Top Movie Trilogies

Intial Post July 23, 2012

This past weekend I made a trip to Washington D.C. to visit my brother and sister-in-law, and on Friday afternoon we saw The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX at the Museum of Natural History. For me it was the first time seeing a feature film in an IMAX theater, and I have to admit it was a great experience. The audience was packed in with people who were there for one reason; to watch a movie in best capacity possible. No previews, no cell phones ringing or people climbing over you to go to the bathroom or to fill up their popcorn. It was just a superhero movie all in your face on a six-story screen.

And what a movie. Rises completes Christopher Nolan’s reboot of the Batman franchise that began with Batman Begins and continued with the explosive The Dark Knight, and it did not disappoint.

I have been a fan of Batman since I was a kid, and I was in the theater when Michael Keaton dawned the bat suit in Tim Burton’s 1989 film. I would love for these films to keep going, but these modern superhero tales come in threes. Plus by extending a solid trilogy into a fourth movie, you might have to deal with films like Batman & Robin, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Alien: Resurrection. Good concepts, but poorly executed on screen.

So now that Nolan’s saga of The Caped Crusader is over, it’s hard to say what the future holds for Bruce Wayne and Batman. With the success of The Avengers, it’s not beyond the realm to consider making a Justice League movie, although DC have not produced enough films as a background as Marvel has done with Iron Man, Thor and Captain America. Regardless, we still have Nolan’s films to hold us over for many years. To prove it, let’s see where this trilogy ranks among the best of all time.

Honorable Mention: Alien, Die Hard, The Evil Dead, Mad Max, The Matrix, Rocky, Spider-Man, Superman, X-Men.

All of these film series have provided us with memorable characters (Ridley, Ash, John McClane, Neo, Rocky Balboa), and could be considered in an argument of cracking the top ten of movie trilogies. In most cases, one film in the series does not live up to the other two (Alien 3, Spider-Man 3, Superman III, X-Men: The Last Stand, both Matrix sequels), but are worth mentioning and were taken into consideration while compiling the following list.

10. Terminator

One could argue that this series belongs in the honorable mention for the reasons I just mentioned. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is a sub-par film compared to its predecessors, and is missing both James Cameron’s direction and Linda Hamilton’s aggressive presence as Sarah Connor. But it is still a decent film. The original Terminator is a sci-fi film before its time, and introduced Arnold Schwarzenner as an action star. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the best movie sequels ever and overall is a great action movie. The series went on to spawn 2009’s Terminator Salvation and the short lived television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, being one of the most influential movie series of all time.

9. Back to the Future

I don’t think you can come across one person who grew up in the 80’s that dislikes these films. Robert Zemeckis’s saga brings action, adventure, comedy, romance and loads of fun as we follow Marty McFly travels through time, played with brilliant charm by the always delightful Michael J. Fox. You might ask yourself why a teenager that is aspiring to be a rock star is hanging out with a crazy wild-eyed scientist in the first place. Who cares. Pick up a copy of the twenty-fifth anniversary edition, sit back and enjoy the ride.

8. The Dollars Trilogy

The plots and characters in A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly are not connected in any way. The only exception is Clint Eastwood’s character, considered the “Man with No Name.” Even though he has a different name in each film, he wears the same clothes and portrays each character the same way. And he’s always out looking for a buck, no matter how dangerous. What they did do was introduce the “Spaghetti Western”, a genre based on Sergio Leone’s much imitated directing style that changed cinema. They were also the first leading roles for Eastwood, helping him reach his eventual superstar and tough guy status. Even though they’re not considered a trilogy in the traditional sense, these films will be linked together forever, and hold a lasting impression on modern cinema.

7. The Bourne Trilogy

Ten years ago in the wake of such films as The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Legend of Bagger Vance and All the Pretty Horses, could you have envision Matt Damon as an action star? Me neither. But he pulls it off as Jason Bourne, everyone’s favorite rouge assassin suffering from a bad case of amnesia. For spy films, these movies have it all; fast-paced action, suspense, and some pretty ridiculous car chases. You can’t go wrong with any of these films.

