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Features 
June 24, 2009
The Best Movie Sequels of the Year from 1989 to 2009
Posted by CoolerKing in Features
We never, NEVER thought we'd hear ourselves saying this, but, dear lord, we need a good sequel and we need one NOW. Fine, the movie sequel has gotten a pretty bad rap over the years - deservedly so - but, even though we've been hurt by sequels before, there's just something about a part two, prequel, or next chapter that revs the soul of our inner movie geeks. Typically, Hollywood goes overboard in the sequel department, but 2009 hasn't exactly been the best year in the history of the form. So far, all we've gotten is Underworld 3, Pink Panther 2, Fast & Furious, Crank 2, Terminator Salvation, and Night at the Museum 2 (excuse us while we stifle our yawns) and a few franchise reboots which don't even really count as sequels (if they could, the year could've just stopped with J.J. Abrams' Star Trek).
And the future of 2009 doesn't look that spectacular either in the sequel department either. Can anyone really pretend to be excited about Ice Age 3, Final Destination 3D, Saw VI, Twilight: New Moon, or Alvin and the Chipmunks 2? The sad truth is the only two sequels currently on the horizon that even have a chance of being named "BEST SEQUEL OF 2009" are Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and this week's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. So, aside from our past prejudices - didn't really care for Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and, man, our reviewer didn't like Transformers 2 - we're almost rooting for both films since we're so anxious to find a 2009 sequel to be excited about.
All this "quel" drama has gotten us thinking about the impact of the movie sequel and our thoughts have been drifting back to the summer of 1989, one of the best, most over-the-top years in movie history, a year that most remember for Tim Burton's Batman, even though it also featured a murderer's row of other sequels that set the model for most summer movie seasons to follow. In honor of the 20-year anniversary of that blockbuster summer, we decided to turn a critical eye on the sequels released every year between 1989 and 2009 and select the "BEST SEQUEL OF THE YEAR" for each of the 20 years.
Our criteria? Just to make sure that we didn't get bogged down in a morass of Leprechaun and Land Before Time sequels, we only focused on the sequels that made it within the list of the top 50 highest-grossing films of each year. So, if you're annoyed that we didn't mention Dumb and Dumberer or Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, there's a good reason... beyond the fact that both sucked. Also, we're not counting the first chapters of franchise reboots as "sequels," so movies like Casino Royale and Batman Begins don't count as sequels, but Quantum of Solace and Dark Knight do.
Why?: Watch Last Crusade and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull back to back and you will definitely see what a difference 19 years makes. Indy and the Last Crusade is a fantastic return to form for Indiana Jones, a film that took everything that didn't work about Temple of Doom and vastly improved upon those flaws. Annoying sidekicks were replaced by Sean Connery, the best addition to the series since the fedora, and Nazis proved that they make much better villains than vaguely racist bogeymen. Plus, and this counts for a lot, Last Crusade is easily the funniest film that Spielberg has ever made.
The competition: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (6/9); Ghostbusters II (6/16); The Karate Kid Part III (6/30); Lethal Weapon 2 (7/7); License to Kill (7/14); A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (8/11); Back to the Future Part II (11/22); National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (12/1)
Why?: Two reasons. First, never has a movie sequel so completely, so absurdly deconstructed its original source material. Director Joe Dante bravely chose to use Gremlins 2 to out-and-out mock everything that was earnest, over-serious, and melodramatic about the first Gremlins, and the result is hilarious. It's a Warner Brothers cartoon version of a monster movie and John Glover's performance alone is enough to love it. The second reason? Lack of competition. Every other sequel in 1990 was either an unsuccessful rehash of a much better film (though Predator 2 holds up surprisingly well) or a complete disaster (Godfather 3, Robocop 2, Rocky V, Exorcist 3).
The competition: Back to the Future Part III (5/25); Another 48 HRS. (6/8); Robocop 2 (6/22); Die Hard 2: Die Harder (7/6); Young Guns II (8/3); The Exorcist III (8/17); Child's Play 2 (11/9); Rocky V (11/16); Predator 2 (11/21); Three Men and a Little Lady (11/21); Look Who's Talking Too (12/14); The Godfather Part III (12/25)
Why?: Simply put, almost NO ONE does sequels better than James Cameron, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the best sequels of all time. It's a technological marvel - which looks less dated than recent big-budget crap like I, Robot - it's got a great script, terrific acting, and it completely trumps the original Terminator in every way. Who knew that skinny Robert Patrick could be ten-times scarier than a 'roided-out Austrian android or that Schwarzenegger could make you care so much about a soulless robot? One of the best, although both Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey and Star Trek 6 never get the credit they deserve.
