I've taken the past week to refamiliarize myself with the Tremors filmography, watching all, now, 7 movies and watching a few of the TV series episodes.

I'm going to rank them. This is your spoiler warning for this B-film monster horror franchise.

1 - Tremors (1990)

There are very few franchises where any of the sequels end up being better than the original. This is not one of them. The original Tremors is the best of the franchise.
Its cast makes the movie incredibly strong, and the suspenseful scenes just work

better than anywhere else in the franchise. I'm a sucker for practical effects. I love creative problem solving. I love the setting. I love the characters. I love that most of the actors can act.

It's a cult classic for a reason.

2 - Tremors: Aftershocks (1996)

Turns out that Kevin Bacon wasn't carrying the first movie on his back alone. Fred Ward does great in this movie as a man who got screwed out of his chance to have it all. Earl is hunting graboids again, but to pay his bills

Earl and Grady work well as a duo. The effects are still mostly practical. The raising in stakes due to the Graboids evolution works, this time. It takes a step into more action, while still keeping some suspense around. It gives us an actual person as a protagonist, instead

of some zany over-exaggeration of some stereotype that the majority of viewers don't fully connect to.

A trait we'll come to miss in this Franchise

3 - Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018)

I like this movie more than I should. I like the similarities to The Thing, with the arctic setting, and the different research camps, and the calling in an expert for help, etc.

I like Travis in this movie. I was glad to see him expanded

upon. I like the introduction of Valerie, daughter of Val from the original.

I think this film tried to apply a direction to this directionless franchise, by introducing Valerie and bringing back Travis with a larger role.

I like the return to its roots the franchise did here with it just being a bunch of people trying to survive a carnivorousness subterranean wurm. The suspense is nearly gone, and the effects are all terrible CGI, but a trio of good characters really put this movie up there

4 - Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020)

Is this just Jurassic World put into a Tremors movie where no one can act? Yes
Are the effects terrible? Yes
Are the tertiary characters so bland they forgot to name them? Yes

Why do I like it then?

Three main reasons
1. The use of a secondary and human antagonist.

Bill, a trophy hunter who had the graboids genetically modified, almost works. He doesn't, but he almost works. I think the movie killed him off too early, unceremoniously and without reason.

His existence I like. He was intimidating and crazy, ruthless and determined. I liked him a lot.

2. The suspense is back. It wasn't super effective as these movies are still action comedies first, but the stalking scenes and jumpscares add a little of that horror charm back in

3. Raised stakes. They killed Burt. They may have done it for a reboot, or to kill the franchise, or to open the door to new opportunity. I don't know if we'll pick up with someone new, or with a trio of Jimmy, Travis and Valerie, but this movie made me feel like the franchise

I loved growing up. Anyone can die. And Burt needed to go.

I was okay with the return of the shriekers, I loved the movie not ending on some triumphant kiss (all of the other ones do).

5 - Tremors: The Series (2003)

Keep in mind, this isn't Sci-Fi channel original and I am viewing with that in mind. The acting and effects are both terrible. The main cast is vastly unlikeable.

Secondary characters, a wonky, but entertaining, story and a weird randomized

episode release order actually gives it some charm.

It wasn't good enough to warrant a 2nd season, but I am sad to know we don't have a conclusion. (Actually, there might graphic novels that finish the story line, but I can't judge those).

6 - Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004)

I don't like the idea of going back to the early 1900s to give the graboids more of an origin story, and I really dislike Michael Gross playing the ancestor of his own character.

I did like the mini graboids, showing us the Dirt Dragons that are essentially freshly hatched eggs. I liked how it showed the immense speed at which they grow, which gave some context to their voracious hunger.

I also like Billy Dragon's character a lot

7 - Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001)

I hate returning to our original setting after leaving it. I hate the 2 supporting characters that work with Burt. I hate Burt becoming the face of this franchise. And I hate Ass Blasters.

Even the charm of the practical effects falls off when paired with terrible CGI and the context of this movie being released in 2001.

I watched this movie 2 days ago and had to look up Jodi's and Jack's names as I type this. Just not great characters.

The best thing this movie did was introduce El Blanco, but the 2003 show elaborates on him better and we never get an end to his story making his introduction less impactful since the series chose to drop him.

8 - Tremors: Bloodlines (2015)

This movie does 3 things. -Revive the series
-Introduce Travis
-Add more to the graboid lore

All of these things could have been done in the beginning of the 6th movie. This movie didn't need to exist.

Also, too ass blaster focused.

The effects are bad, the characters are even more forgettable than BTP.

However, the African Graboid is dope looking. Almost worth this movie existing.

[End Thread]