10 Great Movie Sequels (That Nobody Saw)
9. The Raid 2
2011's The Raid made a huge splash upon release, critically and commercially adored for its insane fight choreography and white-knuckle action.
When 2014's The Raid 2 came along however, all of the excitement around the first film had died down. It didn't make nearly as much of an impact as the original and some fans of the first film have even dismissed it due to its run-time and slightly slower pace.
However therein lies The Raid 2's biggest strength, it perfectly balances its intriguing narrative with jaw-dropping fight sequences that are designed to leave you breathless.
Gareth Edwards, director of both Raid films had always intended on making The Raid 2 first as he'd wanted to explore the greater character dynamics and extended narrative, but was unable to secure funding for the project. Instead he scaled it back and formed the original film in its place. Opting for a simpler narrative and bigger emphasis on pulse-racing action, that became The Raid's biggest selling points.
Plans for a sequel have been put on hold indefinitely, whether or not The Raid 2's less than impressive box-office numbers had anything to do with it, remains to be seen.