With “John Wick 4” smashing the box office the last weekend much to many’s surprise, there seems to be no stopping the epic hit man on a rampage action series. With Keanu Reeves returning to the titular role to much acclaim, I thought I’d list other movie series with Part Fours that are also very good. There aren’t many movie series with great Part Fours, but I narrowed down some of the best, I think.
Evil Dead (2013) – The Evil Dead Series
Streaming On Amazon Prime Video, Redbox
Depending on who you ask, this is either a reboot, a single tale in the “Evil Dead” universe, a remake, or a sequel. I argue that it is a sequel much in the spirit of the original “Evil Dead” that expands the saga of the Deadites much in the way “Evil Dead Rise” will. Fede Alvarez’s take on Sam Raimi’s cabin in the woods demon film is a gnarly, gory, and vicious take on the lore and it’s remarkable. There are so many twists and turns, and a great finale including buckets of blood. Groovy.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) – MCU’s Avengers Movie Series
Streaming on Disney Plus
“Avengers: Endgame” is the fourth film in the “Avengers” movie series in the MCU and is arguably the best of them all. Set years after “The Big Snap” with the Avengers losing their battle with Thanos, they regroup again to take on Thanos once more and reset the timeline. There are epic fight scenes, wonderful moments of fan service, a lot of time travel, and of course this is the final stretch for the on screen versions of Iron Man and Captain America–for now, at least.
Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984) – Friday the 13th Series
Streaming on Starz, Amazon Prime Video
I go back and forth on whether this or “Jason Lives” is my favorite of the “Friday the 13th” movie series, but nevertheless, there’s a strong argument for why this is the best of them all. One of the final times Jason would be taken as a more stern horror series, this features a merciless Jason Voorhees laying waste to everyone. Hell he even demolishes a poor dog in the middle of his massacre. There’s young Corey Feldman, and of course Crispin Glover dancing. You can’t not love it.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – The Mad Max Series
Streaming on Starz, Amazon Prime Video
George Miller’s return to his excellent post-apocalyptic saga finds a new person taking up the mantle of hero Mad Max. This time we find Tom Hardy taking on the role, as he’s hostage to a group of scavengers that maintain of society that’s dependent on them for water. Max becomes an inadvertent ally to a group of women anxiously trying to escape the clutches of Immortan Joe. “Fury Road” is a masterpiece, filled with excellent car chases, brilliant action, and a new look to Miller’s bleak world.
The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) – The Pink Panther Series
Streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV
The fourth in Blake Edwards’ comedy crime series, Peter Sellers returns to the role of Inspector Clouseau, the bumbling detective. Sellers is as great as ever here, providing some of the funniest material of the film series. Sellers doesn’t miss a beat here, with some excellent prat falls, some great gags with his servant Kato, and just pure comedy all around. This was my original introduction to Inspector Clouseau and Peter Sellers’ genius as a whole, and it’s a fantastic film in its own right. The series following “Return” would be disastrously bad, but at least we have this final outing from the brilliant Sellers.