A common thing that most people seem to think when it comes to movie franchises is that the first installment is always the best, but that’s far from the truth a lot of the time. In fact, many movie franchises improved with their second, third, or even later entries. That has been the case with sci-fi film series as well.
There are certainly plenty of sci-fi movie franchises where the first film is the best, like The Matrix, Predator, and Jurᴀssic Park. There are also cases where the best film is arguable, like Back to the Future or Blade Runner. However, we’re talking about the times when it’s clear that a sequel is better.
Sci-fi sequels that improved upon the original include some all-time blockbusters, some of the most critically acclaimed films ever made, trippy stories, and even superhero fare. Not only are they fantastic sequels but, on their own, they’re among the best sci-fi films in history.
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)
The Star Trek TV series that debuted in the 1960s actually didn’t achieve its greatest success until the ’70s when it found a following through broadcast syndication. That led to Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979, which performed well at the box office but was met with mixed reviews.
Many of the complaints involved the movie being a bit dull. The franchise rectified that with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, telling a more action-packed story, boosted by the incredible performance of Ricardo Montalbán as the villainous Khan.
Khan remains one of the greatest antagonists in the history of this long-running franchise (even being brought back by Benedict Cumberbatch in 2014), making every scene more intriguing just by being involved. The Wrath of Khan also features a memorable ending.
Khan may get defeated but Spock has to sacrifice himself in the process, leading to what might be the most iconic scene in Star Trek history. The Wrath of Khan received strong reviews that included an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and many consider it the best Star Trek film ever made.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Although a lot of superhero movies could fall into the sci-fi genre, one that fits the bill more than others (which are often rooted in action) is Guardians of the Galaxy. The first film, released in 2014, was a surprise success that was well-received and grossed over $700 million.
Besting something that was a critical hit was difficult and upon release, many feel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 didn’t achieve that, despite being another success. However, it’s the kind of sequel that only improves and hits harder upon subsequent viewings.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 does what all great sequels should do, which is expand on what we liked about the first movie, give us more depth for characters, and make everything a bit bigger and better. GOTG Vol. 2 benefits from cast chemistry and new characters like Mantis and Ego.
What really separates Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 from the first movie are the emotional moments. The first film has some but this one features Yondu’s funeral, Rocket’s single tear at the end, and more, making for a more satisfying overall story.
Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)
Universal’s Monster franchise has provided us with some of the best sci-fi movies seen anywhere. That was the case with the iconic Frankenstein, which holds a 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating and is culturally significant, earning a spot in the National Film Registry.
Several years later, a sequel was released тιтled Bride of Frankenstein. This time, Frankenstein’s Monster went on a quest to find love, searching the countryside. This led to Dr. Frankenstein and Ernest to create a bride for him from a reanimated corpse.
While the original is indeed a classic, many people believe that Bride of Frankenstein is even better than what came before it. In fact, Bride of Frankenstein has an even higher Rotten Tomatoes score than its predecessor at 98%.
One of the best things about the movie is the performance of Elsa Lanchester, who is perfect as the тιтular bride. Lanchester does incredible work, managing to steal the entire movie despite only being on screen for less than 10 minutes.
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)
The original Planet of the Apes franchise is one where, despite some solid sequels, most fans agree that the first installment is the best. When it got rebooted in 2011, Rise of the Planet of the Apes got off to a strong start as an impressive movie.
However, Matt Reeves took over for the sequel and delivered something significantly better with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. The film picks up a decade after the events of the first, with apes now outnumbering humans and Caesar trying to maintain peace within his community.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes allows even more shine from Andy Serkis, who does a masterful job with his motion-capture performance as Caesar. The film earned an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects and still looks stunning over a decade later.
Those special effects are one thing but where Dawn of the Planet of the Apes truly stands out is in its emotional resonance. Caesar becomes a character we truly love and watching him care for his family while dealing with a rebellion from Koba makes for something truly gripping.
Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022)
There’s no doubt that 2009’s Avatar was groundbreaking. The film became the highest-grossing movie in history thanks to its impressive 3D effects, which meant people just had to go to the theater to experience it at least once.
While Avatar was a good movie outside of its effects, it wasn’t considered by many to be truly great. Avatar: The Way of Water rectified that by telling an emotionally gripping story as Jake and Neytiri have started a family, giving us more reasons to care about everything.
Of course, the visuals in Avatar: The Way of Water are breathtaking once again. The 3D was once again a treat, while the scenes sH๏τ underwater look almost too impressive to be real. There’s also a particularly devastating scene involving a whale-like species that’s heartbreaking.
Basically, whatever worked in Avatar was beefed up for the sequel, making for another James Cameron hit. Avatar: The Way of Water won Best Visual Effects at the Oscars and was nominated for major accolades, including Best Picture.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
The legendary Dune novel, as incredible as it is, was long said to be unadaptable. The story is simply too dense to cover in one film, which was proven by David Lynch’s adaptation in 1984, which was met with mixed reviews.
In 2021, acclaimed filmmaker Denis Villeneuve debuted his take on the story and while fans were excited, they remained skeptical. The film turned out to be a rousing success and surprised everyone by revealing itself to be just part one of two.
Dune: Part Two focused on the second half of the novel and splitting the story into two movies was wise, allowing enough time for everything to get showcased. The second film was more action-packed, making for something truly epic on the big screen.
Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson did fantastic work, Zendaya steals the show as Chani, and the addition of Austin Butler and Florence Pugh only made things better. Dune: Part Two earned two Oscar wins, with a nomination for Best Picture.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
In 1984, James Cameron’s The Terminator proved to be one of the best sci-fi movies ever released. It holds up shockingly well and is still held in incredibly high esteem. Besting it would be difficult but Cameron was more than up to the task.
In 1991, he released Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which did something special that took a lot of guts. The first film saw Arnold Schwarzenegger as the тιтular villain, while the sequel chose to switch things up by turning him into a hero.
This was more suited to Schwarzenegger, who was one of the top action heroes of the decade. He was great in this role, while Robert Patrick made for a stellar villain, and Linda Hamilton proved to be one of the most badᴀss females ever put to the screen.
In the eyes of many, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is in the conversation for the greatest sequel of all time, regardless of genre. It is the best film in the careers of pretty much everyone involved.
Aliens (1986)
When Ridley Scott put out Alien in 1979, it was one of the most impressive sci-fi movies made to that point. However, the film leaned more into the horror genre than sci-fi, as though it took place in space, watching Ripley try to survive against the Xenomorph was harrowing.
James Cameron, a consistent name on this list, was brought in for the sequel several years later and took things down a more action-packed route. Aliens basically sold the idea that if Xenomorph was a threat, a bunch of them would be worse.
Aliens again follows Ripley and Sigourney Weaver is magnificent in the lead role. She kicks ᴀss in every scene and the bond she forms with Newt makes for something compelling and emotionally gripping.
Although it’s tough to truly pick out the better film between Alien and Aliens, the sequel is more of a crowd-pleaser and something you’d want to rewatch. It’s exciting, holds a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is one of the best sequels in history.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
When Star Wars arrived on the scene in 1977, it was like nothing that came before. A sprawling space epic with visual effects that were hard to fathom, an immersive new world to get enthralled in, and charismatic characters to fall in love with.
Topping it sounded like a fool’s errand but The Empire Strikes Back bested it in several ways. George Lucas stepped away as director, with Irvin Kershner stepping in and improving on almost every aspect.
The space battles were bigger, the characters got more development, the story was more intriguing, and new characters like Yoda and Lando proved to be crowd favorites. The movie features the most iconic plot twist in sci-fi history, and possibly in all of cinema.
It’s darker, has a hard hitting ending, and expands on the franchise in incredible ways. The ending is also revolutionary for the twist and how it sets up the third film, making it the perfect middle entry. In many ways, The Empire Strikes Back remains the best film in the entire Star Wars saga.
