Loading ...
« ‘Green Lantern’ Won’t Film in Australia | Main | Behind-the-Scenes Footage: ‘Iron Man 2′ »
Empire Online 50 Greatest Sequels
By Landfill | October 16, 2009
Empire has unveiled their top 50 sequels that are greater than the original. Of course there would be a few CBMs on the list since sequels are almost guaranteed when it comes to the superhero genre. Continue on to see which comic book related sequels made the list.
Before we get started I’d like to inform you that Empire gives a reason why the film made the list but with a “Glaring Error” that justifies the movie and it’s flaws.
First up, Hellboy 2 coming in at #44:
How does it stack up to the original? It’s generally considered better, although you’ll have to watch the original to get a good grounding of what’s going on here. A bigger budget means there are more monsters and magical creatures, and a few rather lovely set-pieces. It still has flaws, but it rollicks and rolls in a way the original failed to do.
Glaring error: Isn’t Luke Goss playing pretty much the same part that he did in Blade II?
Coincidentally, Blade 2 made the list next at #42:
How does it stack up to the original? Not badly at all; the action’s effective, the characters all given room to breathe, and the Reaper vampires scary enough to send a chill down the spine. It’s arguable that Blade himself doesn’t get quite enough to do here, but that’s the biggest criticism.
Glaring error: With the exception of one killer insult and the attractive sight of Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel (delete as appropriate), the third film that follows this is a disaster.
After 20 sequels later we get to Spider-man 2 at #22:
How does it stack up to the original? It’s probably better. Freed of the need to establish Spidey’s origins, there’s more time to spend on actual tangling with the big bad, and you can sense Raimi’s growing confidence, now that he’s proved he can be trusted with a big budget, in the quirky flourishes that make the mainstream action so much more compelling.
Glaring error: “I’ve always been standing in your doorway”? No she hasn’t! She’s been shagging his mate!
And of course a Batman film would make the list, just not the one you were thinking. Batman Returns enters the list at #13:
How does it stack up to the original? Tim Burton’s Batman has come in for a lot of abuse since Christopher Nolan took the Bat-reins, but both his Bat-films are perfectly legitimate takes on the Dark Knight, and if Burton lavishes more attention on his villains than his hero, well, we already know who Batman is. This one’s probably on a par with the original Batman – and that’s saying quite a bit.
Glaring error: Letting Joel Schumacher take over the reins for the next three films. Dear Zeus, what was Warner Bros thinking? Neon Gotham? Mr Freeze? Save us, Christopher Nolan, you’re our only hope.
Not to be outdone, X2 comes in two places away from “Returns” at #11:
How does it stack up to the original? X-Men had to establish a world, its mutants and society’s attitude to them, as well as delivering an actual bad guy and his fiendish master plan. It had, as a result, very little time left for such fripperies as drama or action. X2 was able to hit the ground running, character-wise, leaving room for 69% more excitement. And fewer lines about amphibians getting struck by lightning.
Glaring error: Bryan Singer leaving the sequel in favour of Superman Returns, allowing Brett Ratner to deliver a lacklustre take on the Phoenix Saga that is so well set up here.
Superman makes his way into the top 50 with Superman 2 at #9:
How does it stack up to the original? What you lose in Kryptonian flashbacks and bucolic Smallville scenery, you gain in not having a stupid “flying around the Earth backwards to turn back time” move. It also benefits from the stronger love story with Lois – although the cop-out memory-wiping kiss at the end is a disappointment.
Glaring error: The visible joins between the work of Richard Lester and Richard Donner are one thing. But what’s with the cellophane S-plate Frisbee thing that Superman pulls out of his chest and throws at Zod? Does anyone have an explanation for that?
And now we get to the Batman film you were looking for, The Dark Knight comes in at #5:
How does it stack up to the original? The action scenes are better, everyone’s settled into their roles in an established world, and Ledger blows every comic book performance ever off the screen. There’s a reason this enjoyed such phenomenal financial and critical success: it’s made by a team of experts at the top of their game.
Glaring error: This is the first Bat-film without a single real or CG bat in it. We hope that you don’t feel cheated now that we’ve told you that.
Want to know what film beat out all other films and is the best sequel ever? Head on over to Empire Online to view the list and see who grabbed the #1 spot.
Topics: #Released CBMs | No Comments »
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.