The competition: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II (3/22); The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (6/28); Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (7/19); Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (9/13); Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (12/6)
Why?: This is a hard one. There's a lot of good in Batman Returns, but it's far from a perfect film. Granted, it had HUGE expectations to live up, so that alone should buy it some kindness or at least the benefit of the doubt. And, even though almost every single scene with the Penguin disappointed, there's more than enough to love about Michael Keaton's second turn in the mask. Michelle Pfeiffer gave one of the best performances of her career, Christopher Walken ruled the school, and Keaton looked much more relaxed and comfortable in Bruce Wayne's shoes. A flawed, but ambitious gem. Some might argue that 1992's Alien 3 did the same thing, but that jerk David Fincher killed Newt from Aliens, so he simply can't win this one.
The competition: Lethal Weapon 3 (5/15); Patriot Games (6/5); Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (7/17); Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (11/20)
Why?: Because, wow, 1993 was NOT a good year for sequels, so anything that raised the bar even a little higher than Sister Act 2 looks pretty good in hindsight. The first Addams Family movie was a disappointment, a series of lame gags strung together by some amazing casting (the late Raul Julia was a god), but Addams Family Values took the one-joke world of the original and turned its skewed view onto a series of taboo subjects - political correctness, race, class, sex, you name it. The result is surprisingly funny and the subplot of the summer camp war between the WASPs and the ethnic and handicapped campers is enough to make you love this sequel.
The competition: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (3/19); Hot Shots! Part Deux (5/21); Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (12/10); Wayne's World 2 (12/10); Beethoven's 2nd (12/17)
Why?: Because, let's be honest, bridging the gap between classic Trek and Trek: The Next Generation was a daunting, thankless task that was bound to fail, so the fact that Generations wasn't half-bad is a lot more impressive than it looks. There's something for everyone to complain about in Generations, but Patrick Stewart gives a surprisingly dark, internal lead performance that makes Shatner look like a rodeo clown in comparison, the death of the Enterprise-D is a fantastic sequence (Data said a swear word!), and Kirk finally falls to his end in a death that's half-touching, half-ridiculous. It ain't Shakespeare (sorry Picard), but it was ambitious and well-intentioned, which raises it FAR above the likes of Major League 2.
The competition: The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (3/18); D2: The Mighty Ducks (3/25); Major League II (4/1); Beverly Hills Cop III (5/25); City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (6/10)
Why?: To be frank, we'd LOVE to count the better-than-average GoldenEye as the best sequel of '95, but, after much deliberation, we decided that the first Pierce Brosnan Bond was more of a reboot than a sequel. Regardless, Die Hard: With A Vengeance still counts as our second favorite John McClane adventure, pulling ahead of Die Harder (an airport karaoke version of the original) and the PG-13 lameness of Live Free or Die Hard. Vengeance gets extra points for bringing back Die Hard director John McTiernan, pairing Willis with a partner who almost steals the movie (nice work, Sam), having a great soundtrack, and delivering some nice NYC action. Nowhere near as good as the original Die Hard, but what movie is?
The competition: Batman Forever (6/16); Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (7/14); Father of the Bride Part II (12/8); Grumpier Old Men (12/22)
Why?: Two Star Trek movies in two years? And two Next Generation movies? REALLY? What's the deal? Well, if you can believe it, oddly enough, the ONLY other sequel in the top 50 highest-grossing films of 1996 was Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco. We're shocked too. Why don't we learn about the Great Sequel Drought of '96 at school? But, even if more than two major sequels were released in 1996, First Contact still might've won because it's actually pretty great. The cool part about First Contact is that it's essentially a Star Trek version of a zombie movie, a space-faring, time-traveling Night of the Living Borg that also brings almost everything that was cool about the Next Generation to the table. Nice use of the Holodeck, the Borg Queen makes a fantastic villain, and it's cool to see the Trek franchise actually trying to pull off action sequences that go beyond "I canna push the warp drives any harder, Captain!" However, post-First Contact, the world goes 13 years until it gets another Star Trek film worth a damn.
The competition: Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (3/8)
Why?: Put down the torches and pitchforks, angry mob, and let us explain. 1997 was FILLED with some of the worst movie sequels of all time. Spielberg's worst movie (The Lost World), James Bond fights a TV producer (yawn), Ripley gives birth to a milky white alien baby, and Speed on a frickin' cruise ship. It was a year that proudly displayed the WORST that sequels have to offer and yet one movie - one spectacularly, amazingly AWFUL movie - stood above the rest. That's right, baby. Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin. And, even though Batman fanboys would never admit it, Batman & Robin is so terrible, so poorly conceived, such a failure on every possible level that it's actually pretty friggin' fun to watch. Forget Troll 2. B&R is the best worst movie ever and it should travel the country with Rocky Horror-esque screenings where everyone can join in on the fun. So, if forced to choose between mediocrity (Alien Resurrection, Scream 2) or gut-busting trainwreck hilarity, we'll choose Batman & Robin every time.
