Top Gun: Maverick has proven to be a runaway success, which not only proves Tom Cruise's potency as a movie star but also serves as yet another example of the enduring success of the "legacyquel." This newly minted subgenre of sequel represents Hollywood's trend toward rebooting old classics by having the original characters the torch to a younger (and generally more diverse) generation.
The high-flying Cold War throwback currently has an 8.6 rating on IMDb, but after only three weeks in theaters, it's hard to say what the film's lasting popularity will be. Still, it's safe to say it will be ing the pantheon of fan favorites that have returned to the silver screen.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) - 7.1
After a divisive reboot starring Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy in 2016, Sony and Columbia Pictures decided to try again with a heavy dose of nostalgia. Following in the footsteps of Afterlife sets the supernatural action amongst a cadre of precocious youngsters as they make their way from one callback to the next.
Directed by Jason Reitman, son of the late Ghostbusters helmer Ivan Reitman, this legecyquel hit the right buttons for the legions of fans who were in the mood for a film that loved Ghostbusters as much as they do.
T2 Trainspotting (2017) - 7.2
Coming 21 years after the original served as a breakout for the director and its stars, Trainspotting seemed like an odd choice for a sequel. Yet Danny Boyle, Ewan McGregor, and all the rest returned for another go as the scheming addicts of Edinborough. The result is a surprisingly gentle film despite many of the characters desperately clinging to their youthful energy.
Not too gentle, of course, as this is still a Danny Boyle film and still about two-bit cons just trying to stay afloat. But what was once an air of punk rock delirium has now been replaced with bitter ennui and stolen moments of nostalgia, speaking directly to the Gen X audience that embraced Renton and the boys back in 1996.
Doctor Sleep (2019) - 7.3
When Stephen King published a follow-up to his 1977 classic The Shining in 2013, it felt like an inevitability that the novel would be adapted into a film, sooner or later. What wasn't clear was how any filmmaker could measure up to the heights of Stanley Kubrick's take on The Shining in 1980, still considered by many to be one of the greatest horror movies ever made.
As it turned out, rising horror auteur Mike Flanagan was up to the task. The film patiently charts its own path, allowing the viewer to invest in standout performances from Ewan McGregor as the adult Danny Torrence and Rebecca Ferguson as the seductive leader of a death cult before deploying the iconography of Kubrick's film in a way that actually feels rewarding for fans both old and new.
Creed (2015) - 7.6
Before he conquered the world with his take on pry the Rocky Balboa franchise from writer/director/star Sylvester Stallone. After indie success with Fruitvale Station, Coogler managed an audience with Stallone and pitched him a new direction for the story.
Casting his muse, Michael B. Jordan, Coogler chose to tell the story of Adonis Creed, the illegitimate son of Rocky's one-time rival turned best friend Apollo Creed who teams with Rocky to carry on his father's legacy in the ring. With this new film, Coogler was able to honor Stallone with his best work since the original Rocky while exploring themes of what it is to be a Black man in the modern world. And not for nothing, the film also features some of the best boxing scenes since Raging Bull.
The Godfather Part III (1990) - 7.6
This conclusive Part III is an undeniable dip after the heights of the previous two entries, both of which are considered two of the greatest films ever made. And yet, even the lesser iteration of The Godfather remains appealing to film fans.
Set in the late-70s, with Michael Corleone well past his prime, the film's major weaknesses come from the newer elements. While Andy Garcia and future auteur, Sofia Coppola, put in valiant efforts, they don't manage to stand up in the pantheon of amazing characters and performances of the previous movies. Nevertheless, the film's final moments make the effort feel worthwhile.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) - 7.8
Fans were justifiably wary when Disney promised a new The Force Awakens began in full force. Superproducer Kathleen Kennedy and director JJ Abrams knew exactly what fans were salivating for and delivered it with aplomb.
As the film that would lead ScreenCrush's Matt Singer to coin the phrase "legacyquel," The Force Awakens is a potent mix of nostalgia and potential. Fueled by instantly winning new talent like Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, and John Boyega and the triumphant returns of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, this first Star Wars film without George Lucas proved that the galaxy could thrive without its creator.
Star Trek (2009) - 7.9
Before JJ Abrams brought the Millenium Falcon back to the big screen, he brought his signature crowd-pleasing flair to a reboot of the Star Trek franchise. Recasting the original characters with a collection of charismatic talent, the film has its cake and eats it too by reimagining beloved characters like Kirk and Spock while still making it a sequel thanks to some multiversal trickery that sci-fi fans couldn't help but ire.
Though Abrams was ittedly not a fan of the series as a kid, he and the writing duo of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (the latter now is the current creative leader of the various series on Paramount+) were able to infuse the traditionally philosophical franchise with strong action and rakish humor. In this sense, it is the ideal reboot, honoring the old crowd while being a clean entry point for newcomers.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017) - 8.0
Ridley Scott's Blade Runner had gone through decades of reedits and fan speculation before the "final cut" was released in 2007. Still, it took another 10 years for fans to see what became of Deckard and the dystopian Los Angeles that had become so foundational to modern science fiction. However, this new film wasn't as interested in answering the mysteries of the previous film as it was in diving deeper into the world that the film created.
Set 32 years after the replicant Rachel and the maybe-replicant Deckard ran away together, this story follows a new android hunter played by a fascinatingly broken Ryan Gosling as he slowly unravels a mystery that would not only change the world but also give his own existence new meaning. The result is a film that provides more depth, emotion, and visual splendor than the original could even imagine.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - 8.1
2015 was a banner year for legacyquels, but the improbable Mad Max: Fury Road was the platinum standard. Few could've predicted that George Miller's unexpected return to Max and the post-apocalyptic wasteland he inhabits would be the finest action movie of the decade, let alone become a major Oscar contender.
Yet that's exactly what happened. Upon its release, consensus deemed Fury Road an instant classic, and it remains heralded as an adrenaline-fueled adventure in its purest form. Even after a torturous production that left stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron at their emotionally drained, Miller's vision feels perfectly realized in every frame. While this film relies little on nostalgic views of Miller's previous films with Mel Gibson, this Mad Max undeniably reinvigorates a franchise thought dead and charts its path forward.
Toy Story 3 (2010) - 8.3
Much like The Godfather Part III, the third Toy Story film attempted to regain the magic after two perfect entries more than a decade earlier. However, unlike that threequel, Toy Story 3 pulls it off with charm and grace. In utilizing the time away and leaning into the idea that Andy, the raison d'etre for Woody and the gang, has grown up just all the little boys and girls who grew up with the movies.
The toys' journey to a new life when Andy goes off to college stood as a perfect analog to the change that many of the franchise's first fans were going through at that moment, and the filmmakers' message of moving on played so well and continues to play so well that it is regarded as one of the greatest Pixar movies ever.
