10. The Three Colors Trilogy
Kieslowski followed his 10-part Dekalog sequence in his native Poland with this accomplished trio of French films, somewhat obliquely celebrating liberty, equality and fraternity. The second is a comedy set partly in a morally bankrupt Poland; the first (set in France) and third (in Switzerland) are majestic.
9. The Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy
It was either Pirates or Ocean’s, I know a lot of folks thought the two sequels were a big bloated mess and I actually think the second film is extremely flawed and the third one is a bit long. However, on a whole, and having all three on DVD is quite an adventure. These three films are popcorn films at their very best. The Curse of the Black Pearl is one of my favorite blockbusters of all time, I just love that film and think Depp made Captain Jack Sparrow watchable for hours.
8. The Back to the Future Trilogy
The Back to the Future movies are lauded by fellow geeks around the world and some would have no qualms about naming this as their favourite trilogy of all time. I mean, these movies had everything: comedy, action, adventure, science fiction, romance and most of all fun. The movies were a critical success, getting thumbs up from famed movie critic Robert Ebert, The New York Times, Variety and the BBC, with Janet Maslin from the New York Times writing about the original Back to the Future movie: “It’s a cinematic inventing of humor and whimsical tall tales for a long time to come.” The second and third movies were not as critically successful as the original, however, they do maintain pretty high rankings amongst all audience based rating systems like IMDB.com.
7. The Bourne Trilogy
This is one of those extremely rare trilogies that bests itself with each successive film. Starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, a man who, waking up with amnesia, discovers he has scary talents – such as knowing where all the exits are in case of emergency, or how to kill an assailant with his bare hands – and people who are trying to kill him. The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), are based on the novels by Robert Ludlum. Subsequent books have been written by Eric Van Lustbader. I would be surprised if a fourth movie was made, but would be thrilled if it does.
6. The Matrix Trilogy
I probably have this one ranked a bit higher than the average person would expect to find it, but I’m comfortable with my decision to put it here nonetheless. Though sci-fi abounds on this list, theMatrix trilogy just might be the nerdiest one on here. Computer hackers, artificial intelligence, cyber-reality – it’s just a really, really geeky-feeling trilogy. But it’s still a must-see for everyone. Hidden beneath all the pseudo-technical mumbo-jumbo is a story rich in philosophy and humanity. It warrants a few re-watches as the plot is pretty convoluted and tough to follow at times, but it’s well worth it in the end.
5. The Man With No Name Triology
OK, I’m going to be plain and simple here — there is nothing wrong with this essentially unplanned “Man With No Name” trilogy. Italian director Sergio Leone’s trio of spaghetti Westerns is operatic, elegiac, often silent, brilliantly scored (by the master, Ennio Morricone) and gorgeously filmed. It not only made an international star out of Clint Eastwood, but was a stunning entry into the Western genre that hasn’t been replicated since. With a plot taken from Akira Kurosawa’s samurai tale Yojimbo, the series begins with A Fistful of Dollars (1964) as “The Man with No Name” (Eastwood) rides into a Mexican border town where two outlaw gangs battle for control. Shifting allegiances from one gang to the other, Eastwood eventually double crosses both sides in one of the smartest deceptions in film. Here we see what marks Leone’s films: camera work. Wide screen, wide-angle lenses, bizarre angles and close-ups all belie an anarchy and openness not seen in cinema. His follow-up, For a Few Dollars More, (1965) teamed Eastwood with Lee Van Cleef as a pair of bounty hunters looking to kill the psychopathic Indio (Gian Maria Volonte). Revenge oriented, the film features the memorable touch of having a Morricone tune playing on Cleef’s watch. The final (though a prequel to the previous two), and perhaps most masterful, is The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), in which Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Van Cleef pursue a cache of stolen gold. Double and triple crosses ensue, along with a heady take on the pointlessness of war (the Civil War booms around the men). Amazing widescreen shots of Eastwood’s squinting eyes, not to mention Cleef’s unrelenting (and downright sexy, something I’ve talked about many, many disturbing times) badness, appear throughout the film. This trilogy ushered in a new kind of Western: super violent, incredibly cynical, almost hyper-stylized (but with substance) and mythically potent. Perfecto.
This series of films about a scientist who is also an action-hero has inspired many of spinoffs including The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, Tomb Raider, and many more. However, nobody can beat the original Dr. Jones and his relic-hunting journeys through ancient ruins as he attempts to discover history. These films are one of the best examples of “action comedy” with a great sense of humor combined with some fantastic action sequences. In each successive film the cast changed, but the one constant was Harrison Ford’s Dr. Jones and Steven Spielberg as the director. And that’s all that we fans needed.
The Original Star Wars Trilogy
George Lucas’ opening space-opera salvo changed the filmmaking landscape, energised a generation and set an impossible standard for any sequel. Irvin Kershner’s sequel, with Lucas overseeing, delivered something even bigger and better, and also gave us perhaps the most famous twist in cinema history. And the third, while it may have cutesy teddy bears taking down an Empire, also has a series of fantastic action scenes, from the fight with the Rancor to the lightsaber battle on the Death Star – itself under attack from outside. It’s a triple-whammy that has spawned imitators, prequels, endless other media permutations and even a religion – and how many trilogies can claim that?
How can this be number two, you say? Because it’s just not perfect enough. Francis Ford Coppola, who, with The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II, (1974) made two of the greatest films ever made, had his trilogy marred by its finale, a film that’s not as bad as originally skewered, but certainly nowhere near the brilliance of its predecessors. Adapted from Mario Puzo’s novel about a Mafia family (though the word “mafia” is never uttered in the first film, thanks suds) led by cotton-mouthed patriarch Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the first film sees young, intelligent and levelheaded Michael (Al Pacino) taking control but becoming colder in the process. The second film tells two stories concurrently: a flashback of Vito’s rise in America as a young Sicilian immigrant (Robert De Niro) and Michael’s spiritual fall as head of the family. The second film contains the famous and tragic killing of Fredo (“You broke my heart”) that haunts Michael into the third film. InThe Godfather Part III (1990), an aged Michael is so consumed by guilt that he seeks redemption by investing in the Catholic Church. He quickly learns that the Church is also corrupt. Though critics mocked Coppola’s choice of casting his daughter Sofia as Michael’s movie daughter, she was, as looks go, more fitting than his first choice, Winona Ryder. Nevertheless, I’m glad Sofia skipped acting and went into directing, where currently she’s getting more attention than her father. Like the epic scale of the Godfather films, there’s something Shakespearean about that.
Peter Jackson’s stunning trilogy, filmed back-to-back and released in the form of Christmas presents for three consecutive years, just pipped Star Wars to the top of the poll. Why? Well, there’s the painstaking attention to detail (characters even had their coats-of-arms emblazoned on the never-seen linings of their costumes for maximum authenticity), New Zealand scenery so breathtaking you could feel the wind on your face, the pitch-perfect casting and the huge-scale effects. In the end, however, it all comes down to friendship, and fellowship, and a struggle against the odds (or, if you will, orcs). It’s the fact that Peter Jackson was able to keep his eye on the emotion even while the spectacle swirled around him that makes this such a stunner. There really isn’t one weakest link – although a few people gripe about Return of the King’s extended endings. While Return of the King is tied with Titanic and Ben-Hur for the Most Oscars For A Single Film record (that’d be 11), it’s notable for winning all the Academy Awards it was nominated for, which neither of the others managed to do.
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