The competition: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (5/23); Speed 2: Cruise Control (6/13); Alien Resurrection (11/26); Scream 2 (12/12); Tomorrow Never Dies (12/19)
Why?: Let's just say it - we HATE 1998. We thought 1997 was bad, but 1998 didn't even have any sequels that were as snicker-worthy as Batman & Robin. They were all bad, boring messes and, if we had to pick the best of the mediocre crop, we guess we'll go with Lethal Weapon 4 (dammit). On the good side, there ARE some nice moments in LW4 - Gibson and Glover still have amazing chemistry, there's a pretty decent highway car chase, and the final Riggs and Murtaugh vs. Jet Li fight is surprisingly brutal and nicely done. On the bad side, we'll count almost EVERYTHING else about the movie, ranging from the pathetic script, lackluster everything, and every single moment Joe Pesci opens his mouth. Still, it's the lesser of many sequel evils of 1998.
The competition: Star Trek: Insurrection (2/11); U.S. Marshals (3/6); Halloween: H20 (8/7)
Why?: FINALLY, a sequel worth getting excited about. After the Sequel Depression of the 1990s, the format finally springs back to life with the best sequel since 1991 - Toy Story 2. Even though Pixar had produced several hits since the original Toy Story, it was the release of Toy Story 2 that really convinced us that the animation studio could do no wrong. Why? Because movies as good as Toy Story 1 don't normally get sequels that are worth damn, no less, sequels that are actually better than the original. But Toy Story 2 proved that - if you focus on story and character and raising the stakes in believable, emotionally honest ways - you can live up to (or surpass) even the greatest of the movies.
The competition: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (6/11); The World Is Not Enough (11/19)
Why?: WOW. We're surprised about this one too. After the sublime highs of Toy Story 2, how could we fall all the way down to an extra-long episode of a middle-of-the-road Nickelodeon cartoon? The answer is lack of options. John Woo's ridiculous Mission: Impossible sequel was a joke (take a shot every time someone rips off a stupidly realistic face mask), the highlight of Nutty Professor II is watching Larry Miller get raped by a giant hamster (not kidding), Scream 3 put the final nail in the Scream franchise, and 102 Dalmatians should've been titled "Glenn Close Picks Up a Paycheck." So, when compared against all of that dreck, the cute, safe, mildly clever Rugrats sequel rises above the rest. We're not proud of it, but it's true.
The competition: Scream 3 (2/4); Mission: Impossible II (5/24); The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (7/28); 102 Dalmatians (11/22)
Why?: Yet another choice we're not proud of, but there's a disturbing lack of ambition or even competence in its competition - how boring were Rush Hour 2 and Jurassic Park 3? - and Mummy Returns is anything but boring. In fact, it's bat-**** insane and that's kind of what we love about it. Granted, it's not a good movie, but we love it for some of the same reasons we dig Batman & Robin - watching a filmmaker of questionable talent swing for the fences with an unlimited budget can sometimes be fun. Plus, after watching the soul-sucking awfulness of Mummy 3: Rise of the Dragon Who-Gives-a-Crap, we definitely found a new respect for Mummy Returns. Yeah, it's bad, but it's watchable bad, and that makes a big difference.
The competition: Along Came a Spider (4/6); Dr. Dolittle 2 (6/22); Scary Movie 2 (7/4); Jurassic Park III (7/18); Rush Hour 2 (8/3); American Pie 2 (8/10)
Why?: Talk about a no-brainer. Did any of these other movies even have a chance? (Sit down, Potter and Star Wars fans. Chamber and Clones were two of the worst chapters in their respective franchises.) We know that some people debate whether the second "chapter" of a trilogy actually counts as a sequel (particularly since the whole LOTR trilogy was filmed concurrently), but that's all just semantics. Two Towers builds upon Fellowship of the Ring and just expands and improves on everything, which is an accomplishment that can't be ignored. Plus Gollum finally got the bad taste of Jar-Jar out of our collective mouths, so thanks, Peter Jackson.
The competition: Blade II (3/22); Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (5/16); Men in Black II (7/3); Stuart Little 2 (7/19); Austin Powers in Goldmember (7/26); Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (8/7); The Santa Clause 2 (11/1); Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (11/15); Die Another Day (11/22)
Why?: Since we're HUGE Hot Fuzz fans, we really, really wanted to pick Bad Boys 2 as sequel of the year for 2003, but we just couldn't do it. 2003 was a HUGE year for sequels. 13 of the top 50 movies of the year were sequels and there were another five sequels in the top 100. There were a few great moments (X2, bits in the Matrix sequels) and a lot of so-so bombast, but, c'mon, like anything was going to be better than Return of the King. Yes, it had 25 endings and about six too many, but it's going to act as the definition of "epic movie" for the next few decades, so we'll forgive it a few flaws.
