The Greatest Trilogies In Film

The Greatest Trilogies In Film

From Star Wars to Indiana Jones, I will break down the field of trilogies and give my take on the best of the best, and the ones that just couldn't get the third movie right.

Editorial Opinion
By TheYoungMan - Nov 22, 2012 12:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Fan Fic

Alright. Now before we get started, let's take a moment to honor some of the fallen trilogies. The ones that came so close to becoming a consistently great trilogy, but just couldn't get past the third chapter...

















Now, some of those are still great just from the power of the first two. But when the third movie in a trilogy is not even close to the level as the others, i can't honestly say it is a great "trilogy". Those are some great dynamic duos, but that's as far as i'll go. So remember, i'm not saying that The Godfather Part I and II aren't great (in fact, that's probably the greatest dynamic duo ever), i'm saying that Part III keeps me from classifying it as a great "trilogy". Just want to be clear on that.


Ok, now let's go through some great trilogies.

There are two main types of trilogies. The first one follows one main hero on a journey over the course of three movies. The actions in the previous movie have consequences in the next. This is the most difficult type of trilogy to keep consistant throughout all three movies, because each movie is bound by the actions of it's predecessors. It's quite a challenge to make a great ending to a story with those restrictions. But it's also the most rewarding type of trilogy when it does end great, because you get to see the three-movie story arc come to a satisfying end.
Examples: LOTR, TDK, Star Wars.

The second type of trilogy is a set of three movies that may or may not have the same characters, and the story in one movie has no effect on the story in the next movie. A good example of this would be Daniel Craig's James Bond movies. Yes, many of the same characters are present in all three films, but every movie is completely self-contained, and there are no consequences of any events of the preceeding film. This type of trilogy is less common because there is no need for an ending, so they usually just keep making them until they stop making money.
Examples: The Dollars Trilogy, Three Colors Trilogy, Indiana Jones.



Now, here is how I rank the top five trilogies of all time from best to worst...


Star Wars Trilogy (Original)



This trilogy comes dangerously close to landing in my "fallen trilogies" list from earlier, because 'Return of the Jedi' is not up to the standard of 'A New Hope' or 'The Empire Strikes Back'. But that being said, even though some of the plot was recycled from the first movie, and Ewoks were somehow very formidable against the Empire, it sticks the landing. Our hero's journey comes to a very satisfying end. The Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader storyline, and Luke's relationships with all of the other characters conclude in the best way possible. So yes, this trilogy does have an obvious weak link, but it's a weak link with a satisfying ending. In terms of quality, Star Wars is pretty much overall tied with TDK Trilogy for me. But I give Star Wars the #1 spot simply because of it's historical importance.

Critical/audience ratings:

A New Hope:
94%, 8.2/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
8.8 IMDb

The Empire Strikes Back:
97%, 8.6/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
8.8 IMDb

Return of the Jedi:
79%, 6.8/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
8.4 IMDb

....................................................................................................................

The Dark Knight Trilogy



Finally, a CBM trilogy can stand among the all-time greats. Spider-Man came close, X-Men came close, and Iron Man already blew it with IM2. People were wondering if they would ever get a great CBM trilogy. Well here it is. The Dark Knight Trilogy. And not only is it a great comic book trilogy, it's one of the greatest of all time by any standard. As it's been noted time and time again, it transcends "comic book" and becomes truly great cinema. Bruce Wayne's journey throughout these three movies is one of the most complex, compelling, and satisfying journeys of any hero ever put on film. And unlike Star Wars, it does not have a weak spot. All three movies were met with great critical and audience reception. Now, if we were forced to pick a "weak link" from the consensus, it would have to be Batman Begins, based off the critic and audience scores. But there is no shame in being seen as the "worst" of TDK Trilogy.

Critical/audience ratings:

Batman Begins:
85%, 7.7/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
70/100 Metacritic
8.3 IMDb

The Dark Knight:
94%, 8.4/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
82/100 Metacritic
9.0 IMDb

The Dark Knight Rises:
87%, 8.0/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
78/100 Metacritic
8.8 IMDb

....................................................................................................................

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy



The critical acclaim and audience reception of this trilogy is probably the most impressive of all. Each movie was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars (with The Return of the King winning), and they are all loved by audiences worldwide. I've never read the books, and I was never really a fan of the LOTR culture, so I probably have less appreciation for it than most people do. But I still admire the films themselves, and recognize the trilogy as one of the most epic achievements in film history.

Critical/audience ratings:

The Fellowship of the Ring:
92%, 8.1/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
92/100 Metacritic
8.8 IMDb

The Two Towers:
96%, 8.4/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
88/100 Metacritic
8.7 IMDb

The Return of the King:
94%, 8.6/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
94/100 Metacritic
8.9 IMDb

....................................................................................................................

Indiana Jones Trilogy



This is one of those trilogies where all three movies are self-contained, and there is no definite ending. There is no "epic journey", no "realizations", and nothing comes "full circle". And yet, it's one of the greatest movie series of all time, and it created one of the most iconic characters ever, Indiana Jones. Some people try to slag off Temple of Doom as if it keeps this from becoming a perfect trilogy (Side note: "Perfect trilogy" does not mean that every movie in the trilogy is perfect). Yes, i agree that Temple of Doom is the weakest movie in the trilogy, but so what? Just because it's the weakest of the three Indiana Jones movies doesn't mean it's not great in it's own right.

