One rule that seems to stick in Hollywood is the law of diminishing returns. This states that sequels to even the best movies are often lesser, both in critical reception and in financial returns. However, in recent years, especially in the realm of comic book movies, this is not true.
Not only do many sequels beat out the original movies at the box office, but in many cases, the sequels are even better than the movies that came before it. This is also not new, as sequels to even some beloved classics found greater love from fans as time went on, some gaining dramatically better IMDb scores from fans.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017) - 7.9
- Streaming now on Disney+.
In Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, critics and fans did not appreciate all the movies that led into the first Thor, directed by Kenneth Branagh. That movie has a 7.0 average score on IMDb, and the future of the Thunder God dipped with the sequel, which dropped to a 6.8.
However, Marvel put the third movie, director Taika Waititi and he worked wonders. Not only did he revitalize Thor's solo franchise, but he got a fourth movie greenlit and finished with an impressive jump to 7.9 on IMDb.
The Dark Knight (2008) - 9.0
- Streaming now on HBO Max.
When Christopher Nolan signed on to the Batman franchise at Warner Bros., he helped bring the hero back from the grave. After Batman & Robin finished with a rock-low 3.8 score at IMDb, it seemed the franchise was dead. Batman Begins saved it, with a nice 8.2 rating.
That was high, but the best was yet to come. With the sequel, Batman villain The Joker, but he finished with a 9.0 IMDb rating, the highest of any Batman movie by a long shot.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) - 7.7
- Streaming now on Paramount+.
directing Tom Cruise to great success. It seems hard to believe, but it just kept getting better, and the biggest came 22 years later, with Cruise still in the lead.
That first Mission: Impossible movie has an IMDb score of 7.1. However, when Cruise teamed up with Christopher McQuarrie for the sixth movie in the franchise, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, it ended up with a 7.7 average score and proved there was a lot left in the spy series.
Paddington 2 (2017) - 7.8
- Streaming now on HBO Max.
The first Paddington movie hit in 2014, with the classic children's literature franchise coming to the big screen. The movie received positive critical praise and finished with a 7.3 average score on IMDb as the bear found his new home amidst the humans.
However, things got even better with the sequel, where Paddington was framed for a crime he didn't commit and ended up in prison. Hugh Grant is gloriously over the top as the villain and fans loved it, giving it a 7.8 average IMDb score.
Spider-Man 2 (2004) - 7.4
- Streaming now on Fubo.
Marvel took longer to really deliver on the big screen than DC Comics, but once Blade and, more important, the X-Men proved the characters could translate over to the movies, Sony jumped into the fray with Spider-Man, directed by genre favorite Sam Raimi.
The first movie was a massive hit and has a 7.3 average IMDb rating. However, the first sequel is considered one of the best comic book movies of its era, thanks to Sam Raimi cutting loose and Doctor Octopus becoming a breakout favorite villain. Fans on IMDb gave it a nice 7.4 average.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - 8.1
- Streaming now on HBO Max.
The original Mad Max came out in 1979 with a then-unknown Mel Gibson in the lead role of a former cop set out for vengeance in a post-apocalyptic future. The movie is a cult classic, even with a lower 6.9 IMDb rating, and spawned two sequels, one with a better score at IMDb and the other lower.
However, what is shocking is that Mad Max: Fury Road, which has a very impressive 8.1 rating for fans.
Fast Five (2011) - 7.3
- Streaming now on Pluto TV.
Much like the Mission: Impossible franchise, the car racing series that started with The Fast & The Furious has lasted a very long time, with the first movie coming out in 2001 and the series still racing along today. That first movie has an IMDb score of 6.8, and while the next few were not major hits, things changed in 2011.
That was when Fast Five came out and added Dwayne Johnson to the franchise. The movies also moved away from the street racing storylines and it switched to a heist movie series with explosive stunts. Everything connected with fans, and Fast Five has a 7.3 rating on IMDb.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - 8.7
- Streaming now on Disney+.
If there was one movie that changed everything about science fiction in the mainstream, it was George Lucas's Star Wars in 1977. Using the classic hero's journey formula, Lucas combined the Japanese samurai tropes to create a sci-fi franchise that still excites fans over 40 years later.
That original movie has a very high 8.6 rating, but that was beaten by its sequel. In a rare movie that ends with the heroes at their lowest, The Empire Strikes Back stands as one of the best sequels ever made, and IMDb fans agree, giving it an 8.7 rating.
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1984) - 7.7
- Streaming now on Paramount+.
In 1979, Star Trek was popular, but the movie didn't give fans what they wanted at the time. The first movie was a cerebral science fiction story about finding life in the outer reaches of space, but it didn't supply the fun space-faring action the TV show did. Fans shrugged and it has a 6.4 IMDb rating.
In the sequel, Star Wars: The Wrath of Khan did everything the first movie didn't do. A TV villain returned in Khan, there were massive fights and space battles, and a major fan favorite even died in the fight. This revitalized the franchise and it never looked back. IMDb fans rewarded it with a 7.7 score.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - 8.5
- Streaming now on Netflix.
The first Terminator movie was a straight horror movie with a sci-fi edge, as an unstoppable killing machine from the future arrived in the '80s to murder a woman pregnant with the future resistance leader. Fans loved it and the movie received an 8.0 on IMDb, a relatively high score for a sci-fi horror movie.
With Terminator 2: Judgment Day, James Cameron delivered what the first movie promised. He showed the future and the war with robots and then he brought back the original killer to protect the woman's now-born child, while also introducing an even more unbeatable villain. It was universally acclaimed and has an 8.5 score on IMDb.
