Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of Transformer: Rise of the Beasts, in which Anthony Ramos takes the mantle of franchise lead from Hailee Steinfeld, we’re counting down our favorite sequels starring a new main character! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
Move over, Elizabeth Shaw, there’s a new alien fighting space explorer on the scene, and this time, she and her crew only make some of the same “Wait, why would you do that?” type of choices we saw in 2012’s Prometheus. But that doesn’t stop our fearless should-be-in-charge heroine Daniels (played in wonderfully stoic fashion by Katherine Waterston) and the team from going on their own deadly adventure in Ridley Scott’s follow up, Alien: Covenant. Following the events of Prometheus, we pick up with the story of the crew of the colonization ship Covenant, which, after tragedy strikes, finds itself seeking a new home on the same planet where Dr. Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and David (Michael Fassbender) crashed following the events of Prometheus. It wouldn’t be an Alien sequel if there weren’t plenty of aliens running amok and making you fearful of every dark corner of the screen, and Covenant is no exception. We are treated to a fantastic, though nauseating, final battle between Daniels and the evil xenomorph spawn of David’s design that is one of the better fights in the franchise. And did I mention that this is the only opportunity for you to see Fassbender both teach himself the flute and then go murderous clone on clone rampage in the same film?! (Matt Lawson)
This hot take surprises even me, but I like Doctor Sleep more than The Shining, which previously reigned supreme as my favorite horror movie. Both are as much psychological thriller and character study as horror, so Mike Flanagan was perfect to direct. He is the gold standard for supernatural horror stories highlighting the vicious cycle of family trauma and substance abuse, with this and the miniseries The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass. He utilizes his own experience to tell the story of a grown Dan Torrance (played with gruff charm by Ewan McGregor) falling into the same pitfalls as his father, while trying to chase away the figurative and literal ghosts of his past. Rebecca Ferguson is a compelling horror villain, flirting with the line of chewing scenery without crossing it as True Knot leader Rose the Hat, and Abra (Kyliegh Curran) is a great addition as an uber-powerful shiner with a heart of gold. Themes of fearing death are prevalent throughout, including Dan comforting hospice patients, and the True Knot sacrificing their humanity for more time. The baseball boy scene is one of the most haunting and chilling moments ever. It pulls no punches, showing the unforgiving and unforgivable brutality of the True Knot. It is hard to get through, but is brilliant storytelling, setting the rest of the movie in motion. A steady use of match cuts, gorgeous cinematography, and creative visualizations of story elements which are difficult to illustrate make this a joy to watch despite the steady bleakness. (Jason Mack)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been discussed, dissected, and debated to death. Every new show and movie has to have theories upon Easter eggs just filling it to the brim. Sometimes it does not even feel like a real moviegoing experience anymore. But Black Panther: Wakanda Forever breaks that mold in a massive way. Facing the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, and after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, this movie very well could have been a disaster. But with a touching story about taking on the family mantle and overcoming grief to become a new person, this timely sequel soared at the box office and in our hearts. (Sam Nichols)
Continuing to cope with her short-term memory loss, in Finding Dory, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) remembers that she became separated from her parents when she was little. With the help of Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), she returns to the Marine Life Institute, where she was born, to discover what happened to her parents. Much like the original film, we meet several other quirky characters along the way, including a seven-legged octopus named Hank (Ed O’Neill), whose arc makes the story for me. He’s one of those characters that thinks they don’t care about anyone, but he discovers through his experiences with Dory that he does, deep down. He’s only making himself miserable by not opening up to others. Couple that with many good visual gags when he uses camouflage, and Hank’s character steals the show. Also, like the original, there is no villain; it’s just a question of whether the characters will succeed. But interestingly, the original tells its backstory right up front. In contrast, this one tells Dory’s backstory through flashbacks, which helps to keep us emotionally connected to her parents until the point where she reunites with them. Lastly, you might ask why Dory’s parents, in the words of her dad, “stayed put”for yearsand didn’t go out into the ocean and look for her. Well, they did; they went out and laid down seashells, while also continuing to look for her every day. They just returned to the same spot at the end of the day. (John Tillyard)
