When movies receive critical acclaim, succeed at the box office, or seek to tell a specific story, they usually receive sequels and become franchises. It is a win-win for fans and the industry because it gives them good movies to enjoy and produces more jobs. The most common type of movie series is a trilogy, consisting of three movies that can tell a consistent story or take the same characters into a different scenario.
Sometimes, these franchises become so popular that they start making five or more movies. However, the tetralogy seems to fly under people's radar. A tetralogy is a series of four entries. Most don't tell a consistent story throughout the entire four movies but focus on isolated events just for that movie. It is becoming more common to see movie franchises with four entries, and with this happening, now is the best time to look at some of the best.
10 'Bad Boys' (1995-2024)
Series Creator: George Gallo
Directed by Michael Bay, the first Bad Boys movie made a name for itself as an entertaining buddy-cop film featuring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The franchise has grossed over $1 billion, and the fourth Bad Boys reached a major milestone after recently releasing in theaters in June 2024. The series is known for its intense action and comedy, where the two cops find themselves in the craziest situations.
Despite the first and fourth entries of this franchise receiving mixed receptions and the second not being fondly regarded, Bad Boys for Life was enjoyed by many, and the entire series is still fun and enjoyable. Despite overall conflicting feelings about the franchise, Bad Boys never aimed to be Oscar-worthy; it's meant to give fans a good time with action and humor, which it more than delivers on. This series recently became a tetralogy with Bad Boys: Ride or Die, another worthy entry to keep this series alive.
- Cast
- Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Jordi Molla, Gabrielle Union, Peter Stormare, Theresa Randle
- Runtime
- 119 Minutes
- Director
- Michael Bay
- Main Genre
- Action
9 'Shrek' (2001-2010)
Series Creators: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman and Roger S. H. Schulman
The Shrek franchise is beloved by both young and old, and it is roughly based on the picture book Shrek! by William Steig. The series follows Shrek, an ogre seemingly okay with the discrimination he receives, and Donkey, an energetic and loyal friend who always tries his best. All the films are incredibly successful, with the Shrek franchise being the highest-grossing out of all non-action movies. It even got two spinoffs featuring Puss in Boots.
Known for its underlying adult references and surprisingly disturbing events, kids and adults could easily enjoy the first movie. The first two movies are highly regarded as some of the best animated movies ever, and they gained popularity because they strayed from the norm to tell a nontraditional fairy tale. While Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After aren't as good as the first two, they are still enjoyable. However, this franchise soon won't be a tetralogy, with Shrek 5 reportedly in development.
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Shrek
- Release Date
- May 18, 2001
- Cast
- Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Vincent Cassel, Peter Dennis, Clive Pearse, Jim Cummings, Bobby Block, Chris Miller, Cody Cameron, Kathleen Freeman, Christopher Knights, Simon J. Smith, Conrad Vernon, Jacquie Barnbrook, Guillaume Aretos, John Bisom, Matthew Gonder, Calvin Remsberg, Jean-Paul Vignon, Val Bettin, Andrew Adamson, Gary A. Hecker
- Runtime
- 90 minutes
- Director
- Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
8 'The Matrix' (1999-2021)
Series Creators: Lana and Lilly Wachowski
Taking inspiration from anime, mythology, and martial arts films, The Matrix series is a unique franchise that explores thought-provoking themes while taking place in a cyberpunk setting. Neo, the protagonist of the series, fights against the machines that trap humans in a simulation and must choose between reality and the hard truth.
Although none of the following films reached the same heights as the first, they all at least provided more mind-bending fun in a dystopian world. The first film is still looked at with great interest and is also very relevant, and the second and third movies offer a spectacle of fights and action. While many may disagree, the fourth Matrix is a great movie meant to be a proper finale for the franchise. The Matrix is truly a classic franchise and is still incredibly influential, making it a great tetralogy.
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The Matrix
- Release Date
- March 31, 1999
- Cast
- Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Gloria Foster, Joe Pantoliano
- Runtime
- 136 minutes
- Director
- Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
7 'Mad Max' (1979-2015)
Series Creators: George Miller and Byron Kennedy
Set in a post-apocalyptic Australia, the remnants of humanity fight for resources, including oil, ammunition, and water, telling an outrageous story criticizing humans' nature. The Mad Max franchise follows Max, played by Mel Gibson in the first three movies and Tom Hardy in the fourth. The franchise's popularity garnered a spinoff, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; unfortunately, Furiosa flopped at the box office and has fans questioning if the rumored fifth film will ever happen.
The Mad Max franchise is one of the most creative worlds and intense sets of movies there are; each story is different and offers incredible action and beautiful cinematography. The second and fourth films specifically are regarded as some of the best movies of all time, with Mad Max: Fury Road winning six Oscars out of its ten nominations. Despite its critical acclaim, the series deserves more recognition. Otherwise, fans might never get another Mad Max movie again.
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Mad Max
- Release Date
- March 21, 1980
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley, Roger Ward, Tim Burns
- Runtime
- 88 Minutes
- Director
- George Miller
- Studio(s)
- Kennedy Miller Entertainment
6 'Kung Fu Panda' (2008-2024)
Series Creators: Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris
Kung Fu Panda only became a tetralogy recently, with the fourth entry releasing on March 8, 2024. The series focuses on Po, played by Jack Black, who is a kind soul with a love for fighting and an obsession with the warriors of the world. He seemingly becomes the dragon warrior by accident and must fight off new threats in each movie with some connection to him.
