Sci-Fi Sequels Better Than The Original

It's a difficult challenge to create a sequel. In many cases, audiences have fond memories of the first film, and you have to build upon the pre-established story in a way that feels fresh. There's a far more difficult challenge when the first film wasn't so beloved, but made a good deal of money. In that instance, a sequel needs to let audiences know that there are still worthwhile stories to tell in that universe.

Expanding universes is particularly important when you deal with science fiction. A new technology or species or aliens provides an abundance of unique stories, which is why it's disappointing when so many sci-fi sequels do the bare minimum in continuing a franchise.

And yet, there are those sequels that surpass expectations — the follow-ups where someone takes a concept from the original film and just goes to town on it. From finding a new take on the first film's themes to fleshing out the characters even more, these movies did more than just make money for a studio. They are true works of art that stand up on their own as great pieces of cinema — and they're all sci-fi sequels better than the original.

1984's "The Terminator" is an incredible science fiction/action film that broke new ground, both in terms of storytelling and visual effects. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the titular mechanical assassin who's sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor because she will eventually give birth to humanity's savior. It's a formula the franchise has been trying to recreate ever since through numerous sequels with varying degrees of success. But there's really only been one sequel that has matched, and by some accounts exceeded, the original.

Seven years later, James Cameron returned to the director's chair to give us "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." The film flipped the script in several ways, but in each instance, it feels like a natural progression to this story. This time, Schwarzenegger's Terminator is a good guy trying to protect Sarah Connor. Plus, Sarah is more of a full-blown action hero in this film. 

The sequel also broke new ground for visual effects. The T-1000, a new cyborg assassin made out of a kind of fluid metal, still looks great to this day. During a day and age when technology is more prevalent than ever, "T2" still feels incredibly relevant.

The "Planet of the Apes" franchise is tricky to nail down. The films' quality varies significantly over the years, especially within the original series, which ran from 1968 to 1973 over five films. Tim Burton's remake of the original in 2001 failed to reignite any real interest in the series. It wouldn't be for another decade, and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," that audiences would really see what kind of stories this franchise would tell. 

While "Rise" is great in many aspects, its purpose is essentially to show how apes came to gain intelligence and begin their conquest of the planet Earth. It's not until the sequel, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," that we really see why these movies deserve to be made. The story of an impending war between the apes and a small faction of humans, as well as their attempts to try to avoid conflict, is spectacular and heartbreaking. After all, you go in knowing war is inevitable. 

But beyond that, the visual effects are outstanding. Andy Serkis brings a great deal of sadness to Caesar, making him one of the most emotionally compelling VFX-created characters in film history. Plus, "Caesar... weak. Koba... weaker" is possibly one of the most awesome action movie lines of all time.

Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus" is considered by many to be the first prime example of science fiction. In 1931, the story's monster, played perfectly by Boris Karloff, received his own film as part of the Universal monster series. The film follows closely to the source material with a few deviations here and there, forging a film that defined Frankenstein's monster for generations. 

With the sequel, "Bride of Frankenstein," the filmmakers had a chance to forge their own path by following a subplot from the original source material where the monster wants a partner. In the film, Frankenstein obliges and creates the Bride of Frankenstein. It's a philosophically rich story that argues there's a great difference between creating life and creating humanity. 

With such a potent horror film that still stands up to this day, it makes sense that a reboot has been tried more than once over the years. But if we never get a remake, we still have the original to show us that even monsters want love.

By the early 2000s, the zombie genre had kind of worn out its welcome; it seemed as though filmmakers had already told every story you could possibly tell with these monsters. That all changed with 2002's "28 Days Later," which reinvigorated a stagnant genre. The horror is on point, and the characters feel real. It also made the idea of fast-moving zombies more mainstream.

"28 Days Later" is already a fairly dark story, so it's pretty incredible that the sequel, "28 Weeks Later," managed to be even grimmer. Depraved depths of humanity are reached as characters question whether someone is infected by the virus, and one by one, people are picked off in spectacularly bloody fashion.

"28 Weeks Later" also has a spectacular cast of actors who would go on to amazing things, such as Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Idris Elba, and Imogen Poots. Director Danny Boyle has suggested there could be one more film to round out the trilogy, appropriately titled "28 Months Later." If that ever comes to pass, you can be certain it will be one of the darkest zombie movies ever made.

There were superhero movies before 2002's "Spider-Man," but this particular film really captured the general public's attention. People who weren't ordinarily comic book fans came out in droves to see it, and flaws aside, it's a pretty great adaptation of the comic books. It's bright, colorful, and features quippy dialogue. But once the origin story was out of the way, the filmmakers could finally delve into what truly makes Spider-Man a hero.