The competition: X2: X-Men United (5/2); The Matrix Reloaded (5/15); The Italian Job (5/30); 2 Fast 2 Furious (6/6); Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (6/27); Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (7/2); Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (7/2); Bad Boys II (7/18); Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (7/25); Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (7/25); American Wedding (8/1); The Matrix Revolutions (11/5)
Why?: Don't let the bad taste that Spidey 3 left in your mouth taint your memory of this one. Spider-Man 2 is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made and, we're afraid, probably the best Spider-Man movie that we're ever going to get. But there was some stiff competition this year - most notably, a strong Jason Bourne sequel and the best Harry Potter movie to date. (We're not counting Kill Bill 2 since it's just the second half of one whole movie.) However, Spidey 2 still pulls ahead thanks to some amazing action sequences (some of the first to really capture the epic scope of comic book superhero throwdowns), strong character moments, and the franchise's best villain yet. Yes, there are a couple of cheesy bits that foreshadowed the ridiculous tone of Spider-Man 3, but, all in all, there's very little you could improve on in Spider-Man 2, Sam Raimi's best sequel since Army of Darkness.
The competition: Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2/6); Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (3/26); Shrek 2 (5/19); Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (6/4); The Bourne Supremacy (7/23); The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (8/11); Ocean's Twelve (12/10); Meet the Fockers (12/22)
Why?: This one might confuse some people. Star Wars fans try desperately to defend Revenge of the Sith as the best of the prequels and, yeah, even we agree that Prisoner of Azkaban is the best Harry Potter movie. So, why did we go with Goblet of Fire? First, Sith sucked (deal with it, nerds) and, second, what else were we going to pick? The Ring Two? Saw 2? XXX: State of the Union? (Before you check, that one totally didn't make the top 50 of 2005.) And, finally, there's a lot to like in Goblet of Fire. The Tri-Wizard Tournament gives the film a great structure, the school dance sequence really sells the humor of being a teenage wizard, and there are some fantastic supporting turns, first and foremost, the killer Ralph Fiennes as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It ain't the best Potter, but it's pretty darn good.
The competition: The Ring Two (3/18); Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (5/19); Saw II (10/28); Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (12/21)
Why?: Because, in a big year for action - Spider-Man, pirates, Potter, Rush Hour, the Fantastic Four, and the return of John McClane - the genre was owned, OWNED by that skinny kid from Good Will Hunting. How cool is that? The Jason Bourne movies are THE gold standard of modern action films (the new James Bond movies seem more inspired by Bourne than by the legacy of 007) and the franchise seems to get better with every film. Ultimatum greatly improved upon the action in Supremacy (less shaky-cam, more ass-kicking), finally pulled back the curtain on Bourne's past, and did a terrific job of turning what is, essentially, a one-man character study into a pulse-pounding thriller. Announce Jason Bourne 4 and we'll pre-order our tickets today.
The competition: Spider-Man 3 (5/4); Shrek the Third (5/18); Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (5/25); Ocean's Thirteen (6/8); Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (6/15); Live Free or Die Hard (6/27); Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (7/11); Rush Hour 3 (8/10); Saw IV (10/26); National Treasure: Book of Secrets (12/21)
Why?: Did anyone not see this one coming? Probably one of the best (if not, THE best) superhero movies ever, the second highest-grossing film of all time, a critical and popular smash, and Heath Ledger as the Joker was a revelation. (Did anyone ever think that Jack Nicholson would lose his crown as best Joker ever?) An obvious, but deserving choice.
The competition: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (5/16); Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (5/22); Hellboy II: The Golden Army (7/11); The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (8/1); High School Musical 3: Senior Year (10/24); Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (11/7); Quantum of Solace (11/14)
And the future of 2009 doesn't look that spectacular either in the sequel department either. Can anyone really pretend to be excited about Ice Age 3, Final Destination 3D, Saw VI, Twilight: New Moon, or Alvin and the Chipmunks 2? The sad truth is the only two sequels currently on the horizon that even have a chance of being named "BEST SEQUEL OF 2009" are Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and this week's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. So, aside from our past prejudices - didn't really care for Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and, man, our reviewer didn't like Transformers 2 - we're almost rooting for both films since we're so anxious to find a 2009 sequel to be excited about.
All this "quel" drama has gotten us thinking about the impact of the movie sequel and our thoughts have been drifting back to the summer of 1989, one of the best, most over-the-top years in movie history, a year that most remember for Tim Burton's Batman, even though it also featured a murderer's row of other sequels that set the model for most summer movie seasons to follow. In honor of the 20-year anniversary of that blockbuster summer, we decided to turn a critical eye on the sequels released every year between 1989 and 2009 and select the "BEST SEQUEL OF THE YEAR" for each of the 20 years.
Our criteria? Just to make sure that we didn't get bogged down in a morass of Leprechaun and Land Before Time sequels, we only focused on the sequels that made it within the list of the top 50 highest-grossing films of each year. So, if you're annoyed that we didn't mention Dumb and Dumberer or Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, there's a good reason... beyond the fact that both sucked. Also, we're not counting the first chapters of franchise reboots as "sequels," so movies like Casino Royale and Batman Begins don't count as sequels, but Quantum of Solace and Dark Knight do.