6. Toy Story

These films might be catered towards your children, but they're filled with creative storytelling and loads of fun. The original Toy Story was the first all computer generated film brought to us by Pixar, and was a ground breaking achievement in animation. The sequel is equally good, and even though Toy Story 3 wasn’t released for another 10 years, it was well worth the wait, bringing a resounding and warm conclusion to the trilogy. The voice work on these memorable characters is spot on, and these films will be treasured for many years.

5. Indiana Jones

I’m referring to Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It’s unfortunate we have to associate Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with its predecessors, but we still have the first three to fall back on. Harrison Ford strikes gold as Indiana Jones, the whip-wielding, Nazi foiling archeologist. Bringing in Sean Connery as Indiana’s disapproving father and River Phoenix as a young Indiana Jones in Last Crusade gave it more a comic twist than the previous films. But Raiders is a classic and probably the best of the three, and it’s evident the more times you watch it. Now only if they can be released in Blue-Ray.

4. The Dark Knight Trilogy

Damn straight these films belong this high. Christopher Nolan’s films provide the best portrayal of Batman onscreen in any format thus far, while also surpassing every other superhero trilogy. These films also delve the most into the psyche and determination of Bruce Wayne, played to perfection by Christian Bale. Beginning with the excellent and underrated Batman Begins, we experience the full background of what motivates the billionaire playboy to don the bat suit, which is only touched upon in Tim Burton’s Batman and Joel Shumacher’s Batman Forever. The action continues from the opening frame all the way through the ending credits in The Dark Knight, highlighted by the late Heath Ledger’s academy award winning performance as Batman’s psychotic arch nemesis, The Joker. The epic force that is The Dark Knight Rises vaults this trilogy to this position. We learn the final fate of Batman as he meets the ultimate rival in Bane, the mercenary terrorist hell-bent on bringing down Gotham City, and the ending does not disappoint. I won’t say anymore to not give too much away. Just go see the movie.

3. The Godfather

This was a tough choice. I almost put Batman here, and the main reason is for the unwarranted The Godfather III. But when two of the three films are two of the top movies of all time, you have to show some respect, especially to the Don of all mob movies. The Godfather and The Godfather II are epic films that both won best picture, with some arguing that the sequel is better than the original. Regardless, the saga of the Corleone family is the mecca of crime stories. Based on Mario Puzo’s best-selling novel, they’re family dramas as much as they are movies about the mafia underworld. Filled with stellar acting, beautiful scenery and brilliant directing from Francis Ford Coppola, these films are cornerstones of American cinema.

2. The Original Star Wars Trilogy 

The series that took us to a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas’s visionary saga changed filmmaking history. The original Star Wars enthralled audiences upon its release in 1977, only to be topped with The Empire Strikes Back, with Darth Vader becoming one of the most sinister villains we’ve ever seen on screen. All of our questions are answered in Return of the Jedi, definitely the weakest of the three films. Jedi has a strong start, until the Imperial Army armed with laser guns and blasters are defeated by a group of walking teddy bears using sticks and rocks. It was apparent Lucas had other money making notions on his mind when ending his trilogy. And it worked. Star Wars has become one of the most influential trilogies in not only film history but in popular culture, spawning the prequel trilogy along with numerous books, toys, comic books, and the animated television series The Clone Wars. Its impact has not been touched by any other film series.

1. The Lord of the Rings

J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic tale of good versus evil is the first great work of fantasy literature. Without it there might not have been villainous characters such as Darth Vader and Lord Voldemort. Director Peter Jackson does a spectacular job of bringing Tolkien’s story to the big screen, providing dazzling effects on the backdrop of breathtaking scenery. All of Tolkien’s memorable characters are brought to life by a perfect ensemble cast. The friendship and bonds that were developed between the cast members over the year of filming in New Zealand is translated onto the screen. The only weakness is that The Return of the King doesn’t feel like it’s going to end, but it's the emotional appeal in these films that ultimately vault them to the top spot.