Iron Man 2 Where does Iron Man 2 stand among other superhero sequels?

[Mrs. Sawyer]

^ TIH = not a sequel

 

[Downhere]

^ TIH = not a sequel

It's a semi-sequel considering it kind of starts off where the first one left off. I see it as a reboot/semi-sequel...

 

[Shon]

In what world? Go re-watch it!

I've said this before but for me, while there are some great comic book movies (Iron Man, Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins) there are only two movies that are not only good comic book films, but excel beyond the genre and become fantastic films on their own merits. And those films are X2 and The Dark Knight.

TDK is one of the best crime dramas in the history of cinima. X2 is one of the best science fiction films.

The problem is TDK is still fresh in peoples minds. X2 is not, and people look at it with rose tinted glasses on, and forget how truly remarkable it is.

It is the same flippin plot basically only in reverse. Magneto has a device to turn every human into mutants and uses a team of mutants to capture the xmen and make them help him. Stryker has a device to turn every mutant into humans and uses mutants to capture xmen and make them help him.

seems pretty obvious, how you cannot see that it is the same basic movie for yourself is beyond me.

xmen 2 sucked on so many levels and I for one walked out of the theater disappointed in that movie. My friends and I had a discussion about it and how lame it was at pizza after- of the group the only few that liked it were the few that didn't read the comics at all growing up.

 

[LostSon88]

It's a semi-sequel considering it kind of starts off where the first one left off. I see it as a reboot/semi-sequel...

Reboot, yes. Semi-sequel? Absolutely not.

I mean seriously, aside from the very ambiguous location at the end of the first movie (other than it being South America) to the very specific Rio De Janeiro location in TIH, everything about the second film completely contradicts events of the first one.

From the get-go the origins of the two are completely different. That right there tells the viewer that this is completely different from the first film.

 

[Downhere]

Reboot, yes. Semi-sequel? Absolutely not.

I mean seriously, aside from the very ambiguous location at the end of the first movie (other than it being South America) to the very specific Rio De Janeiro location in TIH, everything about the second film completely contradicts events of the first one.

From the get-go the origins of the two are completely different. That right there tells the viewer that this is completely different from the first film.

Aww, come on...I was trying to throw a bone to the underrated TIH...

 

[Spider-Aziz]

It isn't among my top 5, I go more like this:
1. The Dark Knight
2. Spider-Man 3
3. Spider-Man 2
4. Superman 2
5. Superman 3
6. Batman Forever
7. Batman & Robin (seriously underrated IMO, it is very charming for a corny movie)
8. X-2
9. X-Men 3
10. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (I hardly paid enough interest to the comics, but I like the movies)
11. IM2 (I'm a huge Iron Man fan, and I do like the movies, it just happened to be lesser entertaining than the ones I brought up)

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

^ I find so many things wrong that list that I'm just going to forget I ever saw it.

 

[chiefchirpa]

Yeah.. Superman 3, Batman & Robin in the list ... yikes.

IM2 is not that bad if you watch the DVD. The drones vs IM-WM standoff has to be one of the badass moments in superhero movies history.

 

[Son of Coul]

oh MY EYES! MY GENTLE EYES!

 

[Spider-Aziz]

I can't help not laughing on the responses my list got
Who said IM2 is bad?

 

[chiefchirpa]

Well in your list it's inferior to Superman 3 and B & R.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Nothing is wrong in that list, see the good in what seems bad
Am I the only one who can turn a bad thing to a good thing here? At least to thyself

Well in your list it's inferior to Superman 3 and B & R.

It also says I like Iron Man movies, only I like those movies more

 

[Man in the Suit]

Nothing is wrong in that list, see the good in what seems bad
Am I the only one who can turn a bad thing to a good thing here?

There is nothing good about Superman 3, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, X-Men 3, and Fantastic Four.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I wouldn't say nothing. There are many good things about Batman Forever, a few about SM3, XM3, and FF, and maybe one small drop of goodness in B&R.

 

[Hardknox]

1. Spider-Man 2
2. Superman II
3. Batman Returns
4. The Dark Knight
5. X-Men 2

That's my top five for Superhero sequels.

In my opinion, Iron Man 2 was a GOOD sequel to Iron Man. The same way Fantastic Four 2 is a good sequel to Fantastic Four. But when you look at what those sequels above did for their characters and where they took them and the stories they had, Iron Man 2 doesn't cut it. The film pushed the elements of the first, but it didn't push them far enough.

 

[The Joker]

1. The Dark Knight
2. Spider-Man 2
3. Batman Returns
4. X-Men 2
5. Superman 2

Iron Man 2 was ok, but it doesn't rank in my top five.

 

[Spider-Fan]

For comic books sequels, I would probably go (at the top of my head, of course):

Spider-Man 2
The Dark Knight
X2
Batman Returns
Iron Man 2

Superman 2 is WAY overrated IMO. I would give Lester's Cut of it a 3/5 at best. I'd actually rank SM3 over it. Very flawed film. Iron Man 2 I rank a bit higher (3.5/5)

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I like Superman 2 a hell of a lot more than Batman Returns, but I'd rather not get into Batman Returns.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Batman Returns has flaws, but I love it despite some of the stupider aspects. I think it had a lot of depth to it, and much of it subtle. I appreciate that about it. Superman 2, however...full of stupidity. Yeah, Terrence Stamp is awesome, but outside him, the added powers suck, the scene in the Fortress was MUCH better in Donner's version (I hate it in Lester's). The inconsistancies between it and S:TM annoy me (the Kryptonian Council got onto these crystals HOW! Jor-El did them OUTSIDE the council...hence why he was going to be arrested!). Also, amnesia kiss is stupid. The orange juice jokes sucked. I felt the flight actually looked worse in it.

