“How do you know if you want something yourself or if your upbringing programmed you to want it?”

Image by Federico Napoli

How badly would it kill the film industry to come up with an original idea? Although the recent success of Barbie and Oppenheimer suggests that audiences might be interested in films that aren’t based on previously existing material, sequels are still Hollywood’s favorite thing to greenlight and produce. A sequel’s quality depends on the thoughtfulness of its creators; for every Top Gun: Maverick or John Wick: Chapter 4, there’s a Shazam! Fury of the Gods or Halloween Ends.

With so many sequels coming out every year, it’s logical that some – many, in fact, slip through the cracks and become lost in all the noise. And it’s especially disappointing when worthy sequels underperform with audiences despite having many things in their favor. These sequels are among the most underrated from the past 5 years; they might’ve not lived up to the original’s legacies, but they remain solid entries into their franchises and deserve more love from fans.

10. ‘The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part’ (2019)

Director: Mike Mitchell

Image via Warner Bros.

What Phil Lord and Chris Miller did with The Lego Movie felt like lightning in a bottle; instead of being a 90-minute commercial for LEGO products, the 2014 animated comedy was a thoughtful examination of creative expression and “following the rules.” The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part didn’t feel quite as fresh but continued the first film’s commentary on genre archetypes by expanding on the relationship between Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) and his hyper-masculine alter ego, Rex Dangervest. The two characters couldn’t be any more different; Emmett is joyous and absent-minded, yet Rex is aggressive and nihilistic.

Unfortunately, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part became the last film in the franchise after the LEGO rights reverted to Universal. The preemptive conclusion of the series might suggest The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part was a disappointment. However, the film had a creative sense of humor that most animated sequels lack. The LEGO Movie: The Second Part proved that combining different properties could be done creatively and without any cynical undertones.

The Lego Movie 2

Release Date: January 26, 2019
Cast: Margot Robbie , Alison Brie , ​Chris Pratt2 , Elizabeth Banks , Jonah Hill , Channing Tatum
RatingPG
Runtime: 106

9. ‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’ (2018)

Director: Stefano Sollima

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Denis Villeneuve creatively explored the cartel war in the 2015 film Sicario, placing the innocent character Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) in the middle of a violent, dangerous world of crime. The 2018 sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, removes any “audience surrogate” characters altogether and tells a story from the perspective of the first film’s antagonists, Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro). By not featuring any inherently heroic characters, the film explores how nuanced the cartel war really is.

Sicario: Day of the Soldado is one of the more misunderstood films Taylor Sheridan has written. While the character of Kate Mercer gave the audience a moral center in the first film, Day of the Soldado acknowledges that each of its characters is malicious. The film takes a different yet equally insightful approach to a delicate subject, and while far less striking than its predecessor, Day of the Soldado remains a subversive and well-crafted thriller with style to spare.

Sicario: Day Of The Soldado

Release Date: June 27, 2018
Cast: Benicio Del Toro , Josh Brolin , Isabela Merced , Jeffrey Donovan , Catherine Keener , Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
Rating: R
Runtime: 122

8. ‘Jay and Silent Bob Reboot’ (2019)

Director: Kevin Smith

Image Via Saban Films

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot proves that fan service isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While the stoners Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) from 1994’s Clerks didn’t quite need their own spinoff back in 2001, Smith had matured as a filmmaker since Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot forced the titular stoners to face a truth that Smith himself realized: they’re no longer the main characters. The film found a compelling way to have the two goofballs serve as mentors to a younger, more diverse set of leads.

