Movie sequels typically have one main goal: to match or surpass the box office performance of the movie that preceded it—and these are the films that did it.
5
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Stream Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+
The original Top Gun (1986) was one of the best films of the 1980s, and when a sequel was announced over 35 years later, I had major reservations. Yes, the second film would feature Tom Cruise’s return as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a hotshot Navy pilot. However, there were early concerns about how good the film would be, given that Maverick’s love interest from the first film (played by Kelly McGillis) was not returning, and the character of Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards) had died in the original.
There was no reason to worry. Much of what made Top Gun so good was successfully carried over to Top Gun: Maverick, and the new roster of characters is second to none.
Without giving too much away, the second film once again finds Cruise’s character doing plenty of aerials. In this case, however, instead of being a rebellious young pilot, he’s a leader who is eventually tasked with working with top-tier graduates of the Navy’s fighter pilot program to save the world, as is often the case in many of Cruise’s movies. Top Gun: Maverick, like the original, features lots of nerve-wracking scenes set high in the sky. There’s also plenty of romance in the sequel, as Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly’s Penny Benjamin has eyes for Maverick.
There’s one other reason Top Gun: Maverick proved so successful: Val Kilmer, who played Tom “Iceman” Kazansky in both films. At the time of filming, the world knew that Kilmer had mainly lost his ability to speak due to his real-life battle with throat cancer. As a result, many were wondering how the film would use his character. The scene with Iceman is a powerful one, and now, even more so, since Kilmer passed away in 2025 at the age of 65. Top Gun: Maverick was his last credited live-action film role.
If you haven’t seen Top Gun: Maverick, you need to see it, especially if you liked the original. Even if you haven’t, watch Top Gun, followed by the sequel; you’ll be glad you did. A third Top Gun film has been greenlit.
4
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Stream Toy Story 2 on Disney+
If someone calls Toy Story 2 just a cartoon, they probably haven’t actually seen it, or they have ice running through their veins. This sequel has something for everyone to enjoy. In many respects, it’s better than the original.
Toy Story (1995) follows the story of young Andy and his cast of adorable toys, headlined by the voices of Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear. The central storyline in the first film is the characters’ wondering what happens to them when a child decides not to play with them anymore. It’s high-stakes, with all the adorable characters worried they’ll be left in a corner of Andy’s bedroom and never be engaged again.
The sequel delivers a much more profound emotional impact. The characters in the sequel face a more serious problem than in the first film because they fear being completely discarded by Andy as he ages and being sent away from the home they have always known. As someone who recently sent his only child to college, I can attest that kids grow up way too quickly, whether we like it or not. The emotional theme in Toy Story 2 creates a connection with every member of the audience.
By every measure, Toy Story 2 is the best sequel in Pixar’s best franchise, continuing to charm generation after generation. Whether you’re four or 54, eight or 80, the film is a must-watch.
3
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Stream The Empire Strikes Back on Disney+
It’s safe to say that if you’ve seen at least one film in your life, you’ve seen at least one Star Wars film. And of the nine films in the Skywalker series, The Empire Strikes Back is the best one.
This film, released three years after the original, is the one that convinced many of us from a certain generation not only to like the Star Wars saga but to love it, especially its characters. This was the film that made characters like Princess Leia and Darth Vader, for example, much more multidimensional. The visual effects in this film were also of better quality than in the original, and this was decades before George Lucas released “special edition” versions.
The Empire Strikes Back was also highly effective in increasing the stakes between good and evil, keeping us on the edge of our seats. Its now-famous ending was among the first films in history to leave the audience with a true cliffhanger; one that wasn’t resolved for another three years when Return of the Jedi was released.
I watched The Empire Strikes Back recently for the first time in many years. No doubt, there are parts of it that now feel and look dated. And yet, I still think it’s one of the best sequels ever made. Watch it again, folks.
2
The Dark Knight (2008)
Stream The Dark Knight on HBO Max
In 1989, Warner Bros. released the first of four Batman movies. These campy films were fun (especially the first two with Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader) until they weren’t, with each one getting worse than the one before when Val Kilmer and then George Clooney took over the leading role. In 2005, the studio decided to reboot the series with Christian Bale in the lead. The storylines in the three-part The Dark Knight Trilogy were much more powerful and less kid-friendly, and for each, better for it.
Of those three, it’s the second one, The Dark Knight, that resonated the most with audiences thanks to its powerful story that escalated the themes of good versus evil and order versus chaos. Much of the film’s success can be attributed to Bale’s delivery as Batman and a cast of supporting characters headed by the late Heath Ledger in his Oscar-winning role as Joker.
Twenty years after its release, The Dark Knight remains one of the greatest superhero films of all time. It’s a fantastic crime thriller that remains just as impressive today as it was when it was first released. It’s one of those movies you can watch over and over again.
1
The Godfather: Part II
Stream The Godfather: Part II on Paramount+
In the history of the Academy Awards, only two film sequels have won Best Picture Oscars, and only one of them followed a film that also won the top prize: The Godfather: Part II. This is my favorite film sequel, as well as that of many others, for several reasons.
What truly makes The Godfather: Part II special is that it successfully continues to tell the story of the Corleone family. It does so by showing us, in flashbacks, how the crime family gained power, and how that power is being threatened in the present day. For both stories to work, director Francis Ford Coppola turned to two non-legendary actors: Robert De Niro, who won an Oscar for the role of Vita Corleone, and Al Pacino, who plays his son Michael. Along the way, we encounter an impressive cast of characters, including the returning Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, and Diane Keaton, as well as newcomers such as De Niro, Lee Strasberg, and Michael V. Gazzo.
The film is also noted for once again touching on broad subjects that many in the 1970s could relate to, even though they weren’t in the mob. Themes such as family, power, and the American dream often resonate well in theaters, and The Godfather: Part II excels in this regard, perhaps better than any other film.
Finally, The Godfather: Part II succeeds because of the exceptional cinematography of Gordon Willis and the Oscar-winning soundtrack by Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola. Both components blend perfectly; whether it’s your first viewing or fifth, it’s that good.
