Finding the perfect movie to kick back to can be difficult, even with such a surplus of content debuting seemingly on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s great to stick with a favorite, and when something becomes a favorite for a lot of people, it often leads to a franchise. When it comes to streamers, it’s hard to beat Max when it comes to showcasing full franchises – and we do mean full franchises. So, that means no Beetlejuice, since only Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is available to stream right now, just as The Terminator is out because only the original film is currently available. The other gun-toting android IP, RoboCop, doesn’t count either because only the original film and the remake are available. Scream came close, considering the first trilogy is on Max, but three other films have been released since Scream 3 disappointingly wrapped things up back in 2000.
So, which complete franchises are available to stream on Max? Let’s find out. And, with The Accountant 2 due for release soon, you can also catch up on that 2016 franchise-starter (which was, for the longest time, really looking like a one-off).
Final Destination
Final Destination: Bloodlines is due in theaters May 16th, so there’s no better time to catch up on the five installments that precede it. If you’re a Max subscriber, it will be an easy task to accomplish, as all five of those movies are available to watch in a single place.
As a franchise, it’s (as could be expected) a mixed bag. The 2000 original and 2003’s Final Destination 2 are both excellent, but even with the presence of the great Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Final Destination 3 is a rollercoaster ride that goes off the rails. 2009’s The Final Destination is widely deemed the nadir of the franchise, but 2011’s Final Destination 5 managed to surprise fans by being quite possibly the best installment to date.
Willy Wonka
1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a classic and has served as an integral part of many childhoods throughout several generations. The same can’t be said of 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but that’s available on Max as well.
2023’s Wonka was more well-received than Tim Burton’s Johnny Depp-starring film, but if you ask most fans, it’s still the original for the win. Decide for yourself by streaming all three.
Friday
The 1995 comedy classic Friday, its 2000 sequel Next Friday, and the Christmas movie Friday After Next are all ready to be streamed on Max. For those who haven’t seen the original film, it’s a must-watch, with jokes that don’t get old and a tour de force comedic performance by Chris Tucker.
Unfortunately, Tucker isn’t in either sequel, but as far as replacements go, Mike Epps does well. And, of course, this is the franchise that turned Ice Cube into a movie star, so for those who are fans of his work, these are integral to understanding his career trajectory.
The X Trilogy
If you’re in the mood for a modern classic of a horror trilogy, the 2022 one-two punch of X and Pearl are available to watch, as is 2024’s Hollywood-set MaXXXine. All three films are almost equally solid, and each one serves as a testament to both director Ti West and star Mia Goth’s talent.
What’s most impressive about the trilogy (outside of Goth’s central performance as not one but two characters) is that they tie into one another yet manage to stand apart as individual, impactful works. X is essentially a fantastic modern-day slasher; Pearl is a period piece character study about a descent into madness, and MaXXXine is the story of X‘s protagonist trying to capitalize on the trauma caused by Pearl‘s title character.
Middle-earth
The original The Lord of the Rings trilogy is available to watch on Max, both in its theatrical and extended forms. The same goes for the letdown of a trilogy that was The Hobbit. Furthermore, 2024’s The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is on Max, as is fellow animated film The Hobbit (1977). That said, 1978’s animated The Lord of the Rings is not available nor is the 1980 version of The Return of the King.
In other words, if you’re trying to make a day (or two) of it with Middle-earth, Max is the place to go. The only live-action project it lacks is The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and that’s because that series is a Prime Video original.
[RELATED: The Lord of the Rings Stars Reveal Their Pay (and Its Less Than You Think)]
The DCEU
The DC Extended Universe was a film franchise made up of projects that got off to a strong start before ultimately going nowhere (sometimes in terms of production) and movies that were either major financial hits (Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad) or major financial failures (Justice League and most of the movies that followed 2019’s Shazam!). By the unceremonious end of its run, it had more detractors than proponents.
It’s a shame because there are a few stone-cold superhero classics in there. Specifically, Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and The Suicide Squad. All of them are on Max, as are all of the DCEU’s most notable failures (the aforementioned theatrical cut of Justice League, Wonder Woman 1984, Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and The Flash).
Batman Quadrilogy & The Dark Knight Trilogy
Just as Max is the streamer for the DCEU, it’s the streamer for DC projects, in general. This includes Tim Burton’s two movies, Batman and Batman Returns, as well as the late Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Not to mention, Max is where you can find Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises.
Once you’re done with those, you might want to switch over to animation. Should that be the case, there’s no shortage of Batman animated content. This includes the fan favorite movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, as well as Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham, and the super-fun The Lego Batman Movie. And, of course, Max is the home to the burgeoning The Batman franchise, featuring both Matt Reeves’ film and the HBO original series The Penguin.
Godzilla’s Shōwa Era
Between 1954 and 1975, Toho’s Godzilla franchise released a whopping 15 films. 14 of them are streaming on Max, with the one exception being 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla (which is not available due to rights issues). But, you still have 14 Big-G movies, including highpoints such as Gojira, Mothra vs. Godzilla, and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla – and low points such as Godzilla Raids Again, Son of Godzilla, and the overall IP’s nadir, All Monsters Attack.
While you’re at it, four of the seven entries of Godzilla’s Heisei era are also available. Specifically, The Return of Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Biollante (which recently received a stunning Criterion Collection release), Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, and Godzilla vs. Mothra. Furthermore, two of the five Monsterverse movies are on Max, as well. You won’t be able to stream Godzilla (2014) or Godzilla vs. Kong, but you are able to binge their sequels, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Superman
Like with Batman, Max has everything Superman that exists outside the DCEU. First off, there’s the initial quartet of Christopher Reeve-led movies, including 1978’s Superman: The Movie, the theatrical version of Superman II, and the giant leaps down the quality latter that are Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
And, considering Superman Returns is part of that particular canon, don’t worry, because it’s on Max as well. If you haven’t had enough of the Man of Steel, there are also live action shows such as Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Superman & Lois. Furthermore, there’s also the touching documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which was released just last year in theaters.
Harry Potter & Fantastic Beasts
Like with The Lord of the Rings, Max is the one and only home of the Wizarding World. From 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone) to 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, they’re all there.
But that’s not all, as Max also houses the Fantastic Beasts films (truly The Hobbit to the original eight films’ The Lord of the Rings). And, if those eleven total films aren’t enough, there’s also Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, the reunion special Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, and the Helen Mirren-hosted game show Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses.
All of this content is streaming on Max.
The post 10 Complete Movie Franchises You Can Binge on Max appeared first on ComicBook.com.
