Audiences have a rocky relationship with the very concept of movie sequels, and it's understandable why. Throughout history, there have been plenty of underwhelming or flat-out disappointing sequels. For a sequel to be good, it has to - at the very least - equal the quality of what came before, or continue the original story in a meaningful way. Ideally, it will surpass the movie it follows, though if it comes after a movie that was already close to perfect, it stands to reason that that's not a requirement.
Naturally, numerous sequels don't live up to expectations, and even a solid follow-up may feel disappointing to some. Yet the best of the best aren't likely to disappoint at all, as the following titles demonstrate. Below are some of the greatest sequels in cinema history, with all being successful at complementing the movie(s) that came before while striking a perfect balance between familiarity and freshness in their approach to continuing a pre-existing story.
