In light of Gladiator II, once again, the long-repeated debate has stirred itself to life: are sequels (of classic reboots or not) the best cinema out there? Looking at 2024 alone, there have been countless sequels hitting the big screen, so it’s time to take a look at whether those are worth your time.

Gladiator II: Better Off As A Standalone 

Gladiator II has a lot going for it. Strong performances from Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington, you’d think Gladiator II would be hard to critique—especially as one of the few stories set in Ancient Rome. However, where there is a will, there is certainly a way. 

This sequel follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), sometimes known as Hanno, as his home of Numidia (the last kingdom free of imperial rule) is conquered by Roman invaders. After the defeat of the kingdom and severe personal losses, Lucius gets sold into slavery, where he is forced to endure training and then fighting as a gladiator. From then on, plenty of qualms of morality and identity come up, along with a whole lot of violence and revenge (though perhaps “strength and honour” is more apt). 

Following an almost identical structure to its predecessor, the formulaic narrative ensures a new connection to Lucius is hard to build. The narrative recalls Maximus (Russell Crowe), and though Mescal certainly sells his performance in plenty of emotion (mostly anger), the script means you hardly go below the surface. The same can be said for Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, though she is the singular returning cast member, little more is gained about her character and as the one female presence in Gladiator II, this character arc feels lacklustre.

The fighting choreography, Washington’s intriguing arc as Macrinus, and the kind of rags-to-riches possibility of gladiator fighting could have been exciting, but with the same old narrative, Gladiator II feels like an attempt to imitate a prestige film rather than one paying homage to the 2000 classic. Adding in the tonnes of violence and no real plot development, it felt each spectacle on screen did the story, and therefore the characters, a disservice, though an impressively cinematic one.  

Alien: Romulus: The sci-fi genre is alive and well!

Another one of Ridley Scott’s works, it seems sequels aren’t all bad. Though Alien 3 gets lost comparably to Alien and Alien 2, Alien: Romulus proves a new cast and some old concepts (mainly the Alien species) make for an exhilarating watch. 

Alien: Romulus follows a group living on a mining colony—fully dystopian with 24/7 darkness. Owned by a corporation that is treating them like slaves, Rain’s (Cailee Spaeny) desperation leads her to join a group planning to raid an abandoned space station with the  hopes to get fuel to flee the colony. The film follows their adventure on the space station and all the mystery and action that comes with a journey into the unknown.

Fede Álvarez, the director, is a seasoned veteran in the horror genre, bringing those tension-filled moments with perfectly timed jump scares. Cailee Spaeny showcases her ability to convey so much emotion in silent moments and gestures, as she did in Priscila, alongside Isabela Merced and Archie Renaux as siblings Kay and Tyler, David Jonsson as Andy, and some more to join the group. As a small ensemble, each character feels fully-realised, like the original. 

This scary continuation will leave you on the edge of your seat in suspense and with scarily-immersive world building from the offset, you can sense the desperation behind each decision. Though, it wasn’t entirely new, it recalled enough of the old films with a fresh lease of life to make for Alien: Romulus to win a strong yes in the favour of sequels. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: It is about time Ghostbusters retires their phone line.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is the final nail in the coffin of a franchise bound for retirement. Rebooted relatively successfully with a gender twist in the 2016 adaptation, Frozen Empire is in a decent line of Ghostbusters reboots and sequel films, failing to maintain what made its predecessor a classic—originality. Though interestingly done, with returning faces from the original remake and previous reboot Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the sub plots and familiar cast did nothing to ensure a wow factor. Even Paul Rudd at the helm couldn’t save it.

This sequel follows the Spengler family as they return to the iconic firehouse in the original Ghostbusters and start ghost-busting. In comes an ancient artefact that’ll upset the tentative balance they’d created and overwhelming chaos. McKenna Grace as Phoebe and Emily Alyn Lind as Melody lead much of the film in an interesting and new dynamic, and the CGI is impressive to watch. But ultimately, the two hour long runtime didn’t manage to capture anything new and exciting. I’d advise giving this sequel a miss and rewatching the original.  

Paddington in Peru – Paddington’s trip abroad is the gap year we needed to see on screen! 

Paddington in Peru leaves an overwhelmingly positive impression. Though it could be the family fun-filled genre, Paddington in Peru stands as a model for how to do a sequel right. A homecoming, a new location (which was no less important to the story as Notting Hill and Paddington station), and returning faces (the Brown family) along with new members (namely Olivia Colman as a singing nun and Antonio Banderas as a boat captain with a messy treasure-hunting past) makes for a fusion of new and old. 

In this sequel film, Paddington finds himself in Peru to visit his Aunt Lucy. Incidentally, she has gone missing. Paddington, along with the Browns, go on a hunt through the wilderness to find his beloved family member, with some helping hands along the way. 

Previously played by Sally Hawkins, Mrs Brown is taken on by Emily Mortimer this time round, though it goes mostly undetectable. Hawkins’ take is distinctive but with minimal deviations from Mortimer, it feels a seamless transition. And with the adventure aspects heightened in this adventure, it left no room to ponder Hawkins’ departure (with the exception of one distorted flashback to the first Paddington film).

Playing on Indiana Jones throughout, Paddington in Peru captured the adventure and a comedy in a bear-filled family package. Surprisingly thrilling, it had higher stakes, a relative in danger (bless poor Aunt Lucy), and a look at the iconic Home for Retired Bears. Getting out of London was the best thing Paddington could have done—a different kind of homecoming for Paddington than we’ve seen before. 

Banderas and Colman’s character ensures a laugh for all, whilst making for some diverting plotlines. Paddington in Peru continues the essence of what makes Paddington’s story so magnetic (the laughs and found-family themes), whilst adding some new twists.

Honourable Mentions: 

The Good–

The Thing (2011)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton and a whole ensemble cast makes for a tense prequel film, offering up new information whilst maintaining what made the original The Thing such a beloved classic in the sci-fi horror genre—namely the small and isolated setting, high stakes, and paranoia working to up the tension amid the crew.  

Twisters (2024)

Twisters marks the continuation of another film with a huge legacy like Gladiator—Twister. And it does so expertly. With a new set of characters but the same overarching themes of science and tornadoes, Twisters was a whirlwind with a great soundtrack to back it, holding the original depth and action of its predecessor.

The Bad–

The King’s Man (2021)

Ralph Fiennes, Harris Dickinson, Djimon Hounsou couldn’t save this film from the disjointed plot and anticlimactic moments that made up this prequel. Considering Kingsman: The Secret Service was such a hit, it was disappointing that The King’s Man, which focuses on the formation of the organisation, never caught up to what made the 2014 original so special. Without Taron Egerton’s charm, the Kingsman organisation isn’t the same.

John Wick: Chapter Two (2017)

There are only so many times I can watch a 10 minute action sequence with Keanu Reeves killing every single person and making it out alive. John Wick isn’t a bad action film by any means, but I’d rather dabble in Reeves’ other filmography than indulge in another John Wick sequel with the same old narrative formula.

The Verdict

Maybe, sequels aren’t always the way to go. If there isn’t something new to say or original stories to tell within the well-loved narrative, sometimes it’s best to let a good thing lie. Though, will I be watching the next sequel made for a beloved film? Most definitely! You just never know when another great sequel is going to come around.

Words by Annabel Smith

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