Who says there's nothing better than the original? When it comes to movies that's usually the case but there have been a few gems that have broken the mold and changed the perception that sequels are lame. To prove that point, here are eight movies that surpass the first movie in their series:

1. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

The first outing for the Captain had been lackluster and was one of the more disappointing entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movie itself was very campy, unmoving, lacked a certain depth to the leader of Earth’s mightiest heroes, and the action that comes along with a superhero movie was replaced with dragged out exposition. It made the Captain Steve Rogers almost a joke of the Avengers' team and someone who seemed not so mighty. That perspective all changed with the "Winter Soldier." Captain America is a complete bad ass in this movie and has a depth to his character that was absent in the first movie. Not only is the Captain cooler in this movie, the movie itself is one of the best movies Marvel has put out. Its blend of espionage, noire, mystery and action sets it apart from its comic book movie troupes and makes for an awesome action movie.

2. "X2"

Another Marvel movie on this list (but one outside the universe) "X2" is the sequel to the first movie of the beloved mutants, “X-Men.” In this movie the idea of the mutants in general is further explored and is made into a realistic and honest piece in today’s time. The showcase of intolerance of the humans to the mutants is better realized and is made relatable to any audience member, especially those who breathe. This topic is better presented by characters that of the previous film are fleshed out and given more time to show their mutant abilities and it makes me super jealous to be normal.

3. "Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior"

Mad Max is a movie franchise for, dare I say, the mad! The first Mad Max movie, “Mad Max,” was a story of revenge that unfortunately doesn’t hold up as well today as it may have had in the ’80s but is entertaining nonetheless. However, when viewing the sequel, “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior,” you aren’t just entertained, you’re sucked in by the incredible plot and cinematography used at that time. It’s years later and you see Max a more broken, apathetic and isolated man living in a now gas-hungry world, expanding his character from the original movie’s tragic conclusion. Max is more relatable while at the same time, making him seem extremely cool. He’s portrayed as this nomad who lives day by day in the post-apocalyptic outback of Australia, but ends up getting wrapped up in the conflict between a group of settlers with an oil rig and their conflict with a group of gas-hungry marauders. Max becomes this sort of hero like Driver from “Drive” but instead of Ryan Gosling it’s Mel Gibson.

4. "Dawn Of the Planet Of The Apes"

The sequel to “Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes,” the “Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes,” is a continuation of what happened prior to the “Planet Of The Apes” classic back in 1968. “The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes” was a surprisingly good film that had great action sequences and a great motion captured performance by Andy Serkis as the ape leader, Caesar. The movie also had a surprising depth between the ape Caesar and his human caretaker played by James Franco. “The Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes” is simply an improved version of its predecessor. The action sequences are longer and more intense as the apes are pinned against the humans in war; the cinematography is gorgeous, making you swear the apes are real, and is truly an awesome script that perfectly moves along the story of how the apes gain power.

5. "Spider-Man 2"

Another Marvel movie on this list, “Spider-Man 2,” is the sequel to the original “Spider-Man” movie of 2001, not to be confused with the “Amazing Spider-Man” movies that followed in 2012. The Spider-Man trilogy of the early 2000s was a fun and entertaining series that helped to reinvent the super hero genre that was in a decline since “Batman and Robin.” “Spider-Man” was a campy but entertaining introduction to Peter Parker without any real weight to it but it was memorable in its simple and disuse of padding dialogue and the fact that the film wasn’t building up for a second endeavor. “Spider-Man 2” upped the ante when the plot and tone shifted to a more serious one and contained action scenes that made the action in the original movie look like a power rangers episode. Not to mentioned the villain in Doctor Octopus was a more sympathetic one and was someone you cared about and understood his back story, making him one of the more memorable movie villains in Marvel’s history.

6. "22 Jump Street"

The hilarious “21 Jump Street” was followed up by another hilarious endeavor in “22 Jump Street.” Really the only difference between these two films is that Jenko and Schmidt are in college now -- but the meta-humor is impressively funnier than the original because they can make fun of sequels in general with subtle jokes and a hilarious end credit scenes about action franchises that they are already parodying. What are also seen are more action scenes and through that we see how the two are so different in these scenarios where physical action is needed. All in all, there’s more material to use in the sequel and it is used brilliantly.

7. "The Dark Knight"

It’s the greatest comic book movie of all time. One of the most famous heroes in Batman and the most infamous villains in the Joker are pinned against each other and their two widely different ideologies are showcased brilliantly and makes you think twice on who has it right, shockingly. “Batman Begins” was a great introduction to the caped crusader giving you all you needed to know about Batman and where he’s coming from. But damn, “The Dark Knight” just takes "Batman Begins" and turns it upside down. You’re supposed to root for Batman but the Joker played amazingly by Heath Ledger is just so enticing and smart that you kind of want to see the Joker win. It makes every conflict between the two so much more incredible and along with the flawless script and dialogue that the two share is just perfect that you are sucked in and intrigued throughout the entire film begging to see the next scene. Not only is the writing perfect the action sequences are masterfully shot and executed that it makes the movie so realistic and believable. “Batman Begins” was a good movie and one that deserves praise but “The Dark Knight” will always overshadow it because it’s just a perfect movie.

8. "Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back"

One of the greatest action and sci-fi movies of all time, “Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back” pins one of the greatest heroes, Luke Skywalker, against one of the most evil villains, Darth Vader. The first “Star Wars” blew everyone away upon its release, but this next episode made fans of the original movie die-hard fans of the series by surpassing the expectations of fans. The battle between Skywalker and Vader was built up perfectly but the twist in the end made everyone’s head spin and left them dying for the conclusion to the space opera. What really makes this movie better than the original is just how many twists and surprise events occurred, leaving the audience not sure what would come next. It prolonged the plot even more but didn’t build up for a sequel, it built up to the next scene, and the next one, and the next one to leave the film up for grabs in its final endeavor with "Episode VI." Not to mention, Yoda was introduced to the world and is still a fan favorite character of the franchise.