Death Race (franchise)
In the beginning there was Death Race 2000, the Roger Corman cult political satire from 1975. It was goofy. Then there was the 2008 prison-based car combat action movie, Death Race, which started Jason Statham and was advertised as a prequel-slash-remake but it was a long time ago I watched it and I don't remember much and anyway except that it had almost nothing to do with the original. But then came Death Race 2, an actual prequel. Death Race 2 is a prequel to both Death Race in that it is set before the events of Death Race, and to Death Race 2000 in that Death Race 2 presents the origin of Frankenstein, the driver who keeps getting killed but who keeps on winning Death Race anyway.
Now, where Death Race 2000 was political satire dressed in goofy 70s schlock, Death Race 2 is humourless prison schlock that isn't satire anymore because big bad corporations being mean to prisoners is so 90s who even knows why they made it in 2010. But then came Death Race 3: INFERNO. Frankenstein is established now, society is going to hell, and while the corps still own Death Race, the CEOs are being mean to each other. So they go international, and the whole thing jumps the track on them. And then came Death Race 4: BEYOND ANARCHY! The race has forgotten its international spread and moved to a gigantic prison city called The Sprawl (and yes, there are so many references to other weirdo mad max-style movies, there should be some kind of drinking game). But the cars have taken on their Death Race 2000 fairings and everyone everywhere is nutcase bonkers suicidal and woo, is society in the shitter or what?! It's almost time for a political satire again! Death Race 4 doesn't quite go there but it does have the goofy done almost right so perhaps there's hope for Death Race 5, because you know there will be one.
There was by the way a Death Race 2050, but that was a nearly direct remake of Death Race 2000. The Death Race prison movies are getting there in their own time, and may yet even make it. In Death Race 3, they had racers killing, by accident, civilians. You can see them almost going the full 2000. Then in Death Race 4 they don't, but they do have just about everything else that eventually sets up Death Race 2000. The crazy cars, the weirdo drivers, the Mad Max (Beyond Thunderdome) aesthetic, the international audience, and lots of guns...
The Death Race 2000 and 2050 are good movies, more or less. Death Race 1, 2, 3, and 4 and super-crappy but they are getting better with each iteration. Punish yourself today.