Your top 5 movie trilogies of all time, and why?

[GreyLord]

Nolan's Batmen (the lesser first movie is more than made up for by the superlative previous two)

I'm not sure I follow your logic on this one...

 

[Clint_L]

1. Sunset/Sunrise/Midnight trilogy. Mannahnin already covered these well, and you have to be in the mood for an intimate character study, but these are, to my mind, basically perfect films. The only other trilogy I could say that about is...

2. Toy Story 1-3. There is not a wasted frame in any of these films, and the secret sauce of the series is that it isn't really for kids (at least in terms of the core theme), it's for parents. It's about letting go of your kids and figuring out what comes next. Which is why something happens to my eyes whenever I watch the last one.

3. Star Wars/Empire/Jedi. 1 and 2 are basically perfect; I slightly prefer 1 but that's for emotional reasons: I was lucky enough to be 9 years old when it came out, so you can imagine (or you were there). Jedi is a step down (Ewoks are dumb! They just are! You know it's true!) but still a great time.

4. LotR. Each film is fantastic; Fellowship is the best IMO. I don't love the endless endings but that's a quibble (frankly, I think a better ending would have been to have Sam and Frodo die in each other's arms on Mt. Doom, sacrificing themselves to save the world, but Tolkien purists would have freaked out).

5. I have a clear top 4 but I don't have a clear 5. Either Dead trilogy could take this spot (Evil, or Night/Dawn/Day), but then you could make a case for the Man with No Name films, the Captain America films, Godfather 1-3 (though I am in the camp that thinks 3 is worse than its reputation), Indiana Jones 1-3 (but 2 is pretty problematic) and a fair few others.

 

[jdrakeh]

Dario Argento's "Animal Trilogy" (Bird With the Crystal Plumage, Cat o' Nine Tails, Flies on Grey Velvet) and Dario Argento's The Three Mothers (Suspiria, Inferno, and Mother of Tears). Star Wars (original trilogy).

 

[Morrus]

I'm not sure I follow your logic on this one...

That’s OK.

 

[TiQuinn]

1. Lord of the Rings
2. The Godfather
3. The Man with No Name Trilogy
4. Star Wars (Original Trilogy)
5. The Sinbad Movies done by Ray Harryhausen

Kind of wish more things would just stay trilogies.

 

[Mercurius]

I think "film franchise" works better, as few films are envisioned as part of a trilogy. It also allows you to consider films as a whole and not artificially excise three films from larger series'.

 

[TiQuinn]

I think "film franchise" works better, as few films are envisioned as part of a trilogy. It also allows you to consider films as a whole and not artificially excise three films from larger series'.

I think when a director and writer seek to make a trilogy, it carries with it a certain intent to portray an arc. I don’t think film franchises fits in with that. Otherwise, you include things like the James Bond series, which is clearly not a trilogy. it’s not a bad question or list, but I think it is a different topic.

 

[Mercurius]

I think when a director and writer seek to make a trilogy, it carries with it a certain intent to portray an arc. I don’t think film franchises fits in with that. Otherwise, you include things like the James Bond series, which is clearly not a trilogy. it’s not a bad question or list, but I think it is a different topic.

OK, fair enough...but it gets tricky. Star Trek 2-4 can be viewed as a trilogy within a series, for example. And some have skipped films to include the ones they like and exclude the ones they don't. Indiana Jones isn't really a trilogy, as the films don't have much in connection with each other, other than characters. But I have no real issue with it - it is all in good fun - just a comment based on some of the picks.

 

[TiQuinn]

OK, fair enough...but it gets tricky. Star Trek 2-4 can be viewed as a trilogy within a series, for example. And some have skipped films to include the ones they like and exclude the ones they don't. Indiana Jones isn't really a trilogy, as the films don't have much in connection with each other, other than characters. But I have no real issue with it - it is all in good fun - just a comment based on some of the picks.

A lot of once trilogies became the victim of “gotta reuse the IP” mentality in later years.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I think when a director and writer seek to make a trilogy, it carries with it a certain intent to portray an arc. I don’t think film franchises fits in with that. Otherwise, you include things like the James Bond series, which is clearly not a trilogy. it’s not a bad question or list, but I think it is a different topic.

That's kinda my feeling as well. Star Wars might be the exception, since the movies are clearly divided into trilogies.