Smith is often a more mature filmmaker than he is given credit for, and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is much more than a collection of stoner gags and toilet humor. Smith brings back characters from the other films within the “View Askewniverse” and satirizes them in a self-aware, heartfelt addition to a franchise that continues to supersede expectations. While Smith earned praise for the similarly reflective Clerks III, it’s worth remembering that he did it first with Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot

Release Date: October 15, 2019
Cast: Melissa Benoist , Matt Damon , Chris Hemsworth , Ben Affleck , Rosario Dawson , Kevin Smith
Rating: R
Runtime: 95

7. ‘Bill & Ted Face The Music’ (2020)

Director: Dean Parisot

It made sense that in the midst of theatrical shutdowns in the summer of 2020, the “Wyld Stallyns” returned to save moviegoers from misery. Despite not playing the role of Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan since 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves didn’t appear to have aged a day. Bill & Ted Face The Music allowed them to conclude their journeys by serving as mentors to their daughters, Thea (Samara Weaving) and Billie (Brigette Lundy-Paine). With more cameos, musical numbers, and sci-fi action than its predecessors, Bill & Ted Face The Music was the most heartfelt installment in the comedy series yet.

While it was great to see Winter and Reeves reprise their roles, Bill & Ted Face The Music didn’t just rely on nostalgia. The film acknowledged the characters’ ages and surprisingly and naturally transitioned Thea and Billie to the lead roles. Great comedy sequels are few and far between, but Bill & Ted Face The Music proved itself worthy of the franchise’s legacy.

Bill & Ted Face The Music

Release Date: August 27, 2020
Cast: Keanu Reeves , Samara Weaving , Holland Taylor , Kristen Schaal , Brigette Lundy-Paine , Erinn Hayes
Runtime: 78

6. ‘The Trip To Greece’ (2020)

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Image via IFC Films

The Trip to Greece is a terrific conclusion to one of the best comedy movie franchises ever. Michael Winterbottoms’ British comedy films starred Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as fictionalized versions of themselves as they visited various historical sights on their trips throughout Europe. The Trip to Greece allowed the duo to add their commentary on Greek mythology and architecture and took a more emotional direction as the fictionalized Coogan dealt with the death of a family member. Ironically, The Trip to Greece’s ultimate message was that life is not a vacation.

Elevating what could have been a routine sequel of Coogan and Brydon, The Trip to Greece diverts from its predecessor’s tone, featuring less improvisational sequences and a stronger narrative throughline. Seeing these two hilarious actors interacting would have been enough to make the film entertaining, but The Trip to Greece offers a poignant and rewarding conclusion for fans of the beloved and unexpectedly emotional series.

5. ‘Angel Has Fallen’ (2019)

Director: Ric Roman Waugh

Image via Lionsgate

2013’s Olympus Has Fallen proved to be the best Die Hard ripoff in years, with Gerard Butler’s Mike Banning serving as the perfect stand-in for John McClane. 2016’s London Has Fallen may have jumped the shark with its unbelievable premise, but 2019’s Angel Has Fallen took the series in a more grounded, serious direction. After being blamed for a drone strike on the new President of the United States (Morgan Freeman), Banning is forced to go on the run and work alongside his estranged father (Nick Nolte) in order to clear his name.

Angel Has Fallen marked a true evolution within the series. Although Butler’s performance in previous installments was little more than an impersonation of John McClane, he added depth to the role in Angel Has Fallen by fleshing out his backstory. Although Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen are best viewed as “guilty pleasures,” Angel Has Fallen indicated that the series was taking itself seriously as an action franchise. Alas, the Has Fallen franchise has never been a box office juggernaut, and Angel is the least acknowledged film in the trilogy, a shame considering its grounded and refreshing approach.

Angel Has Fallen

Release Date: August 21, 2019
Cast: Gerard Butler , Morgan Freeman , Jada Pinkett Smith , Piper Perabo , Lance Reddick , Nick Nolte
Rating: R
Runtime: 121

4. ‘Magic Mike’s Last Dance’ (2023)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Image Via Warner Bros.

Magic Mike’s Last Dance may not be the end of the Magic Mike franchise, but it certainly serves as the saga’s most thoughtful entry to date. Steven Soderbergh used the third installment in the series to analyze how characters like Mike (Channing Tatum) were adjusting to a post-pandemic world with increasingly minimal economic security. While it’s less joyous and celebratory than Magic Mike XXL, Magic Mike’s Last Dance features a showstopping musical number that Mike and his new crew of male dancers perform for the demanding socialite Maxine (Salma Hayek).

