Here's just a fun editorial to cause a lot more debate on this website, and to find out what others might think is the best movie trilogy out there, or compose a top ten or five list of the best movie trilogy's. I will do a little of both.
First I start by saying this is a surprise to me how no one has yet been comparing the The Dark Knight Trilogy to other trilogy's and has yet to write up any article to that would give some people a look at some of the great movie trilogy's that have stood the test of time, long before Nolan started his Batman series.
This article is really just a look at some great movie trilogy's that have grace the screen, and some movie trilogy's that came close, but had one of the three films not regarded as highly as it's predeccsors, or one of the films being a average film, or more of a could've done without this one type series.
Let's start off with the top ten movie trilogy's of all time.
1-The Godfather Saga: The Godfather series had one little misstep,The Godfather III. Not really on par at all with the first two films, but it still manage to earn a Best Picture nod, and had the two previous films both earn that mighty title, making this mob sage the best to date.
2-The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Really only one of the other movie trilogy's to go head to head with The Godfather Saga and actually win. The Lord of the Rings trilogy as a whole is better than the Godfather saga and Star Wars, because all three films have been highly raved about, and been rewarded for it's epic scale of movie history. Really the only reason why this series is not number, is because The Godfather Saga has two best picture winners, and The Lord of the Rings only one.
3-Star Wars-Episodes IV-VI: The one and only great Sci-Fi trilogy that has become a staple of what is now it's own world, and has taken on more icons, and merchindise than any other film trilogy in history. Star Wars started in all in the late 70's and gardner one of the best movie sequels to date, and a ending to a film trilogy that left many fans wanting more, which eventually they got, and now might regret that.
4-The Dark Knight Trilogy: For right now, you can put a stamp on it and mail it out, this is hands down the greatest comic book movie trilogy of all time. Give what Chris Nolan had do to redeem a Batman franchise that almost made it impossible to ever see the dark kinght back on the screen. This trilogy will always be ranked high in my book, no matter what the box office sales say, and even if the last film wins no awards at all. It has to be rewarded for giving everyone more than just a superhero movie, but overall a great movie experenice worth a life time over.
5-The Toy Story Movies: This will be the only animated series on my list, and for good reason. Toy Story has done something that even the live action trilogy's has yet to do, give a better story with each new film. Not only was Toy Story better than the next one, it's one of only three films in the history of movie trilogy's to be nominated for Best Picture, and did I state these movies are animated. A set of films that will last forever with no age limited.
6-The Indiana Jones Trilogy: First off Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skulls will not be included due to the long time gap, and being more of a add to rather than part of a series. One of the best action/adventure series to grace the silve screen, Raiders of the Lost Ark proved a soild movie and one that can stand on it's own merits. The temple of Doom althougt more dark than the first, still proved to be fun. The Last Crusade reminded us of why we first loved and respected a movie based on a professor being a action/hero, and why George Lucas and Steven Speilberg was a great team.
7-The Bourne Movies: Hands down the greatest action/thriller trilogy to date. Based off the brillant novels and storytelling and it's finest, The Bourne series came out of nowhere with a new type of action movie never before seen like this, and turned a mostly dramatic actor into a overnight action star.
8-Back to the Future: Star Wars may hold the title of best Sci-fi trilogy ever, but the Back to the Future series put time travel back on the map and your local movie theathers. A farelly overlooked trilogy, but still a all around soild series, which all three movies do give great entertainment and will last for a long time in our movie collection.
8-The Hannible Collection: Most movie goers forget the first on screen present of Dr. Lectur was played by Brain Cox in Michael Mann's Manhunter back in 1986, but it was the chilling and haunting performance turned in by Sir Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. One of the most iconic and memorable perforance ever done on film, and also the film is very eering and story driven that you can't miss one second of this film. Hannible that followed a few years later, was not as memorable, but saw the return of Sir Hopkins playing Dr. Lectur, and once more in Brett Ratner's Red Dragon. The perforance given from Anthony Hopkins makes this series ingageing and interesting.
9-Spider-Man Trilogy: I wanted to give props to Sam Raimi, and felt the Spider-Man movies were a better trilogy than the Evil Dead series. Even though Blade was a big hit in 97, and X-Men proving in 00, that comic book movies are here to stay. But it was 02's Spider-Man that cemented the comic book movies in the Hollywood exes head and would never leave. But the most iconic feet was making a sequel better, and showing the second time around is better then the first. Spider-Man 2 is still on people's list of best comic book movies/sequels as number one, there's a reason why. Despite the underwhemling Spider-Man 3, the film still broke box office records, and by far not the worst comic book movie, but it did give us a ending to the films series, which left everyone wanting more Spidey.
10-Transformers: This spot was pretty much a toss up between five other trilogy's worthy enough to be in this list, but in the end it came down to numbers, and film making. The Transformers movies kick off one of the highest grossing film series of all time, and proved that even a 80's cartoon series could be made into a blockbuster. Transformers was a great scale in terms of film makeing for it's time, and did things with visual effects and didn't know could be done on that scale. It's sequel may have hit at the box office, but was consider a let down from it's successor. Relaying the quote "third times a charm", Dark of the Moon showcased what a film could do with all the advancements in film tech, and gave one hell of the best last 40 mintues of a movie in awhile, and earns the spot of #5 on the all time world wide box office.
Here's my remaining list of trilogy's that didn't make the list.
Back to the future
Beverly Hills Cop
Blade
Jason Bourne
Evil Dead
Friday
The Godfather
The Great Ziegfeld
IP Man
Jurassic Park
The Karate Kid
The Lord of the Rings
Mad Max
Madagascar
The Matrix
The Mummy
Men in Black
Mexico Trilogy
The Mighty Ducks
The Millennium Series
Ocean's Trilogy
Ong-Bak
The Santa Clause
Spider-Man
Star Wars I-III
Star Wars IV-VI
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Toy Story
The Transporter Series
Transformers
American Pie
The Hannibal Collection