10 Movie Sequels Better Than The Original

10. Spider-Man 2

Coming just a couple of years after X-Men, Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man was another important step towards the superhero movie boom period, and a very good one at that. Tobey Maguire makes for an excellent Peter Parker, there's a lot of heart, fun, and that kiss scene.

It is, however, still a little rough around the edges, and has to tell an origin story many were already familiar with.

Spider-Man 2, which arrived two years later, smoothed those edges out and, with the origins out of the way, was free to tell a more nuanced story without losing the charm that's so important to Spidey. The action is ramped up, the story moves faster than Spider-Man swinging between buildings, and you can tell both Raimi and Maguire are much more confident in what they're doing this time around.

With a more complex villain (played expertly by Alfred Molina), and a greater balance between Peter Parker and Spider-Man, it improves upon the original in just about every way.