Critical/audience ratings:

Raiders of the Lost Ark:
95%, 9.0/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
8.7 IMDb

Temple of Doom:
85%, 7.2/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
7.6 IMDb

The Last Crusade:
89%, 7.9/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
8.3 IMDb

....................................................................................................................

The Dollars Trilogy



Another trilogy with three self-contained movies. No epic three-movie story ark, just three great movies. Clint Eastwood is the Man With No Name, with his iconic poncho, hat, and cigar. Blazing a trail of badass everywhere he goes.

Critical/audience scores:

A Fistful of Dollars:
98%, 8.1/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
8.0 IMDb

For a Few Dollars More:
94%, 7.8/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
8.3 IMDb

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
97%, 8.8/10 average rating Rottentomatoes
9.0 IMDb

....................................................................................................................

Honerable mention: Toy Story, Back to the Future, The Matrix, and Evil Dead.
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DocHorrible
DocHorrible - 11/22/2012, 2:37 AM
Not a bad list, and a really well-written article. I would probably place the original Star Wars trilogy as my number one spot too.

The only thing, can Indiana Jones be considered a trilogy? Or is just a series? I think if you're only including the first three films of a series, that would open your options up to other films as well, like Die Hard or Rocky.
Facade
Facade - 11/22/2012, 7:10 AM
Extremely "loose" use of the term "trilogy."
FirstAvenger
FirstAvenger - 11/22/2012, 7:14 AM
TheYoungMan a trilogy means a series three. But this is a Great list!
jessepostal
jessepostal - 11/22/2012, 7:46 AM
tmnt trilogy! minus the 3rd!

A lot of bad third outings, alien 3, terminator 3, spidey 3, transformers 2 :)
Preston
Preston - 11/22/2012, 8:34 AM
@YM

I know that you like using critical/audience statistics to prove your point. However, critical and audience consensus changes over time. Therefore, a movie that is praised today can be panned tomorrow or vise-versa. It's a fact of life that people's tastes change over time.


Life
For example (since we are nearing Christmas), “It's a Wonderful Life” was panned by critics and it was a commercial failure. Today, it's one of Frank Capra's best, and one of the best/if not the best Christmas movie ever made.

Forever
Another example is “Batman Forever” was met with a great critical response by the likes of Peter Travers, Roger Ebert (who hates superhero movies), and most other critics. Families flocked to the movie. It had a hit song with “Kiss from a Rose” by Seal. However, today, many critics have either turned on it and people everywhere use their DVD's as coasters.

rises
It gets me to the following, the praise that you give 'Rises' expect it to change with time. Batman Begins doesn't receive a quarter of the hate 'Rises' does. So, if I were to make a calculated guess, I would expect it to go the way of 'Forever'. In fact, since I'm a gambling man, I'll bet you that in the next 10 years, or so, that movie won't be revered at all. The beginnings can be seen, in actual fans of the Nolan movies hate for the movie [this will spread just like it did with 'Forever']:



You might think that a few guys like Nostalgia Critic's opinions don't matter, but they do in the fact that it starts to alter the perception people have of the movie.

Iron Man
So, before you make a call that Iron Man has no shot at being the best comic-book trilogy ever, you need to take into account the effects of time. Even if Iron Man doesn't take the title, it doesn't mean some other hero won't take the title. I like to think that time fixes everything.

p.s: Just remember that your stats aren't set in stone.
p.p.s: Have a great Turkey Day.
Turkey
Preston
Preston - 11/22/2012, 8:51 AM

“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.”


-Gerry Spence
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 11/22/2012, 10:15 AM
The best coherent trilogy I've found isn't too surprising.

Star Wars. It pretty much set the parameters for what a trilogy should do.

First film: hero gets a call to action, stumbles; finds a larger world that the audience is introduced to. Scope is established.
Eg: Luke leaves the farm to become a freedom fighter; Michael takes action to save the Corleone family; Peter becomes Spider-man and defeats his best friend's father; Frodo and the Fellowship begin their journey across Middle Earth to destroy the One Ring; Bruce travels the world to learn how to be Batman to save Gotham...

Second film: hero faces doubt from his/herself and his/her friends; faces loss; reaches the point of no return where a crucial decision must be made.
Eg: Peter tries to give up Spider-man, but is forced to reveal his identity to his two best friends; the Fellowship is broken and go their separate ways to hold onto hope; Michael has his brother killed after eliminating his competition; Luke faces defeat from his own father and loses Han to a bounty hunter; Kirk learns he has a son while Spock makes the ultimate sacrifice...

