Waiting isn’t fun. Just ask Sirius Black. He waited 12 years to get out of prison and get his revenge. With Zombieland: Double Tap coming out this weekend, we decided to look at the other movies that made us feel we were Sirius in a dungeon waiting for a movie’s sequel. Here are our top 10 movies that took ten years or longer for their sequel to release.
1978 brought us John Carpenter’s iconic horror film, Halloween, which tells the story of high schooler Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) as she tries to survive Halloween night when masked killer Michael Myers (Nick Castle) returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, to hunt Laurie and her friends. Carpenter brought endless chills by taking a simple premise and wringing out every last bit of suspense from it. Forty years later, director David Gordon Green brought us Halloween, a sequel that’s a direct continuation of Carpenter’s original and, thankfully, ignores all of the sequels that were released in the time between, making it a sequel that just about lives up to the legacy of the original. Green’s movie follows an older Laurie who must protect her family as she prepares for a showdown with Michael after he escapes from custody once again. While Carpenter’s film is the better of the two, it was still a lot of fun to sit in a theater for this sequel and revel in the famous theme music and the thrill of returning to Haddonfield for another round of scares. Curtis gives an emotional performance as a woman who’s dealing with the mental stress of always needing to be ready for Michael’s return, but also showing a ferocity when it comes time to face him. Green’s handling of this film is proof that he’s the best thing to happen to this franchise in years; and, although I wish that this was the last movie in the series, as it was (maybe) reasonable to suspect upon its release, I have to admit that I’m excited to see what he has in store for when he returns to direct Halloween Kills (October 2020) and Halloween Ends (October 2021). Until then, you can make the waiting easier by including a Carpenter-Green Halloween double feature in your October festivities.(Vincent Abbatecola)
Back when I talked about Jurassic Park earlier in the year, I expressed how when I first watched it that it opened something in my mind that made me fascinated with filmmaking. So when Jurassic World was announced, I was definitely riding the hype train way before the cast was announced. In Jurassic World, Director Colin Trevorrow invites us back to the island of Costa Rica where in this loosely connected sequel we’re joined by scary dinosaurs, a fully functioning park, and plenty of suspense for a summer creature feature. Owen (Chris Pratt) is our leading man this time around as he’s a Raptor trainer for the park, but when Scientists of Jurassic World create a new kind of Dinosaur that has multiple different kinds of dangerous abilities that ends up terrorizing the park, he’ll team up with Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) who is trying to protect her nephews from the newly created Dinosaur (The Indominusrex). It’s pretty much guaranteed that when you have Chris Pratt at the front of your movie, he’s there to bring charisma. I also buy the chemistry between him and Bryce Dallas Howard’s character, their Romance is very cliche in many ways, but it does just enough that it never slows down the pacing. I think that Colin Trevorrow does a great job at building suspense when we have scenes of characters running from dinosaurs. He also does just enough for fans of the original to give them enough of a satisfying adventure that resembles the original. If you still have somehow missed this one, I say that it’s definitely worth a watch for anyone who loves a good creature feature.(Alex Henderson)
The iconic character of John Rambo had to stow away his bow and signature bandana for a solid 20 years before another entry. Rambo (2008) directed by Sylvester Stallone was the character’s return to form and injected itself with the grittiness captured in David Morrell’s 1972 Novel (First Blood). It even got the seal of approval of Morrell, whereas none of the other films garnered his full respect. Morell complimented the film on being far more faithful to the character of Rambo and dealt with his PTSD in a far more realistic fashion. This time around John Rambo and a group of mercenaries have to enter the hell that is Burma, to rescue Christian Aid Workers from the ruthless local military. Stallone once again reprising one of his most famous roles is able to tap into the character instantly. There feels like a real sense of time has passed with his character work and clearly illustrates where Rambo’s head is at. After meeting with the Christian Aid Workers and reluctantly taking them into Burma, he feels a sense of duty to initiate into an all out war due to the predicament that they find themselves in. Sly’s performance is spot on and you can tell that the lid can blow right off despite his calm and collected exterior. Stallone