Top 5 Greatest Trilogy's of All Time

MY TOP 5 GREATEST TRILOGY’S

In order to have a great trilogy you must obviously have 3 great movie’s that all grab you and never let you go.  

And there has only been about 5 trilogies that are worth mentioning. No, I am not talking about the Spider-Man franchise, or Leprechaun in the Hood. Or even Freddy or Jason movies. I am talking about a complete trilogy. From the beginning to the end.

I’m talking about a trilogy that’s first film starts everything off. Usually the 1^st film in the trilogy is not the best one. It’s really good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the best. It is, on the other hand what entices you the most. You pay attention to every little detail, because if it’s based on comics or books, you already want to play detective, and find out what will be in the next one. But at the same time they are very important, because they set the tone. And if you don’t like the tone, you will probably like the sequel, and you will probably hate the finale.  

Trilogies that have failed, have been Spider-Man 1, 2, and 3. The first one was by far the best, followed by  a lesser quality in the 2^nd, and Topher Grace as Venom in the 3^rd. Enough said. The Godfathe changed cinema. Sure Marlon Brando had made many great gangster flicks, but the Godfather was, in my eyes the 1^st film that made boring cool. It changed everything. It was a trendsetter. A landmark of a film, and guess what? The Godfather Part II was better. In a nutshell, it was a hardcore Mafioso family with everyday Joe problems. The defining moment, was having Robert DeNiro continue the awesome Marlon Brando’s legacy, and making his own on the way. What really hurt the Godfather trilogy was part III. It didn’t bring in anything new to the table. I love Andy Garcia, but he didn’t have the raw star power that gave Pacino the go ahead swing in the bottom of the 9^th, or the grand slam that DeNiro hit in the top of the 1^st. Garcia was just like watching a taller Joe Pesci trying to be like Joe Pesci. It just didn’t mix.

Failing like the Godfather trilogy, are The Terminator, Alien and Die Hard Trilogies. The 1^st film has to be the trendsetter, while the 2^nd one grabs the best parts of the 1^st, kicks it up a million notches, and leaves a lot of plot to the imagination, setting up for the finale. The Terminator, Alien and Die Hard with a Vengeance are great films, respectively, but all these trilogies had 1 film that made you shrug yours shoulders in appreciation. Die Hard is the greatest action movie of all time in my eyes, but do you remember Die Harder? Aliens and T2 spawned the rise of the great Jimmy Cameron, and we all love the Arnold robot and the little Alien popping out the chest in the original, but do you remember Alien Resurrection, or Rise of the Machines plot line without Kristanna Loken?

There is a tear shedding, due to the fact of how much I love the Godfather 1 and 2, Terminator 2, Alien(s) and Die Hard. Another example is Lethal Weapon. Another top 5 action movie of all time. But what the hell is Lethal Weapon 3 about? And though it was really good, was there any point in having a Lethal Weapon 4? Shouldn’t Danny Glover have retired 5 times already? He’s too old for that shit.   

The Matrix was so great, so original, but the Wachowski Bros. started talking about war and war and war in the 2^nd and 3^rd  movies. Next thing you know, what made the Matrix so original was how it had hardly any reality, while the other 2 hardly had any of the Matrix.  Paranormal Activity, like it or not, is an awesome franchise. Though you might not like it, I’m sure you secretly do because it brings the women in a flock. Put that aside,  you have to admit, it stays true to its story and origins.

Back to the Future Part 3 was an embarrassment, especially with everything the 1^st 2 did. Red Dragon wasn’t a shadow of Hannibal, even less of Silence of the Lambs. Mission Impossible wishes Mission Impossible 3 wasn’t possible at all. The 4^th was by far the best one by the way. El Mariachi trilogy? Have you seen Once Upon a Time in Mexico? I wish I was once upon a time in bed during that movie. And I bet Johnny Depp wishes he didn’t work for a paycheck on that one. Blade lost steam somewhere along the line. I don’t know where, and I really didn’t care. Austin Powers had one of my top 5 funniest movies of all time, followed by hot as hell Beyonce, cold as ice acting, followed by the joke within the joke of Goldmember. X-Men, besides the unbelievable First Class, never lived up to the hype, though the 1^st did have some magic. I love Star Wars, but Jar Jar Binks? Really?

So out of respect, I will give my top 6-10 greatest trilogies, the honorable mention list:

10. The Evil Dead – I love the evil dead. They are creepy and hilarious, simultaneously.  

9. Mad Max – One of Mel Gibson’s trilogies had to be on this list. And how much ass did he kick in those movies?

8. Pirates of the Caribbean – I feel really bad Johnny Depp has never won an academy award for any of these movies. He has literally taken a ride, that’s right, a ride, and made it into the blockbuster that it is. Without “Stranger Tides” this probably would’ve been a little bit higher.  

