Prequels & sequels better than the original?  Is the original film in a series always the best? We're not so sure. As the fourth film in the "Spy Kids" franchise, "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World" , comes out Aug. 19, we take a look at how that franchise and other movie series have fared at the box office. Whether the original, prequel or sequel reigns supreme will long be a subject of much debate among film fans. But let's see how the numbers shake out. spy kids, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World

This action-adventure film series follows the children of spy parents as they tackle various missions. It stars one of the leads from "Repo! the Genetic Opera"  and this former judge of "America's Most Talented Kids," and "Spy Kids" fans can look forward to seeing the fourth installment in cinemas this month.

Repo! The Genetic Opera, Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, America’s Most Talented Kids, $147,934,180  Spy Kids worldwide gross income , $119,723,358 Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams worldwide gross income Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, $197,011,982 Spy Kids 3D: Game Over worldwide gross income ,director Robert Rodriguez's family

This science fiction series  follows a struggling human race as it fights against the artificial intelligence system Skynet. It stars this Austrian-born actor, bodybuilder and former governor of California.

Skynet, arnold schwarzenegger, "I'll come back" Terminator original script, 

This trilogy of prequels follows the life of young Anakin Skywalker  as he is trained by Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi .

How do the prequels stack up against the original trilogy? It's good vs. evil in space as Luke Skywalker battles the masked Darth Vadar . With his performance as Han Solo, it marks one of two film franchises to propel this actor to fame . Another beneficiary was this "General Hospital" alumnus, who plays hero Luke Skywalker.

Boy wizard Harry Potter tries to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort in this film series, a record breaker at the box office. This Ivy League student and this English actor play Harry's helpful best friends .

Captain Jack Sparrow'spirate escapades are documented as he tries to evade capture. The first three films also star this new dad and this Oscar-nominated English actress .

Space lieutenant Ellen Ripley  must fight against an unruly alien. Watch the eerie trailer for the original. Star Beast was the original title of Alien

Computer hacker Neo must battle a simulated reality called the Matrix.

 

Shy Peter Parker turns into comic book superhero Spider-Man  who must fight against evil villains.

 

British spy Austin Powers seeks to defeat Dr. Evil  in this comedic trilogy. Both characters are played by a Canadian-born actor who was a "Saturday Night Live" alum

 

This famous trilogy stars this celebrated actor as Michael Corleone , a man whose family plays a prominent role in the Mafia.

 

Teenage Marty McFly  and inventor Doc Brown  time-travel through the decades in this beloved trilogy.

 

The Bourne series follows Jason Bourne , a former CIA assassin who becomes a target himself after breaking away from the agency. The fourth film in this series, "The Bourne Legacy," is due to be released in 2012.

 

Police detective John McClane fights criminals and terrorists in this action-heavy film series.

 

An amusement park with cloned dinosaurs goes out of control when the dinosaurs take over . This English actor played the role of park owner in the first two films in the series.

 

Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt has to make the impossible possible in this action series. The fourth film, "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol," is due to be released in December.

 

The life and adventures of green ogre Shrek are depicted in this animated series.

 

The trials and tribulations of a group of superheroes, including Wolverine, are followed in this film series based on Marvel Comics characters. The next film in the series is "The Wolverine," due out in 2012.

 

The adventures of a group of children in the mythical world of Narnia are chronicled in this set of fantasy films based on a book series. This young English actor stars as eldest child Peter Pevensie.

 

The mission of hobbit Frodo Baggins and a fellowship of his companions is the subject of this fantasy trilogy set in Middle-earth and based on a book series.

 

The adventures of archaeologist Dr. Henry Jones, played by Harrison Ford, are chronicled in this Steven Spielberg-directed series.

 

The adventures of Superman, played by this Juilliard-trained actor in four of the films, are chronicled in this series. Spinoff film "Supergirl"  stars this singer-songwriter-actress as Superman's cousin.

 

This series about boxer Rocky Balboa was written by the actor who also starred as the title character Trivia:

This set of action films follows police partners Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs .

 

This action-comedy series follows Detroit policeman Axel Foley , played by the actor who voices Donkey in the "Shrek" film series.

 

Source:msn