Superman 2 gets way too much love, IMO.

 

[Hardknox]

(I'm not trying to convince anyone, this is just my opinion and why Superman II appears so high on my list)

In Superman II's defense, it has one of the best plot lines a Superhero movie could have. It took a completely comic book-type plot and turned it into a live action movie. To me, the plot, the performances (Reeve, Kidder, Stamp, Hackman), the drama involved in the story, more than make up for the flaws it has.

I mean, three Kryptonian supervillains come to Earth and conquer the entire planet in less than a day and only Superman, who has given up his powers to be with the woman he loves, can stop them. How cool does that sound? This movie achieved that in live action - alien invasion and Earth conquered, despite its flaws (and yeah, it has them, no denying).

Despite the alien science fiction that didn't really bother me at all, my biggest complaints lie with 2 shots in the film - Roller Skate Guy and Phone Booth Guy - really annoying haha

Superman VS Zod, Ursa and Non - still one of the best fights in a Superhero movie sheerly for its scope - Superman battling three criminals with powers the same as his with the fate of the world at stake.
"General, would you like to step outside?" Superman being Superman but at the same time the biggest badass. Would YOU say "Yes" to Superman at that point with a straight face?

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Batman Returns has flaws, but I love it despite some of the stupider aspects. I think it had a lot of depth to it, and much of it subtle. I appreciate that about it. Superman 2, however...full of stupidity. Yeah, Terrence Stamp is awesome, but outside him, the added powers suck, the scene in the Fortress was MUCH better in Donner's version (I hate it in Lester's). The inconsistancies between it and S:TM annoy me (the Kryptonian Council got onto these crystals HOW! Jor-El did them OUTSIDE the council...hence why he was going to be arrested!). Also, amnesia kiss is stupid. The orange juice jokes sucked. I felt the flight actually looked worse in it.

Superman 2 gets way too much love, IMO.

I admit that Superman 2 also had some stupid stuff though I find myself more frustrated by the characterization of Batman Returns, but its fine if you think otherwise .

Superman 2's plot did set the typical archetype for Superhero sequels though.

 

[Spider-Fan]

(I'm not trying to convince anyone, this is just my opinion and why Superman II appears so high on my list)

In Superman II's defense, it has one of the best plot lines a Superhero movie could have. It took a completely comic book-type plot and turned it into a live action movie. To me, the plot, the performances (Reeve, Kidder, Stamp, Hackman), the drama involved in the story, more than make up for the flaws it has.

I mean, three Kryptonian supervillains come to Earth and conquer the entire planet in less than a day and only Superman, who has given up his powers to be with the woman he loves, can stop them. How cool does that sound? This movie achieved that in live action - alien invasion and Earth conquered, despite its flaws (and yeah, it has them, no denying).

Despite the alien science fiction that didn't really bother me at all, my biggest complaints lie with 2 shots in the film - Roller Skate Guy and Phone Booth Guy - really annoying haha

Superman VS Zod, Ursa and Non - still one of the best fights in a Superhero movie sheerly for its scope - Superman battling three criminals with powers the same as his with the fate of the world at stake.
"General, would you like to step outside?" Superman being Superman but at the same time the biggest badass. Would YOU say "Yes" to Superman at that point with a straight face?

And this would have been great under better direction. Watching Donner's version that was unfinished, I see a movie that was almost great. Instead, he is fired and we get bad direction. Now instead of an epic film with a brilliant performance by Brando, we get a muddled film that is silly and inconsistant with the first film. Some bad comic films have had good plots, but that doesn't make them good. It just means they had an idea they screwed up. Like Superman 2 does.

I admit that Superman 2 also had some stupid stuff though I find myself more frustrated by the characterization of Batman Returns, but its fine if you think otherwise .

Superman 2's plot did set the typical archetype for Superhero sequels though.

It did, and that plot was better in those other films. Superman 2 doesn't get more credit to me by having a great future films made better. It gets credited to me as a missed opportunity because the Salkinds were morons and fired a director who delivered one of the best comic films of all-time, a major hit, and had 75% of a sequel done already. Which got dumbed down.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

It did, and that plot was better in those other films. Superman 2 doesn't get more credit to me by having a great future films made better. It gets credited to me as a missed opportunity because the Salkinds were morons and fired a director who delivered one of the best comic films of all-time, a major hit, and had 75% of a sequel done already. Which got dumbed down.

Agreed though I liked the parts that had dealt with subplot of Superman not having his problems.

Can't disagree that Salkinds were morons though. Their stupidity led to Superman III and IV.

 

[Spider-Fan]

It's a great subplot, but it was missing Jor-El. Which DONNER FILMED! The Jor-El scenes in that subplot are EPIC! Heart breaking, well acted, and just amazing. But, we never got that in Lester's. Instead, we get cop out cause the Salkinds didn't want to pay Brando and gives us crystals that make no sense

It's really a shame too. The potential to be great is there in Superman 2. But, the Salkinds got greedy and ruined it. Instead, it was mediocre. That REALLY bugs me. Especially when I saw the Donner cut. On one hand, I saw a better film. On the other, I saw an unfinished potentialmasterpiece sequel. We got cheated.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Sounds like my feelings toward Batman Forever. We got an okay film but could've been a masterpiece under a different director and if WB was a bit looser.