Despite its thoughtful and unexpectedly heartfelt approach, Magic Mike’s Last Dance didn’t replicate its predecessors’ success. The film’s shift in tone might’ve had something to do with that, as it acknowledged that Mike had aged and dancing no longer provided him with the same joy. While this may not have been a crowd-pleasing direction for the franchise, the more mature approach made Magic Mike’s Last Dance a stronger film.

Magic Mike’s Last Dance

Release Date: February 10, 2023
Cast: Channing Tatum , Salma Hayek Pinault , Caitlin Gerard , Ethan Lawrence
Rating: R
Runtime: 112 minutes

3. ‘The Souvenir: Part II’ (2021)

Director: Joanna Hogg

Image via A24

The Souvenir: Part II is the second part of Joanna Hogg’s semi-autobiographical film series. Hogg reflects on her experiences growing up as a film student through the character Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne). While the first film had primarily focused on Julie’s relationship with her abusive partner Anthony (Tom Burke), The Souvenir: Part II shows Julie growing into her own as an artist and making a statement as a filmmaker. Amusingly, Julie’s frustration with the studio system (and her male critics) may reflect some of the real issues that Hogg has dealt with in her career.

Focusing on the art of filmmaking, which was barely touched upon in the first film, The Souvenir: Part II offers a thoughtful continuation of this compelling and deeply humane story. An ode to creativity and the process behind it, The Souvenir: Part II is the rare sequel that feels thematically richer, a mature and more assured follow-up to a film few people believed would ever receive a continuation.

2. ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ (2018)

Director: Rob Marshall

Image via Disney

Disney’s recent live-action films have been somewhat underwhelming, but Rob Marshall’s 2018 sequel Mary Poppins Returns used nostalgia in a refreshingly thoughtful way. While the film’s visuals were quite similar to those of the original classic, Emily Blunt’s version of the titular nanny isn’t just an impression of Julie Andrews. The film developed a heartfelt story about Mary returning to save an older Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) from making the same mistakes that his father did. Rather than replicating the first film’s musical numbers, Mary Poppins Returns featured several showstopping new songs; the standout remains Lin-Manuel Miranda’s delightful performance of “Trip A Little Light Fantastic.”

The ultimate message of the original Mary Poppins was that the titular nanny was there to save both the adults and children. Mary Poppins Returns approaches the material similarly, as the dynamic between Mary and Michael is easily the film’s most compelling. The film underperformed, perhaps because the original is just too beloved and has aged beautifully. Still, Mary Poppins Returns remains a worthy follow-up and a deserved progression of the Banks’ stories.

Mary Poppins 2

Release Date: December 13, 2018
Cast: Emily Blunt , Meryl Streep , Colin Firth , Emily Mortimer , Angela Lansbury , Julie Walters
Rating: PG
Runtime: 131

1. ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ (2021)

Director: Lana Wachowski

Image via Warner Brothers

The Matrix Resurrections brought back Keanu Reeves’ Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss’ Trinity, but not quite in the way that fans of the original The Matrix trilogy may have expected. Rather than serving as a traditional continuation of the saga, The Matrix Resurrection broke the fourth wall to analyze how the original film’s popularity affected popular culture. Director Lana Wachowski reclaimed the franchise as a feminist, anti-authoritarian hero’s journey that celebrates individuality in a time when society is dictated by technology. The Matrix Resurrections definitively proved why, even after two decades, Neo is still “the One.”

It would have been easy for Wachowski to simply retcon the previous films in order to streamline the narrative. However, The Matrix Resurrections redefines the history of The Matrix by taking the series in a more self-referential, emotional direction. As mind-blowing as the action sequences are, the best part of The Matrix Resurrections is the romance between Neo and Trinity. Fans reacted negatively to this approach, but time will surely be kind to Resurrections, a sequel that remains underrated, largely because it is understood by audiences who were simply expecting something else.

The Matrix Resurrections

Release Date: December 15, 2021
Cast: Christina Ricci , Keanu Reeves , Carrie-Anne Moss , Jessica Henwick , Ellen Hollman , Jonathan Groff
Runtime: 148