Greatest Trilogies of All Time

[night0205]

Except LOTR was planned as one story from the start (not to mention the fact it was an adaptation on a book trilogy) while PotC found success in making a standalone adventure film. Everytime a series making up it's lore on the spot decides to make a two parter, it ends in disaster. The second part feels unfinished and the third part never properly finishes the story the second one began. Making parts two and three into this "epic" two part story line was really dumb and took away a lot of what made the original film great. PotC should have been the pirate equivalent of the Indiana Jones films.

Well, I understand that LOTR had great source material, and that it was planned from part 1, but the reality is that Matrix was not a horrible trilogy because it filmed the sequels back to back, it was a horrible trilogy because it was a horrible story. I'm actually a big fan of Pirates, but I know the first one is superior. Harry Potter also filmed back to back... and I'm sure those movies will be good quality film making. Filming back to back, gives you the ability to plan two movies at the same time, which I think can be a positive thing. I also know it is cheaper, it helps with continuity. So I think there is more positive aspects of it then negative. Those who failed at it, just failed a making good movies period... I don't think the fact that they filmed back to back changed the fact they couldn't even handle making one good movie.

 

[Hush]

Just to put it out there but Back to The Future Part II and III were filmed back to back as well. They are great stories.

 

[Deaths Head II]

Well, I understand that LOTR had great source material, and that it was planned from part 1, but the reality is that Matrix was not a horrible trilogy because it filmed the sequels back to back, it was a horrible trilogy because it was a horrible story. I'm actually a big fan of Pirates, but I know the first one is superior. Harry Potter also filmed back to back... and I'm sure those movies will be good quality film making. Filming back to back, gives you the ability to plan two movies at the same time, which I think can be a positive thing. I also know it is cheaper, it helps with continuity. So I think there is more positive aspects of it then negative. Those who failed at it, just failed a making good movies period... I don't think the fact that they filmed back to back changed the fact they couldn't even handle making one good movie.

Harry Potter was based on a book, just like Lord of the the Rings. The only good example so far was by Hush, Back to the Future II and III. It makes sense to film a book back to back because the story has been already tested in another medium and it's popular. You can go ahead with adapting multiple books at once because there has been a consensus already if the plot was good or not. The same isn't true for a brand new film series making it's own lore. If PotC2 and 3 were such successes, they wouldn't be focusing right now on making 4 a stand alone. That's one major problem with the back-to-back idea as well. If the 2nd one took a direction the audience didn't like well then they just ****ed themselves because now they made two bad films since they made a two parter. Otherwise if they made a bad sequel they could have instead said "lets try harder for the sequel." Also, some stories don't need continuity. Like I said, Pirates would be better if it were like the Indy films.

 

[DCW]

Star Wars
Indiana Jones
LOTR

I have to say these three trilogies are the best, even though all three had some imperfections (Star Wars with ROTJ, Indiana Jones with Temple of Doom, and LOTR's ROTK was a bit of a letdown). It would've been nice to add Spider-man and X-Men to the list as well, but both of their third movie was atrocious and ended up tainted the rest of the trilogy. Now unless Chris Nolan screwed up, it looks like his Batman trilogy will become one of the best trilogies in cinema.

Literally stole the words right out of my mouth (and order of my top trilogies)! I'd just add Back to the Future to the number 4 spot. I've got high hopes for Nolan's third Bat flick.

 

[danoyse]

Star Wars
Lord of the Rings
Toy Story
Back to the Future
Indiana Jones

 

[Octoberist]

Evil Dead Trilogy, though it's the most bizzare trilogy out there, besides Mission Impossible. It feels like each movie takes place in a different universe.

 

[Kurosawa]

LOTR is just one gigantic movie to me.

 

[Sentinel X]

LOTR is just one gigantic movie to me.

Which is really what a trilogy should be.

Technically, the Toy Story, Spider-man, Indiana Jones, and more are not really trilogies. They each had different storylines that were resolved in each one of their films.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Sure, LOTR had its source material to back it up, but it takes an excellent writing team and director and a gifted crew to make the correct decisions and bring this source to life. I mean the source isn't just good enough when adapting. It takes talent and the right decisions. So LOTR counts.

