Movie sequels are one of the most controversial topics in cinema, and audiences can never agree on them. On one hand, sequels allow viewers to revisit worlds and characters they already love, allow creatives to tell longer multi-movie stories, and allow studios to release movies with a much greater degree of confidence. On the other hand, Hollywood has become overreliant on sequels, with them sometimes hurting the legacy of their predecessors.
For some movies, it makes perfect sense for a sequel to get released. For example, movies that end on a cliffhanger or are based on a book series with multiple entries. Other times, however, sequels don’t make sense at all. If a story has been completed, it’s been too long since the original film, or there isn’t a clear way to expand the world, fans can get worried about sequels, as was the case with these three releases. In these instances, though, the fans turned out to be wrong.
Toy Story is easily Pixar’s most recognizable franchise, and the release of the legacy sequel Toy Story 3 in 2010 seemed to perfectly cap off the trilogy. Because of this, when plans for 2019’s Toy Story 4 were announced, fans got worried. Some feared that the fourth film was just a cash grab, especially due to elements like the addition of Keanu Reeves to the cast and the return of Bo Peep.
Luckily, Toy Story 4 turned out to be really good, unlike other Pixar legacy sequels like Incredibles II. The film manages to continue the stories of Woody and Buzz in some truly interesting ways, creating a story that is just as great as the previous Toy Story tales.
Men in Black 3 was released in 2012, 10 years after 2002’s Men in Black II, which itself set bad expectations for another sequel. Men in Black II wasn’t nearly as loved as the original, causing many fans to think that the franchise was a one-hit wonder. Plus, the fact that Josh Brolin’s Agent K would largely be replacing Tommy Lee Jones for a significant chunk of the film wasn’t a great sign either.
Men in Black 3 turned out to be a major improvement on the second film, even if it wasn’t quite as good as the original. The time travel story was a ton of fun, and it brings back the humor, style, and intergalactic creativity of the original.
Bad action movies with former stars are a dime a dozen, which is why the quality of the first John Wick was so surprising. Even though the first film was great, fans were still very skeptical about a second movie, as the first John Wick seemed like lightning in a bottle. However, John Wick: Chapter 2 ended up vastly surpassing the original movie, with it really leaning into the stylization that has defined the franchise in every subsequent release.
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