doesn’t get enough credit for his acting chops, this film really explores what he is capable of as an actor. His PTSD ridden mind is just waiting to snap besides his best efforts to cage the beast within. The film itself is shot very realistically and dark, with scenes of true to life violence. Some might even say that the violence at times is gratuitous, but it never strays away from treating it with the seriousness that it deserves.The 4th Installment in the Rambo Series is underrated in my opinion and is one of the better sequels in the films catalog. This felt like a true and proper send-off for the character and the series likely should have tied everything up here. If you are a fan of the Rambo character or of Action/War Films, this is a great film to pick up.(Joseph Vargas)
Time is the cruelest joke known to humankind. It will trick someone into thinking that significant duration necessitates new additions to popular stories; in fact, time will make the average individual believe that “absence makes the heart grow fonder” applies to movies. Sequels that release more than ten years after their original or preceeding film are almost always exclusively bad. The best time to release a sequel is roughly two-to-three years after the original film to insure that the appetite for the content and its craving audience are still there. The only way a long-awaited sequel can justify its lengthy development is if it uses that time to morph the material into something new while also retaining elements of the original. No sequel should be ever be something completely new but merely an amalgamation of the old with the new. Rocky Balboa is one of only a few films (the others being Blade Runner 2049 and Mad Max: Fury Road) that uses the long-awaited sequel formula properly. It is not a simple remake of the original with new characters, like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but a new chapter in a storied franchise that needed a new entry. Rocky Balboa accomplishes two things. Firstly, it wipes the proverbial slate clean of the horrible after-taste of Rocky V thus making sure the Rocky franchise did not end on a whimper. Secondly, it takes the character of Rocky and adds a new layer of mortality and sorrow for loss of family to the character. Rocky Balboa made the titular character more human and created the opportunity for viewers to see him in a new light; moreover, a new light that would illustrate the character both as a hero going out on his shield and as a believable mentor to Adonis Creed in future films. Rocky Balboa stands as the best long-awaited sequel because it saved a franchise and created a new one all in one outing.(Dylon Turner)
“You just killed a helicopter with a car!” “I was out of bullets.” First of all, let me say three things: 1) Die Hard might be the pinnacle of action movies 2) I unapologetically love 2, 3, and 4 (5 doesn’t exist in this dojo) and 3) do not under any circumstances watch the unrated version of this movie. In 2007, I was 12, so I might have been the primary audience for this movie, but I fell in love instantly. To this day, I still love it although admittedly I have not seen it in a few years. I think the common gripe with this movie is that it doesn’t feel like Die Hard and I disagree. I think the story of John McClane is being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In each movie, the stakes get higher: from corporate skyscraper to international airport to city of New York and now to nation of America. This is the first time we see McClane really with no limitations and it is something to be admired. Timothy Olyphant is very overlooked as the villain, Justin Long isn’t as cringe-y as the plot summary might make it seem, Mary Elizabeth Winstead was introduced to mainstream media, and the movie is fun as heck. Sure, it’s got its problems as most movies do, but it does something new with a character we love. I don’t really want to see McClane stuck in another confined space, but get the chance to grow. And, knowing what he overcomes in the original trilogy, he likely has a police authority to do whatever the crap he wants! At the end of the day, Live Free or Die Hard did exactly what it meant to do: it brought Die Hard to a new generation and because this movie existed, it brought a lot of young fans to a previously dead franchise, including me.(Aaron Schweitzer )
Who thought that a Blade Runner sequel with a budget of $175 million would ever make a profit? Some executive sure did and audiences got to reap the benefits! The original Blade Runner was a commercial flop that was greatly appreciated overtime as more and more audiences got to experience its brilliant cyberpunk future noir story. But it never seemed like a sequel was necessary. But when you get a sequel like Blade Runner 2049, you don’t need a strong reason. Ryan Gosling takes lead a Replicant who is searching for answers to a shocking truth. But who can provide answers? Well Deckard of course! The story is captivating and original in relation to its predecessor but it builds on the mythology so well. The effects are mind blowing and so is the cinematography (who would have guessed with legendary DP Roger Deakins behind the cameras?). What makes this sequel so great? It justifies its own existence, builds its own path, and expands upon the film before it. Is it really crazy to say that it is even better than the original?(Shane Conto)