There are plenty of superhero sequels that top the original (i.e. "The Dark Knight" and "Thor: Ragnarok"), but there's just something special about "Spider-Man 2." It features one of the best superhero movie villains of all time with Alfred Molina's Doc Ock. Just as much attention goes toward Peter Parker's everyman struggles — we see him try to juggle all of his responsibilities, from paying rent and keeping a job to maintaining some kind of relationship with Mary Jane. He's flawed and human, which has always made Spider-Man one of the most relatable superheroes ever created.

Plus, the train scene remains one of the all-time great action set pieces in any film. "Spider-Man 2" showed what a superhero movie could do, and few since have reached such heights. 

After stunning and terrifying audiences with just his second directorial outing in 1979's "Alien," director Ridley Scott would further prove himself to be a master of his craft with the release of 1982's "Blade Runner." The now iconic title has become synonymous with the cyberpunk subgenre and remains a favorite of audiences some 40 years on, following Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) as he hunts down humanoid replicants in the "near future" of 2019.

35 years later, director Denis Villeneuve took audiences back to the world of "Blade Runner" with "Blade Runner 2049." This time around, we follow LAPD officer K (Ryan Gosling) as he works to track down rogue replicants, all while becoming embroiled in a much deeper conspiracy regarding their biology. His search for the truth fully exposes us to the grim future setting, and even sees Ford return to the role of Deckard as part of the dystopian drama.

With the enduring legacy of the original film in mind, it's a tough call to make when asked which of the two comes out on top. That said, "Blade Runner 2049" not only further explores the universe its predecessor crafted, but expands on it in ways few audiences would have expected. Add in all of the breathtaking visuals, incredible performances, and a truly striking score that matches its gloomy tone, and you've got the makings for the rare sequel that outclasses its inspiration.

Hitting theaters in the summer of 2018 and immediately making waves among horror enthusiasts, "A Quiet Place" was one of the best horror films to emerge from the 2010s. Set in a world where humanity has been besieged by alien invaders who hunt by sound instead of sight, those few who have managed to survive the initial onslaught are left struggling to survive in total silence. On a rural farm in New York State, The Abbott family, Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Lee (the film's director John Krasinski), and their children have managed to carve out a life for themselves and adapt to the hostile world. Their chances of survival are called into question, however, as a careless mistake reveals their presence to the extraterrestrial hunters.

Grossing well over $300 million against its modest budget of just $17 million, "A Quiet Place" was practically guaranteed to get a sequel, and two years later we got just that. Incredibly, not only does it match the downright dread that blanketed the first entry, but actually manages to top the first film in many ways. Leaving the family farm behind and now equipped with the tools to fight back, the remaining members of the Abbott family explore the remnants of civilization, hoping to unite with other survivors.

The expanded worldbuilding adds a new level of depth to the dystopian setting that we didn't get in "A Quiet Place," making it an even more interesting entry that knows how to shake things up. Plus, the first ten minutes alone make it clear we're in for a phenomenal film, depicting the earliest moments of the aliens' assault on planet Earth and the hellish chaos that ensued.

When comparing the theatrical releases, 1978's "Superman" is not only hands-down the greatest of the adaptations to star Christopher Reeves, but probably still the best superhero flick to date featuring the Man of Steel. When the conversation shifts to talking about the 2006 "Donner Cut" of the sequel, however, it gets a lot more interesting.

Originally tasked with helming both "Superman" and "Superman II", director Richard Donner wound up being removed from the development of the second film after he had already completed the lion's share of it. Significant reshoots and story changes would wildly change his original vision, leading to critical and commercial success in 1980, but leaving the original cut of the film in limbo, seemingly forever. Thankfully, that all changed in 2006, when the long awaited so-called "Donner Cut" was patched together finally saw the light of day on home video.

A more serious tone, omitted performances from talent like Marlon Brando and John Williams, and a more cohesive story all returned, and gave audiences a taste of what could have been. Though it might not be quite as good as a truly perfect superhero sequel like "Spider-Man 2", We think "Superman II" comes pretty darn close.

Known for projects that incorporate fairy tale themes with a grim twist, Guillermo del Toro was the perfect choice to direct "Hellboy," the first film adaptation of the adventure-horror-fantasy comic series created by Mike Mignola. Still an unproven director for U.S. audiences in 2004, it was perhaps thanks to the critical and commercial success of what remains his magnum opus "Pan's Labyrinth" in 2006 that Del Toro was free to get as creative as he wanted when the time came for the "Hellboy" sequel, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."

Set in the wake of Hellboy's battle with a demonic Rasputin in the 2004 film, the second entry sees Hellboy and the rest of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense go toe to toe with a prince of another realm determined to unseat humanity's control of the planet. In doing so, they must track down a fabled Golden Army of unstoppable warriors, while fighting off everything from swarms of flesh-eating tooth fairies to giant trolls.

With the studio now confident in leaving Del Toro to his own devices, "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" surpasses the original thanks to being a truly unfiltered version of the fantasy director's vision, as well as a more faithful adaptation of Mignola's original comics.