The continuing box office success of Top Gun: Maverick has proven that action movie sequels don’t always mean diminishing returns. Sequels usually just replicate what made the original work so well with less of the magic, but that’s not always the case. Not only can sequels manage to live up to their predecessors; in some rare cases, they even sur them in quality, as many of Top Gun: Maverick’s rave reviews have suggested.
From Terminator 2: Judgment Day, there are many action movie sequels that Redditors have deemed to be stronger films than the ones that came before.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
According to Redditor Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an improvement over its predecessor. Cap’s first MCU solo movie is a fun enough pulpy World War II action-adventure, but its set-pieces don’t have the visceral thrills that the Russo brothers brought to the sequel.
Not only is The Winter Soldier a tense ‘70s-style conspiracy thriller; it also subverts the MCU’s “villain problem” by making Steve Rogers’ brainwashed childhood friend the bad guy.
Bad Boys II (2003)
Michael Bay offered a fun, explosive take on the familiar “buddy cop” formula with the first Bad Boys movie. But Redditor u/damienkarras1973 believes that Bay outdid himself with the big-budget 2003 sequel, Bad Boys II.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s chemistry is even stronger the second time around, and Bay uses the extra money in the budget to unleash oodles more “Bayhem” on the audience.
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
Speaking of the “buddy cop” genre, director Richard Donner and screenwriter Shane Black solidified many of the genre’s tropes with their action-packed 1987 noir masterpiece Lethal Weapon 2.
Redditor u/JediPony1944 feels this sequel is even better than the original. It has a more memorable villain, whose diplomatic immunity makes him an elusive foe, and it’s full of unique set-pieces like the bomb in Murtaugh’s toilet.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Christopher Nolan revitalized the comic book genre and explored the Caped Crusader’s origins in more depth than ever before with his gritty reboot Batman Begins. But Redditor u/taycky22 thinks Nolan managed to top that achievement with the sequel, The Dark Knight.
The Dark Knight plays like a version of Heat set in Gotham City, and Heath Ledger’s Joker is one of the most unforgettable villains in movie history.
From Russia With Love (1963)
Sean Connery Dr. No. But according to Redditor u/Responsible-Ninja-30, Terence Young’s follow-up From Russia with Love is an even finer film.
The brutal scuffle on the Orient Express is one of the most memorable fight scenes ever put on film, and Robert Shaw gives a truly sinister turn as the villainous Red Grant.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man 2.
In the sequel, Peter Parker loses his powers and has to confront what it really means to be Spider-Man. Alfred Molina gave the perfect supervillain performance with his blend of human pathos and mustache-twirling evil in the role of Doctor Octopus.
The Road Warrior (1981)
George Miller’s original Mad Max movie is a dystopian police thriller set in the near future, before the fall of civilization. The gonzo post-apocalyptic thrills that the franchise is now famous for didn’t come along until the second movie, 1981’s The Road Warrior.
According to Redditor u/taycky22, with all its ruthless villains, vehicular carnage, and spaghetti western storytelling, The Road Warrior is a stronger movie than the original.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
James Cameron’s original Terminator movie is a taut, tense cat-and-mouse thriller that perfectly blends sci-fi and noir tropes. According to Redditor u/P1nCush10n, Cameron’s mega-scale sequel – 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day – is not only bigger and bolder than the first movie; it’s also better.
With twice the Terminators, twice the Connors, and 10 times the spectacle, T2 is one of the greatest action movies ever made.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
One of the first titles that comes up in any discussion of sequels that are better than the original is but Empire is even better.
According to Redditor u/taycky22, The Empire Strikes Back is stronger than its predecessor. The sequel has a darker tone than its predecessor, and humanizes the iconic Darth Vader with its famous “I am your father” twist.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Tony Scott’s original Top Gun movie is a classic of the action genre and a staple of ‘80s cinema, but Redditor u/Ieatsushiraw claims that Joseph Kosinski’s new sequel – Top Gun: Maverick, by far the biggest movie of the year – is a better film.
Tom Cruise’s practical stunt work made the aerial sequences a true spectacle to behold on the big screen, while his surrogate father-son dynamic with Rooster gave the movie an emotionally engaging story to back up the action.
