2022 has been a big year for new entries in ongoing movie franchises. Recently, films like Thor: love and Thunder and Jurassic World: Dominion have progressed their series, and movies like The Batman and Scream have revitalized theirs.
However, not all new entries into franchises are created equal. Ranker allows users to vote on films in various categories, and with so many new sequels and reboots coming to the big and small screen, Ranker voters have made it known which ones they prefer.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wilde
The entire Ice Age cast returns in this Disney+ sequel called The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wilde. The first Ice Age movie created after Disney bought Fox sees Crash and Eddy fall into the Lost World where they run into Buck Wilde. These fan-favorite characters team up to save and protect the land of the Dinosaurs.
The Ice Age films are often times sleeper hits when it comes to their popularity. With so many sequels releasing this year, it’s not too surprising to see that this long-running franchise has produced another popular entry. Kids love to watch the adventures of the Ice Age characters and Disney+ might be the perfect home for them.
Hollywood Stargirl
The sequel to the sleeper Disney+ hit Stargirl, Hollywood Stargirl sees the titular character coming to Hollywood to continue to pursue her singing. There she meets a boy who convinces her to star in a movie that he and his friends are making. All the while, she has to learn to find her own voice instead of singing other people’s songs.
Stargirl was a big hit with the YA crowd, so it’s not a surprise to see Hollywood Stargirl be received so well. Young adults, particularly young girls, find Stargirl to be a compelling lead and enjoy following her journey through the world.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore
The latest entry in the growing Wizarding World, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, continues the story of Newt Scamander. This time around, Grindelwald is making a play for the leader of the entire magical community, and Dumbledore recruited Newt and others to stop him.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore may have been a flop, but Ranker users found something to enjoy here. Ultimately it does seem like it improves on the last entry in the franchise. It works so hard to tie up loose ends that it feels like it could be the end of the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Lightyear
The origin story of Buzz Lightyear is finally told. This time Lightyear is played by Chris Evans as he seeks to help his stranded crew return home. Buzz has to team up with a group of recruits to stop the evil Zurg before he can wipe out the home that the colonists have built for themselves.
Lightyear is an interesting choice, as it’s not a reboot, sequel, or prequel. The movie exists within the world of Toy Story, but also strangely outside of it. But it’s still a solid space adventure, and anyone who loves the Buzz Lightyear character will find plenty to love in this version.
Jackass Forever
Jackass Forever sees the Jackass crew return, after they wrapped their trilogy, for more of what they do best. The stunts are crazier and the hijinks are funnier in the long-awaited fourth movie of the Jackass franchise. The movie is a bit of passing the baton, introducing a whole new crew for fans to watch get very hurt in addition to the returning favorites.
The marketing for the movie just made Jackass Forever look like a good time to spend with good friends and the movie delivers on that. There’s not much else that can be said about this anthology of sketches other than it’s a good time at the theater.
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Downton Abbey: A New Era picks up sometime after the end of the first film. A Hollywood film wants to come to Downton to film their latest movie and the Lady Grantham finds that she now owns a Villa in the South of France. The family split up for their various adventures and all sorts of delightful shenanigans happen to them.
Fans of Downton Abbey are no doubt pleased with the latest entry in the TV-turned-film franchise. There’s plenty of heart that went into this story and there wasn’t a dry eye in the whole house at the end. There’s romance, intrigue, and hilarity from all the Downton Abbey characters that all creates a wonderful time.
The Batman
The newest Batman movie, The Batman sees Bruce Wayne go up against The Riddler. Riddler is targeting corrupt politicians and cops all throughout Gotham, and Batman has to try and piece together his riddles to track him down. Catwoman gets involved and threatens to cross the line that Batman swore he never would.
It’s tough to make Batman feel fresh after so many iterations of the character, but The Batman might be one of the best movies of the year. This fresh take on the Batman mythos really resonated with audiences and it’s easy to see why. Pattinson was quickly accepted at the Dark Knight for a new generation.
Top Gun: Maverick
More than 30 years have passed since the events of Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick finds Maverick still pushing the limits of what a plane can do. He’s called back to Top Gun to train a new generation of pilots for a top-secret mission that only Maverick could accomplish.
A sequel to Top Gun is not something audiences expected to be quite as good as it ended up being. Tom Cruise gives a career-best performance and the stunts constantly blow people away. A story about accepting the passage of time with incredible practical jet piloting has captured the hearts and minds of audiences all across the world.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness
The latest film about Doctor Strange, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, sees Strange and Wanda go head to head for the fate of the multiverse. Wanda wants America Chavez’s powers in order to be reunited with her children inside the multiverse, but she’s been infected by the Darkhold and Strange has to stop her before she goes too far.
Sam Raimi’s return to comic book movies seems to be a huge hit with the viewers over at Ranker. Raimi’s signature style is over this film and it helps create a solid movie for the Sorcerer Supreme. The unexpected direction and the excellent performances all help to make this one of the better entries in the MCU.
Scream
Scream returns the franchise to Woodsboro as a new killer begins attacking victims. Dewey tries to help the new kids who are in danger, but when he dies, Sidney and Gale return for some revenge. The new characters learn of a dark secret within their family that connects them to the new murderer.
Scream faced an uphill battle since it was the first film in the franchise to not be directed by Wes Craven. But in the end, the new directors managed to breathe life into the franchise once again. Audiences enjoyed the new direction for the franchise since it felt fresh, yet familiar.
