Top 3 Movie Franchises That Got Better With Each Sequel
How do screenwriters keep coming up with ideas that surprise audiences and critics?
Often it is the first film that becomes a cult classic, and the sequel fails to repeat the success of the original. This was the case with the Wachowski sisters' Matrix or The Mummy.
We have chosen 3 franchises that not only turned out better than their debut, but also managed to build on the ideas of their predecessors.
In many ways, the films about the legendary Ethan Hunt owe a debt of gratitude to Tom Cruise, who has been breaking legs and ribs for decades to capture the image of the stuntmen-less secret agent.
The first two movies were local successes, but it was the third installment, directed by J.J. Abrams, that became the real breakthrough in the development of the franchise. With a gripping plot, thrilling action sequences and a strong emotional core, the sequel improved dramatically.
Then came Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, and Fallout. Each was not only a critical triumph, but also a box office smash.
A new sequel to the iconic Mission Impossible, subtitled Dead Reckoning Part One, has already been released. Let's see if the next installment of this amazing franchise will be better than its prequels.
2. John Wick
The first film, released in 2014, conquered the action genre with stylish choreography and exciting world-building.
The movie is about an ordinary American who lives a quiet, peaceful life. However, few people know that he was a hit man and one of the best professionals in the business.
After the bandit group steals Wick's favorite 1969 Mustang and kills his dog Daisy, a gift from his recently deceased wife, John is forced to return to his past.
With each new chapter, the stakes get higher for the protagonist. In the sequel, Wick faces the High Table and travels to Rome. In the third installment, the mercenary goes to battle with the villains who are chasing him around the world. And the last film was the best in the franchise, ramping up the action and expanding the John Wick universe.
Peter Jackson's trilogy has significantly fewer movies than Mission Impossible, so it was harder for the New Zealand director's films to flop.
But his adaptation of Tolkien's iconic books not only became the best work in the fantasy genre, it cemented their cult status forever.
The Two Towers rivaled The Fellowship of the Ring at the box office, grossing $100 million more, and The Return of the King was the culmination of all of Jackson's efforts.
The third installment became an incredible epic and also the most Oscar-winning film in history, tied with Titanic and Ben-Hur.
Source: Reddit