If it wasn’t for the fact that the title of the original movie is in this title, it would have never crossed my mind that 10 Cloverfield Lane was part of the Cloverfield universe. It’s so drastically different from the original that it’s almost startling. This is how you do a shared universe, where you tell different experiences from other people, while keeping things in the universe the same. John Goodman is terrifying as Howard, the owner of the underground bunker. He warns Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) that the surface is uninhabitable so the bunker is the only way to go. 10 Cloverfield Lane is claustrophobic, manic, and stressful. It’s also well-directed by Dan Trachtenberg in his feature film debut. (Mike Hilty)
In 2015, director J.J. Abrams brought back the Skywalker Saga with his new entry to the Star Wars franchise. At this time, we wondered what else could happen that George Lucas hadn’t done with the first six films. Did we need to return to back to the Millennium Falcon? Yes. Abrams brought back the fun and space adventure with The Force Awakens. The story picks up 30 years after Return of the Jedi and shows the fight between the Resistance and the First Order, a successor to the Galactic Empire. Along with Han (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and Leia’s (Carrie Fisher) return, and a glimpse of Luke (Mark Hamill), we’re introduced to new faces of the resistance: Poe (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley), and the villainous Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). The mixture of the old and new characters brings new life to the saga. Boyega, Driver, and Ridley are the standouts, stealing every scene, and becoming the ones I root for. I know Driver plays a villain, but sometimes, you must cheer on the bad guy. By any means, we didn’t need a continuation, but there were too many possibilities in this world to pass up. As the first of its trilogy, the nostalgia of The Force Awakens brought new and old fans together in a galaxy far, far away. (Chantal Ashford)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is the follow-up to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. It is a continuation of Caesar’s story with an entirely new cast and atmosphere. It takes place 10 years after Rise, and the viewer can tell immediately, due to the dilapidated state of the world. Humans are struggling to survive and hold their place at the top of the food chain, so to speak. Simian Flu continues to wreak havoc, and only those who band together can survive the harsh, new world. The new cast is impressive and really helps elevate the material — especially Gary Oldman, who plays Dreyfus, and Jason Clarke, who plays Malcolm. Probably most impressive of all, though, is the motion capture performance work of both Andy Serkis and Toby Kebbell. Their onscreen animosity and struggle for power is well portrayed due to these powerful performers. Matt Reeves’ direction, paired with the cast additions, makes this a sequel that is actually better than its predecessor in almost every way imaginable. (Joe Vargas)
Picture this for a moment: You are a film executive, and someone proposes a sequel to a film which came out around 40 years ago, and was a box office bomb. What would you say? My first reaction is, “What are you, nuts?” But that is not what Warner Brothers did when Denis Villeneuve proposed Blade Runner 2049. We are all lucky that $175 million was dumped into this modern science fiction masterpiece. This film takes the focus and centers it on Ryan Gosling’s Inspector K, who leads the audience into a striking and gorgeous future world, brilliantly shot by Roger Deakins. There are plenty of standouts, from Gosling, to Ana de Armas, to Robin Wright, to Dave Bautista, to Sylvia Hoeks; and we still get treated to Harrison Ford’s return as Deckard (and a few more surprise appearances as well). But it is the deep and mysterious narrative that brings the original into new focus, and delivers a satisfying exploration of what living means. (Shane Conto)
The Rocky franchise was all but dead until Creed came along. And despite my initial built-in skepticism towards prequels, sequels, and Hollywood taking known IPs without any care so they can make a few extra dollars, the trailers convinced me to check it out. I remember seeing Creed in the cinema and being blown away by… well, everything. From Michael B. Jordan (who I didn’t know before this movie) to Ryan Coogler’s directing, everything just clicked. On top of it, Sylvester Stallone gave a performance that earned him an Oscar nomination (and deservedly so), and we got introduced to Tessa Thompson, which also doesn’t hurt. But where Creed succeed is in not relying heavily on the past or nostalgia. Yes, there are some ties to the Rocky franchise (after all, Rocky himself is in it), but the movie is more interested in telling a new story about Adonis Creed, and making him the star of the show. And by the end of this film, Jordan convinces you that he is, in fact, that star, and I have paid attention to him since. In true Rocky fashion, Creed is the underdog who should have been knocked out in the first round, but managed to win, and win big. (Luke Burian)
