I have both Ultimatum and Supremacy listed above only because you can choose which one you want there. I believe they are interchangeable and after the dust has settled I think I now lean a little more toward Supremacy in terms of the best Jason Bourne film even though Ultimatum kicks ass for all of its very own reasons. If you are wondering why either of these films could possibly be placed above The Dark Knight I give you two words: Casino Royale. The Jason Bourne franchise did something no one would have ever expected, it influenced the greatest spy film franchise ever and turned James Bond from a gadget loving misogynist into a kicking ass and taking names player. For the Bourne films to have shaped this brand new incarnation of James Bond is reason alone to propel it onto this list and the fact that the films are so great is why it makes it into the top five.
Perhaps the best example of a sequel improving on its original film is right here with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I was debating on whether or not to put Wrath of Khan on this list or Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, but the fact that I don’t think there even would have been a Voyage Home without the success of Wrath of Khan made that decision for me. I am not even sure there would have been any more Star Trek films or TV shows had it not been for the success of Wrath of Khan. I don’t remember and don’t plan on ever seeing the first film ever again, but Wrath of Khan will always be right next to my DVD player. The only reason I considered Voyage Home is because it is a film that you don’t even need to be a Trekkie to know. Ask anyone about their favorite Star Trek film and I would betcha those not entirely familiar with the films will always come back with the answer, “The one with the whales.” It’s a classic film that brought together a lot of audiences, but I can’t discount the fact that it may not have ever come into existence had Khan not shown his evil face once again.
You knew this one was coming. Big surprise. Any time you talk about film trilogies or sequels it is impossible not to bring up Star Wars. Love the prequels or hate them I don’t think any film buff will discount the joy of watching Darth Vader slice off his son’s hand and then break the news that he is in fact daddy. There isn’t much more to be said than what has been said about this film in its 28-year existence. This film is so good it is one of the film’s least messed up by George Lucas’s tinkering and will remain as quite possible the greatest all-around sci-fi film for years to come. Better than 2001? I guess we do have a debate…
I may get a lot of shit for this, but Before Sunset and the film that comes in at #1 are two of my favorite films of all-time. Before Sunset is the singularly greatest romantic film I have ever seen and unfortunately I think it remains to be a film not many people have seen. This dialogue driven story of two people reunited years after a one-night stand is one of the greatest stories ever told. There is no marvel in special effects technology, no logic defying camera moves and no need for CGI. This is just about as pure as filmmaking comes and it is brilliant.
