Worst2First: My Top Ten Prequels

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Prequels

One thing Hollywood is known for is movie franchises.  They follow a specific rule: if it makes money, make more movies.  However, there are times where a movie series has reached its full potential and can't move forward, or fans are expressing desire for a backstory, and that's where the prequel comes in.  A prequel is a film that focuses on events that took place before a previous entry, and since there's many of them out there, I focused on my personal ten favorite prequels, Worst2First.

**There will be no spoilers.**

#10

Ouija: Origin of Evil

Going into the film I had low expectations, since the 2014 film "Ouija" was a downright snoozefest, but to my surprise I was actually enjoying the prequel.  Set in the 60s in the same house as the original, we meet a widowed wife and her two young daughters who perform phony seances, but when she buys a Ouija board it becomes too frighteningly real as her youngest daughter is inhabited by a demon.  The effects are impressive and terrifying, the acting is top notch (especially from the youngest lead), and the story is compelling and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

#9

Oz the Great and Powerful

"Oz" is the prequel to the beloved classic "The Wizard of Oz" that focuses on how Oz came to power.  Featuring a top notch cast including James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz - not to mention dazzling visuals and rich, vibrant colors - "Oz" is a delight for the eyes and the heart and transports you back to the whimsical wonderland.

#8

X-Men: First Class

Although it resulted in continuity errors and contradictions, "First Class" is a fantastic prequel that focuses on two of X-Men's greatest characters: Charles (Professor X) and Erik (Magneto) as they form a friendship and work together to collect a ragtag team of young mutants to go against the evil Sebastian Shaw.  It doesn't hurt that the film boasts an amazing cast including James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon and Nicholas Hout.

#7

Fast & Furious

"The Fast and the Furious" franchise is somewhat confusing in its timeline, witht he fourth, fifth and sixth installments take place before the third.  Still, it has a way of making audiences flock to the screen due to the fast cars, beautiful women, nonstop action and true comradere between the cast members, and is one of the few film franchises that has gotten better over time.  "Fast & Furious" also introduced us to Gal Gadot, the future Wonder Woman.

#6

Prometheus

 Even though director Ridley Scott often said the film isn't a prequel to "Alien," it's hard to deny the similarities in his 2012 sci-fi epic.  Seeking the origin of humanity, a group of scientists travel to an alien world to find out where we really came from, and discover that the planet isn't as uninhabited as they thought.  Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Idris Elba round out the cast in this highly intelligent and terrifying prequel to the "Alien" franchise.

#5

Batman Begins

Part character-driven drama and part action-packed superhero adventure, "Batman Begins" focused on the origins of the Dark Knight as told by "Memento" director Christopher Nolan and features Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman and Katie Holmes.  Not just a typical superhero movie, "Batman Begins" focuses on Bruce Wayne's journey to becoming Batman from his training to his gadgets, we learn why Bruce became the Bat, and it's an intriguing and exciting tale.

#4

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Set before the events of the film that debuted over forty years ago, "Rise" tells the story of a scientist who possibly discovered a cure for Alzheimer's, and tests it on a chimpanzee he named Caesar.  As he begins becoming more intelligent, Caesar goes to the scientist's home and learns sign language and humanity, but he's still seen by others as nothing more than a wild chimp.  He continues to grow in intelligence and eventually leads a rebellion with his fellow captured primates against those who imprisoned them.  Praised by audiences and critics alike, serious word was spread about giving Andy Serkis his own Oscar nomination for his motion-capture performance as Caesar, which was one of the best performances of the year.

#3

Casino Royale

James Bond has been a film mainstay for decades, so it's a bit of a surprise the original book written by the great Ian Fleming was never made into a film.  Finally, his origin story has been told in "Casino Royale," featuring Daniel Craig as the titular hero.  Gone are the flashy gadgets, suave nuance and over-the-top villains and instead we're gifted with a more grounded Bond, someone new to the field, with very little gadgets and a more emotional, thoughtful Bond than we've seen before.

#2

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Combining the unbridled talents of Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas, Harrison Ford and John Williams, "Temple of Doom" is a much darker Indiana Jones tale than "Raiders of the Lost Ark," which occurred a year before "Temple of Doom."  Here, Indy goes in search of a murderous cult involved in black magic and child slavery, and led to the PG-13 rating to be established.  Even though it's darker, it's still a wild, entertaining ride with nostalgic acting and an overall enjoyable atmosphere.

#1

The Godfather Part II

Directed by the great Francis Ford Coppola based off the ingenious novel by Mario Puzo, "The Godfather Part II" is one of those rare films that surpassed the original in every way.  Not just a prequel, but a sequel as well, the film focuses on events that happened at the end of the first film, as well as serving as a prequel focusing on the arrival of family patriarch Vito Corleone (Robert de Niro, taking on Marlon Brando's role) and his rise to power.  Highly regarded to this day as one of the best films ever made, "The Godfather Part II" also earned a record-breaking eleven Oscar nominations, winning six.