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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mannahnin" data-source="post: 9783041" data-attributes="member: 7026594">Spun off from the <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/your-top-5-sci-fi-movies-and-why.715812/" target="_blank">top 5 sci-fi films thread</a>.Like that one, I'm asking for "your" top 5.  So you can factor in historical importance and critical reception and all that, but I want your personal preferences and biases in there too.I'm not going to go as rules-heavy as Snarf.  You can define a trilogy for yourself, but for ME, I think to qualify the subsequent installments need to have been intended as sequels to the first and second.  So this rules out the "Dollars" trilogy of Eastwood movies, which Leone intended to be stand-alones. (Convenient for me, as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is probably my favorite film).  I do think it's fine to include trilogies which have subsequent further installments.Obviously there aren't all that many trilogies out there, so feel free to stretch it a little, and if you can maybe explain your rankings. Why is one better than another? My list:1. LotR (Extended cuts). It's not perfect.  Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson took some liberties, distorted a couple of characters, and threw in a number of silly gags and suspense jumps which weren't really needed. And the Army of the Dead (Green Glowing Bees)... eh. That being said, it's unbelievably good.  Way better than anyone could have expected, wonderfully cast and acted and shot, gorgeously scored.  Visually stunning. Amazing production values.  And for while I have my complaints about the script, they also did some amazing things using Tolkien's original words but re-placing them to fit them into the movies.  Like Gandalf's iconic words to Pippin about a green country under a swift sunrise, which is taken from the books, a dream Frodo had when sleeping at Tom Bombadil's, and preserved in a moment for Ian McKellan to immortalize again with his voice.  This effort helped make some original parts and changes in the movies feel like Tolkien anyway.2. Star Wars (original 3). The Ewoks are silly, and some of Lucas' dialogue is absurd, but come on.  Incredible visuals, sound, some of the greatest and most iconic film scoring of all time, beloved and memorable characters including villains for the ages, tight and suspenseful editing. Endlessly rewatchable and fun but also dramatic. For me the later movies have their charms, but in this first series Lucas was better balanced by great collaborators like Marcia Lucas and Richard Chew editing, Irvin Kirshner directing the best one, Bob Anderson's sword choreography in latter two, and actors being able to work their characters and dialogue. (HAN: "I know.")3. Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight.  Linklater and Delpy and Hawke just crush these.  The opposite of a series of blockbusters, let's just have intimate conversations between two smart and beautiful (but still imperfect) people, at ground level immersed in wonderful cities, and feel a relationship develop. From infatuation to more. IIRC 7 years passed between each of these, both in the real world and in the film continuity, and they nailed it.4. Indiana Jones (original 3).  Some of the most thrilling and fun and iconic movies ever, perfectly cast and acted (except for 2), wonderfully shot, gorgeously scored.  I think Temple drops the ball substantially, but it's still a fun adventure.5. The Dead. (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead). The birth of the whole zombie genre.  Wonderfully written and horrifying.  Mostly great casts, too.Also-rans include the first 3 Mad Max movies, Toy Story 1-3, Evil Dead 1-2 + Army of Darkness, Back to the Future 1-3, the Sam Raimi Spider-Man series, and maybe Austin Powers 1-3.And Alien and Aliens and Alien 3, despite everything wrong with Alien 3.  It's still better than people say. The first two are so great that maybe they should be on the list over the Dead trilogy anyway. I'll probably think so tomorrow, but for now I can't do it.Notes:This exercise reminded me that I still haven't watched the Three Colors, so I need to fix that.  Also the original Infernal Affairs trilogy.And Godfather 2.  Argh.Honorable mention to the first three Captain America movies, though I don't think they really count or stand on their own, being a sub-set of the MCU.Also to the original Swedish Lisbeth Salander "Millenium Trilogy", though the TV miniseries version really fleshed it out and made it better.I'm also eagerly waiting for the final Spider-Verse movie.  The first is perfect.  The second is ambitious, but needs the conclusion.  If they stick the landing it'll be a heck of a contender.</blockquote>

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