8 Movie Sequels That Cost LESS Than The Original (But Were Better)
7. Superman 2 (1980)
Released in 1978, the first Superman adventure starring Christopher Reeve was an absolute wonder of an achievement. Visually impressive and bursting with great performances from its ensemble cast, it seemed to have it all: action, romance, danger, good vs evil and wit. Plus, Christopher Reeve? The casting was inspired.
The sequel came out two years later (this time - thankfully - with much less Marlon Brando), and was almost instantly regarded as superior to the original.
With a similar level of special effects and impressive action sequences, Superman 2 surpassed what came before thanks to a tighter focus on character and a fantastic villain courtesy of Terence Stamp's brilliant General Zod.
Both films were shot simultaneously, with the second superhero flick costing around one million dollars less than Superman's 55 million dollar budget.
Christopher Reeve called Superman 2 the best film of the series, and thanks to its improved humour, threatening villains and less focus on ponderous cameos (Brando), it's hard to argue with the guy.