Prequels tend to either ruin or enhance movie franchises, and there is rarely any in-between. As prequels tend to follow iconic characters who are often mysterious, it’s easy to stretch the lore paper-thin or force a story that makes no sense.
However, there are loads of prequels that brilliantly build the movie world further and even cast a critical eye on problems with the original series, and sometimes they can even reinvigorate a stale franchise. And when it comes to some of the movies, most fans don’t even know that they are prequels, as it’s only revealed in throwaway lines.
10 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith (2005) - 7.5
Some might see it as the best of a bad bunch, and it’s filled with funny moments that aren’t necessarily meant to be funny, but Revenge of the Sith is well-liked by fans of Star Wars and still has a much higher score than the bulk of the movies that were released in the last six years.
All of the prequels were leading up to the final fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin on the lava-covered Mustafar, and though audiences had to live through some bad child acting and cringy romantic dialogue, it was all worth it. And the scene in which Darth Vader is being assembled at the end is one of the most hair-raising scenes in the entire saga.
9 Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984) - 7.6
Though many people don’t know it, The Temple of Doom is actually a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Given that director Steven Spielberg wanted a Nazi-free sequel, The Temple of Doom is surprisingly the darkest of all the movies, and that’s why it’s the lowest-rated of the original trilogy of Indy movies.
Fans were disappointed by not just its dark tone, but also the new love interest of Indy’s, Willie. However, it’s still better than most movies, and between the iconic bridge scene and the mining cart chase, The Temple of Doom’s charm is still irresistible.
8 Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011) / Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014) - 7.6
After the Tim Burton remake of the original movie, Rise of the Planet of the Apes was impossible to be a disappointment. But there were still reservations about the movie leading up to its release, whether it was the CGI apes or the idea of the whole prequel ruining the classic twist that comes at the end of the original movie.
However, the film ended up being one of the best movies in the series, and the CGI talking apes felt as real as they possibly could. And the follow-up is just as good, as it has the exact same score on IMDb.
7 X-Men: First Class (2011) - 7.7
Though Wolverine only appears briefly, he is a big reason as to why X-Men: First Class is rated so highly. The two words he has in the movie make up for one of the funniest cameos in any film ever, but every scene built around it is phenomenal too.
The introduction of the younger Professor Xavier and Magneto built on the relationship in unimaginable ways, and it is ultimately, strangely enough, one of the greatest break-up movies ever. Few prequels are able to tell an origin story of the villain and what motivates them to do bad things as perfectly as First Class.
6 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) / The Desolation Of Smaug (2013) - 7.8
Though the final movie in the whole prequel trilogy, The Battle of the Five Armies, isn’t as praised, An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug both have a 7.8 on IMDb. They’re both great for different reasons, and not just because of all the fan service and references to The Lord of the Rings.
The two movies stand on their own, as the first movie introduces all of the Hobbits in such a fun and almost wholesome way, and the follow-up finally gives audiences what they want, Smaug protecting his gold.
5 Rogue One (2016) - 7.8
Most of the Star Wars movies made by Disney have been polarizing. Rise of Skywalker is loved by some for the whole gang going on an adventure together, but hated by others for being too full of fan service. The Last Jedi is loved by some for subverting expectations, but hated by others for trying to be too left field. And even The Force Awakens, the most beloved of them all, is scrutinized for being a soft reboot of the original.
But when it comes to Rogue One, the movie that takes place right before the events of A New Hope, fans are united in that it’s a fantastic standalone story outside of the main saga. Though it has some questionable de-aging effects on Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia, the whole final hour is a dizzying war in space. And when Darth Vader unleashes hell on the rebels, it’s the most horrific moment in Star Wars.
4 X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014) - 7.9
First Class was just the beginning of an incredible one-two-punch in the very patchy X-Men series. The follow-up, Days of Future Past, isn’t just a prequel, but a sequel, as it intertwines the characters of the original movies and the characters from First Class.
But as fun as the characters coming in to contact with one another is, the true ace up Future Past’s sleeve is Quicksilver. The character has a two-minute scene in a kitchen of the Pentagon of all places, and it singlehandedly turned the film into one of the best Marvel movies ever.
3 Casino Royale (2006) - 8.0
It’s hard to classify the 007 series as a chronological serialized franchise, considering there have been several different actors in the role over the course of close to 60 years. However, Casino Royale is considered to be a prequel to all of them, depicting how Bond got his start as the super spy.
After the series lent towards silliness in the Pierce Brosnan movies, Casino Royale exceeded fans’ expectations in every way. And though the series is beloved for the over-the-top gadgets and over-theatrical villains, fans appreciated how grounded in reality Casino Royale was.
2 The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (1966) - 8.8
Just like with The Temple of Doom, few actually know that The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly is actually a prequel. The movie precedes the other two movies in The Dollars Trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More, as The Good, The Bad is set during the Civil War, whereas the other two are set afterward.
All of the movies are great, but the prequel is not only the best of them all, but it’s the ultimate Western movie. The epic is known for all of the long shots, tension, and gunfights that director Sergio Leone was praised for.
1 The Godfather Part II (1974) - 9.0
The Godfather Part II isn’t a complete prequel, as half of the movie sees Michael as the head of the family after taking the throne at the end of the first movie. However, the other half of the movie focuses on the origins of Vito Corleone, as it depicts why he moved to America in 1901 and how he built his mafia empire.
It’s absolutely fascinating, and though Michael’s story is brilliant, the prequel is what makes Part II equal to, and maybe even better than the original in many fans’ eyes.
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