There are too many movie trilogies to count, but only a few have the distinction of having every episode classed as a massive slam-dunk. Take Francis Ford Coppola The godfather trilogy, for example: The godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974) have more weight than The Godfather Part III (1990). Other franchises were once successful trilogies – who’s looking at you, Toy And The matrix—But are no longer three-movie wonders. With each film needing to make the same impact on every level, it’s easy enough to make a trilogy, but extremely difficult not to have one film overshadow the rest.
Despite the difficult task, there are a few trilogies that not only remain popular today, but don’t feature a bad movie. With only five selections chosen for this list, rest assured that Back to the futurethe original Star Wars episodes, Indiana Jonesand Sam Raimi Spider The series have all been taken into account. However, partly due to personal opinion and partly due to logistics, they ultimately did not make the cut. The following five trilogies ultimately stand out from the crowd in every aspect.
The Captain America trilogy is never boring
Starring Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America, The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Captain America The trilogy is undoubtedly better than the Iron Trilogy. CAptain America: The First Avenger (2011) provides a solid backstory for Captain America, his heroism during World War II, and how he ended up in suspended animation (frozen in time). The film, which also features Sebastian Stan as James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, is full of action, suspense and humor, making for a compelling watch.
In the next film, CAPTAIN AMERICA: The Winter Soldier (2014), Captain America quickly realizes that the shield is incredibly corrupt. For the first time, Captain America is forced to defy the government and operate on his own terms. The second episode, which introduces Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon (who eventually takes on the Captain America mantle) and reintroduces Stan as the Winter Soldier, is the perfect spy movie with incredible fight scenes and a very emotional reunion between Rogers and Barnes.
The last film in the trilogy, Captain America: Civil War (2016), technically works as an Avengers film, as the entire gang is included (with emphasis on Tony Stark/Iron Man). The film features Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther; This is massively the best episode. Captain America’s character development between the three films culminates magnificently; The plot of the film is fascinating, and there are no boring moments.
The Three Colors Trilogy is full of twists and turns
Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, the Three colors trilogy (which served as inspiration for the Edgar Wright Three Cornettos Trilogy) is a collaborative effort between France, Poland and Switzerland. Each episode tells a different story and represents a different French ideal, which is represented by the flag of France. Three colors: blue (1993) revolves around Julie (Juliette Binoche), a woman grieving the deaths of her husband and daughter. The film’s plot is moving, Binoche’s performance is fantastic, and Kieślowski’s directorial approach is beautifully complex.
The second film, Three colors: white (1994), tells the story of Karol Karol (Zbigniew Zamachowski), a man who loses everything after divorcing Dominique Vidal (Julie Delpy). As Karol finally begins to turn his life around, he makes it his mission to get revenge on his ex-wife. Of Kieślowski’s three films, Three colors: white feels the lightest. The game is solid, the plot is full of twists and turns, and although the themes presented are heavy (abandonment, loss of self), there is quite a bit of humor.
Three colors: red (1994) is the final installment of the trilogy, and primarily concerns Valentine Dussaut (Irène Jacob), a model who forms connections with various other characters. As the story develops, it becomes apparent to the viewer that everyone’s life is complex tied to a specific goal. As the final film in the trilogy ends, Kieślowski’s themes and stories in all three films collide, a decision that works fantastically and realistically.
The Dollars Trilogy Was Revolutionary
Directed by Sergio Leone, the Dollar trilogy (also called The man with no name Trilogy) is the most famous and successful series of spaghetti westerns. Starring Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name, the first film, A handful of dollars (1964), revolves around the man with no name in San Miguel, a town in Mexico. Eastwood’s performance immediately shot him into international stardom, Leone’s directorial style was revolutionary upon the film’s release, and there’s plenty of action that’s hard to turn away from.
The second episode of the Leone franchise, for A few more dollars (1965), sees the return of the Man With No Name as a bounty hunter, with Lee Van Cleef as Colonel Douglas Mortimer. The duo team up to capture El Indio (Gian Maria Volonte), a villainous outlaw. Like the first film, Eastwood’s portrayal stands out above all else; The action sequences are well-executed, the plot is exciting and unpredictable (at least upon first viewing), and the cinematography is top-notch.
The last film in Leone’s trilogy, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” (1966), is one of the greatest Westerns never made. In the film, the man with no name (the “good one”) teams up with Tuco, the “Ugly” (Eli Wallach) and Angel Eyes, the “Bad” (Van Cleef). Like previous episodes, the performances are stellar, the story moves, and the fight scenes are epic. Plus, the vast landscapes and long shots are simply breathtaking.
The Dark Knight trilogy is visually stunning
Christopher Nolan Batman The films are a work of genius (which is not surprising, considering Nolan has yet to make a bad film). Starring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, the first film, Batman Begins (2005), serves as an origin story and features Ra’s Al Ghul (Liam Neeson) and The Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) as villains. The stacked-package cast gives stellar performances, the story comes off as quite realistic, and of course, Nolan’s direction pairs fantastically with rich cinematography.
The second film in the franchise, The Dark Knight Rises (2008), is the best. The film features Heath Ledger as the Joker (Ledger’s final role before his unexpected death) and revolves around Batman’s attempts to take him down, alongside Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and James Gordon (Gary Oldman). There is so much to praise about this film. Bale and Ledger play the perfect foils, the story is beautifully told without a dull moment, the cinematography is striking, the music has an intense purpose, the fight scenes are well executed, etc. Simply put, this film is a must-see.
The last film in Nolan’s trilogy, The black knight rises (2012), features Tom Hardy as Bane, an intellectual terrorist who considers himself a revolutionary, not a villain. The film also features Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and Talia Al Ghul (Marion Cotillard). While Nolan was hesitant (understandably) to make a third episode after The black knight rises, the The film provides a satisfying conclusion to Batman’s story. The characters all shine in their own way, the action sequences (like when Bane blows up a football field) are captivating, and Hans Zimmer’s musical score is the cherry on top.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the best fantasy franchises of all time
No trilogy has yet finished getting close to Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings adaptations. The first film, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), introduces viewers to Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), The One Ring and the vast world of Middle-earth. The world-building in Jackson’s first adaptation is flawless; Wood steals the show as Frodo (not to mention all the other actors), the visuals are superb, and the film is faithful to JRR Tolkien’s novel.
The second film, The Lord of the Rings: The two towers (2002), was nominated for six Academy Awards upon release. To summarize succinctly, the film interweaves three storylines: Frodo and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) attempt to destroy the One Ring on their way to Mordor, Merry’s (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin’s (Billy Boyd) post-Escape adventures, and an impending conflict, the Battle of Helm, against the Sarrum (Christophes Leee). Once again, everyone’s performances are of a high standard, the visuals are groundbreaking, all three plots are well explored, and the CGI is well used for the time.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) remains a massive critical and commercial success; At the time, the film won a Stagering 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The final episode features Frodo’s final attempts to destroy the only ring in Mordor, despite Gollum’s (Andy Serkis) attempts to steal the item for himself. As far as trilogy conclusions go, this one is the definitive winner. Its epic could never be understated, with perfect visuals, an incredible soundtrack, impressive direction and beautiful special effects. Everything about this film works cohesively to create an exceptional project with a very satisfying conclusion.