 

[antsman41]

0. A place holder for Nolan's Batman trilogy
1. Back To The Future
2. Star Wars OT
3. Toy Story
4. Scream
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Probably doesn't count but the "24: Nina Meyers" is the greatest three season arc of any tv series...

 

[Squidboy]

I'm quite partial to Saw 1-3 as an overall character arc for the two main antagonists, but I'm sure some would argue with calling them the "Greatest of all time"

 

[Squidboy]

Probably doesn't count but the "24: Nina Meyers" is the greatest three season arc of any tv series...

Only if you can also add the Sherry Palmer saga to that list.

 

[antsman41]

Only if you can also add the Sherry Palmer saga to that list.

I really wish we would have got a 9th season because the show needed to finish out it's third trilogy...

24: Sacrifice - Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3
- (Jack losses everything)
24: Judgement - Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6
- (America/Jack is betrayed)
24: Redemption - "Redemption", Day 7, Day 8 and [DAY 9!!!!]

 

[batman11]

Which is really what a trilogy should be.

Technically, the Toy Story, Spider-man, Indiana Jones, and more are not really trilogies. They each had different storylines that were resolved in each one of their films.

Did a quick Wiki search and found this with relation to your post. I'm not saying you're right or wrong, I just thought it was kind of interesting. Especially the last bit.

A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are most commonly found in literature, film, or video games, less commonly in visual art or musical works. ... A trilogy is different from a triptych, which is three related or connected paintings that are created at one time and designed to be viewed only as a single work.

Could we look at LOTR as the metaphorical "film version" of a triptych then?

Sort of switching gears, but reading the Wiki entry really got me thinking about the whole trilogy deal and how, for some reason, three seems to be this magic, desired number. Interesting stuff.

 

[Brother Jack]

Technically, the Toy Story, Spider-man, Indiana Jones, and more are not really trilogies. They each had different storylines that were resolved in each one of their films.

You're right Indy wasn't, but Toy Story and Spider-Man both had overarching plot lines linking them as trilogies.

 

[Sawyer]

Toy Story.

 

[Squidboy]

I really wish we would have got a 9th season because the show needed to finish out it's third trilogy...

24: Sacrifice - Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3
- (Jack losses everything)
24: Judgement - Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6
- (America/Jack is betrayed)
24: Redemption - "Redemption", Day 7, Day 8 and [DAY 9!!!!]

Yeah, I feel like Jack and Renee needed that last season to hash things out. I mean he had the three seasons to deal with Nina, and then the next three for his and Audrey's story to unfold, but him and Renee really didn't get the ending that they deserved.

 

[night0205]

As far as a animated show. Avatar The Last Airbender... looking at all three seasons as a trilogy is pretty solid.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Sort of switching gears, but reading the Wiki entry really got me thinking about the whole trilogy deal and how, for some reason, three seems to be this magic, desired number. Interesting stuff.

I always mention this, but The Rule of Three really dominates many different aspects of life.

 

[DACrowe]

While I think Godfather I-II is the greatest film saga of all time, it really is not a trilogy and Part III is an insult to the first two.

So with that said I'd rate them:

1. Star Wars (original trilogy)
2. LOTR
3. Indiana Jones
4. Back to the Future
5. The Godfather

But that is just my opinion.

 

[souvlaki]

It's a shame. POTC had potential to be another great trilogy. Lesson here: NEVER film sequels back to back. Horrible idea.

Worked pretty well for Back to the Future and probably would have worked well with Superman I/II if the Salkinds didn't fire Donner. Maybe I'm drawing a blank here but really POTC is the only series I can think of where filming two movies back to back affected a movie negatively.

 

[backo]

no one said the aliens original trilogy?

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Yeah people have but personally Alien 3 sucked so I didn't put it my list.

 

[Leenie]

Star Wars, LOTR, and Toy Story.

They're the only trilogies where I find it difficult to find flaws in any of their films.

 

[Leenie]

no one said the aliens original trilogy?

I love Alien and Aliens, but I strongly dislike Alien 3. Granted, I think it's well-directed and well-acted, but the story ... The story is what I can't stand.

At least the "director's cut" of Alien 3 salvaged the ending for me ... Somewhat.