5 Comic Book Movies That Deserve A 2nd Chance (And 5 You Should Forget)

1. Superman IV: The Quest For Peace

It’s hard to imagine Superman being sold off to a glorified exploitation outfit, but that’s what happened when Alexander and Ilya Salkind sold their interest to Cannon Films following the failure of Superman III and Supergirl. Against all odds, Cannon made a film that’s more entertaining than either.

After Superman III trashed the franchise in favour of slapstick and a supporting role for Richard Pryor, The Quest For Peace not only brings back Lex Luthor and Lois Lane, it has the good sense to pit the man of steel against a seemingly unstoppable (but not too bright) antagonist. Given that Superman’s chief opponent in the last instalment was a supercomputer capable of creating monsters that shoot laser beams, that’s a wise move.

It also addresses an issue the previous films avoided – if the world’s on the brink of destruction, why doesn’t Superman use his powers for the good of mankind? Never mind that he’s forbidden from interfering in human events, there won’t be a world to save if people like Luthor are around to profit from arms sales.

A budget slash before filming meant that the effects were accomplished as cheaply as possible, and while the film lacks the wow factor of the Richard Donner movies, you can’t call it the worst movie ever made until you’ve sat through The Pumaman.

And here are the ones that you've probably rightly forgotten about...