Making a sequel for a war movie is a difficult thing to do, as has been proven by the countless amounts of strange ideas for follow-ups to classic militaristic films over the years. The best war movies give in-depth glimpses on the true horrors of war while also featuring exciting action. Historical accuracy doesn’t hurt either, though it isn’t strictly required to generate a powerful story depicting the terrors of combat. However, it can be difficult to capitalize on the success of a war movie for various reasons.
A big part of the difficulty that comes with generating ideas for a war movie sequel is the adherence to real-life conflicts, which already have predetermined endings. It can be hard to find excuses to revive a recognizable war movie IP while staying faithful to actual history, putting follow-ups to war films in a difficult place. While the odd box office success like Top Gun: Maverick leaves plenty of room for exceptions, by and large, sequels to war movies have a difficult time working.
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10 The Jarhead Sequels
The modern-day military biopic quickly lost its touch
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Director Sam Mendes Release Date November 4, 2005 Cast Jake Gyllenhaal , Jamie Foxx , Lucas Black , Scott MacDonald , Peter Sarsgaard , Mingo Lo , Kevin Foster , Brian Geraghty Runtime 125 Minutes
The original Jarhead was a stunning interpretation of war as filtered through a modern lens, based off the memoir of a real-life U.S. marine as portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal. Describing the harrowing events of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield, Jarhead took an interesting approach to its realistic depiction of combat, as Marines fight off border just as much as enemy insurgents. One of Jake Gyllenhaal’s best movies, Jarhead was a thoughtful and truthful look at the perils of soldiery.
The handful of sequels, particularly Jarhead 2: Field of Fire and Jarhead 3: The Siege, succumbed to the temptation to transform the realistic war drama into a brainless action fire fest. Jarhead 2: Field of Fire at least made some halfhearted attempts to maintain the original themes through its noticeably worse writing.
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But by the time of Jarhead 3: The Siege, the series had gone full Rambo, with the third entry being an almost one-to-one ripoff of Micheal Bay’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.
9 The Behind Enemy Lines Sequels
From stunning historical accuracy to brainless fantasy
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PG-13
Director John Moore Release Date November 30, 2001 Cast Owen Wilson , Gene Hackman , Gabriel Macht , Charles Malik Whitfield Runtime 106 minutes
Behind Enemy Lines doesn’t seem like a story that could ever lend itself to a sequel, and those that did eventually manifest definitively proved why. The original film starred the talents of Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson as they (true to the title) survived behind enemy lines after their plane was shot down. Loosely based off the real-life 1995 Mrkonjić Grad incident, the harrowing tale of lonesome survival in enemy territory very much felt like a recreation of a genuine military operation.
Sadly, the direct-to-video sequels that would follow threw away any pretense of realism or commitment to historical accuracy. Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil, despite its title being evocative of World War II, detailed a fictional Navy SEAL expedition into North Korea to sabotage a nuclear missile launch site.Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia brought the SEALS back once more to do battle with Colombian special forces (rather than actual U.S. enemies), and Behind Enemy Lines: SEAL Team 8 sent them on a rote hunt for Uranium in the jungles of the Congo.
8 The Sniper Sequels
Slowly lost the plot of the original film
Sniper
Created by Michael Frost Beckner , Crash Leyland First Film Sniper Cast Tom Berenger , Chad Michael Collins , Billy Zane , Danay Garcia , Ryan Robbins , Sayaka Akimoto , Janeth Barreto , Jocelyn Hudon , Stephanie Vogt , Dennis Haysbert , Lochlyn Munro
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The original Sniper might not have been one of the most realistic movie depictions of combat, but nonetheless worked as an exciting action film with an emphasis on realistic marksmanship. The odd-couple buddy war movie saw a grizzled Marine sniper pair up with an untested, but talented civilian sharpshooter on a two-man assassination mission deep within the hostile Panamanian wilderness. The film inspired a whole litany of direct-to-video sequels, which gradually lost more and more of the first film’s influence until the concept of sniping was all that was left.
