9 Underrated Animated Film Sequels, Ranked

Animated films have all the time held the flexibility to inform unbelievable tales and convey unbelievable and exhilarating worlds and characters to life. As is the case with many different well-liked films, the artistic worlds and characters seen in animated films have made the style ripe for sequels and additional exploration of those iconic worlds.


Though the usual for sequels could also be that they by no means examine to the unique movie, that does not utterly write off these sequels from their worth. Many animated sequels have been written off and ignored over time, whether or not as a result of the unique movie was of a lot larger high quality or did not give audiences hope for a sequel.

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9 ‘Cloudy with a Likelihood of Meatballs 2’ (2013)

Swallow Falls from Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2

Happening instantly after the occasions of the primary movie, Cloudy with a Likelihood of Meatballs 2 follows Flint and the remainder of Swallow Falls as they’re pressured to go away city whereas it’s cleaned. Flint quickly accepts a proposal to work for the Dwell Corp Firm, which has been tasked with cleansing the island whereas they’re away. When it’s found that Flint’s machine nonetheless operates and has been creating mutant meals creatures on the island, Flint and his associates return to the island to defeat the machine as soon as and for all.

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The unique Cloudy with a Likelihood of Meatballs was already stuffed with artistic attraction and the basic comedic wit of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The sequel solely provides to the creativity, displaying off a completely new world stuffed with extremely artistic meals creatures, in addition to persevering with the fashion of humor that made the primary movie so iconic.

8 ‘The Croods: A New Age’ (2020)

The Croods family meet the Betterman family in The Croods: A New Age (2020)
Picture through DreamWorks

Releasing 7 years after the unique movie, The Croods: A New Age continues the journey of the Croods household and their makes an attempt to seek for a safer habitat to name residence. Of their search, they uncover a fantastic paradise residence created by the Bettermans, a household additional on the evolutionary chain than the Croods. Whereas the 2 households are initially at odds with each other, the 2 events shortly study that they should work collectively to face a looming menace.

Particularly when in comparison with the unique movie, The Croods: A New Age did an important job at discovering its footing comedically, making for an expertise that’s noticeably funnier than the unique. An excellent portion of this may be credited to the character dynamics, because the introduction of the Bettermans additional builds on the themes and ideas of the primary movie, but permits for rather more comedic potential.

7 ‘Lodge Transylvania 3: Summer time Trip’ (2018)

A promotional still for Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation featuring the entire cast of monster characters in summer outfits.

Lodge Transylvania 3: Summer time Trip sees your complete solid of ghouls and monsters taking a much-needed trip on a luxurious cruise made particularly for monsters. Whereas on the cruise, Dracula falls in love with the ship’s captain, Ericka, who’s secretly a descendant of Van Helsing and is planning to take revenge upon Dracula and the remainder of the cruise passengers.

Director Genndy Tartakovsky has all the time executed an important job at making the Lodge Transylvania collection visually enthralling, with this installment probably being one of the best animation within the collection. The animation is not the one excessive level current, because the comedy additionally reaches new highs, going for a extra off-the-wall zany strategy that matches the franchise and characters completely.

6 ‘Trolls World Tour’ (2020)

The main cast of characters featured in Trolls: World Tour

Trolls World Tour follows Poppy and Department who embark on a quest after discovering that there are a lot of totally different Troll worlds past their very own, every with their very own fashion of music. All of those worlds are quickly in danger, nevertheless, because the nefarious Barb and her rock and roll military plans to destroy all the opposite worlds in order that solely rock and roll will stay.

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Whereas the unique movie had extra of a stability between music and the trolls as creatures themselves, this movie leans into the music facet rather more, leading to a way more participating expertise. There is a genuinely efficient message current within the movie about race relations and the risks of tribalism, which is dealt with with surprisingly excessive ranges of dignity and style for a movie about rainbow trolls.

5 ‘Cinderella III: A Twist in Time’ (2007)

A still from Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, featuring step-sister Anastasia dancing with Prince Charming

Each constructing off of and reimagining Disney’s authentic Cinderella story, Cinderella III: A Twist in Time sees the evil stepmother stealing the Fairy Godmother’s magic wand. She makes use of the magic wand’s energy to vary historical past and rewrite the occasions of the unique story in order that Prince Charming falls in love with Anastasia as an alternative. It quickly turns into as much as Cinderella to each restore the unique timeline and save Prince Charming.

