5 R-Rated Sequels That Outdid the Original

When Hollywood happens upon an original idea, it squeezes that idea for all the money and content possible. This is good for movie studio revenue, but not always good for movie fans. Despite the film world's best, if misguided, efforts to ruin everything that made a movie great, sometimes they find gold in the process of making sequels.

The best sequels are often unexpected. No one thought films like "The Godfather" could be elevated any higher, yet its sequel "The Godfather Part II" became a high watermark of cinema. Great sequels require a special, but nebulous sauce: further exploration of compelling characters and a believable raising of stakes. Those stakes become even higher when the sequel is R-rated. As such, let's explore five R-rated sequels that outdid the original.

The original "Crank" was wild, featuring Jason Statham in a desperate attempt to stay alive after being poisoned. With its over-the-top action sequences, graphic humor, and ridiculous characters it seemed hard to top. Then director duo Mark NeveldineandBrian Taylor (known professionally as Neveldine/Taylor) released its sequel, "Crank: High Voltage." The film was so unhinged, so extreme, that it turned off a lot of critics. Even still, it's hard to argue that "Crank: High Voltage" isn't one of the greatest sequels ever. It takes an already ludicrous concept and elevates it to total madness without compromise. Love or hate it, "Crank: High Voltage" can't be denied.

For the first nine films, The X-Men franchise stayed in firmly PG-13 territory. Then "Logan" came out in 2017, providing a welcomed gritty edge to the world of superheroes. Centered around Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman), James Mangold's "Logan" explores a near future where mutants have stopped being born. It's hard-edged, violent, and unsympathetic to the usual superhero tropes. While it infuses more bloodshed than previous films in the franchise, it balances the carnage with surprisingly emotional insights and reflections.

Upon release, "The Godfather" quickly became one of the greatest films ever. Somehow, director Francis Ford Coppola outdid himself with its sequel, "The Godfather Part II." Functioning as both a sequel and prequel to "The Godfather," the film explores the Corleone family's trajectory from its humble Sicilian roots to running a criminal empire in New York City. Thanks to its thematic complexity and Robert De Niro's incredible performance, "The Godfather Part II" won six Academy Awards. It was also the first sequel to win Best Picture.

While it's the third film in Sergio Leone's famed "Man with No Name" trilogy, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" quickly became one of the best spaghetti western films ever made. While it's anchored around a compelling story and punctuated by unforgettable landscapes, the film's music made it transcendent, filling it with tense, dramatic moments. Many Westerns have tried to imitate its haunting, arresting scenes, but none come close to "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly's" singular sense of drama.

The runaway success of James Cameron's "The Terminator," opened new doors for the inevitable franchise. Whereas the original functioned more like an independent horror movie, "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" was a blockbuster of the highest order. It had gripping chase sequences, an unstoppable villain, and emotional catharsis. The sequel was also a technological achievement, using the latest CGI technology to present the villain T-1000 (played by Robert Patrick) as a palpably cosmic danger.