At worst, sequels are cynical cash grabs generally devoid of new ideas that shamelessly attempt to profit off as much of the original work’s success as possible. But at their best, . Sequels such as these can be rare, but when they hit, they become just as beloved, in some cases even more popular, than the originals.

Films like Toy Story 2, The Godfather Part II, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes smartly take what the first film attempted to do and surpass it on every level. They expand their worlds, introduce new characters and settings, and bring new life to arcs that could have just been finished satisfactorily in the first. In doing so, they set their own standards, not just for how to properly continue a series, but also for how to advance cinema as a whole.

While Pixar sequels are known for being hit or miss, their first sequel, Toy Story 2, is still regarded as their best. On a mission to save a fellow toy, Woody () is stolen by a greedy toy collector. As Buzz () leads a group of toys to save him, Woody discovers he was a piece of merchandise from an old TV show called Woody’s Roundup, and is a valuable collector’s item.

The Toy Story franchise . In Toy Story 2’s case, Woody is directly given the option to accept a happy life with Andy and his toys, knowing full well his time is finite, or taken to a museum where he can be the toy equivalent of an immortal but only loved from a distance. This story layer, along with the improved animation and fun new cast members, elevates this sequel from a kid’s movie about toys to something profound.

Dawn is the second of the Planet of the Apes reboot films, and it might just be its best. Ten years after the Simian Flu was unleashed upon the world, human society has almost completely collapsed, while Caesar’s () society of intelligent apes has evolved. A group of humans attempts to make a deal with the ape revolutionary for assistance with reviving an old dam that could power their city again and make contact with the outside world. But a mutual sense of distrust grows on both sides, and war seems all but inevitable.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes takes the foundation of what was already one of the smartest franchise reboots in history and throws the franchise in an engaging new direction. It keeps Ceasar and his fellow apes as the true protagonists while transplanting them into a new setting full of danger, switching loyalties and hope for a future that can never be. In doing so, it .

Ten years after Sarah Connor () destroyed the Terminator, her son John () finds himself meeting a new T-800 () – but this time, he’s been sent to protect John, not kill him. A new terminator, the T-1000 (), is determined to ensure the future leader of the human resistance is killed, and this makeshift trio decides to confront the man whose creation of the Skynet A.I. system will lead to the downfall of humanity.

Not unlike a certain other James Cameron-directed sequel, this was the film that . expands the goal of the heroes beyond just destroying one terminator and expands their ambition to prevent Judgment Day once and for all. With bigger action, bigger special effects, and a bigger story in general, it’s still perhaps the most hopeful entry in the series, believing that if even a machine can learn the value of human life, so can we all.

In his second live-action film, Spider-Man achieved a feat that neither Batman nor Superman could initially accomplish – make a sequel that outdid the first. For Peter Parker (), every day seems like a struggle as his personal life begins to fall apart thanks to his duties as Spider-Man. This imbalance begins to affect his powers, and he decides to retire as a result. But when a new villain dubbed Doctor Octopus () starts to cause havoc in New York, Peter must be reminded of his great responsibility to regain his great power.

Spider-Man 2 is perhaps the best superhero sequel ever made, building upon the first film’s strong foundations with . The struggle between the mask and the man is made ever more apparent, with Peter facing increasing overlap between his civilian and heroic lives. With a happier conclusion than the first, it posits that eventually, the struggles and sacrifices can reveal their own rewards.

After an unauthorized experimental test drive, renegade Air Force captain Maverick () is sent back to teach at Top Gun. He’s forced to teach a whole new team of hot-headed young pilots – one of whom happens to be Rooster (), the son of his dead partner Goose. Initially wanting to keep him off the flight squad to spare him his father’s fate, Rooster might just be the key to resolving a potential international incident.

The original Top Gun is a cheesy yet iconic film, whereas Top Gun: Maverick heightens the action and emotions of the original in every way. The flight scenes make for the most dynamic action sequences in film history, and ’s performance makes for one of the best in his career. The complex dynamic between Maverick and Rooster as well as the bittersweet, yet wonderful, return of Iceman () bring .

Working as both a sequel and a soft remake of the original gory classic, Evil Dead II has . Ash Williams () and his girlfriend Linda () have traveled to spend a romantic weekend in an abandoned cabin in the woods. But when they discover an old, evil book bound in human flesh, a monstrous entity possesses the house. As Ash deals with an increasing number of horrors, he’s now got to stand up with a gun and a chainsaw if he hopes to expel the evil once and for all.

The original Evil Dead is a serious, disgustingly gory film, while Evil Dead II apes the gore up to cartoonish levels. It never forgets to take the titular evil seriously, but it engages the audience with more of a goofy tone that has no deeper meaning beyond making the audience laugh and scream. Cap it all off with the coolest hero in horror history, and it’s the definition of beautiful carnage.

Batman () has gained an unlikely new ally in his war against crime – newly elected district attorney Harvey Dent (). The new alliance between the two and police commissioner Jim Gordon () seems unstoppable – but a mysterious new mastermind calling himself The Joker () is determined not just to give the city a better class of criminal, but to push Gotham’s dark and white knights to the absolute limit.

Batman Begins helped bring Batman into the real world, but The Dark Knight puts the mere idea of heroism under a microscope and asks its audience what exactly these heroes are fighting for and if their goals can truly remain pure. After all, The Joker, even if he tries to deny any sense of a greater plan, seems to operate by his own sense of logic and morality. In the end, The Dark Knight draws no clear answer for its audience, but it still .

Making a sequel to what was already considered one of the greatest movies of all time is no simple feat, and yet The Godfather Part II makes it look easy. Part II splits its story into two narratives – the first continues the story of the first, showing Michael Corleone () settling into his new role as head of the Corleone crime family. The other shows his father Vito’s () rise from a lowly immigrant to one of the most powerful men in New York.

The Godfather Part II shows the complexities and ultimately doomed aspirations of the Corleones, showing both their strong beginning, with Vito’s rise to power, to the tragic ending, with Michael keeping it but losing everything else. in their own ways to the darkness of power and organized crime as they try to manage their personal agendas, and the film’s bleak conclusion asks what it all costs.

Luke Skywalker (), Han Solo (), and Princess Leia () destroyed the Death Star, but their story didn’t end there. Indeed, their victories have only made the empire more determined to crush the rebellion once and for all. While Luke goes to the Dagobah system to train under the Jedi master Yoda (), the rest of the heroes of the rebel alliance head to Cloud City – only to find themselves in a deadly trap.

The Empire Strikes Back is one of the most parodied sequels of all time for a reason – it’s just that good. The heroes are on the run for almost the entire run time, and with treacherous characters, new alien creatures, and disturbing revelations, the few moments where they are safe are never long., and The Empire Strikes Back is the peak of the entire Star Wars saga.

A few years after settling into 32 Windsor Gardens, London, Paddington Bear () decides to send a gift to his beloved Aunt Lucy () – a pop-up book containing various London landmarks. But when the book is stolen, Paddington is framed for the crime and is sent to prison. While he adjusts to life in jail (and even starts to improve it for the other prisoners), his adoptive family discovers the book may lead to a hidden treasure – one that egotistical actor Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant) is more than giddy to get his hands on.

The highest-rated sequel of all time on Rotten Tomatoes, Paddington 2 is a perfect sequel to reignite faith in humanity even in the most cynical of viewers. The production design is beautifully charming, the tone is sweet but not too saccharine, the new characters help flesh out the world, and the film’s underlying yet not overt political tone makes this a family classic for the modern age.

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