The Devil Wears Prada 2: 11 More Sequels That Were A Hit With Critics

The old saying goes that a sequel is never as good as the original, with an endless conveyor belt of films proving this to be the case over the years.

Fortunately for the team behind the new Devil Wears Prada movie, the long-awaited follow-up to 2006′s glossy rom-com, critics seem pretty impressed with the second instalment, with many hailing it as a worthy successor to the first film (you can check out HuffPost UK’s review for yourself here).

But what about those rare sequels that somehow manage to better the movie that came before it?

Here are 11 of the most celebrated follow-ups in modern movie history…

We don’t use throw like “perfection” around lightly, but if there were ever a perfect family comedy, then Addams Family Values might well be it.

The fact it’s actually a sequel to a less-revered live-action version of the classic franchise is even more impressive.

Obviously, all of the cast members playing the creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky and, indeed, “altogether ooky” family shine as brightly as their dark surroundings will allow (special shout-out to Anjelica Huston serving true macabre glamour as Morticia) – but Addams Family Values really belongs to new addition Joan Cusack, who stars as Uncle Fester’s demented love interest, Debbie.

Who’d have guessed that an animated buddy comedy about a toy cowboy and a plastic astronaut would have sparked one of the most lucrative film sagas of recent times?

And while Toy Story 2 – released four years after the original – kicked things up several notches, it was the third instalment in the series that people really went wild for. Toy Story 3 served up adorable new characters, scooped an impressive Best Picture nomination at the Oscars and, crucially, delivered not one but two ugly-cry moments.

Number four in the series is considered by many to be a bump in the road for the Pixar franchise, with a fifth instalment due to hit cinemas later in 2026.

The original Paddington film was well-received when it first hit cinemas in 2014 – featuring a CGI version of the classic character interacting with live-action actors – but even then, few could predict just how beloved its sequel would go on to become.

Not only was it nominated for Outstanding British Film at the Baftas, it was also one of the few movies with a perfect score on review site Rotten Tomatoes until… well… until it wasn’t.

Since then, a third movie has also proved successful at the box office, while a spin-off stage musical also cleaned up at the 2026 Olivier Awards.

Like many, we were sold on The Dark Knight from the moment we saw its infamous viral marketing campaign (back in the day when viral marketing campaigns were actually still new and exciting).

We could probably talk all day about how this film is a level up on Batman Begins, from Christopher Nolan’s direction, to the incredible costumes and special effects. But let’s be honest, this film is all about Heath Ledger, who deservedly earned a posthumous Academy Award for his unforgettable portrayal of the Joker.

Although the original Alien divided critics upon its original release in 1979, the film quickly garnered a loyal following, and by the mid-1980s, was revered among fans of sci-fi.

Putting out a sequel was therefore always going to be a bit of a risk, but fortunately 1986′s Aliens more than lived up to its predecessor. It earned Sigourney Weaver a game-changing Oscar nomination as the star of a sci-fi film. It has also been named the Best Sequel Of All Time by Empire magazine.

Listen, we get it, Fury Road was billed as a “revisiting” of the original Mad Max trilogy, rather than a straight-up sequel or a traditional reboot.

Still, the film was so well-received – check that 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes if you don’t believe us, not to mention its six Oscar wins – we felt we couldn’t leave it off this list.

Plus, who would pass up the opportunity to see Charlize Theron in all her buzzed glory again?

In the post-Disney landscape, Star Wars now has so many different instalments, and a fan community that stretches far and wide, that it would be literally impossible to decide which of the numerous sequels is the superior one.

So while we’d struggle to pinpoint which of film is the best, we’ve gone with The Empire Strikes Back for the simple reason it contains arguably the most iconic moment in Star Wars history, when Darth Vader’s true identity is revealed.

He said “I’ll be back”, and apparently he meant it, although it did take seven years.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day was hailed as even better than the original film by many critics, who were wowed by the advanced special effects (which went on to win one of the film’s four Academy Awards).

The success of Terminator 2 led to a number of additional spin-offs and sequels, although none of these have quite been able to match the original two films.

The first sequel to ever win Best Picture at the Academy Awards (the only other being Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King), Godfather II is so revered it was added to the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress due to its cultural significance, alongside the original Godfather film.

The same can not be said for the follow-up, Godfather III.

Although Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace proved popular, many 007 fans still breathed a sigh of relief when Skyfall was released, as they felt it was more in keeping with the James Bond franchise than Daniel Craig’s first two outings.

Skyfall won largely positive reviews from critics, many of whom praised the decision to give more material for Dame Judi Dench to work with, and became the highest-grossing film in the UK ever at that time. Follow-up Spectre was similarly well-received, with the Daniel’s fifth and final Bond film, No Time To Die, set to hit cinemas… soon. Let’s just say soon.

We could go on and on about how Shrek 2 managed to improve on almost everything that made the first movie such a hit, introducing even more amazing characters, giving Eddie Murphy’s Donkey even more one-liners, serving up even more amazing musical numbers and packing in even more laughs.

But come on, you just want to watch Jennifer Saunders’ Holding Out For A Hero, and we’re more than happy to oblige…