Greetings, reader!
My dive into film franchises continues this week with my ranking of the top 10 greatest second instalments from movie franchises. Let's see if the freshly released Dune: Part Two made the cut or not!
Here are my honorable mentions: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Toy Story 2 (1999), X2 (2003).
10. Home Alone: Lost in New York (1992)
The second Home Alone joins the likes of Back to the Future Part II (1989), Rocky II (1979) and many others in the category of 'sequels that are exactly one notch down from their predecessor in pretty much every regard'. The difference is, I actually hold the first Home Alone in higher regard than the first Back to the Future or the first Rocky (come for me, cinema elitists), so being just one notch down from that is still very, very good.
It's not nearly as innovative as the original, but there's enough fun in the premise to make a very successful sequel of pretty much doing it all again - and of course there are some major changes, such as the premise being "Kevin takes the wrong plane and is alone in a city new to him" instead of "Kevin misses the plane and is stuck home, y'know, alone". Also, Tim Curry is a fantastic addition, shining as much as he does in any of his roles. This is the last you'll be seeing of the Home Alone franchise in this instalment-comparing series, because the first two were a big part of my childhood while parts 3 and 4 tried their darnedest to ruin my childhood!
9. Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice (2016)
I know, I know, I know. Today's list might piss quite a few fellow movie buffs off, and this is one of the major reasons why. People, by and large, didn't like Batman v Superman, the second film in the DC Extended Universe (2013's Man of Steel being the first). I am not those people. I love this film, consider it one of the better superhero films ever made, and thus a deeply underrated and misunderstood work. I've written lengthier defense speeches of this film on my blog before, but here's a quick summary of some key points:
- I find the rift between Ben Affleck's Batman and Henry Cavill's Superman to be very well-written relative to the superhero movie genre, with Jesse Eisenberg's refreshing take on Lex Luthor working as the manipulative mastermind pushing them against each other
- Zack Snyder can direct the hell out an intense fight sequence, and Hans Zimmer's sense-tingling score fits Snyder's gloomy style beautifully
- Both of the main superheroes are more interesting and layered than they are in many adaptations: Superman deals with the heavier side of the God complex that comes with his powers, while Batman wrestles with his demons and the flaws in his moral code
- It feels like four movies rolled into one, as it is simultaneously A) a Batman reboot, B) a Superman sequel, C) a hero vs. hero showdown, and D) a Justice League set-up. I know many people see this as a weakness that 'makes the film feel bloated', but I disagree and find the film's multiple roles fascinating
- The film is deeper than most superhero films, as it deals with themes from PTSD to the aforementioned God complex. The graffiti in the ending montage saying "If you seek his monument, look around you" is downright profound.
8. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
A sequel being better than the original - many cynics complain that this "never happens", but I will have you know that while it is undoubtedly much more rare than sequels lesser to the original, cinema history has multiple instances of these cases. And never has the leap in quality been larger than with Star Trek.
Of course, this matter is helped by how much the first Star Trek film sucks. And I say this as a die-hard trekker. Star Trek started out as a brilliant TV series in the 60's, but the first of the thirteen movies belonging the franchise was a piss-poor attempt of bringing Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi world onto the big screen. Thankfully, they kept trying, because nerds across the world were amazed at just how much better the second film was. All that Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) lacked, The Wrath of Khan provides, with its perfect pacing, interesting villain, neat plot connections to the original series, exciting final act, and emotional core.
7. The Life of Brian (1979)
The second Monty Python film had the difficult job of following The Holy Grail, but man, the Pythons had it in them. While I personally rank The Life of Brian slightly below the first and best Python film, comparing these two is quite arbitrary, as both individuals belong in the very highest tier of comedy cinema. This movie combines absurd, clever and creative gags with sharp, tongue-in-cheek satire of religious myths, making for a memorable flick with loads of re-watch value.
6. The Dark Knight (2008)
While the leap in quality isn't as big with Chris Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy as it was with the Star Trek films, this is also a case where part 2 is simply much better than part 1. Everything that worked about Batman Begins is built upon with further potential, with this sequel realizing Nolan's "not a superhero movie per se, but a gritty crime thriller where they just happen to be wearing capes and being based on the DC Comics characters" vision even further.
Of course, a big reason for The Dark Knight's success is its villain - Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy were solid as the first film's main villains, but Heath Ledger's Joker takes it to another level. It's undoubtedly one of cinema's great villains, and the posthumous Oscar win after Ledger's tragic passing was beyond deserved.
