Let ‘Dune: Part Two’ inspire you to revisit these other timeless sci-fi sequels
“Dune: Part Two” is landing in theaters this weekend, and the movie is already a promising franchise hit, with (to date) an impressive 94% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and an audience score one percentage point higher.
After 2021’s first entry fared similarly well – and picked up a total of six Academy Awards – the zeitgeist is inevitably comparing director Denis Villeneuve’s sprawling world of “Dune” to those of “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings.” With that said, there’s no time like the present to use Arrakis, the desert planet at the heart of “Dune,” as the jumping-off point to explore other amazing sequels in science-fiction, a genre that’s luckily been fertile ground for various second chapters in cinema.
Behold, a list of some the most notable, in no particular order.
‘Aliens’ (1986)
What better way to start off than with one of the greatest sequels – and sci-fi films in general – ever made, with a screenplay that’s been taught in film schools. James Cameron’s Oscar-winning followup to Ridley Scott’s haunted-house-in-space classic from 1979 broke the mold in many ways, from its deft ability to develop every member of the ensemble cast of mercenaries to the heart-wrenching crux of the story, Ellen Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) fiercely protective and maternal relationship with a young survivor named Newt (Carrie Henn). And that’s not to mention the absolutely iconic face-off between Ripley and another maternal figure in the movie – namely the horrifying Alien Queen, as seen above.
‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ (1982)
‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’ (1991)
‘The Road Warrior’ (1981), ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’ (1985) and ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)
In the post-apocalyptic space, it doesn’t get any more bonkers than the world of Mad Max, which has seen several sequels reinvent and build upon what came before in truly eye-popping fashion. Franchise mastermind George Miller’s second entry “The Road Warrior” took the ingredients from his gritty first outing and crystallized them into a superb sequel, while the third installment remains memorable if for no other reason than Tina Turner’s unbelievable appearance as the menacing Auntie Entity. Thirty years later, the Tom Hardy- and Charlize Theron-led reboot “Fury Road” showed just how many new mind-bending possibilities there were for this world. Miller is at work on not one but two new installments, including an origin story for Theron’s Furiosa starring Anya Taylor-Joy.‘Ghostbusters II’ (1989)
While this franchise borders on both the supernatural and comedy genres, it deserves a place on this list for being an inventive and under-appreciated sequel that took the elements from the original “Ghostbusters” and ran with them. Giving more room for performers including Annie Potts, Rick Moranis, Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver to play – not to mention a truly madcap performance from Peter MacNicol as an outlandish museum employee-turned-possessed demon, sometimes in drag – “Ghostbusters II” still brings the chills as well as the fun, giving new meaning to the idea of “feel-good music” thanks to the prominent placement of “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” as sung by Howard Huntsberry.
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