Question:
My wife and I have never read a single thing about FF or SS. We saw the first movie and thought it was OK popcorn, comic book movie fun. Should we see the second film?? It's already on the Netflix list, although it is pretty far down.
I wouldn't bother. Watch Darkman or The Phantom instead. They're also not very good, but they're more fun.
Or for good superhero flix, get the X-Men trilogy if you haven't already.
Although I'd stop at X2. I blame the Rat.
Russell, I've heard almost universally that the second FF film was better than the first. Still can't vouch for it personally.
Ah-bah-wha?? 
I thought there was quite a lot to like about X3... and not so much about FF2. I think, upon reflection that I was mostly disappointed that the Silver Surfer did really "do" anything, they pulled a lot of cheesy plot gags with the wedding, and the Millenium dome figured into the thing somehow. (Is anyone ever going to figure out what that's for?)
Keep in mind that I think X2 is one of the two best comic book movies ever made. It took a really good comic book movie and made a better one on top of, and set the stage for something GREAT to come with Jean's death. I could go on and on about why I hated X3. And the more I think about it, I don't really blame the Rat. He had a bad script to start with and a studio that was racing to get a movie to the theater before Singer and Superman Returns.
Spoilers after this point. Just saying.
Jean Grey was a non-character. Essentially, she's the most powerful woman in the universe. And what does she do? Stand behind Magneto for the majority of the movie and scowl.
Another virus/drug that makes mutants not mutants anymore? Ugh. Based off another mutant? Double Ugh. What about the Dark Phoenix!?!?!?!
Scott died in the first 20 minutes. I don't like killing a character like that, but I can understand why they did it. However, killing him without any kind of emotional cinch = poor writing. (Compare Jean dying at the end of X2.)
Wolverine had VERY little to do and was really very much a passive character. Wolverine, by nature, IS NOT a passive character.
The Iceman/Kitty Pryde/Rogue love triangle.
One thing that made it feel very much like a comic book was the ever-hating Retcon at the film's end. Everything that happened in the movie doesn't matter because the mutant anti-virus was bullshit. At the end of the movie Magneto can move a metal chess piece. And Professor X isn't really dead. He transferred his consciousness to someone else.
I will say I did like Kelsey Grammar's Beast. And I'm looking forward to the Wolverine movie (especially since they have a solid writer and a solid director).
