.

What movie would you choose to watch in theaters for the rest of your life? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Five Greatest Opening Scenes In Films Of The 21st Century

Christoph Waltz

In simplest terms, stories have three components: beginning, middle, and end. The great stories captivate the audience with each scene and transition smoothly into the next act. However, the opening scene is crucial. This is where you have to convince the audience to stay around and pay attention. Opening scenes set the stage for what’s to come. Opening scenes explain the tone of the film and provide the basic blueprint as to where the story is going. Since the turn of the century, there have been a few standout opening scenes in films. Here are the five greatest opening scenes of 21st century films.

Inglourious Basterds – The Jew Hunter

https://youtu.be/Ig0815OI9Lg

No one on Planet Earth writes dialogue like Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino’s scenes are usually long, dialogue-driven conversations that are compelling, clever, and most of all, suspenseful. Tarantino’s unique style was put on full display in the opening scene of Inglourious Basterds.

In the scene, Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) interrogates French dairy farmer Perrier LaPadite (Denis Mènochet) for housing a Jewish family, who are hiding under the floorboards. Landa has LaPadite in the palm of his hand the entire time. Landa knows that LaPadite is hiding something, but he elects to draw the conversation out and acts like a friend who will help another friend. The suspense and tension build with each sentence from Landa. LaPaditie is courageous for conversing Landa, but he stands no chance. Landa stalks his prey the entire scene and pounces at the end, massacring all but one of the family members. The scene established Landa as one of Tarantino’s best characters ever.

La La Land – Another Day In The Sun

A musical about two struggling artists in Los Angeles? Does that capture your attention? Without Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and Damien Chazelle attached to La La Land, I’m not sure if I would have gone out of my way to see this film. Thankfully, I did and left the theater full of raw emotion and inspiration.

The opening scene perfectly captures Los Angeles. The bumper to bumper traffic, the influx of struggling actors and artists looking for a break, and an over-the-top and theatrical dance number represents the dreams of so many in the city of angels. Chazelle and composer Justin Hurwitz’s opening number, “Another Day of Sun,” soars and jumpstarts La La Land to one of the best musicals of 21st century film.

The Social Network – You’re Breaking Up With Me?

Speaking of great screenwriters, when it comes to fast dialogue and complicated monologues, it’s hard to find a writer better than Aaron Sorkin. In the opening scene of The Social Network, Erica Albright breaks up with Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard University in 2003. In this seven-minute scene, the audience learns so much about the two characters in such a short time. Mark is witty, brash, and smug, but he’s a motivated genius who will eventually become one of the most powerful people in the world thanks to Facebook. However, at the end of the day, all he wants to do is impress Erica, but Erica sees right through his bullshit and that’s something that deeply effected Mark and motivated him throughout the rest of the film. Mark becomes both the hero and the villain in The Social Network and it all starts with a conversation in a pub.

Baby Driver – Opening Chase

Baby Driver is a fun film. It’s fast action sequences, a killer soundtrack, and lovable protagonist make this the perfect summer blockbuster. Director Edgar Wright didn’t reinvent the wheel by starting the film with a heist. However, Wright added a new interpretation as to how a heist thriller can open. Heists usually end in gunfire and violence. Baby Driver has both of those elements, and yet it’s so upbeat and uplifting that the violence takes a back seat to its joyfulness. The editing of this scene is superb along with the introduction of the lovable Baby (Ansel Elgort).

The Dark Knight – Bank Robbery / Joker Reveal

https://twitter.com/screenplayed/status/1152629514649907200?s=20

I believe my tweet says it all.

Let’s be honest. I’m only writing this article so I can geek out over The Dark Knight. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is the greatest comic book film of all time and it all starts out with the opening bank robbery scene. The Dark Knight was Nolan’s version of Heat with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. It’s hard to find a director better with large set pieces and action sequences than Nolan. The suspense builds throughout the entire scene and climaxes with the reveal of the Joker (Heath Ledger). For my money, Ledger’s Joker is the best acting performance of the 21st century and top 10 of the last 50 years. There’s great acting, and then there’s Ledger. Enough said.

Honorable mention: Bank robbery in The Town, opening montage in No Country for Old Men, bank robberies in Hell or High Water, opening credits in Watchmen.

What’s your favorite opening scene of 21st century films? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @unafraidshow.