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

[Maenalis]

1. Lord of the Rings
2. Matrix (I even like the third one).
3. Dune (the TV movie version) (I like it better than the new movies) Dune (TV Mini Series 2000) 6.9 | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
4. Godfather
5. Back to the Future
Honorable mentions:

Pirates of the Caribbean (although technically it is 5 movies now, I really like the first 3)
Indiana Jones (although technically it is 5 movies now, I really like the first 3)
Jason Borne (although technically it is 5 movies now, I really like the first 3)
Die Hard (although technically it is 5 movies now, I really like the first 3)

and of course
Star wars (although technically it is 11?? movies now, I really like the first 3)

 

[payn]

3. Dune (the TV movie version) (I like it better than the new movies) Dune (TV Mini Series 2000) 6.9 | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi

I really enjoyed the Sci-Fi TV version and the follow up Children of Dune. Underrated.

 

[Nutation]

It's hard to find a "perfect" trilogy. There's almost always a weak film among the three.

I really like the Cube trilogy (Cube, Cube2: Hypercube, Cube Zero) for minimum-budget suspense and storytelling. Not that it goes on anyone's top 5 list, but it has a proper arc. The first movie is directing genius for shooting everything on one set. The third movie is a clever callback. But, alas, the middle element Hypercube is excessively flashy and forgets the central importance of character development.

 

[payn]

I really like the Cube trilogy (Cube, Cube2: Hypercube, Cube Zero) for minimum-budget suspense and storytelling. Not that it goes on anyone's top 5 list, but it has a proper arc. The first movie is directing genius for shooting everything on one set. The third movie is a clever callback. But, alas, the middle element Hypercube is excessively flashy and forgets the central importance of character development.

It was indeed a good use of limited budget. I enjoyed the story too. Though, a franchise it didnt need to spawn. Though thats typically how horror films go. Halloween, Friday the 13th, Saw, Amityville, etc..

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I'm not sure Indian Jones counts as a trilogy given your definition (and disqualification of Dollars). The second movie takes place chronologically before the first, plus there are five movies now. I'm fine with counting it just as I am Dollars.

But whatever; I'll choose my own definitions, so the answer is:

1. Lord of the Rings (not really a trilogy though ... just one long movie).
2. Star Wars (if you have to ask which one, you're going in the book!)
3. Dollars.
4. Mad Max
5. Indiana Jones

Now we need one for franchises so you can drop in James Bond, Jason Bourne, John Wick, Star Trek and others.

And we need a bottom five for Highlander (there's only one movie), Alien (only two movies), etc. Or ss special category for "Should have stopped at (X) movies."

 

[Ryujin]

The Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy - Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World's End. Just the perfect mix of comedy and being both and ode to and satire of the three genres of film. They can't be improved on.

That would be my top. The way that they repeated the same series of sight gags in all three movies, with little tweaks, is just <chef's kiss>.

 

[dragoner]

And yet no one has mentioned Halloween. tsk

 

[Bagpuss]

And yet no one has mentioned Halloween. tsk

Does eight movies and then two reboots count as a trilogy?

Or are you only talking about the last reboot, which I guess counts.

 

[dragoner]

I-III mostly, I just remember the deal with the masks in III, it was like suddenly a whole different series.

 

[jdrakeh]

I-III mostly, I just remember the deal with the masks in III, it was like suddenly a whole different series.

Allegedly, it was originally intended to be an anthology film series, with each entry tackling a new Halloween-themed horror spectacle, but the first film was so wildly successful that Moustapha Akkad insisted the second film also be a Michael Myers feature (because, you know, the money). That pretty much sealed the fate of the franchise. When the third installment hit and it wasn't another Michael Myers flick, nobody wanted it. I still contend that had the second film been an anthology series entry as originally intended, instead of another Michael Myers feature, the anthology series probably would've panned out (or at least had longer legs).