THE LAND OF FOURS The fourth installment of the Mad Max franchise releases this weekend, and the positive reviews are pouring in for Mad Max: Fury Road.
The new flick comes 30 years after the third installment, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, but the lag between films doesnt seem to bother critics considering the new film is currently boasting a 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Having a solid outing with the fourth film of a franchise isnt always easy, considering Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Batman & Robin, and Jaws: The Revenge are all fourth installments to their perspective franchises.
As we thought on this, we realized there are actually some good number fours in movie franchises, and we decided to share a few with you.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The fourth film in the Harry Potter series takes on a different tone than its three predecessors. The film is darker, richer and more grown-up as Harry and his friends enter their fourth year.
The film was the first in the franchise to get a PG-13 rating and had some of the best twists and surprises of the series. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire changed the direction of the whole series and is actually one of the strongest entries in the franchise.
Live Free or Die Hard
Was 2007s Live Free or Die Hard the best of the franchise? Not by a long shot. The fourth film in the series leaves a lot to be desired when we think of John McClane taking on Hans Gruber in the original, but it gives the second film a run for its money and its actually in the ball park of the third, Die Hard: With a Vengeance.
Id like to take this opportunity to point out that Die Hard: With a Vengeance is a much better film than its given credit for.
Back on track, Live Free or Die Hard is a fun movie thats beyond ridiculous with every action imaginable from helicopters, car chases and even a fighter jet, but its a good time.
When it comes to fourth films in a series, this is a pretty good one. Also, the less said about the fifth film the better.
Rocky IV
We all knew this was coming. Is Rocky IV the most poignant and well-constructed Rocky movie? Absolutely not, but it may well be the most entertaining.
What does Rocky IV have going for it? How about an absurd amount of musical montages, training scenes to make any human being excited to go work out, blatant pro-U.S. propaganda and Ivan Drago. Man, this movie has it all.
The movie isnt exactly a great film, but it will get you pumped to go out and be America. Yeah, I said, be America. Deal with it.
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
The Mission: Impossible movie franchise started off pretty well all the way back in 1996. The first movie was a twisting web of espionage and double crosses. While it was hard to follow at times, it was clever and exciting. Then M:I 2 happened and we thought the franchise was dead. For all intents and purposes it was for six years, until J.J. Abrams decided to revive it.
Mission: Impossible III was a lot of fun and had probably the best villain of the entire films series with Philip Seymour Hoffman playing Davian. As good as M:I III was, its not the best entry in the catalogue. That title belongs to the fourth film, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol.
Ghost Protocol tells an intriguing story, introduces great new characters and features some of the greatest action sequences audiences have seen in a long time.
Go ahead and pretend like you werent clinching your fists watching Ton Cruise scale the Burk Khalifa.
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol isnt just the best M:I movie, its just an all-around great flick that is well worth multiple viewings. Heres hoping the follow-up, Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, is even better when it's released this July.
Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
I know this one is cheating, but I dont care, Im doing it anyway.
Sure, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope is actually the first film in the Star Wars saga, but it even says Episode IV in the title. So Im going for it.
First off, how ambitious is it for a filmmaker to not only announce that this is the first film in a series, but that its actually the fourth film and were not even going to make the first three until almost 30 years later? Granted some of us probably wish theyd waited even longer, but whats done is done.
A New Hope may not be as solid as The Empire Strikes Back, but its the one that started it all and lets be honest, whenever you hear the words episode and four used together, this is what you think of.
Sure, I totally cheated with this one, but can you blame me? To be honest, youre happy I included it and so am I. We love Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, because it introduced us to a world and characters that we feel were a part of.
There you have it, the best part fours in film. What would you have added to the list? Let us know, we actually want to hear from you. Were cool like that.
The new flick comes 30 years after the third installment, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, but the lag between films doesnt seem to bother critics considering the new film is currently boasting a 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Having a solid outing with the fourth film of a franchise isnt always easy, considering Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Batman & Robin, and Jaws: The Revenge are all fourth installments to their perspective franchises.
As we thought on this, we realized there are actually some good number fours in movie franchises, and we decided to share a few with you.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The fourth film in the Harry Potter series takes on a different tone than its three predecessors. The film is darker, richer and more grown-up as Harry and his friends enter their fourth year.
The film was the first in the franchise to get a PG-13 rating and had some of the best twists and surprises of the series. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire changed the direction of the whole series and is actually one of the strongest entries in the franchise.
Live Free or Die Hard
Was 2007s Live Free or Die Hard the best of the franchise? Not by a long shot. The fourth film in the series leaves a lot to be desired when we think of John McClane taking on Hans Gruber in the original, but it gives the second film a run for its money and its actually in the ball park of the third, Die Hard: With a Vengeance.
Id like to take this opportunity to point out that Die Hard: With a Vengeance is a much better film than its given credit for.
Back on track, Live Free or Die Hard is a fun movie thats beyond ridiculous with every action imaginable from helicopters, car chases and even a fighter jet, but its a good time.
When it comes to fourth films in a series, this is a pretty good one. Also, the less said about the fifth film the better.
Rocky IV
We all knew this was coming. Is Rocky IV the most poignant and well-constructed Rocky movie? Absolutely not, but it may well be the most entertaining.
What does Rocky IV have going for it? How about an absurd amount of musical montages, training scenes to make any human being excited to go work out, blatant pro-U.S. propaganda and Ivan Drago. Man, this movie has it all.
The movie isnt exactly a great film, but it will get you pumped to go out and be America. Yeah, I said, be America. Deal with it.
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol
The Mission: Impossible movie franchise started off pretty well all the way back in 1996. The first movie was a twisting web of espionage and double crosses. While it was hard to follow at times, it was clever and exciting. Then M:I 2 happened and we thought the franchise was dead. For all intents and purposes it was for six years, until J.J. Abrams decided to revive it.
Mission: Impossible III was a lot of fun and had probably the best villain of the entire films series with Philip Seymour Hoffman playing Davian. As good as M:I III was, its not the best entry in the catalogue. That title belongs to the fourth film, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol.
Ghost Protocol tells an intriguing story, introduces great new characters and features some of the greatest action sequences audiences have seen in a long time.
Go ahead and pretend like you werent clinching your fists watching Ton Cruise scale the Burk Khalifa.
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol isnt just the best M:I movie, its just an all-around great flick that is well worth multiple viewings. Heres hoping the follow-up, Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, is even better when it's released this July.
Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
I know this one is cheating, but I dont care, Im doing it anyway.
Sure, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope is actually the first film in the Star Wars saga, but it even says Episode IV in the title. So Im going for it.
First off, how ambitious is it for a filmmaker to not only announce that this is the first film in a series, but that its actually the fourth film and were not even going to make the first three until almost 30 years later? Granted some of us probably wish theyd waited even longer, but whats done is done.
A New Hope may not be as solid as The Empire Strikes Back, but its the one that started it all and lets be honest, whenever you hear the words episode and four used together, this is what you think of.
Sure, I totally cheated with this one, but can you blame me? To be honest, youre happy I included it and so am I. We love Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, because it introduced us to a world and characters that we feel were a part of.
There you have it, the best part fours in film. What would you have added to the list? Let us know, we actually want to hear from you. Were cool like that.
