Once upon a time, there was a general rule of thumb which stated most sequels were terrible. This was a universally accepted point of view, no question about it.
But then along came the likes of The Empire Strikes Back, Superman II, The Godfather Part II, Gremlins 2, and Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and that theory went out of the window. These were great sequels, of similar or equal value to their predecessors, so the universally accepted point of view fell flat.
So next up it was agreed there might be some great sequels, but there were no good ‘third’ entries in a film series. Whoever heard of a good Part 3?!
Well, that argument also fell apart when films such as Escape from the Planet of the Apes, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Toy Story 3, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King showed up, and poo-pooed that line of thinking too.
So at this point it’s fair to say movie franchises can continue beyond the original film and still offer something worthwhile in the sequels. The second entry in the series can be great, as can the third.
But what about the fourth? Are there some worthy Part 4s or are movie franchises operating on fumes by this point?
Answer: Of course there are, and while it is rarer for a film series to still be delivering the goods with the fourth instalment, it does happen. But which are the best?
Let’s take a look, and then rank them!
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Go Fourth!
When it comes to film franchises it can often be a bumpy ride once the first couple of sequels are out of the way. Just take Superman IV: The Quest for Peace for example, it was not a super-sequel and is the perfect example of the wheels coming off a popular movie series.
But there are some really enjoyable Part 4s. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers has its moments, as does Scream 4, and while it’s certainly not the best ‘Jurassic’ movie, Jurassic World isn’t bad, and some film fans really like Terminator Salvation.
There are also plenty of supporters for Lethal Weapon 4, Alien: Resurrection, Rambo, and Live Free or Die Hard. Meanwhile, for years A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 was the highest grossing entry in the Freddy Krueger franchise, and Thunderball remains a popular Bond movie.
And we all accept that Sudden Impact, Evil Dead, and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes are also damn good, right? By the same token, we also all accept Jaws: The Revenge, The Crow: Wicked Prayer, and Men in Black: International are not good movies.
But let’s start zeroing in on some of the highly regarded ‘fourth movies’. Rocky IV has to be on the list, and so does Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. How about Bride of Chucky, Toy Story 4, or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? They are all up there.
Sadly, one film which doesn’t make the cut is Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Despite the numbering, the film was the first entry to be released in the Star Wars Saga, not the fourth, so for this reason it is disqualified from this ranking.
Now, while I wait for all the angry comments to rush in regarding the banning of A New Hope from the list, why don’t we start ranking sequels!
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Let’s Rank… The Best ‘Fourth Movies’
OK, it’s time to rank the ten best ‘Fourth Movies’ in reverse order:
- 10.) Toy Story 4 (2019) – All of the Toy Story movies are highly regarded, and this one is a lot of fun.
- 09.) Bride of Chucky (1998) – With this entry, the Child’s Play films get a second wind and introduce a fan-favourite character who remains with the series moving forward.
- 08.) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) – The Harry Potter films generally get better as the series progresses, guaranteeing this film a spot on the list.
- 07.) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) – Say what you like about the quality of the Friday the 13th film series, but The Final Chapter is generally liked by fans and considered to be one of the strongest entries.
- 06.) Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025) – The best entry since Bridget Jones’s Diary and quite an emotive film too.
- 05.) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) – Generally considered to be the film which got the M:I sequels onto the path of sustained success.
- 04.) Avengers: Endgame (2019) – Hugely successful fourth entry in the Avengers series, with one of the most iconic scenes in this entire list. We just need to overlook the fact that technically it is the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- 03.) Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – Widely considered to be a hit with fans and casual viewers alike (who refer to it as “the one with the whales”). It’s simply a lot of fun!
- 02.) Rocky IV (1985) – The fan-favourite entry which pitted Rocky against Drago.
- 01.) Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Financially and critically successful entry in the Mad Max series, which pleased existing fans and brought in a whole new audience who were less-than-familiar with the series.
And with that, the ten best ‘Fourth Movies’ are ranked!
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this edition of Let’s Rank… . For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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