7. Star Wars: Episodes 1-3 – I give in. I hate Jar Jar, but I love Star Wars. It’s Star Wars!

6.  The Jason Bourne Trilogy – I honestly don’t care about the The Bourne Legacy. Jeremy Renner kicks ass. But Jason Bourne is the man. I don’t care about the script. I don’t care about the leading ladies. I only care about Matt Damon kicking ass. He did it so effortlessly for 3 movies straight. And what made these movies that much better, was they were done one after the other.

And now before I crown the top 5. I have to promote what’s coming up quick.

Has anyone seen Rec.? The Spanish franchise that Quarantine tried to replicate and failed miserably? Rec. is probably the scariest movie I’ve ever seen, and Rec. 2 is even better. A prequel is coming up, and part 3 will follow suit. I can’t wait.

Iron Man is simply one of the best, if not the best comic book movies, and let’s be honest, he wasn’t that big to begin with. Oh I’m sorry, The Avengers is also one of the best comic book movies ever, and I can’t wait to see what they do with their trilogies. Though Iron Man 2, was a shell of the 1^st film, it was still decent. They better make it up for the 3^rd installment.

For some reason, I don’t want to see “The Hobbit.”

Sorry.

And in the word’s of the Joker, “A here, a we, go!”

The Top 5:

5. Indian Jones -  The 1^st grabbed your attention. The 2^nd kicked your ass. And the 3^rd finished it with perfection. Sean Connery. James Bond. Come on!

4. Toy Story – Yes it was the same movie 3 times. But it was the same awesome movie 3 times. And yes, I put it at #4. They all give you cocaine type nostalgia. And it feels so good. It’s like listening to the Fresh Prince and Dj Jazzy Jeff’s Summertime for an entire 1 hour and 30 minutes. Then doing it again 2 more times.

3. Lord of the Rings – I love LOTR. I love it more than Star Wars. But the only, and when I say only, I mean only reason this is behind the next trilogy, is because the next trilogy literally paved the way.

2. Star Wars: Episodes 4-6 – In a nutshell, Star Wars is the 10 freeway and LOTR is the 210. Is the 210 faster and quicker? Yes. But is it taking you to the same place? Most definitely. But it only gets the nod because it was done so long ago, and it took over 20 years to make something as good. And to be honest, 2 and 3 are interchangeable, but I thoroughly enjoyed Return of the Jedi far more than any of the LOTR movie. And no matter how much I loved 2 Towers, it had nothing on Jedi.

1. The Dark Knight – Yup. I went there. And I’m not going back. I love this damn trilogy. It was perfect. It had the formulas of Star Wars and LOTR but in 1 word, it was better, in every way. Christopher and Jonathan Nolan took you to new heights with Batman Begins. It was an awesome origin story that had you drooling for more. It was so well acted, and completely redid the Batman origins story to perfection.  The entire time you’re wondering, “I didn’t know Batman went through so much.” It was emphatic on the fact that Batman is not a super hero though he does have 1 super power: His will to never fail. Like it or not, it was the perfect definition of an opener to a trilogy, just like A New Hope. Which to me, is the greatest opener to a trilogy.

The Dark Knight Rises was, in my eyes the 2^nd greatest sequel of all time. The Godfather is still #1. But what did DeNiro have that Heath Ledger brought to the Joker? The brilliant continuation of a legacy. DeNiro made Brando proud, and unfortunately, it took Ledger to his grave, but he sure as hell did Jack proud. Without Brando and Nicholson, DeNiro and Ledger wouldn’t have done what they did. But, they did what they did, in their own ways. It was truly amazing. The Dark Knight was pure chaos. And just like DeNiro overshadowed Pacino, Ledger overshadowed Bale. Godfather Part II had De Niro, LOTR: 2 Towers had the best action, and The Dark Knight was pure mayhem.

What makes The Dark Knight the greatest trilogy, is how it overall compares to its predecessor’s. A New Hope is the greatest Origins opener of all time. Batman Begins isn't too far behind. If the Dark Knight had a better ending it would absolutely be better than the 2 Towers and the Godfather Part II. As for The Dark Knight Rises, it was the perfect ending, the exact same way for Return of the Jedi. Every Nolan Batman, stands tall amongt it's predecessor's, and that's what makes it #1. The Dark Knight Rises put the nail in the coffin.

Those are my calculations, and that is why the Nolan Bros. trilogy reigns supreme.

All hail the Dark Knight.