10 Movie Sequels Better Than The Original

7. Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers

Another all-time great cinematic trilogy, each instalment of Lord of the Rings brings its own strengths, from the more intimate, collective journey of Fellowship to the sweeping epic feel of Return of the King, with The Two Towers, funnily enough, landing somewhere in the middle of those.

The movie takes the classic sequel approach of splitting its characters up and putting them into even more dangerous situations, darkening the tone but without ever losing the sense of identity established in the first movie. It really tests each of the characters and, just as importantly, the bonds that exist between them, and they come out much stronger as a result.

All of the actors raise their game, there are some real surprises (for non-book readers, anyway), and after a fleeting introduction, we are properly introduced to the character of Gollum. Not only is Andy Serkis' mo-cap performance a stunner, but Gollum is absolutely crucial to understanding the power of the ring and the pertinence of destroying it, tinging the adventure with a greater sense of tragedy.

And amidst all that, there is the action. It's been over 15 years since it happened, and still the Battle of Helm's Deep remains one of the most incredible battle sequences ever put on screen, from the march of the army to the seemingly insurmountable odds, the wave of bodies, the sheer desperation, and the sweet relief of salvation. Marrying scale with character work and emotion, this is Peter Jackson's filmmaking at its very best.