Third film: the hero comes to grips with his/her identity but faces rising problems dating back to his/her golden years.
Eg: Michael's immediate family is torn apart by the mobs; Aragorn takes the throne of Gondor while Frodo destroys the Ring; the Rebel Alliance defeats the Galactic Empire; Peter literally alienates himself to pursue his Uncle's killer; Indy saves his father from the Nazis and finds the Holy Grail...
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 11/22/2012, 10:26 AM
Wow, real class act.
AC1
AC1 - 11/22/2012, 2:47 PM
You already mentioned this, but Temple of Doom is so bad that it really does ruin the Indiana Jones trilogy IMO. Even Last Crusade is nowhere near the quality of Raiders of the Lost Arc, but it's good enough to not effect the trilogy. But Temple of Doom... awful... awful... except when Indie punches Short Round, I could watch that scene on a loop all day.
marvel72
marvel72 - 11/22/2012, 2:56 PM
best trilogies for me are.

1st the godfather trilogy
2nd star wars trilogy
3rd lord of the rings trilogy
4th the dark knight trilogy
5th the millenium trilogy
6th toy story trilogy
AC1
AC1 - 11/22/2012, 3:13 PM
And really, The Godfather Part III isn't a bad film, it's just bad compared to the other two and incredibly disappointing, much like The Dark Knight Rises IMO, so really it does deserve recognition as one of the best trilogies
AC1
AC1 - 11/22/2012, 3:15 PM
@TheYoungMan don't get me wrong, I love Indiana Jones too when it's good, Raiders is one of my favourite movies, Crusade is great too, and I can happily watch most of Crystal Skull (although it's more of a guilty pleasure) but Temple of Doom was so bad on so many levels, that it made all the good parts forgettable (save for the bridge scene toward the end).
Happy11
Happy11 - 11/22/2012, 3:51 PM
You can't write an article then bitch and moan when someone has a different opinion, accept their point as neither of you are right or wrong.
tomr
tomr - 11/22/2012, 8:29 PM
no bourne trilogy?!
AC1
AC1 - 11/23/2012, 12:47 PM
1. Godfather Trilogy
2. Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
3. Original Star Wars Trilogy
4. The Dark Knight Trilogy
5. Back To The Future Trilogy
6. Toy Story Trilogy
7. Indiana Jones Trilogy


It's funny, there are some mirrors in my list. E.g. Lord Of the Rings and Toy Story - consistently brilliant. Back To The Future and Indiana Jones - first film is best, second is the worst by miles, third is good but still far behind the first. The Godfather and TDK - brilliant first and second films, third one mediocre letdown. Star Wars and TDK - first film great, second film even better, third film makes for watchable (and in places good) but ultimately disappointing finale.

Haven't seen the Dollars trilogy (yet), nor the Alien and Terminator trilogies, and wouldn't count Spider-Man or X-Men as great trilogies.
Tainted87
Tainted87 - 11/23/2012, 4:59 PM
The Dollars trilogy is as much a trilogy as the Mariachi trilogy. The movies feature a familiar cast, setting, and theme (for the most part), but the characters are different. Clint Eastwood may very well be "Blondie" in all three, but then, he may not be.

I wouldn't include Star Trek as the greatest because The Search For Spock was a complete waste of time - so much, that the Voyage Home manages to breeze over the events in under a minute.

TNG seems to have a trilogy of sorts, IF you ignore Insurrection. Generations would be something of a beginning, regardless of how well known the characters are from the show - it is largely an introduction and introspection on Picard. First Contact has a great deal of focus on Picard's problems with the Borg, how his judgment is in danger of dooming them all. THEN Nemesis, which features a young clone of Picard, who ravages his crew.

I didn't HATE Insurrection - but it really just felt like an extended episode that doesn't bear ANY relevance to the other movies. Also, I just can't stand Riker, and he tries to hijack the movie.
---

@ACira
Wait, I read your comment twice....
YOU HAVEN'T SEEN TERMINATOR??????????
BlazinTexan
BlazinTexan - 11/24/2012, 4:05 PM
I just pretend Godfather part three and spiderman three do not exist.
Funsize
Funsize - 11/24/2012, 6:50 PM
awesome list!!
JorEllinator
JorEllinator - 11/25/2012, 1:03 PM
Imagine in an alternate universe that there was a terrible Indy movie, that had that kid from Holes in it, and it had Indy survive a nuke! If that happened I'd kill myself!

This comment has come from beyond the grave.
Clevelandsteamer
Clevelandsteamer - 1/25/2013, 7:45 PM
First of all anyone that says any of the first series of Batman movies (outside of the first one with Michael Keaton) were EVER any good really has to have their heads checked. They are pathetic and an embarrassment to any VHS collection. I loved Batman Begins but disliked the over acted Dark Knight until I watched again a year later when I got over the hype that surrounded its coming out and the dramatic performances. I feel like the beginning of The Dark Knight Rises is possibly the most epic beginning in any movie (almost James Bond'ish). With all this being said I would have to say my list would be...
1-Star Wars (The original)
2-The Lord of the Rings
3-The Dark Knight
4-The Godfather
5-Toy Story
6-The Bourne series
7-Indiana Jones
I have a write in candidate (although a TV series)
8-Archer (Nailed it!)
Woodinator
Woodinator - 5/23/2013, 9:19 AM
Yeah the third is usually where the films tend to fall apart.

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