THE BEST SEQUELS OF THE YEAR FOR 1989 TO 2009
1989
Best Sequel of the Year: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (May 24, 1989)
Why?: Watch Last Crusade and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull back to back and you will definitely see what a difference 19 years makes. Indy and the Last Crusade is a fantastic return to form for Indiana Jones, a film that took everything that didn't work about Temple of Doom and vastly improved upon those flaws. Annoying sidekicks were replaced by Sean Connery, the best addition to the series since the fedora, and Nazis proved that they make much better villains than vaguely racist bogeymen. Plus, and this counts for a lot, Last Crusade is easily the funniest film that Spielberg has ever made.
The competition: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (6/9); Ghostbusters II (6/16); The Karate Kid Part III (6/30); Lethal Weapon 2 (7/7); License to Kill (7/14); A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (8/11); Back to the Future Part II (11/22); National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (12/1)
1990
Best Sequel of the Year: Gremlins 2: The New Batch (June 15, 1990)
Why?: Two reasons. First, never has a movie sequel so completely, so absurdly deconstructed its original source material. Director Joe Dante bravely chose to use Gremlins 2 to out-and-out mock everything that was earnest, over-serious, and melodramatic about the first Gremlins, and the result is hilarious. It's a Warner Brothers cartoon version of a monster movie and John Glover's performance alone is enough to love it. The second reason? Lack of competition. Every other sequel in 1990 was either an unsuccessful rehash of a much better film (though Predator 2 holds up surprisingly well) or a complete disaster (Godfather 3, Robocop 2, Rocky V, Exorcist 3).
The competition: Back to the Future Part III (5/25); Another 48 HRS. (6/8); Robocop 2 (6/22); Die Hard 2: Die Harder (7/6); Young Guns II (8/3); The Exorcist III (8/17); Child's Play 2 (11/9); Rocky V (11/16); Predator 2 (11/21); Three Men and a Little Lady (11/21); Look Who's Talking Too (12/14); The Godfather Part III (12/25)
1991
Best Sequel of the Year: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (July 3, 1991)
Why?: Simply put, almost NO ONE does sequels better than James Cameron, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the best sequels of all time. It's a technological marvel - which looks less dated than recent big-budget crap like I, Robot - it's got a great script, terrific acting, and it completely trumps the original Terminator in every way. Who knew that skinny Robert Patrick could be ten-times scarier than a 'roided-out Austrian android or that Schwarzenegger could make you care so much about a soulless robot? One of the best, although both Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey and Star Trek 6 never get the credit they deserve.
The competition: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II (3/22); The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (6/28); Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (7/19); Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (9/13); Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (12/6)
1992
Best Sequel of the Year: Batman Returns (June 19, 1992)
Why?: This is a hard one. There's a lot of good in Batman Returns, but it's far from a perfect film. Granted, it had HUGE expectations to live up, so that alone should buy it some kindness or at least the benefit of the doubt. And, even though almost every single scene with the Penguin disappointed, there's more than enough to love about Michael Keaton's second turn in the mask. Michelle Pfeiffer gave one of the best performances of her career, Christopher Walken ruled the school, and Keaton looked much more relaxed and comfortable in Bruce Wayne's shoes. A flawed, but ambitious gem. Some might argue that 1992's Alien 3 did the same thing, but that jerk David Fincher killed Newt from Aliens, so he simply can't win this one.
The competition: Lethal Weapon 3 (5/15); Patriot Games (6/5); Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (7/17); Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (11/20)
1993
Best Sequel of the Year: Addams Family Values (November 19, 1993)
Why?: Because, wow, 1993 was NOT a good year for sequels, so anything that raised the bar even a little higher than Sister Act 2 looks pretty good in hindsight. The first Addams Family movie was a disappointment, a series of lame gags strung together by some amazing casting (the late Raul Julia was a god), but Addams Family Values took the one-joke world of the original and turned its skewed view onto a series of taboo subjects - political correctness, race, class, sex, you name it. The result is surprisingly funny and the subplot of the summer camp war between the WASPs and the ethnic and handicapped campers is enough to make you love this sequel.
The competition: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (3/19); Hot Shots! Part Deux (5/21); Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (12/10); Wayne's World 2 (12/10); Beethoven's 2nd (12/17)
1994
Best Sequel of the Year: Star Trek: Generations (November 18, 1994)
Why?: Because, let's be honest, bridging the gap between classic Trek and Trek: The Next Generation was a daunting, thankless task that was bound to fail, so the fact that Generations wasn't half-bad is a lot more impressive than it looks. There's something for everyone to complain about in Generations, but Patrick Stewart gives a surprisingly dark, internal lead performance that makes Shatner look like a rodeo clown in comparison, the death of the Enterprise-D is a fantastic sequence (Data said a swear word!), and Kirk finally falls to his end in a death that's half-touching, half-ridiculous. It ain't Shakespeare (sorry Picard), but it was ambitious and well-intentioned, which raises it FAR above the likes of Major League 2.
