With the release of 'Iron Man 3', Marvel has begun Phase 2 of its cinematic release schedule. Robert Downey's return as Tony Stark has been extremely well received, but it was only the first of many superhero sequels scheduled to come our way this year, including 'Man of Steel', 'The Wolverine' and 'Thor: The Dark World' (Pointless subtitle anyone?).
What I'm wondering though is whether any of these films will actually be any good. Last week, I honored the Five Best Superhero Sequels of All Time but everyone knows that not every sequel is bigger and better than the first. Let's take a look back at the five worst superhero sequels that have bored or frustrated cinema-goers in recent years. Trust me. There were plenty to choose from.
5. Batman & Robin (1997)
While 'Batman & Robin' was clearly embarrassing at the time it was released, Christopher Nolan's incredible reinterpretation of Batman somehow manages to make it seem even worse by comparison. Not since Batman fought off that plastic shark with 'shark-repellent' has the caped crusader been so publicly humiliated. But what made 'Batman & Robin' so terrible? Bad casting? Laughable villains? Plastic bat-nipples? One thing's for certain; Everything about this movie was just wrong.
Ok, so the first 'Fantastic Four' film wasn't great but at least it was fun and it kept me entertained. With high hopes, I set out to watch and enjoy the sequel but like many other fans, I left the cinema feeling cheated and disappointed. A key issue was the Silver Surfer; while he's a great character in the original comics, the idea of a shiny silver alien who flies through space on a surfboard is not exactly an easy sell for casual audiences. That was nothing though compared to how the film makers portrayed Galactus on the big screen. Nuff said.
3.Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
Ghost Rider was never going to be an easy comic to adapt, with that flaming skull head and bad ass motorbike, but 'Spirit of Vengeance' is just shockingly awful, even when compared to the first film. Nicholas Cage is always enjoyable in a 'Oh my god he's so bad' kind of way but never before have I seen a skeleton biker urinate fire and enjoy it so damn much. Don't believe me? Click play below.
2. Iron Man 2 (2010)
The first 'Iron Man' film just pitted our hero against a carbon copy of himself so for the sequel, I hoped that the film makers would find a more exciting adversary from the Iron Man comics. What did they come up with? Mickey Rourke with whips and even more boring Iron Man clones. Sure Iron Man hasn't got the most exciting rogues gallery in the world but seriously, Whiplash? Even Fin Fang Foom would have been a smarter choice!
1. Spiderman 3 (2007)
It's strange that a film from the Spiderman franchise should top the lists for both the Five Best Superhero Sequels of All Time and the five worst. While 'Spiderman 3' may not be the worst movie on this list, it was definitely the most disappointing out of the five for me.
The previous Spiderman was one of the best superhero films made in years so I had high hopes for its successor but ultimately, nothing about this movie worked. Far too many plot threads and supervillains were crammed into its bloated running time and the whole thing just became a giant mess. I absolutely love both Venom and the Sandman but neither were given the treatment they deserved. However, what guaranteed 'Spiderman 3' a place on the top of this list for me was the moment when the alien symbiote turned Peter Parker 'evil'. Apparently, being evil means you get an even worse haircut than you had before and you end up dancing like a moron. I used to respect Tobey Maguire for films like 'The Ice Storm' and 'The Cider House Rules' but that died with this film. Watch him dance below to see why.
What do you think of my five choices for the worst superhero sequels of all time? Do you agree or do you think that there are other films that deserve to be on this list more? Let me know by commenting, liking and sharing below. Nuff said!
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