Popeye 4: Resurrection (2026)

 

Subject:  Popeye Resurrection (Popeye 4)

Year:  2026

Director:  William Stead

Run Time:  hour or so

Cast:  Lara Sas, Steven Murphy

Genre:  murderous Popeyes and Olive Oils/evil cults

Skin:  had the chance, didn't take it

Blood:  you'd really think a crushed head would bleed, wouldn't you?

Rating:  1/5

The Story:

Killed somehow at the end of the last movie (I already forget how, but I think it was something to do with the serum or something), Popeye is no more and the heroine of the last two pictures has moved on to make a normal life for herself.  We're now some undisclosed amount of time removed from the previous films, so all is well.  Right?

Nah.

A cult is on the loose, lead by Popeye's sister Olive Oil, trying to bring the monster back from the dead.  In order to do that they need to take Cassie (Sas) back to what looks like the same damn field they're always in (with a cabin this time) so Popeye can sense her and come back  in a cloud of mist that, we can assume, smells like spinach.

This will be their final battle!  Maybe.  I can see them trying to drag another couple pictures out of this premise.

Review:

Suppose there was some sort of reason they rushed these all out at the same time?  The character is public domain, so it couldn't have been that, and there are already other killer Popeye movies on the go, so it couldn't be to try and corner that market.  My guess is after the first movie got some traction, they just filmed a ton of stuff, cut three movies out of it, and slapped them all on streaming services as quick as they could, likely to finance either more of the same or something similar.

I can't wait...

At least it isn't like back in the day, where I'd have to drop $20 a piece on DVDs to see each epic new installment.  I know I would have, and I had even less money back then.

I was kind of hopeful that this one was going to be a step in the right direction.  They got rid of a lot of the superhero stuff, with very little focus on the military angle this time out, and the addition of the cult at least makes this one stand out from parts two and three, which seem like one long bad movie cut in half.  There also seemed to be a jump in time and a removal from the same setting, so that was promising.  Or so I thought.

Unfortunately, this one ends up being more of the same.  Slightly different setup, little twist to the story and the addition of a few new characters, then we're right back in the field, killing people in bloodless ways, not showing any skin or gore or originality.  I should have known better.

While this one is marginally better than the last two, we still don't get much out of Popeye, just wasted opportunity and wasted time.  If this series is an attempt to match the much better (comparatively) Winnie the Pooh fairy tale horror series, it just isn't doing it.  Those movies keep getting better (again, comparatively), this one just rehashes the same stuff and neglects to add anything new or entertaining.

I'd like to see Lara Sas in something better than this series, as she's really the only standout in the movies.  Hopefully we get that sooner than later, and hopefully she's really done with Popeye this time.

I know I am.  Until the next one comes out.

1 out of 5.  I am what I am, and I'm sick of this crap.