The competition: The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (3/18); D2: The Mighty Ducks (3/25); Major League II (4/1); Beverly Hills Cop III (5/25); City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (6/10)
1995
Best Sequel of the Year: Die Hard: With A Vengeance (May 19, 1995)
Why?: To be frank, we'd LOVE to count the better-than-average GoldenEye as the best sequel of '95, but, after much deliberation, we decided that the first Pierce Brosnan Bond was more of a reboot than a sequel. Regardless, Die Hard: With A Vengeance still counts as our second favorite John McClane adventure, pulling ahead of Die Harder (an airport karaoke version of the original) and the PG-13 lameness of Live Free or Die Hard. Vengeance gets extra points for bringing back Die Hard director John McTiernan, pairing Willis with a partner who almost steals the movie (nice work, Sam), having a great soundtrack, and delivering some nice NYC action. Nowhere near as good as the original Die Hard, but what movie is?
The competition: Batman Forever (6/16); Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (7/14); Father of the Bride Part II (12/8); Grumpier Old Men (12/22)
1996
Best Sequel of the Year: Star Trek: First Contact (November 22, 1996)
Why?: Two Star Trek movies in two years? And two Next Generation movies? REALLY? What's the deal? Well, if you can believe it, oddly enough, the ONLY other sequel in the top 50 highest-grossing films of 1996 was Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco. We're shocked too. Why don't we learn about the Great Sequel Drought of '96 at school? But, even if more than two major sequels were released in 1996, First Contact still might've won because it's actually pretty great. The cool part about First Contact is that it's essentially a Star Trek version of a zombie movie, a space-faring, time-traveling Night of the Living Borg that also brings almost everything that was cool about the Next Generation to the table. Nice use of the Holodeck, the Borg Queen makes a fantastic villain, and it's cool to see the Trek franchise actually trying to pull off action sequences that go beyond "I canna push the warp drives any harder, Captain!" However, post-First Contact, the world goes 13 years until it gets another Star Trek film worth a damn.
The competition: Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (3/8)
1997
Best Sequel of the Year: Batman and Robin (June 20, 1997)
Why?: Put down the torches and pitchforks, angry mob, and let us explain. 1997 was FILLED with some of the worst movie sequels of all time. Spielberg's worst movie (The Lost World), James Bond fights a TV producer (yawn), Ripley gives birth to a milky white alien baby, and Speed on a frickin' cruise ship. It was a year that proudly displayed the WORST that sequels have to offer and yet one movie - one spectacularly, amazingly AWFUL movie - stood above the rest. That's right, baby. Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin. And, even though Batman fanboys would never admit it, Batman & Robin is so terrible, so poorly conceived, such a failure on every possible level that it's actually pretty friggin' fun to watch. Forget Troll 2. B&R is the best worst movie ever and it should travel the country with Rocky Horror-esque screenings where everyone can join in on the fun. So, if forced to choose between mediocrity (Alien Resurrection, Scream 2) or gut-busting trainwreck hilarity, we'll choose Batman & Robin every time.
The competition: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (5/23); Speed 2: Cruise Control (6/13); Alien Resurrection (11/26); Scream 2 (12/12); Tomorrow Never Dies (12/19)
1998
Best Sequel of the Year: Lethal Weapon 4 (July 10, 1998)
Why?: Let's just say it - we HATE 1998. We thought 1997 was bad, but 1998 didn't even have any sequels that were as snicker-worthy as Batman & Robin. They were all bad, boring messes and, if we had to pick the best of the mediocre crop, we guess we'll go with Lethal Weapon 4 (dammit). On the good side, there ARE some nice moments in LW4 - Gibson and Glover still have amazing chemistry, there's a pretty decent highway car chase, and the final Riggs and Murtaugh vs. Jet Li fight is surprisingly brutal and nicely done. On the bad side, we'll count almost EVERYTHING else about the movie, ranging from the pathetic script, lackluster everything, and every single moment Joe Pesci opens his mouth. Still, it's the lesser of many sequel evils of 1998.
The competition: Star Trek: Insurrection (2/11); U.S. Marshals (3/6); Halloween: H20 (8/7)
1999
Best Sequel of the Year: Toy Story 2 (November 19, 1999)
Why?: FINALLY, a sequel worth getting excited about. After the Sequel Depression of the 1990s, the format finally springs back to life with the best sequel since 1991 - Toy Story 2. Even though Pixar had produced several hits since the original Toy Story, it was the release of Toy Story 2 that really convinced us that the animation studio could do no wrong. Why? Because movies as good as Toy Story 1 don't normally get sequels that are worth damn, no less, sequels that are actually better than the original. But Toy Story 2 proved that - if you focus on story and character and raising the stakes in believable, emotionally honest ways - you can live up to (or surpass) even the greatest of the movies.
