Creating a popular movie series isn’t easy. Many people have made good first films but have struggled to follow them up with the same quality. It’s even harder to do that multiple times in a row. As such, even really popular movie series, such as Star Wars and the MCU, have a few duds in there.
Yet, there are some series that have been able to stay very consistent and miraculously not produce a single bad movie. Each entry in the series has been a winner. Only a few series can say they’ve accomplished this feat. Here are some of them.
1995
1999
2010
2019
The Toy Story spin-offs haven’t been taken into consideration.
Like most Pixar creations, the Toy Story series is built on a unique and creative premise: what if toys were alive and lived lives when their humans weren’t around? From that concept, Pixar has managed to craft four excellent movies. Each one is filled with plenty of laughs, great animation, and a dose of heart.
What’s most impressive is that Toy Story crafted the perfect finale for Toy Story 3, meaning any entry that came after would automatically be compared unfavorably; however, Toy Story 4 is a great film in its own right. Yes, it is perhaps the weakest of the four, but it is definitely not bad, and it doesn’t feel like it brings down the series as a whole.
2005
2008
The Dark Knight Rises
2012
There have been plenty of Batman movies by this point, but all three of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy should be considered amongthe best of the live-action ones. Each film provides a grounded and realistic take on the Batman universe.
Christian Bale is a decent Batman and Bruce Wayne, but it’s actually some of the other performances that really stand out. Michael Caine as Alfred, Gary Oldman as James Gordon, Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow, and, of course, Heath Ledger as The Joker are all almost perfect portrayals of their characters. They’re all helped by some clever writing and generally good storytelling.
Shaun of the Dead
2004
2007
The World’s End
2013
The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy is an unusual series, as the three movies don’t share a storyline or set of characters. It is more of an anthology series in which Edgar Wright directs each entry, and they all star Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
The three movies are Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End. The premise of each one is quite different, but they all contain a bunch of funny jokes and a fair amount of entertaining violence. Fans of the trilogy differ on which is the best of the three, but everyone can agree that they’re all great in their own right.
1979
1981
1985
2015
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
2024
Mad Max is a series that has spanned a few decades. As such, it has changed a bit over the years. That said, the core premise of the movies being set in a wasteland with limited resources has been more or less a constant. What has also been a constant is the high quality of these films. The third movie, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, is arguably the weakest of the series, but it isn’t bad.
All of the films contain excellent stunts and choreography, and most have good production value. The story isn’t always the deepest in these movies, but the overall adventure is very entertaining.
1997
Austin Powers in Goldmember
2002
The Austin Powers films are outrageous parody movies that poke fun at James Bond and the spy thriller genre in general. Unlike most parody films, these are brilliantly written and contain a bunch of hilarious gags.
Some will disagree with the claim that there are no bad Austin Powers movies since the third one, Goldmember, isn’t universally beloved. While it isn’t as good as the first two, it’s still a decent movie that provides plenty of laughs. Much of this comes from Michael Myers' portrayal of both the titular protagonist and the equally funny Dr. Evil. Not all of the jokes in these three films have aged perfectly, but each of them still has some witty lines and clever sight gags.
2011
2016
Kung Fu Panda 4
Sequels to animated kids' movies don’t have the best track record. After all, most of them feel like quick cash grabs. Yet, the series about a clumsy panda trying to master Kung Fu, aptly named Kung Fu Panda, contains some great sequels.
In fact, any of the first three movies could be considered amongthe best DreamWorks films ever. The fourth one isn’t quite as good, but it still is fun enough not to be considered a bad movie. ‘Fun’ is the right word because that is exactly what these movies provide. They’re enjoyable to watch, from their action scenes to their comedic moments. Plus, there is a decent amount of heart and nice storytelling on display in these films, too.
Back to the Future
Back to the Future Part 2
1989
Back to the Future Part 3
1990
There is a trilogy of Back to the Future movies. Each one revolves around the time-traveling exploits of Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, and Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd. The great chemistry between the two actors is clear throughout all three films and helps elevate everything.
Each film deals with time travel, but what’s notable is that they do so in distinct ways. The first one is about going back to when Marty’s parents got together, the second film is about heading into the future, and the final movie is set in the Old West. So, over the course of the series, the writers make exciting use of the concept of time travel.
2014
2017
John Wick: Chapter 4
2023
All of the John Wick movies revolve around the titular protagonist using his exceptional skills as a hitman to take out various criminals and killers. The appeal of all of these movies comes from their exciting action scenes.
The fact that there are four movies' worth of action set pieces that all feel different and never get old demonstrates the exceptional quality of the choreography. You could watch them all back-to-back without ever tiring of seeing John Wick kill people in brutal and creative ways. These are truly some ofthe best action movies of the 2010s.