There’s a case to be made that the lead in the Terminator franchise is Arnold Schwarzenegger, and that’s definitely a respectable position to take. It’s always been marketed heavily for his involvement, even when he was still the villain. The Terminator, though, is definitely led by Linda Hamilton, and while the main shift in Terminator 2: Judgment Day is the fact that the T-800 is now on our heroes’ side, it’s worth mentioning that the main character of the movie has also switched from Sarah Connor to her son John. Edward Furlong features most prominently in the film as the T-800’s ward, and while a lot of T2 is very similar to that first movie, the small changes in terms of its plotting and the basis of the story are what allow it to be one of the greatest action movies ever made. It’s the examination of parental figures and what makes them suitable to be responsible to protect young life that really lies at the heart of the movie — you know, in the middle of all the things exploding and Robert Patrick looking menacing. Perhaps the lack of that clear view in a new situation is why the following movies never really worked as well as T2 worked ever again. (Chris Bakker)
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
When I first heard that the Jumanji series was being revived, I have to admit that I was a bit confused. It had been 25 years since the original film, Robin Williams had passed and obviously couldn’t be in the sequel, and while I had enjoyed it as a kid, Jumanji wasn’t exactly a pop culture mainstay. However, when I saw Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was. Evolving from a board-game-come-to-life to a video game that sucks its players in, the premise feels modern and revitalized, while still being faithful to the original. After the main quartet of high school clichés (Alex Wolff, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, and Morgan Turner) enter the game, they get to choose from four characters: explorer Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), zoologist Franklin Finbar (Kevin Hart), Professor Shelly Oberon (Jack Black), and martial artist Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). The best parts of the film revel in this body swap humor as the personalities of the high school students and the appearances of the game character’s clash, the funniest of which being Black’s portrayal of a vain and popular teenage girl. In an era of legacy sequels that often feel like cheap cash grabs, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle succeeds not by retreading its predecessor, but by modernizing and changing up the structure to create a new story that can stand apart from the original. (Jake Hjort)
Scream (2022)
Introducing new characters into a beloved movie franchise with passionate fans is difficult. Filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, and writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick faced this problem with Scream (2022). The stakes were even higher, given Wes Craven, who directed the first four films, passed away. Scream (2022)’s filmmaking team shone despite these obstacles, and stars a lovable new cast, later known as “The Core Four.” Samantha Carpenter, (Melissa Barrera) is our new main character. She has all the grit of her predecessor, Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell), but lacks her warmth and lovability. While most people would see this as a flaw, it actually is a smart move to allow for future growth. The movie’s supporting cast includes Jenna Ortega as Sam’s sister Tara, along with Chad (Mason Gooding) and Mindy (Jasmin Savoy Brown) Meeks-Martin. Vanderbilt and Busick use clever tie-ins to previous films to ease this introduction. For example, Chad and Mindy are the niece and nephew of the late Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), and Mindy definitely inherited her Uncle’s quirky love of the horror genre. Additionally, Sam has a shocking relation to a Scream (1996) icon that plays a huge role in her story. And of course, several of the franchise’s mainstays like Sydney, Dewey Riley (David Arquette), and Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), come back to ease the transition from old to new. This strong start for the newbies kept fans invested in them in Scream VI (2023), and will continue to do so in future sequels. (Diana Gebbia)
Jurassic World
Would you believe that I actually enjoyed Jurassic World when I first went to see it? This isn’t even a guilty pleasure; I just saw it to be a really fun popcorn-munching, adrenaline-pumping action flick with dinosaurs. Is there a complete lack of logic in most character decisions? Yes. Are the plot turns and armor a little too convenient? Of course. Did I care? No, not at all. Following Chris Pratt’s generic hero, and Bryce Dallas Howard’s damsel in heels and distress, this movie is meant to be a fun haunt back into a legendary story. Focusing more on the antics, and less on the horror, this is one that’s fun for the whole family — as long as they can handle people being eaten from time to time. (Alice-Ginevra Micheli)
Muppets Most Wanted
