The 12 Best Action Movie Sequels of All Time

Bigger stunts, higher stakes, and set pieces that left their predecessors in the dust. Which one wins?

1. 1
   The Road Warrior

   George Miller 1981 post-apocalyptic sequel that redefined action filmmaking and launched a genre.
   1000pts
2. 2
   The Dark Knight

   Christopher Nolan 2008 sequel that transcended the superhero genre with Heath Ledger unforgettable Joker.
   765pts
3. 3
   Die Hard with a Vengeance

   John McTiernan 1995 third entry featuring McClane and Zeus Carver playing a bomber manhunt across New York City.
   617pts
4. 4
   John Wick: Chapter 2

   The 2017 sequel expanding the assassin underworld mythology with even more inventive gun-fu action.
   529pts
5. 5
   Creed

   The 2015 Rocky franchise revival following Adonis Johnson trained by Rocky Balboa himself.
   529pts
6. 6
   Terminator 2: Judgment Day

   James Cameron 1991 landmark sequel that introduced liquid-metal CGI and reversed the Terminator into a hero.
   412pts
7. 7
   Top Gun: Maverick

   The 2022 legacy sequel that surpassed the original with practical aerial sequences and emotional resonance.
   247pts
8. 8
   Mad Max: Fury Road

   George Miller 2015 kinetic masterpiece revival that became one of the most acclaimed action films ever made.
   1pts
9. 9
   Mission: Impossible - Fallout

   The 2018 franchise pinnacle featuring Tom Cruise most death-defying stunts and a HALO jump sequence.
   1pts
10. 10
    Captain America: Civil War

    The 2016 MCU sequel pitting superhero against superhero in the most ambitious team-up action film to date.
    1pts
11. 11
    The Empire Strikes Back

    The 1980 sequel that raised the stakes for action-adventure and delivered the most shocking reveal in cinema.
    1pts
12. 12
    Aliens

    James Cameron 1986 sequel trading Ridley Scott horror for relentless action thrills in a Colonial Marines setting.
    1pts