There’s nothing quiet as enjoyable as finally getting to see a much-anticipated movie sequel; like Star Wars Episode I or Indiana Jones IV. Well, okay, so anticipated sequels don’t always work out as their creators hope. Which means that Strong Bad had better be careful because episode four of the popular Telltale Games Strong Bad Adventure series is the much-anticipated sequel Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective.

To bring you up to speed, Strong Bad has written, produced, directed and starred in two previous Dangeresque movies. The title character (played by Strong Bad) is a tough, no-nonsense, vaguely-crooked cop who does things his own way. Nobody, but nobody stands in the way of Dangeresque ... especially when he has his nunchuck gun (the only gun that never runs out of ammo).

The third film in the trilogy was promised to fans years ago and is finally being delivered in the form of the newest Telltalle Games adventure.

In terms of mechanics, Strong Bad 4 is identical to its predecessors. You navigate through the game world using your mouse or Wii remote, click on things to activate them, use a map to move from one location to another, open an inventory, and save/load your game sessions.

In terms of look, Strong Bad 4 works on a whole new level. The bulk of the game is actually played inside the movie. The brief opening sequence has Strong Bad taking the video tape of the film to the basement for a premier screening for his friends (all of who have roles in the film). The opening credits flash by and the game adopts a more cinematic style. No longer content to merely show the scene, the camera seeks to add context by coming at the subject matter from unusual angles. Close-up shots give insight into the characters (admittedly limited) emotional states. Special effects add drama; as do the frequent static lines when the scenes change unexpectedly.

Really.

The new camera work imparts the feeling of an action picture to the game. Aiding and abetting the illusion is the frequent use of action-movie clichés. For example, the story opens at a retirement party for Renaldo, Dangeresque’s fez-wearing side-kick (a role played with great earnestness and occasional inconsistency by Coach Z). The soon-to-be-retired cop is just the first entry in the Strong Bad cliché fest.

Along the way we meet the estranged father (in a scene which is sure to delight die-hard fans of Strong Bad), we rescue a secret formula, retrieve stolen rocket launch codes, defeat a villian at a high-stakes game of cards (hint: paper beats rock and rock beats the ace of spades ... really), jump from a roof, escape in what must be the most bizarre car chase in movie history, hear the protagonist’s tag line (“Looks like I’m gonna have to jump”) over and over, and witness the ultimate betrayal. All of the roles in the game/film are played by the familiar characters from Free County U.S.A. Somehow (the game never explains it) Strong Bad has coerced them into acting with him.

The thing is, this works surprisingly well. The whole game is infused with a cheerful Judy-Garland-Mickey-Rooney-there’s-an-old-barrel-we-can-make-into-a-car goofiness. Never mind that you can see the cardboard backdrop which represents the skyline of Brainblow City; it doesn’t matter. When Dangeresque is “driving” his car and you can see the Cheat repeatedly pulling a tree past the window to make it look like the car is moving, it just adds to the charm. Watching a supposedly dead character cross behind the actors during a touching scene is laugh-out-loud funny.

Of all of the Strong Bad games so far, this one is the most entertaining. Who can resist the opportunity to jump into the shoes of a genuine action hero for a few hours. At $8.99 this game is a bargain and might convince you to play the rest of the series. I can only hope that the final installment -- which features the elusive Trogdor -- will be as good.