The Opening Trope: 20 Sequels That Begin Just Where the Previous Movie Left Off
![The Opening Trope: 20 Sequels That Begin Just Where the Previous Movie Left Off](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/1/871371_320x180.jpg)
When it comes to franchises, sagas, and film series, surely you’ve noticed the ones that take place within a contained period of time. Take Back to the Future, just a random example we’ve just chosen and not the central singularity structuring our entire mental and emotional life. The Back to the Future trilogy takes place in, what? Like a few days? Three at least, if we just go by Marty waking up to weird mom-induced boners, but probably more. No, we’re not Googling it, come on. We love the series but it’s not like we’re obsessed with this mov– okay, whatever, three weeks, the entire trilogy happens during three weeks.
The point is: you get our point. Narrative continuity is a given, just as thematic continuity is too — if you’re not Halloween III, at least. But temporal continuity gets trickier, since for every sequel set months or years after their previous film, there is another taking place immediately after what came before. In this Pictofact, we discuss these flicks, the transition points they begin with, and localize the exact narrative hinges they revolve around. Except when we don’t. Sometimes we just riff on them. Anyway, thank you for ignoring the importance of Back to the Future for us being followed by that joke about mom-induced boners, we really appreciate it. Unless you never noticed it, in which case, erm, sequels!
Back to the Future Part II
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II Marty has just seen his newer, cooler family, and as he's reuniting with Jennifer, Doc returns from 2015. The original scene was just a fun ending with no franchise expectations, but when the movie became a hit, it was reshot with Elisabeth Shue as Jennifer. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/5/871375.jpg)
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3-PARABELLUM Parabellum might as well begin with a Previously on John Wick recap. At the end of Chapter 2, Wick has been excommunicated by the assassins society thingie. When Parabellum begins, it is now nighttime and Wick is indeed escaping from pretty much the whole city chasing him. Awesome fight scenes ensue. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/5/8/871458.jpg)
Avengers: Infinity War
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR At the end of Thor: Ragnarok, Thor takes his throne in the Asgardian rescue ship. In the mid-credits scene, Thanos' ship intercepts it. Infinity War begins a few hours after the massacre, in a last stand against the Mad Titan who has defeated Hulk and killed Heimdall and Loki (but bafflingly allowed Korg to live). CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/9/3/871393.jpg)
Spider-Man: No Way Home
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Far from Home ends with the most terrifying villain Spider-Man ever faced (reactionary fake news), and then the follow-up cops out by undoing the new threat with magic. Now, No Way Home is awesome, but we wonder about the path the franchise chose not to take by handwaving the issue like that. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/8/871378.jpg)
Rocky II
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS ROCKY II When the 1976 original ends, Rocky has achieved something even better than beating Apollo: Adrian's love. Adorable, frankly. Rocky II begins with a recap of the fight, and then we're thrown into the immediate aftermath, with the two boxers in the same hospital. Apollo taunts Rocky with insults, but he doesn't take the bait, proving he's indeed the true winner. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/8/9/871389.jpg)
Mortal Kombat: Anninilation
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION Annihilation's opening scene replays the ending to Mortal Kombat, but changing some performers and somehow worse. Shao Kahn appears with his goons and threatens the gang with hideous FX, green-screen composition clearly made with Microsoft Paint. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/8/6/871386.jpg)
The Matrix Revolutions
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS Remember the beloved Matrix character Bane? By the end of Reloaded, he has become possessed by Smith and is unconscious in the real world, and when Revolutions begins, we're continuing that zero- tension cliffhanger until he eventually wakes up The entire segue between movies is lame and lifeless. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/9/871379.jpg)
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY By the time the first Harold & Kumar is over, Harold has kissed Maria. Guantanamo Bay opens with Harold's immediate shower and Kumar ruining his dreamy kiss recollection with a big dump, because these movies turned the stoner comedy into art. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/9/0/871390.jpg)
The Karate Kid Part II
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS THE KARATE KID PART II After Daniel wins (by cheating), the first movie ends with Mr. Miyagi smirking like the proud father figure we never had. At the opening of the 1986 sequel, we see them exiting the tournament and then Miyagi badassedly honking the villain's nose. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/9/1/871391.jpg)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE Martha: The Motion Picture doesn't begin with Man of Steel's exact ending, but their continuity was one of the movie's rare wins. After Snyder Snyderizes Batman's origin story, we jump to the Superman/Zod Metropolis battle from Bruce Wayne's perspective. It's a damn good scene (except for the far-fetched idea of a billionaire CEO caring about his employees). CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/8/3/871383.jpg)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI The Force Awakens ends with Rey handing Luke his lightsaber. The Last Jedi begins with Luke grabbing it and throwing it over his shoulder, while the canned studio laughter roars and Sheldon says Bazinga! The scenes fit together-which is not the same as working together, because Abrams and Johnson couldn't find the time for a video call, we guess. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/8/2/871382.jpg)
Incredibles 2
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS INCREDIBLES 2 Watch the ending to Incredibles and then its recreation at the opening of the sequel and try not to be baffled by how awful the 2004 animation looks by current standards. The sequel picks up right after the first movie, and it's a fun tale about manufacturing reality, but still: we wanted older Incredibles, Pixar. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/8/5/871385.jpg)
Halloween II
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS HALLOWEEN II Yes, we know this happens in several of the movies, but Halloween Il's choice to take place in the aftermath of the first movie still rocks. The kills are splattier, the boobs are bouncier, and John Carpenter dislikes it - but there is a lot to love about the massacre's continuation in that Haddonfield hospital. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/8/1/871381.jpg)
Army of Darkness
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS ARMY OF DARKNESS After a recap for the newbies, Army of Darkness picks up where Evil Dead left off, with Ash waking up in medieval times. There are important changes, though, but the smooth segue between is there alright. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/8/8/871388.jpg)
Final Destination 5
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS FINAL DESTINATION 5 This is quite solid for a fifth entry, and it keeps the surprises coming until the very ending. There, the triumphant protagonists get on a plane to celebrate - and watch some blond kid having a panic attack. Yup, this movie ends with the original's inciting incident. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/9/2/871392.jpg)
Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS CHILDREN OF THE CORN II: THE FINAL SACRIFICE The final moments of the 1984 original are pretty restrained and moody. Well done, film. The not-that- awful sequel starts with the cops finding the corpses, news crews arriving, and the children (of the corn) being sent to another town-without the cops questioning them. Stupidly done, film. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/8/0/871380.jpg)
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 The first Cloudy was a frenzy of wacky characters and hilarious jokes, while the sequel was, erm, less good. After a flashback and a recap, Flint explains that eight minutes since the ending of the previous movie have elapsed. Not so interesting adventures ensue. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/8/4/871384.jpg)
The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 [FULL SEQUENCE) The Human Centipede movies form a cinematic centipede, with each sequel happeing in a universe in which the former film is indeed just a film. Full Sequence opens with its villain, Martin, watching the 2009 original-and getting ideas from it. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/6/871376.jpg)
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME Vanessa being revealed as a killer fembot is a ballsy opening to an acceptable sequel. Undoing Powers' character growth, however, might have opened the way for the series' true villain: the third part 0 CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/3/7/7/871377.jpg)
Aliens
![IMMEDIATE SEQUELS ALIENS By the end of Alien, Ripley puts herself into stasis as she heads back to Earth. When James Cameron's sequel begins, Earth is nowhere to be seen, she is rescued by Weyland-Yutani guys, and we learn she was in stasis for 57 years. This movie begins both immediately and half a century after Ridley Scott's. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/4/5/7/871457.jpg)