The competition: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (6/11); The World Is Not Enough (11/19)
2000
Best Sequel of the Year: Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (November 17, 2000)
Why?: WOW. We're surprised about this one too. After the sublime highs of Toy Story 2, how could we fall all the way down to an extra-long episode of a middle-of-the-road Nickelodeon cartoon? The answer is lack of options. John Woo's ridiculous Mission: Impossible sequel was a joke (take a shot every time someone rips off a stupidly realistic face mask), the highlight of Nutty Professor II is watching Larry Miller get raped by a giant hamster (not kidding), Scream 3 put the final nail in the Scream franchise, and 102 Dalmatians should've been titled "Glenn Close Picks Up a Paycheck." So, when compared against all of that dreck, the cute, safe, mildly clever Rugrats sequel rises above the rest. We're not proud of it, but it's true.
The competition: Scream 3 (2/4); Mission: Impossible II (5/24); The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (7/28); 102 Dalmatians (11/22)
2001
Best Sequel of the Year: The Mummy Returns (May 4, 2001)
Why?: Yet another choice we're not proud of, but there's a disturbing lack of ambition or even competence in its competition - how boring were Rush Hour 2 and Jurassic Park 3? - and Mummy Returns is anything but boring. In fact, it's bat-**** insane and that's kind of what we love about it. Granted, it's not a good movie, but we love it for some of the same reasons we dig Batman & Robin - watching a filmmaker of questionable talent swing for the fences with an unlimited budget can sometimes be fun. Plus, after watching the soul-sucking awfulness of Mummy 3: Rise of the Dragon Who-Gives-a-Crap, we definitely found a new respect for Mummy Returns. Yeah, it's bad, but it's watchable bad, and that makes a big difference.
The competition: Along Came a Spider (4/6); Dr. Dolittle 2 (6/22); Scary Movie 2 (7/4); Jurassic Park III (7/18); Rush Hour 2 (8/3); American Pie 2 (8/10)
2002
Best Sequel of the Year: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (December 18, 2002)
Why?: Talk about a no-brainer. Did any of these other movies even have a chance? (Sit down, Potter and Star Wars fans. Chamber and Clones were two of the worst chapters in their respective franchises.) We know that some people debate whether the second "chapter" of a trilogy actually counts as a sequel (particularly since the whole LOTR trilogy was filmed concurrently), but that's all just semantics. Two Towers builds upon Fellowship of the Ring and just expands and improves on everything, which is an accomplishment that can't be ignored. Plus Gollum finally got the bad taste of Jar-Jar out of our collective mouths, so thanks, Peter Jackson.
The competition: Blade II (3/22); Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (5/16); Men in Black II (7/3); Stuart Little 2 (7/19); Austin Powers in Goldmember (7/26); Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (8/7); The Santa Clause 2 (11/1); Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (11/15); Die Another Day (11/22)
2003
Best Sequel of the Year: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (December 17, 2003)
Why?: Since we're HUGE Hot Fuzz fans, we really, really wanted to pick Bad Boys 2 as sequel of the year for 2003, but we just couldn't do it. 2003 was a HUGE year for sequels. 13 of the top 50 movies of the year were sequels and there were another five sequels in the top 100. There were a few great moments (X2, bits in the Matrix sequels) and a lot of so-so bombast, but, c'mon, like anything was going to be better than Return of the King. Yes, it had 25 endings and about six too many, but it's going to act as the definition of "epic movie" for the next few decades, so we'll forgive it a few flaws.
The competition: X2: X-Men United (5/2); The Matrix Reloaded (5/15); The Italian Job (5/30); 2 Fast 2 Furious (6/6); Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (6/27); Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (7/2); Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (7/2); Bad Boys II (7/18); Spy Kids 3D: Game Over (7/25); Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (7/25); American Wedding (8/1); The Matrix Revolutions (11/5)
2004
Best Sequel of the Year: Spider-Man 2 (June 30, 2004)
Why?: Don't let the bad taste that Spidey 3 left in your mouth taint your memory of this one. Spider-Man 2 is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made and, we're afraid, probably the best Spider-Man movie that we're ever going to get. But there was some stiff competition this year - most notably, a strong Jason Bourne sequel and the best Harry Potter movie to date. (We're not counting Kill Bill 2 since it's just the second half of one whole movie.) However, Spidey 2 still pulls ahead thanks to some amazing action sequences (some of the first to really capture the epic scope of comic book superhero throwdowns), strong character moments, and the franchise's best villain yet. Yes, there are a couple of cheesy bits that foreshadowed the ridiculous tone of Spider-Man 3, but, all in all, there's very little you could improve on in Spider-Man 2, Sam Raimi's best sequel since Army of Darkness.