Time journey is such a wierd idea to be applied into Cinderella, and but within the context of the movie, it manages to work wonders with out feeling too overbearing. A Twist in Time is genuinely one of many strangest viewing experiences, because it goes above and past merely remixing the unique movie and goes so far as to enhance upon the unique’s flaws. Most notably, A Twist in Time truly offers the initially clean slate Prince Charming an precise character, giving him an actual character and quite a lot of nice character moments.

4 ‘The Boss Child: Household Enterprise’ (2021)

the-boss-baby-2-family-business
Picture through DreamWorks

The Boss Child: Household Enterprise follows brothers Tim and Ted, now absolutely grown adults and Tim has a whole household to name his personal. Nevertheless, their now regular lives are halted when Tim’s youngest daughter Tina reveals herself as a brand new boss child and enlists their assist to cease a brand new enemy threatening humanity. Utilizing a brand new boss child serum, Tim and Ted are reworked into their youthful selves and go undercover as a way to save each their household and the world.

The unique Boss Child was already off the partitions with its idea and execution, making for one of the vital nonsensical and insane animated movies in latest instances. The sequel solely manages to amplify this madness, eradicating the storybook reminiscence lens and having its unbelievable story happen in real-time with no doubts that it’s truly occurring. This madness can be rather more self-aware and concentrated, making for a viewing expertise that, whereas with its ups and downs, feels rather more persistently strong than the unique movie.

3 ‘The Lego Film 2: The Second Half’ (2019)

the-lego-movie-2

5 years after the occasions of The Lego Film, The Lego Film 2: The Second Half sees the world of Lego as an apocalyptic wasteland after an ongoing battle towards mysterious invaders. Emmett continues to be as go-lucky as ever, but he should get critical when Wyldstyle and the remainder of his associates are taken by the invaders.

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The unique Lego Film was one of many largest animated film surprises of the 2010s, and whereas the sequel was by no means going to dwell as much as the masterpiece of the unique, it nonetheless has so much to supply. The basic animation fashion and comedy of the Lego films are nonetheless current all through, and the brother/sister themes and message are an important pure development of the daddy/son message of the unique.

2 ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Needed’ (2012)

Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman standing in a circus car in Madagascar 3:Europe's Most Wanted (2012)
Picture through DreamWorks

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Needed sees Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria persevering with to seek out their means again to their residence on the Central Park Zoo, this time taking a detour via Europe. On their journey, they discover themselves within the crosshairs of Europe’s most formidable animal-control officer and are pressured to cover out in a touring circus consequently.

Whereas the earlier two Madagascar movies had been rather more centered round reference-based and dialogue comedy, Madagascar 3 takes a shift in the direction of a extra slapstick and visible comedic fashion. Whereas positively totally different from the earlier two movies, this new comedic fashion works wonders and leads to a few of the greatest comedic moments and most hanging visuals of your complete collection. This improved writing could possibly be accredited to stunning author Noah Baumbach, most recognized for his work as a author for Marriage Story, Implausible Mr. Fox, and the upcoming Barbie.

1 ‘The SpongeBob Film: Sponge Out of Water’ (2015)

Sponge Out of Water

The SpongeBob Film: Sponge Out of Water follows SpongeBob and the remainder of Bikini Backside in turmoil after the Krabby Patty secret system abruptly disappears. With all of Bikini Backside at stake, SpongeBob and his associates embark on a quest to the floor as a way to retrieve the system from the clutches of the evil Burger Beard (performed by Antonio Banderas).

Whereas followers had been initially greatly surprised by the brand new 3D computer-animated designs used as the first promotion for the movie, Sponge Out of Water surprises regardless of this alteration in animation fashion. The movie particularly has an prolonged 2D portion that takes up nearly all of the movie and is residence to quite a lot of basic SpongeBob comedic hijinks that followers love concerning the present. Even when the movie enters its 3D animated closing act, the robust comedic writing and the hilarious over-the-top villain efficiency from Antonio Banderas make it a enjoyable and fascinating expertise.NEXT: ‘Puss in Boots: The Final Want’ an 9 Household Film Sequels Higher Than the Authentic, In response to Letterboxd