Not all great movie series need to be a trilogy. 2022's Top Gun Maverick, while likely to lead to further sequels, is only the latest film that proves that a two-film series can work just fine. Coming out a whooping 36 years after the original, it is a masterclass in how to do a legacy sequel and manages to even surpass its predecessor in every way.
Over the years, there have been dozens of such duologies. Whether they were planned out as such or if that's only as far as they got, two films served these franchises just fine. But which duology is the greatest of them all?
The Guns Of Navarone - 7.5 & 6.4
One of the quintessential adventure epics of the '60s, The Guns of Navarone tells the tale of a special ops mission to destroy German cannons on the Greek island of Navarone. Author Alistair MacLean wrote several such WW2 novels, including his only sequel, Force 10 From Navarone, which was adapted for film in 1978.
The writing and music are terrific, delivering a brilliant sense of adventure, duty, and danger. Both films feature incredible casts with terrific chemistry. Gregory Peck and David Niven are joined by Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas in the original. Peck and Niven are replaced by Robert Shaw and Edward Fox in Force 10, alongside Harrison Ford, Barbara Bach, Carl Weathers, and Richard Kiel.
The Odd Couple - 7.6 & 6.4
The 1968 film adaptation of a play by Neil Simon tells the tale of the unlikely roommates Felix and Oscar. Divorced sports writer Oscar enjoys the luxury of keeping his apartment sloppy. But when his neat-freak friend Felix moves in, hilarity ensues. In addition to numerous remakes and adaptations, the film received a sequel a staggering 30 years later.
The Odd Couple is one of the funniest movies of all time thanks to the brilliant writing and the chemistry between Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. The actors were such a great pair that they reunited for four films in the 1990s including another terrific duology, Grumpy Old Men. Also notable is the catchy jazz theme song by Neal Hefti, who also wrote the 1960's Batman theme.
Blade Runner - 7.0 & 7.1
It took 35 years for Ridley Scott's cult classic Blade Runner to finally receive a follow-up and Blade Runner 2049 was worth the wait. The original was adapted from Philip L. Dick's sci-fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The stories take place in a dystopian future where "Blade Runners" hunt rogue androids known as Replicants.
Harrison Ford stars in both films and has terrific chemistry with his co-stars, especially Ryan Gossling in the sequel. Rutger Hauer is outstanding as the rogue Replicant Roy Batty in the 1982 original. The meditative synthwave music of the soundtracks brings a distinct and unmistakable tone to the films. Blade Runner and its sequel are the definitive neo-noir movies.
The Hustler/ The Color Of Money - 8.0 & 7.0
The Queen's Gambit and The Man Who Fell To Earth author, Walter Tevis, wrote his first novel, The Hustler, in 1959. Within two years, The Hustler was a feature film starring Paul Newman as pool hustler Fast Eddie. Tevis' 1984 sequel The Color of Money was again adapted to film within just two years, with Tom Cruise joining Newman in the film.
Both of the films are classics and unquestionably the most iconic pool films of all time. They observe the themes of winning and losing both in pool and in life and the characters are superbly written. Both films received many Oscar nominations, with Newman finally winning an Academy Award for The Color of Money.
Flags Of Our Fathers & Letters From Iwo Jima - 7.1 & 7.9
About as deliberately a duology as they come. Clint Eastwood directed two films about the Battle of Iwo Jima in 2006. Flags of our Father took the perspective of the Americans, while Letters From Iwo Jima told the Japanese point of view.
Flags of our Fathers focuses on the famous lifting of the American flag and the men who lifted it. It received favorable reviews. But Letters From Iwo Jima scored even better and received several academy award nominations with one win. Japanese critics commended Eastwood for the care with which he gave the Japanese characters.
The Cornelius Ryan Movies - 7.7 & 7.4
Writer Cornelius Ryan published some terrific books recounting the major events of WW2 from both sides of the war. The Longest Day explored the events of D-Day. The film adaptation was advertised as having 42 international stars, including John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Richard Burton, and Sean Connery. It won an academy award for cinematography which included some breathtaking aerial footage.
A Bridge Too Far continued the format of The Longest Day and focused on the debacle of Operation Market Garden. The film bravely exposed the failures of the Allied powers. Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins, and Robert Redford highlighted another incredible cast. Cornelius Ryan interviewed hundreds of people for his books, which resulted in films of incredible scope.
Finding Nemo/Dory - 8.2 & 7.3
2003's Finding Nemo is one of the most beloved Pixar films of all time. It tells the story of a clownfish named Marlin who goes on a journey to rescue his son who was captured by a scuba-diving dentist. In the 2016 sequel, he and his son rescue the regal blue tang fish that helped them in the first movie.
Both of the films are incredibly charming and tackle themes of over-protective parenting and friendship. They are filled with terrific characters, including the short-term-memory Dory, the vegetarian shark Bruce, and surfer-dude sea turtles. Both films took home numerous awards, with Finding Nemo winning the Oscar for best animated film.
Top Gun - 6.9 & 8.6
Top Gun is a true '80s classic. The charismatic Tom Cruise, a heated romance, an incredible soundtrack, friendships and rivalries, and thrilling scenes featuring F-14 aircraft combined for an undeniably fun popcorn flick.
But 2022's Top Gun: Maverick manages to significantly surpass its predecessor and does it in style. While it captures all the nostalgia for the original, it blazes its own path with a terrific story filled with great characters. Filming was assisted by the U.S. Navy, which led to breathtaking aerial footage and an incredible third act. Maverick is unquestionably the must see film of 2022.
The Incredibles - 8.0 & 7.6
After directing the classic 1999 animated film The Iron Giant, Brad Bird made a career move to Pixar animation studio in 2000. He brought with him a gem of an idea: a suburban family of superheroes dealing with a midlife crisis, high-school social life, and other family issues. 2004's The Incredibles was a smash hit and The Incredibles 2 followed in 2018.
The films are cleverly written and a whole lot of fun and the characters are made accessible thanks to their relatability. The music and tone of the films is influences by 1960s superhero and espionage productions. Bird won his first academy award for The Incredibles and was asked to step in as director for Ratatouille, where he won a second.
Kill Bill - 8.2 & 8.0
Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill was conceived as a single film but was broken up into two during post-production. According to an IGN interview with Tarantino, this decision was made so that scenes wouldn't have to be cut. The films follow the betrayed assassin, The Bride, in her quest for revenge.
Though every Tarantino film is highly acclaimed, many feel that Kill Bill might just be his masterpiece. It is dripping with style and even the detours from the story are satisfying. The films are also loaded with incredible action sequences that are surprising and unrelenting.