The competition: Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2/6); Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (3/26); Shrek 2 (5/19); Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (6/4); The Bourne Supremacy (7/23); The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (8/11); Ocean's Twelve (12/10); Meet the Fockers (12/22)
2005
Best Sequel of the Year: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (November 11, 2005)
Why?: This one might confuse some people. Star Wars fans try desperately to defend Revenge of the Sith as the best of the prequels and, yeah, even we agree that Prisoner of Azkaban is the best Harry Potter movie. So, why did we go with Goblet of Fire? First, Sith sucked (deal with it, nerds) and, second, what else were we going to pick? The Ring Two? Saw 2? XXX: State of the Union? (Before you check, that one totally didn't make the top 50 of 2005.) And, finally, there's a lot to like in Goblet of Fire. The Tri-Wizard Tournament gives the film a great structure, the school dance sequence really sells the humor of being a teenage wizard, and there are some fantastic supporting turns, first and foremost, the killer Ralph Fiennes as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It ain't the best Potter, but it's pretty darn good.
The competition: The Ring Two (3/18); Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (5/19); Saw II (10/28); Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (12/21)
2006
Best Sequel of the Year: Mission: Impossible III (May 5, 2006)
Why?: Because, after the tripe that was M:I2, did ANYONE actually expect M:I3 to be any good? Hardly. And yet, J.J. Abrams didn't let that stop him from turning his directorial debut into the most engaging, most thrilling, hands-down BEST Mission: Impossible movie yet. And let's not forget that was one of the first Tom Cruise movies to come out post-Oprah couch jumping, so audiences came to see M:I3 expecting to find more blood-in-the-water to feed pop culture's "Cruise is crazy" feeding frenzy. And what did they find instead? They found an Ethan Hunt whom they could sympathize with, whom they liked, whom had believable character motivations, and whom they could root for. That's an amazing accomplishment. Plus the movie kicks ass and has awesome action, so it's win-win.
The competition: Underworld: Evolution (1/20); Big Momma's House 2 (1/27); Ice Age: The Meltdown (3/31); Scary Movie 4 (4/14); X-Men: The Last Stand (5/26); The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (6/16); Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (7/7); Jackass: Number Two (9/22); Saw III (10/27); The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (11/3)
2007
Best Sequel of the Year: The Bourne Ultimatum (August 3, 2007)
Why?: Because, in a big year for action - Spider-Man, pirates, Potter, Rush Hour, the Fantastic Four, and the return of John McClane - the genre was owned, OWNED by that skinny kid from Good Will Hunting. How cool is that? The Jason Bourne movies are THE gold standard of modern action films (the new James Bond movies seem more inspired by Bourne than by the legacy of 007) and the franchise seems to get better with every film. Ultimatum greatly improved upon the action in Supremacy (less shaky-cam, more ass-kicking), finally pulled back the curtain on Bourne's past, and did a terrific job of turning what is, essentially, a one-man character study into a pulse-pounding thriller. Announce Jason Bourne 4 and we'll pre-order our tickets today.
The competition: Spider-Man 3 (5/4); Shrek the Third (5/18); Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (5/25); Ocean's Thirteen (6/8); Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (6/15); Live Free or Die Hard (6/27); Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (7/11); Rush Hour 3 (8/10); Saw IV (10/26); National Treasure: Book of Secrets (12/21)
2008
Best Sequel of the Year: The Dark Knight (July 18, 2008)
Why?: Did anyone not see this one coming? Probably one of the best (if not, THE best) superhero movies ever, the second highest-grossing film of all time, a critical and popular smash, and Heath Ledger as the Joker was a revelation. (Did anyone ever think that Jack Nicholson would lose his crown as best Joker ever?) An obvious, but deserving choice.
The competition: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (5/16); Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (5/22); Hellboy II: The Golden Army (7/11); The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (8/1); High School Musical 3: Senior Year (10/24); Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (11/7); Quantum of Solace (11/14)
2009
Best Sequel of the Year: ???
If we had to guess from what we've seen so far in 2009 and what's coming up between now and December, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (7/15) has a very decent chance to taking the crown for '09.
The competition (so far): Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (1/23); The Pink Panther 2 (2/6); Fast & Furious (4/3); Crank: High Voltage (4/17); Angels & Demons (5/15); Terminator Salvation (5/21); Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (5/22); Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (6/24)
The competition (to come - as scheduled to date): Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (7/1); Final Destination: Death Trip 3D (8/28); Saw VI (10/23); The Twilight Saga: New Moon (11/20); Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel (12/25)
*****
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I noticed that you don't have Star Trek listed among the competition for 2009. I would just like to point out that it can be considered a sequel in a way. Both Nero (Eric Bana) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) originate from eight years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis (2387). Their involvement in the movie links the movie to the time after the previous movies, so in that sense, you could consider it a sequel. I'm just sayin'. :)
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