Top 10 Best In Series

A tribute to those films which stood head and shoulders above the others in their series. To qualify as a film series, there has to be a minimum of four films, all sharing an established continuity. So reboots and trilogies are not considered.

10. Friday the 13th, part VI: Jason Lives. - It took six films, but the iconic image of Jason Vorhees, the machete wielding, hockey mask wearing, zombified killing machine makes his debut here. Remember, up till now, he was only some crazy retard living in the woods. Now, he's an undead force of evil. Jason also faces off against his enemy, Tommy, one last time.

9. Halloween. - Proving that sometimes, the original is still the best. Halloween spawned a slew of sequels, most with box office success. But make no mistake, this is the father of all modern slasher films. With great performances and innovative effects, Halloween is still thrilling over 30 years later.

8. National Lampoon's Vacation. - Classic family road trip comedy. Written by John Hughes and directed by Harold Ramis, this film addresses just about every bump in the road to happiness a family can experience on a family vacation. Great cast, humorous characterizations, and relatable events, we see how a nerdish father who works in food additives can be pushed into becoming a gun wielding nut at an amusement park. This film spawned 3 additional films, all moderately successful.

7. Goldfinger. -  Goldfinger is the (excuse the pun) gold standard of James Bond films. While certainly not the first, it laid out the blueprint for which other Bond films would follow. Here we see Bond using gadgets and a tricked out Astin Marton. It also stars Sean Connery, the favorite actor among Bond fans.Let's not forget Bond's most famous Bond Girl is here, Pussy Galore.

6. The Howling. - Probably one of the best werewolf movies going. Howling is innovative for a few reasons. First it displays multiple werewolves, instead of a single cursed individual. This introduces the idea of a pack, and how seemingly diverse people tolerate each other, much like a disfunctional family. It also presents the werewolf as anthropomorphic, retaining many wolf-like features, but standing on two legs, and over 7 feet tall. This film spawned no less than 6 abysmal failures. Which only lends credit that this film, its name and concept, was strong enough for studios to keep banking on.

5. Lethal Weapon 4. - Over 6 years from the last installment, Lethal Weapon 4 saw the original cast return, refreshed and inspired. This film breathed new life into the franchise with the addition of Chris Rock and Jet Li. Besides being arguably the most action packed of the series, it is also the most heart warming. We see our heroes deal with parenthood, marriage, age, dealing with a daughter's pregnancy, and friendship. This film wonderfully closes the book on a great film series.

4. Star Trek 2: The Wrath Of Khan. - Watch how many times the word "classic" is used in this write-up. The classic tv series returns to the big screen. This time, the threat is personal between Admiral Kirk and deposed 20th century prince, Khan. This film draws from an episode of the classic series where a genetically altered Prince is revived, and tries to take over the Enterprise. Now, Khan is back from being marooned on a dead planet, and wants to make Kirk suffer. Even non Star Trek fans loved this film because it draws inspiration from the classic novel Mobey Dick. Khan, like Cpt. Ahab, is hunting his white whale. In fact, even certain dialogue is ripped from the classic story. When a classic television show and a classic novel combine on the big screen, the result is a classic film.

3. Superman 2. - This film answers the question of how do you improve on greatness. Established characters and story arcs from the first film are further developed here. Not to mention the "feel" of the first film is carried over 100 percent. Here, we see a romance between Louis and Superman. Superman abdicating his Kryptonian mantle to become human, in order to marry Louis. Lex Luthor escapes prison and finds Superman's Fortress. And three Kryptonian criminals arrive on Earth, each with the same powers that Superman has. There were 3 more films in this series, ranging from so-so to awful, as well as a forgettable Supergirl spin-off.

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark. - This film literally exploded onto the scene when it came out. Inspired from old movie serials and pulp fiction (not to be confused with Pulp Fiction), George Lucas and Steven Spielberg collaborated on this block buster film, which is still a favorite today. Harrison Ford is at his best as the adventurous Indiana Jones. Tough and tender, Indy is all action, peppered by moments of comedic timing. It launched 3 sequels, each box office juggernauts. 

 1. Star Wars, episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - In any theater involving the standard 3 acts, the middle act is where conflict arises, and the heroes are truly challenged. George Lucas does not flinch with this sequel to his landmark film Star Wars, having the bad guys "win." There is conflict in this film, but much of it is internalized within the heroes. With Darth Vader telling Luke that he is his Father, no other Star Wars film created more buzz and anticipation for the next film than Empire. Before the internet, speculation was carried out via word of mouth and popular movie magazines of their day.  Spoiler Alert: Darth Vader wasn't lying, he is the Father.