It took the Muppets 35 years, over 23 Christmas specials, six feature length films, and a trip to Disney World to get their first official sequel in 2014. Following Jason Segel’s departure as sweet and simple Gary in 2011’s The Muppets, the snarky and sardonic Ricky Gervais took over as the human lead for The Muppets Most Wanted. A far cry from the supportive, dewy-eyed, country mouse in the big city Segel portrayed, Gervais plays a scheming, manipulative sleaze ball, out to betray the Muppets as they continue, exactly, where they left off at the end of The Muppets. It quite literally begins as a continuation from the endpoint of its predecessor. Following a spirited opening musical number (filled with Easter eggs, both visually and verbally, clarifying that this is indeed a sequel), the gang decides to embark on a world tour, and as usual, shenanigans ensue. Filled with the usual cameos, zany notable actors popping up in smaller roles, and ridiculous original musical numbers you’ll quickly find yourself singing along to, Most Wanted is the perfect quirky continuation for the Muppets’ journey into the 2010’s. (Patrice Downing)
The Suicide Squad
In 2016m Suicide Squad was released and was almost immediately panned, with the only highlight being Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Well, in 2021, James Gunn took over, directing The Suicide Squad,which quickly became beloved by most fans. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and Gunn quickly establishes that no character is safe. It truly brings in the bottom of the barrel of DC’s D-list villains, and features actors who give 110%, even if their name is The Detachable Kid (Nathan Fillion). Besides Robbie returning and delivering another fantastic performance, the Idris Elba (as Bloodsport), Daniela Melchior (as Ratcatcher 2), and John Cena (as Peacemaker) are phenomenal, the latter earning his own spinoff show. Cena and Elba share a scene taking out what they believe are the bad guys, and their attempts to one-up each other are still memorable. If you decided to skip this movie because of the sour taste of the first one, rest assured: It is 100 times better and deserves a watch, especially now that Gunn is running DC. (Austen Terry)
The Bourne Legacy
Poor Jeremy Renner. Guy just can’t seem to catch a break trying to take over established franchises. His planned takeover of Mission: Impossible never came to fruition, and the sequel to Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne movies, The Bourne Legacy,is saddled with a bit of an unfair reputation. Is it as good as any of the initial trilogy? No, but I still think it’s a fun, solid action flick. Renner plays Aaron Cross, an operative forced to go on the run in the aftermath of the revelations from The Bourne Ultimatum. While it may not quite have the special sauce of the original trio of films, it’s still a well-made spy thriller. Besides, have you seen Jason Bourne? Legacy is by no means the weakest link in the franchise anymore, and I hope it gets the second chance from people it deserves. (Jake Bourgeois)
The Purge Anarchy
Picture a dystopian future in America, where the government sanctions an annual Purge in which all crime, including murder, is legal for a 12-hour period. Even with the massive political polarization going on our country, the idea of decriminalizing violent crimes sounds crazy, right? Well, writer/director James DeMonaco makes it a reality in the The Purge: Anarchy.Leo (Frank Grillo), a sergeant bent on revenge for his sons’s murder, becomes an unexpected ally and protector for four hapless strangers — Eva Sanchez (Carmen Ejogo), Cali (Zoë Soul), Shane (Zach Gilford), and Liz (Kiele Sanchez) — who are in need of help surviving Purge night. Compared to its 2013 predecessor, The Purge, which mostly takes place within a single location, the sequel takes the action all over the streets. The thrills in the action sequences are far more intense than the first film. Character development isn’t much of a thing in the movie, but the characters are interesting enough to keep the story going. DeMonaco pulls no punches with racial and class-conscious themes; at one point, Eve’s father (John Beasley) sacrifices himself, and insurgent (Michael K. Williams) leads a resistance against the NFFA’s (New Founding Fathers of America) government-sanctioned purge. Grillo’s masculine persona carries the intensity, and DeMonaco showcases dark images. A bus engulfed in flames barrels down the street and the pacing in smooth enough to keep the dark tones. Although The Purge: Anarchy doesn’t expand further into the moral and criminal depravity, the pacing and action is good enough to keep things interesting. (Christian Grullon)
Home Alone 3
After the success of the first two Home Alone movies, the last truly good in this franchise is Home Alone 3, which features a new family with a slightly more logical reason for a child to be left home alone. The story seems like a rejected James Bond film, but let me try to break it down: International terrorists have stolen a missile chip, and get it into America through a toy car that is lost at the airport. When Mrs. Hess (Marian Seldes) takes the wrong bag, she gives the car to the neighborhood boy Alex Pruitt (Alex D. Linz). Upon arriving home, Alex realizes he has the chickenpox, and since his family must go to work and school, he is left alone. While at home, he starts seeing the terrorists in the neighborhood breaking into people’s homes, and he works to stop them after the police don’t believe him. That’s right: Gone are the Wet Bandits. To replace them, we have a team of bad people whose goal is diabolical. This movie is out there, but it’s one I loved as a kid. It makes a weird but good end to a trilogy. (Austen Terry)
Also See: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Pacific Rim 2, Halloween: Resurrection, Predator 2, Star Trek: Generations, 28 Weeks Later, 300: Rise of an Empire