5. Terminator II: Judgement Day (1991)
And here we have perhaps the most famous and uncontested instance of a sequel being better than the original. Mind you, there's not much wrong with the first Terminator, which is an action / sci-fi classic in its own right. But the sequel does everything better, and is arguably the greatest action film ever made.
While the premise of The Terminator was already interesting, the sequel fuels the intrigue further. While Arnold Schwarzenegger's role as the T-800 Terminator made for an ice-cold villain in the first film, it was a genius move to bring him back as re-purposed hero to help Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and John Connor (Edward Furlong) fight a newer, scarier villain, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick).
James Cameron directs every action sequence with a brilliant balance of intensity and entertainment, the use of Guns N' Roses' You Could Be Mine in the soundtrack perfects the badass atmosphere, and the bond between the T-800 and young John is surprisingly moving in between all the action. As much as the chase scenes and fight sequences thrill me, the line "I know now why you cry - but it is something I can never do" makes me cry every damn time.
4. The Godfather Part II (1974)
I keep going back and forth on which is better, The Godfather or The Godfather II. They have slightly different strengths, I love both, and basically, they are exactly as great cinema as each other. So, just as the original ranked highly in last week's post of the best first instalments, this historically acclaimed sequel ranks highly on my list of the second instalments. As for the infamously polarizing The Godfather Part III? Check out next week's blog to see whether I'm on the hate train or not.
But, yeah, this sequel is breathtaking. The flashback storyline detailing Vito Corleone's rise to the top, with Robert De Niro playing the young version of the character Marlon Brando made famous, is pure gold, as is the present-day narrative where Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) branches out to Cuba, fights legal battles, and ultimately faces the poetic rise and fall of the Corleone crime empire.
3. Dune: Part Two (2024)
Yeah, I get that it's a tad bold to put this new release ahead of the likes of The Dark Knight and The Godfather Part II. But that's where I'm at right now - my exact opinion and ranking of Dune: Part Two might very well shift with time, further reflection and re-watching, but based on my experience seeing it for the first time a few weeks ago, it's in the top three part twos of all time.
The state-of-the-art set design and visual effects make for a striking, even breathtaking aesthetic, further complemented by Hans Zimmer's immersive score. The story from Frank Herbert's book is adapted with grace, and everyone in the cast brings their A-game (especially Zendaya and Javier Bardem, who had limited screentime in the first instalment, but really get to shine here). It's an intense, unrelenting blockbuster adaptation of sci-fi's finest book, and I can't wait for the next movie to keep up the good work with the events of Dune Messiah.
2. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
First of all, let's get this out of the way - yes, that is the Roman numeral for 5 in the title, because yes, it is Episode Five, but yes, it still belongs on today's list. I'm going with order of release here, and as any nerd can tell you, the Star Wars movies were released in the classic order of 4-5-6-1-2-3-7-spinoff-8-spinoff-9.
I had to at least consider putting Dune: Part Two above this one, but decided that that would've been too far. The Empire Strikes Back is, after all, The Empire Strikes Back. While I'm of the slightly off-mainstream opinion that the original Star Wars movie is the very best one, I do get why a vast majority of the franchise's fans have Episode V as their #1 pick - it is, in many ways, the perfect sequel.
Themes and plot points from Episode IV - A New Hope are expanded upon beautifully, with intriguing worldbuilding, further character development, a slightly darker and more complex tone, and a cliffhanger ending making this a sweet middle instalment for the original trilogy. Oh, and the most famous plot twist in cinema history is a nice addition (I won't spoil it here in case you've been living in a swamp for 44 years).
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
This is the gold standard right here. Mind you, it's not better than (or even, in a hair-splitting manner, quite as good as) the first Lord of the Rings film, but it still deserves the #1 spot today. Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's iconic fantasy trilogy is, in my view, the best film trilogy of all time, so all three films are going to be up there with the best of them in the three first posts of my instalment extravaganza.
The Two Towers continues the dazzling set design, cinematography, score and overall production design that The Fellowship of the Ring set an incredibly high bar for. The plot takes us to places ranging from the creepy Fangorn Forest, through the beautiful plains of Rohan and all the way to the ominous Black Gate, all coming to life in a brilliant fashion loyal to the world created by Tolkien's unparallelled imagination.
The middle instalment of the film trilogy is best remembered for the battle of Helm's Deep, and rightfully so - it is truly one of the greatest battle sequences ever seen on the big screen, with a vibe so immaculate and action so intricately coreographed that the end result has the viewer's heart racing no matter how many times you've seen it play out. Much like the battle of Helm's Deep, the battle for first place in today's blog was a tough one, but Peter Jackson and company are the heroes who came out on top with this one.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as I continue the project with a ranking of the best third instalments from movie franchises.
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