1. Terminator II: Judgement Day
And yet, not even Christopher Nolan's indefatigable directorial prowess could take the #1 spot away from what is without question the best movie sequel of all time. James Cameron's The Terminator was a thrilling low-budget action thriller that engaged with the notion of time travel in an arresting manner, and told a story that was practically begging for a sequel. Boy, did James Cameron deliver or what? Terminator 2 ups the ante in every way possible - there are two machines instead one, specifically - thanks to an increased budget, allowing for state-of-the-art visual effects which bring the antagonist of the picture, Robert Patrick's T-1000, to life in ways previously thought unimaginable. The action crackles, but what really makes the film work is the character development; Cameron is confident enough to take lengthy downtime to flesh Sarah Connor out especially, and the potentially snoozy scenes in Albuquerque are actually some of the best in the entire film. Terminator 2 didn't just up the game; it set a bar for action movies that still hasn't been topped today. What's your favourite movie sequel? Let us know in the comments below.