The dizzying watch order of the Sniper sequels is utterly impenetrable to the outside observer, with an intimidating ten total films squeezing every last drop of potential out of the premise of a sniper-spotter team. The frequently rotating casts of characters saw the exit, return, and spiritual succession of Tom Berenger’s Master Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett, making for a confusing overarching narrative. The most confusing of the horde of follow-ups is Sniper: Rogue Mission, which officially passed the torch from the old cast while introducing an unwelcome tonal shift to action comedy.
7 300: Rise of an Empire
Lost both historical accuracy and style
300: Rise of an Empire 
3.0 1
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Director Noam Murro Release Date March 5, 2014 Writers Zack Snyder , Kurt Johnstad , Frank Miller Cast Sullivan Stapleton , Eva Green , Lena Headey , Hans Matheson , Callan Mulvey , David Wenham Runtime 102 minutes
It’s important to include ancient history war movies within the larger umbrella of military action, with the more historical epics being some of the best entries within the genre. Zack Snyder’s 300 was an especially beloved tale of camaraderie in the face of insurmountable odds, albeit with a supernatural twist on the very real battle of antiquity it takes precedent from. However, as if the film being parodied in the spoof movie Meet the Spartans wasn’t enough, its own official sequel further eroded the franchise’s goodwill.
If the original 300 merely played with historical events, 300: Rise of an Empire had an outward disdain for them, erroneously depicting the Second Persian Invasion. Warping real events to conform to the series’ necessity to pit the Spartans as Greece’s saviors against the hostile invading force, the sequel’s fictionalized presence of Xerxes at the Battle of Marathon and the exaggerated power of Sparta’s naval fleet warped Sparta’s actual significance in the war even more profoundly. Worse than the historical revisionism was the lack of Snyder’s signature style, with action scenes that could only muster a pale imitation.
6 Rambo III
Bet a little too highly on temporary U.S. allies
Rambo III 1
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Director Peter MacDonald Release Date 1988/08/19 Cast Sylvester Stallone , Richard Crenna , Marc de Jonge , Kurtwood Smith
Long before Jarhead did the same thing, the Rambo series struck audiences with tonal whiplash, going from thoughtful dissection of PTSD and criticism of the Vietnam War in First Blood to flagrant revisionism and machismo fantasy in Rambo: First Blood Part II. While the second film at least created much of the iconic imagery Rambo is known for, the third installment descended further into awkward hyper-nationalism without the stylish charm
Infamously, Rambo III modernized John Rambo’s heroics by casting him into the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, in which he helped the real-life Mujahideen rebels take on the imposing army of the U.S.S.R. The Mujahideen would go on to become the Taliban, one of the U.S. military’s most bitter modern enemies, making the film’s glorification of their resistance all the more painful in hindsight. Because of its literal dedication to the future terrorist force in the credits, Rambo III is easily one of the most poorly-aged 80s action movies.
5 Robert The Bruce
Drastically shifted Braveheart’s tone and focus
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Director Richard Gray Release Date June 28, 2019 Cast Angus Macfadyen , Gabriel Bateman , Talitha Bateman , Mhairi Calvey , Gianni Capaldi , Will Carlson Runtime 123 minutes
A highly-venerated war movie that won the Academy Award for Best Picture the year of its release, Mel Gibson’s Braveheart is still fondly remembered to this day. Depicting the real-life story of the Scottish Independence leader and warrior, Braveheart was at once disturbingly violent and hopefully romantic, crafting a unique modern take on the classic Hollywood historical epic. With such a high profile, it’s a shock the legacy sequel Robert the Bruce isn’t more talked about.
The relative obscurity of Robert the Bruce can be chalked up to its much tighter scope of drama. Rather than being a sweeping tale of valor on the battlefield and bravery in the face of tyranny, the film was a far more personal story that depicted Robert’s relationship with a single peasant family, and how his interactions with them helped shape his psyche going into his reign of Scotland. Because of this dramatic shift in focus, change in protagonist, boring story and slow pace, Robert the Bruce flew under the radar.
