Long-Awaited Sequels That Were Most Worth The Wait

A list of cinematic sequels that hit theaters after long stretches of franchise inactivity, with the best and worst ranked by savvy movie buffs. Hollywood sometimes has a hard time continuing a series, even one that sounds like a guaranteed blockbuster. With films that take forever to get made, all those years spent in development hell can heighten hype as well as the potential for spectacular flops. 

Jurassic World arrived more than two decades after the original and just shy of 15 years after the last Jurassic Park, and all that time riding the proverbial bench means outsized expectations like those that accompanied long-delayed chapters like Toy Story 3, Mad Max: Fury Road, and, of course, The Godfather: Part III. 

This kind of film is like running into an old friend you haven't seen in years: either you're reminded of all the good times you shared or you're embarrassed to have ever been associated with them. So where do these sometimes classic and occasionally notorious movies that really took their sweet time coming to theaters rank when stacked against each other?

Vote up the sequels that were worth the wait, vote down each film that dashed hopes and brought shame to the originals. Your votes will make it clear which franchises aged like fine wines and which sequels arrived way after their expiration dates.