Sequels are becoming an increasingly popular thing in the movie industry, with people no longer wanting to take a risk on a brand new story. Instead, it seems that the comfort of well-known characters and plot development is the route many are taking in order to create films for a new generation.
Whether it be bringing back an incredibly old franchise, or simply turning a book into a long series of movies, sequels have been popular in this decade. Of course, sequels comes a tricky challenge of not wanting to repeat the same story, and also having to live up to, or be better than the original.
Many sequels end up falling short of the mark in that regard and end up being poor rehashes of something we've already seen. But these 10 sequels proved that if done right, they can be great.
Thor: Ragnarok (7.9)
Considering how many Marvel sequels that have been made in this decade, it is no surprise that one is kicking off this list. To its credit, Thor: Ragnarok is an amazing movie, totally changing things up for the character and creating a more comedic and upbeat tone to the previous two films.
Adding Hulk into the equation was another wise move on Marvel's behalf and with tons of bright colors and some rock music playing in the background, it became one of the better MCU movies. Seeing Thor ditch the long hair for a sleeker, cooler look, everything about this movie just worked, and it is more than worthy of the 7.9 IMDb rating.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (7.9)
While the final installment of the trilogy may go on to top it (rating not yet available), for now at least, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the best of the non-classic movies in the saga. With the franchise making its long-awaited return, the pressure was seriously high on this film to deliver.
After the prequels had left fans more than disappointed, people wanted to see Star Wars return to its roots. Force Awakens did just that, bringing in tons of exciting new characters while seeing some of the original heroes make their return, this sci-fi adventure restored faith in the fans again.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past (8)
Throughout this decade there have been plenty of X-Men movies, some which have been amazing, and some which have been very poor. However, the best of the bunch, at least according to IMDb, is X-Men: Days Of Future Past, which scored a rating of 8.
Blending both the newer, younger characters and the original X-Men characters together into one movie was a genius idea and it certainly paid off. With a totally unique storyline and some amazing performances, this movie was a mega-hit both commercially and critically.
Blade Runner 2049 (8)
Blade Runner 2049 also received an IMDb rating of 8 and was quite a surprise hit during this decade. While the movie had a very talented cast including Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, and Dave Bautista, people weren't sure if a sequel to the movie was needed.
However, after watching the near three-hour movie, it was evidently clear that it was. Ford brought one of the greatest performances of his career to the table in this film, with a gripping story and some amazing action, it got the deserved recognition.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (8.1)
The Harry Potter franchise is one of the most successful in the history of cinema, and it certainly ended with a bang. Being rated 8.1 by IMDb, Deathly Hallows: Part 2 certainly lived up to expectations as the great war finally took place between good and evil.
While it was certainly heavy on the action, the movie didn't forget what had made the franchise so popular in the first place. Focusing heavily on the characters and the relationships that had been formed, this was an incredibly emotional ending to a masterfully well-done franchise.
Mad Max: Fury Road (8.1)
Mad Max: Fury Road is technically a sequel, although it can easily work as a stand-alone movie as well. Either way, it is an absolutely amazing film that is jam-packed with tremendous action and some of the best car chase scenes that have ever been shot.
The movie is visually stunning, with the fire and explosions really popping against the brown sands. Without Tom Hardy even saying much he puts in an amazing performance, with his facial expressions doing a lot of the talking for him here.
Logan (8.1)
This decade has been absolutely dominated by comic book movies, for better or worse. Some of them have been poor, but others, like Logan, have been absolute masterpieces. Deserving far more credit than it was given, Logan is an incredibly emotional movie that takes a totally different twist on the classic superhero franchise.
Bringing an end to Hugh Jackman's time as Wolverine, this saw him perform as a much older man, no longer then invincible badass we came to know in previous X-Men films. The emotional performances from him and Patrick Stewart were simply terrific throughout this film, blowing people's expectations away.
Toy Story 3 (8.3)
Very few franchises are able to bring out three movies, all of amazing quality, yet Pixar proved they were able to with Toy Story 3. There were some serious worries heading into this movie from fans of the originals, but Pixar weaved together another unbelievable film, that some would argue is the best of the lot.
Mixing in some new characters with the beloved original characters, this film was amazing. Bringing the classic humor and emotion that Pixar films are notorious for, this animated movie about toys had even the toughest of people wiping away a tear in the final scenes.
The Dark Knight Rises (8.4)
The Dark Knight trilogy can comfortably stand up against any great movie trilogy in history, regardless of if it's a comic book trilogy. All three films are exceptional, and The Dark Knight Rises brought the story to an end in an amazing manner.
Bringing Bane to the silver screen, Christopher Nolan pulled out another amazing film to add to his collection. Making Batman vulnerable and providing a nemesis who was physically superior to him was an interesting twist to the story, and it really allowed for another classic to be made. With an IMDb rating of 8.4, it stands up as one of the best sequels of the decade.
Avengers: Endgame (8.5)
Arguably the most anticipated movie of the entire decade, Avengers: Endgame was everything that people had hoped it would be, and then some. Building on over a decade's worth of movies and story, Marvel had a lot of pressure to wrap up this story and they certainly gave it a good go.
With an IMDb rating of 8.5, the movie was clearly a huge success. Not just being critically successful, the movie was a box office smash hit, becoming the highest-grossing film in history, proving just how popular it was. Being able to wrap so much up in just one film deserves a ton of credit, and the fact it was the best sequel of the decade is rightfully deserved.