4 Under Siege 2: Dark Territory
Doubled down on ripping off Die Hard
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) 0
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Director Geoff Murphy Release Date July 14, 1995 Cast Steven Seagal , Eric Bogosian , Katherine Heigl , Morris Chestnut , Everett McGill Runtime 100 Minutes
Even if the original Under Siege isn’t based on true events, it still managed to craft a tight and engaging war story. Taking place within the claustrophobic confines of a boat, the film centered on a demoted Navy SEAL, played by Steven Seagal, working as a cook in the galley of a nuclear-armed battleship. Seagal’s Casey Ryback springs into action when the vessel is taken hostage by terrorists, who attempt to auction its nuclear arsenal off to North Korea.
If the first Under Siege flirted with the idea of being more-or-less a rip-off of Die Hard, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory leaned fully into its obvious cinematic influences. This time around, Ryback was essentially put into the exact same situation, only with the vehicle in peril being a train instead of a boat. Under Siege 2: Dark Territory managed to still crack the top ten of Seagal’s best critically-received films, but became far too obvious with its inspiration, even including a Hans Gruber-esque mastermind villain.
3 The Dirty Dozen Sequels
Quickly lost the edge of the first film
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ActionAdventureWar
Director Robert Aldrich Release Date June 15, 1967 Runtime 150 min
An incredibly inspirational action film that can be cited among the influences for countless ensemble movies since, 1967’s The Dirty Dozen was a revolutionary take on a fun military flick. Taking place in World War II, the film described a motley crew of 12 convict soldiers being tasked with an impossible mission that they aren’t expected to survive. Loosely based off the escapades of a real United States Army assault unit in World War II, the “Screaming Eagles,” The Dirty Dozen combined historical precedence with ostentatious action fantasies.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the coterie of direct-to-TV sequels that followed couldn’t garner the same mythical reputation as their predecessor film. Because of the stricter censorship policies for TV, the sequels could never descend to the same maddening depths of violence that the original could, taking away a large portion of the series’ appeal. By the third film, the titular Dirty Dozen had been completely replaced with a new team, decidedly devoid of the same endearing personalities that made the first film so enjoyable.
2 Strike Commando 2
Expanded the original’s appetite for imitation
The original Strike Commando was assuredly derivative of the Rambo movies, but nevertheless managed to interject its own low-budget charm into the expected premise of jungle-bound action spectacle set amid the Vietnam war. Directed by Italian filmmaker Brune Mattei, also known for ripping off Jaws with the movie Cruel Jaws, the film centered around a Rambo look-alike, Sergeant Michael Ransom, who must survive deep behind enemy lines with no support after a mission gone wrong. Despite its clear imitation, Strike Commando offered its own creativity when it came to explosive setpieces.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the sequel, Strike Commando 2. With the original already being plenty obscure, the follow-up is even lesser known. This is perhaps for the best, considering that Strike Commando 2 rips off Rambo even more blatantly while also featuring sequences lifted straight out of Predator and Lethal Weapon. Confusingly, the film was able to somehow to procure the talents of Richard Harris in the cast, making for an even more bizarre experience.
1 The Delta Force Sequels
Couldn’t recapture the same Chuck Norris magic
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R
Director Menahem Golan Release Date February 14, 1986 Cast Chuck Norris , Lee Marvin , Martin Balsam , Joey Bishop , Robert Forster Runtime 129 minutes
One of the great Chuck Norris’ more militaristic outings in lieu of his typical martial arts tendencies, The Delta Force was one of the star’s more recognizable films. The film posited Norris as Major Scott McCoy, the leader of the real-life Delta Force special ops unit, who is tasked with stopping a commercial flight hijacked by two dangerous terrorists. Bleeding patriotism and American zealotry, the film is still a fun watch for its creative shootouts and tense moments.
The same can’t be said for the two official Delta Force sequels, Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection and Delta Force 3: The Killing Game. Whereas the former confusingly pivoted to the war on drugs while lifting large segments from previous Norris flick Missing in Action, the latter attempted to pass the torch to Chuck’s son, Mike Norris, to underwhelming results. Letting down fans of the original twice, it’s no wonder the Delta Force sequels continue to languish in war movie obscurity.
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