10 Best Movie Sequels (Not Directed By The Original Filmmaker)
4. The French Connection II
The French Connection II is one of those movies where they're often destined to fail, with them being handed the impossible task of matching a film viewed as a true classic of cinema. As such, the sequel is often judged unfairly, but man, is this 1975 follow-up a fantastic film that deserves so much more love than it often gets.
Given how its predecessor won a gargantuan five Academy Awards, with a further three nominations, The French Connection II was always going to be up against it.
Taking the action-thriller vibe of New York and moving it over to Marseille, France, this follow-up sees Gene Hackman's 'Popeye' Doyle tracking down the one that got away - escaped drug dealer Franco of the first film. And one could argue that Hackman was on better form here than he was in his mesmerizing Oscar-winning turn in The French Connection, particularly as Doyle ends up getting his own heroin addiction to deal with.
Hackman may have been back for The French Connection II, but director William Freidkin didn't join his star in picking things back up for this sequel. Instead, the legendary Friedkin was replaced in the director's chair by John Frankenheimer - and he quite possibly brought an even bigger sense of action to proceedings, as highlighted in this sequel's jaw-dropping chase sequence.