The films are considered some of the best animated movies because they display excellent animation, creative fights, and touching stories anyone can relate to. Kung Fu Panda is also a very rewatchable film, with its timeless humor and impressive action; it is a classic that will be remembered for a long time. This franchise's third and fourth entries are a little lacking and don't display the same soul the first two had, but they are still a fun romp that makes this a fantastic four-film experience.
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Kung Fu Panda
- Release Date
- June 4, 2008
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen
- Runtime
- 95 minutes
- Director
- Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
- Main Genre
- Animation
5 'Rebuild of Evangelion' (2007-2021)
Series Creator: Hideaki Anno
Based on the legendary anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, the Rebuild of Evangelion is a four-part movie series that reboots the franchise and retells the original story with new details, events, and modern animation. The anime is home to phenomenal episodes and is incredibly influential. The story follows Shinji, a teenage boy recruited to fight monsters known as angels in mecha devices called Eva's.
The first entry in the tetralogy received polarizing reviews, with some praising the animation, music, and direction, while others criticized the rushed pacing and all the details cut. While the second entry was reviewed similarly to the first, the third film was scrutinized by fans due to the dragging plot, befuddling decisions, and lack of character development. Thankfully, the final entry gave fans what they wanted. The film was a proper sendoff with satisfying conclusions and an overall masterpiece that makes this one of the best tetralogies ever.WATCH ON NETFLIX
4 'The Avengers' (2012-2019)
Series Creator: Kevin Fiege
Marvel is one of the biggest franchises in the world, and The Avengers is one of their most popular series. The film series comprises Earth's mightiest heroes who band together to face anything threatening their world. The characters have become household names, and each actor is also well known. Soon, this franchise won't be a tetralogy, with a fifth Avengers movie being planned for 2026.
The Avengers helped skyrocket the MCU to new heights, with each movie in the franchise making over $1 billion, and Avengers: Endgame is even the second-biggest movie ever. The first movie was the first time a big crossover ever happened, and while Avengers: Age of Ultron has mixed reviews, the final two entries are considered some of the best superhero movies to date. Each movie delivered epic fights and a riveting plot to keep fans entertained. It also produced some of the best character arcs in cinema.
The Avengers
WHERE TO WATCH
3 'Ip Man' (2008-2019)
Directed by: Wilson Yip
Ip Man is a movie franchise loosely based on Wing Chun's life. Also known as Ip Man, Chun was a famous martial artist and teacher of Bruce Lee. Each movie is said to have a major theme tied to it, such as survival, making a living, life, and conclusion. The fourth film concludes the tetralogy and covers most of Chun's life, but a fifth Ip Man is confirmed.
The Ip Man franchise has produced some of the best action and fight scenes in cinematic history, as many of the actors are also well versed in martial arts and did their own stunts. Every movie in the franchise has been well-reviewed, scoring between 76% and 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the second film being a standout. The first Ip Man has been considered one of the greatest martial arts movies as it delivers some of the best choreography fans have ever seen.
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- Cast
- Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Siu-Wong Fan, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
- Runtime
- 106 Minutes
- Director
- Wilson Yip
- Main Genre
- Action
2 'John Wick' (2014-2023)
Series Creator: Derek Kolstad
Featuring Keanu Reeves, John Wick is a franchise about an ex-hitman who is forced to get back into the underworld for revenge. Back in the game, he has trouble leaving, with previous employers asking for favors and having the entirety of New York try and kill him. Despite the series' conclusion, multiple John Wick spinoffs are in the works, featuring Ana de Armes as the Ballerina and Donnie Yen as Caine.
The first movie was relatively under the radar but quickly gained a following because of its incredible action and understandable means of revenge. With every entry, the franchise kept improving, with higher stakes, more astonishing action, interesting characters and fantastic worldbuilding. Chad Stahelski never seemed to run out of ideas, as each film features creative and well-executed action sequences that make the John Wick franchise one of the best collections of movies.
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John Wick
- Release Date
- October 24, 2014
- Runtime
- 101 Minutes
- Director
- David Leitch, Chad Stahelski
- Main Genre
- Thriller
1 'Toy Story' (1995-2019)
Series Creators: John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and Joe Ranft
Toy Story was what kicked off Pixar and helped make them the juggernaut they are today. The studio has established itself and produces some of the best animated movies, with the tetralogy of Toy Story standing out as some of their best. The franchise features Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) as the toys deal with certain predicaments they find themselves in, including finding their way back home, escaping a daycare and a road trip.
Every single movie in the tetralogy is fantastic, gaining scores of 100%, 100%, 98%, and 97% for each film, respectively. The series has also brought in four Oscars, with the third and fourth both winning Best Animated Feature. The reason why the first two didn't win is that it wasn't a category back then. Each Toy Story movie is critically acclaimed, and they are some of the best movies fans can watch because of their lighthearted humor, fun family adventures, and relatable stories. Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4 both seemed like good ending points for the franchise, but a fifth Toy Story was confirmed, soon to make this series a pentalogy, but no one will complain about more Toy Story.
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Toy Story
- Release Date
- October 30, 1995
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, John Morris, Erik von Detten, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey, Sarah Freeman, Penn Jillette, Jack Angel, Spencer Aste, Greg Berg, Lisa Bradley, Kendall Cunningham, Debi Derryberry, Cody Dorkin, Bill Farmer, Craig Good, Gregory Grudt, Danielle Judovits, Sam Lasseter
- Runtime
- 81 minutes
- Director
- John Lasseter
- Main Genre
- Animation
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