** Honorable Mentions: From Russia With Love (1963), Halloween II (1981), Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Toy Story 2 (1999), 22 Jump Street (2014), 28 Weeks Later (2007)
15.) The Color of Money (1986): Making a sequel to the 1961 classic The Hustler was bound to be difficult. But thanks to some powerhouse performances (notably a young Tom Cruise and the eternal Paul Newman) and under the direction of Martin Scorsese, this is a surprisingly sharp, dramatic film.
14.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): Surpassing the original in about a billion ways, this paranoid spy-thriller is one of the best superhero sequels ever made. If you like your heroes ponderous and political, then this is a must-see.
13.) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982): If you're going to see any Star Trek flick, let it be this. The action is a little lacking, but the dialogue is classic ("Revenge is a dish best-served COLD!") and if the ending doesn't make you cry, you're as emotionless as a Vulcan.
12.) X2 (2003): I don't think anyone expected this to be so good - but it is. The plot is clever, the production is slick, the performances are terrific, and the action scenes are dazzling.
11.) Dawn of the Dead (1978): It might move about as slow as one of its stumbling zombies, but that hardly matters. This is a strangely amusing horror flick, splashed with buckets of blood and oodles of campy dialogue.
10.) Spider-Man 2 (2004): Because we now drown in a sea of superhero films, it can be easy to overlook this one. Please don't. It's essentially a remake of its predecessor, but told with infinitely more color, character, and conflict.
9.) Back to the Future Part II (1989): We don't just go back to the future with this one - we go to the past, the present, an alternate future, an alternate present, we go all over the place. This is a fun ride, and the ending is a perfect hook to keep you going to the next installment.
8.) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002): By introducing a host of new characters and settings, this entry in The Lord of the Rings trilogy is busy, but surprisingly meditative. And although there are fantastic battles and beasts, its intimate focus will keep you engaged and enraptured.
7.) T2: Judgment Day (1991): It doesn't get much better than this, folks. The whole thing barrels like a hijacked semi-truck, filled with great moments of humor and some of the best special effects ever put to film.
6.) Evil Dead II (1987): This zany, wacky, over-the-top nightmare is a must-see for horror fans. Director Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell are in rare form, bringing us a perfectly catastrophic blend of laughs and chills.
5.) The Bride of Frankenstein (1935): One of the first movie sequels ever made, this black-and-white gem certainly set the mold. It's bigger in scope, introduces fascinating (and horrifying) new characters, and takes the mood of the original and builds upon it with fun and finesse.
4.) Aliens (1986): With this flick, director James Cameron decided to stray away from the pensive tone of its predecessor and go in a totally new direction. But the gamble paid off, and this horror-action extravaganza is one of the best thrillers of the 80's.
3.) The Dark Knight (2008): It's a superhero flick, a crime drama, a riveting character study, a pulse-pounding action stunner, and one of the highest grossing movies of all time. Bolstered by a bullet-proof script and one of cinema's best performances, this is undoubtedly Batman at his best.
2.) The Godfather Part II (1974): Of course this is on here. And why shouldn't it be? Many consider it to be one of the best films ever made. And for good reason. I'll not say much here (if you haven't seen it, watch it NOW), but every aspect of cinema - acting, writing, directing, production, photography, music, sound, costume, design - it's all absolutely perfect. So...so yeah.
1.) The Empire Strikes Back (1980): You want my detailed thoughts on this one? Read my full review here. But to summarize: This movie is perfect. Easily the best movie sequel ever made. That is all.