I still get excited at the sheer thought of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The amount of pure joy and excitement I had going into this film was unparalleled. There was so much hype and anticipation going into this film that it would have crushed me had it not delivered. Thankfully, it delivered and then some! The Force Awakens brought audiences and critics alike back to a Galaxy Far, Far Away with stunning practical effects, new and exciting characters, and of course that old trio we came to love in 1977, 1980, and 1983. The Force Awakens was also able to create a new slew of characters that are now iconic in their own right. The Force Awakens brought Star Wars back to the forefront of pop culture and film fandom. For that, I will forever be grateful. Please, check out this epic fairytale of good and evil. (Ben Davis)
The quality of the films in the Toy Story franchise is unprecedented. After the success of one movie, they were able to come back and make an even better second installment. Since then, the filmmakers have only returned to the franchise when they know they have a quality story worth telling, which is admirable. Toy Story 3 in particular is well done because of how it handles one of the story’s most central arcs – Woody’s relationship to Andy. Watching this movie 11 years after Toy Story 2 feels a lot like coming back to something from your childhood after that amount of time. It’s a lot of fun and will make you reminisce and think about how great things once were. But it will also give you hope for how great things can be in the future. After spending so much time worrying about getting back to Andy, Woody realizes that it is finally time to move on and say goodbye. The movie is effective for making the viewer relate to the feelings of a small toy. This is not to mention how it tugs at your heartstrings in such perfect ways. Toy Story 3 may be the least great Toy Story, but for this series, that isn’t a knock at all.(Robert Bouffard)
Considered the best adaptation of the Fantastic Four, no superhero movie has brought as much joy and nostalgia than the first Incredibles– and you can quote me on that. Although made in the distant year of 2005, it still holds up – excuse the pun – incredibly – due to its great story, fantastic characters and spectacular set pieces. So, to say that the sequel was much anticipated (especially considering how the first ended) is an understatement and a half! Did it live up to this expectation? In short? Yes – Oh My God yes! Bringing the characters, we know and love back – a little cleaner in the animation and smoother in the action – with the same zany sass, and amazing superpowered fighting skills, was an absolute delight to see. Not only, but the fact that it picks up where it left off, letting you lose no time wondering where the Parr family has been in the last 10 years, allows you to become that 11 year old child that first set their eyes on the screen way back when (or at least that was my experience). It was a giddy, fun time that allowed me to go back to a simpler, fun time, and reminded me of that childhood wonder that we tend to lose as we start to cotton on to the realities of the world. All in all, it’s fun, colourful, bright, and worth the wait!(Alice-Ginevra Micheli)
I am personally trying to set a record for the most Best Ever Challenges writing about the same film! What else can I say about the wonderful chaos of Mad Max: Fury Road? What does it say that this film took almost 30 years to come out after Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome? What should a sequel do after all of that time to be a success? For one, it better revitalize a franchise that laid dormant for that long of time. Fury Road does that tenfold with a new Max in Tom Hardy, impressive effects, a much larger budget, and a world that is so fully realized. It should improve upon its predecessors. The edge was lost in the Mad Max world with the last installment but Fury Road delivers edge in spades. After all of that time, it should really modernize and take advantage of technology. The CGI is seamless and this film provides sequences that could only be dreams back in the 1980’s. Overall, this was a sequel that took way too long but was SO worth the wait for what we were graced with. (Shane Conto)
Also See:
The Best Man Holiday, Escape from LA, Godfather Part 3, Psycho 2, Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, The Color of Money, Tron Legacy, The Black Bird, Journey Back to Oz, Return to Neverland, Mary Poppings Returns, Fantasia 2000, Bambi 2, Bad Boys for Life, T2: Trainspotting, Super Troopers 2, The Two Jakes, Zoolander 2, Finding Dory