Anyone who keeps up to date with movie releases will have come to peace with the fact that movie sequels just seem to be a fact of life. The idea of continuing a well-received story with a second (or third, or fourth, or fifth e.t.c.) part isn't new to the 21st century by any means, with movie sequels being frequently popular (and sometimes controversial) for decades now.
But with the rise of cinematic universes, movies that bridge the gap between sequel and reboot, and plenty of long-running series', blockbuster entertainment nowadays does seem particularly sequel-heavy, meaning every year inevitably sees the releases of sequels both good and bad. Few years in recent memory seemed to do as well as 2017 when it came to sequels, with many high-profile ones living up to expectations. The following sequels were all released in 2017, and stand out for equaling or surpassing the quality of their predecessors and/or continuing a pre-existing story in an interesting/necessary way.
1 'Paddington 2'
2014's Paddington was likely a pleasant surprise for most people who watched it. What appeared on the surface to be another family-friendly movie featuring a talking animal as its protagonist ended up being a surprisingly charming movie about finding a family in an unlikely place, with the movie overall doing a solid job at bringing the Paddington Bear character into the 2010s.
Yet its 2017 sequel managed to be an even bigger surprise, getting near-perfect reviews across the board from critics while telling a more exciting, emotional, and overall funnier story than the first film. When an animated bear temporarily dethrones a movie like Citizen Kane on Rotten Tomatoes with his sequel, you know it's probably a big deal.
2 'Logan'
It's hard to call Logan a direct sequel to one movie in particular, given it feels completely unlike any other X-Men movie that featured Wolverine. It can be seen as the final film in a trilogy that also included X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine, or as a distant sequel to the original X-men trilogy from the 2000s.
Logan takes place in a brutal, desolate version of the 2020s, showing a world where mutants are dying out, and Wolverine himself is growing old and weak. He embarks on one final mission to protect a young girl with mutant powers, ensuring the film feels like an explosive and fitting send-off to the character, and also perhaps the greatest X-Men movie so far.
3 'Thor: Ragnarok'
While they weren't the very worst things in the world, you'd probably struggle to find someone who'd rank Thor (2011) and Thor: The Dark World (2013) among their favorite MCU movies. That made the idea of a third Thor movie sound a little unexciting, but then that third Thor movie ended up being the extremely entertaining and surprising Ragnarok.
The 2017 sequel revitalized the title character, placing him in a film that was far more comedic and colorful than his previous solo movies had been, though not to the point where there was no genuine character drama or stakes. The fourth film failed to capture lightning in a bottle a second time, but at least fans still have Thor: Ragnarok to return to (i.e., the one actually good movie in the series).
4 'Blade Runner 2049'
How do you even make a sequel to Blade Runner more than 30 years later that doesn't disappoint people? That original 1982 film is one of the greatest and most highly-regarded science-fiction movies of all time, with the design of its world and the sci-fi concepts present in its story still proving to be thrilling and thought-provoking decades on from its release.
Yet somehow, Blade Runner 2049 ended up being a worthy follow-up, and just about equal to the first movie quality-wise. It got the balance right between telling a new story and calling back to the first, all the while continuing to build the fascinating futuristic world first introduced to audiences way back in 1982.
5 'T2 Trainspotting'
T2 Trainspotting came out 21 years after the original Trainspotting, and used the time between movies to its advantage. Viewers were introduced to Renton and his friends back in 1996, with that film presenting an honest yet often harrowing look at the Edinburgh drug scene, and the cycle of addiction experienced by Renton, which illustrated the difficulty of breaking a dependency on a substance as powerful as heroin.
While it might not quite feel as classic as the first movie, T2 Trainspotting is a surprisingly great sequel. It depicts a strained and tense reunion 20 years late between the characters of the first movie (after that film's dramatic conclusion), and like the first, also balances comedy, drama, and brutally honest shocking scenes to great effect. In the end, both are more than worth your time.
6 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'
The eighth Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi, might be the most controversial of all 11 live-action films released so far. It picks up right where 2015's The Force Awakens left off, following Rey's largely unsuccessful attempts to receive training from Luke Skywalker, who has exiled himself on an island for years after he failed to train the now villainous Kylo Ren.
It is not a film that's loved by everyone. It makes some bold choices when it comes to certain character motivations and narrative threads, leading to some people coming away disappointed. However, for pushing Star Wars forward in an interesting way (and appealing to some viewers and critics), it deserves to be held as a compelling Star Wars sequel. Also, it features plenty of Adam Driver, and who doesn't love him?
7 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'
Between the surprise hit 2014 film and the emotionally satisfying finale that is 2023's Vol. 3 lies 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It continued the story of the titular group in style - and with plenty of great music, too - following the characters on journeys that prove to be more personal than their first galaxy-saving adventure.
There are some minor pacing issues with Vol. 2, and when it comes to comedy, it doesn't hit the mark quite as often as the first movie. Yet it's still an incredibly satisfying sequel overall, and succeeds in going to even more emotional places than the first film did, ultimately standing as a strong middle chapter to the overall Guardians trilogy.
8 'Alien Covenant'
Viewers seemed torn on 2012's Prometheus, which never fully committed to being an Alien movie, yet still had a few key moments where the film wanted you to remember it was part of the series. Alien Covenant, for better or worse, doubled down on the Alien stuff, and felt much more at home with what people expect out of the series.
It featured a new cast of characters waiting to be chased and torn apart by an alien creature, with Michael Fassbender's David being the only character who truly returns from Prometheus. It largely delivers on being a no-nonsense Alien movie, and features expectedly great visuals and special effects throughout. It wasn't well-received by everyone, but then again, neither was the first movie, Prometheus.
9 'War for the Planet of the Apes'
When it comes to the 2010s Planet of the Apes trilogy, each film seemed to be a little better than the last. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) served as a good origin story for Caesar, who went on to become the main character of the superior Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), with the overall story about ape domination over the world concluding in 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes.
The effects used to bring the ape characters to life are remarkable, making all the action that unfolds on screen shockingly believable. It's rare to get a series of movies where each feels more dramatic and engaging than the last, but that's just what these three Planet of the Apes movies do.
10 'John Wick: Chapter 2'
John Wick: Chapter 2 was the movie that proved the 2014 original was no fluke, and that the titular character was worthy of having a long-running series. John may have got his revenge in the first film, but Chapter 2 shows that his troubles are really only just beginning.
The plot here sees him coming out of retirement and forced to go on the offensive against an organization of mysterious (and highly-skilled) assassins. The fallout of Chapter 2 gets the ball rolling on Chapters 3 and 4, allowing this 2017 film to be another entertaining and necessary installment of the overall action-packed saga.