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We’ve put together a list of what we consider the greatest sci-fi sequels ever captured on film. Some of these sequels take the original and flip it on its head. Some stick to an already established formula but do it bigger and better than the previous film. But one thing all these sequels share is a commitment to telling an incredible story rooted in science fiction. Without further ado, here are the 10 best sci-fi movie sequels, ranked.
10) Back to the Future Part II (1989)
No sequel on this list has benefited from the passage of time more than Back to the Future Part II — appropriate considering the subject matter. Today, the second Back to the Future is regarded by fans as a worthy follow-up to Doc and Marty’s first adventure, with some going as far as preferring it to the original. Those of us old enough to remember when the movie came out, however, remember just how disappointed fans were with what was then seen as an overstuffed, confusing, jumbled-up mess of a story.
Thankfully, as time passed, audiences began to see Back to the Future Part II for what it really was: an ambitious time-travel epic with a dense narrative that rewards viewers for paying attention — and hoverboards.
9) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes may have resurrected the dormant Planet of the Apes series, but it was Dawn of the Planet of the Apes that took that franchise and elevated it to the level of a Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. Years before Matt Reeves redefined the Caped Crusader with The Batman, he cemented ape leader Caesar’s place in the pantheon of great sci-fi protagonists.
With Caesar, Reeves and actor Andy Serkis took what could have been just another generic CGI puppet and turned it into a living, breathing protagonist. Thanks to Serkis’s uncanny ability to bring digital characters to life, you can actually feel the weight on Caesar’s shoulders as he attempts to keep an uneasy peace between humans and apes.
8) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
If James Gunn uses his films as an expensive form of therapy, like some fans have speculated, then Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the director working his way through some serious daddy issues. While GOTG Vol. 2 is still wrapped in the same explosive action and CGI hustle and bustle that defines most Marvel movies, at its core, it’s a film about fathers and sons.
In this phenomenal sequel, Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill is forced to choose between his biological father, Ego, a godlike being who seeded the universe with his DNA in an attempt to create the perfect heir, and his surrogate dad, Yondu, whose gruff exterior and heart of gold molded Quill into the man he is today. If you’ve never cried at the end of a Marvel movie, this is the perfect place to start.
7) The Road Warrior (1981)
It was hard choosing between The Road Warrior and Mad Max: Fury Road. Both are extraordinary feats of filmmaking that represent the very best of dystopian sci-fi. But at the end of the day, even if The Road Warrior isn’t the better film, it’s definitely the better sequel. While the Mad Max franchise is set up with very little connective tissue to allow viewers to take each installment on its own merits, Road Warrior — more than any of the other Mad Max films — is most effective when viewed after its predecessor.
The original Mad Max ends with Mel Gibson’s Max Rockatansky driven over the edge and forced to become just as unforgiving as the post-apocalyptic desert he inhabits to survive. The Road Warrior lets us know that everyone else followed Max off the deep end. The first movie presents a society that’s just starting to unravel, but by the time The Road Warrior picks up, it’s become a fully fleshed-out dystopian wasteland. If you’ve ever wondered where Fallout got its aesthetic, this is the movie for you.
6) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
When Star Trek first made the leap from TV to the big screen it was perhaps too faithful to the source material. Star Trek: The Motion Picture was expensive, moved at a snail’s pace, and, thanks to a cerebral sci-fi plot devoid of any action, boring as hell. As a result, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was given a mandate to be faster paced, cheaper, and more exciting. It excelled at all three.
Made for only $11 million — a fraction of its predecessor’s budget of $45 million — Wrath of Khan grossed nearly 10 times that. Bolstered by career-high performances from William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Ricardo Montalban, Star Trek II is the pinnacle of the franchise’s theatrical outings.
5) Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Beautiful visuals and thought-provoking themes collide in Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve’s epic sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 cult classic. One of two Villeneuve joints on this list, Blade Runner 2049 is a Hollywood anomaly: a film with a tentpole budget and indie sensibilities. Instead of giving Warner Bros. the sci-fi blockbuster they hoped for, Villeneuve created a neo-noir mystery that continues the original’s exploration of identity and what it means to be human.
Blade Runner 2049 is the rare legacy sequel that doesn’t retread old ground for cheap nostalgia, but instead takes the world established by its predecessor and redefines it in new and intriguing ways.
