Three’s a party!
A film trilogy was hardly a thing before the 1970s and if a film was successful, it was left to run or re-released at a later date. Things however took a turn for the better as the success that surrounded The Godfather trilogy lead Hollywood to consider sequels and threequels as a form of making money. Things escalated really quick in this period as ever since then, there has been a massive bloom in the film trilogy release cycle.
In today’s day and age, we don’t just have trilogies — we have franchises! But that doesn’t mean we don’t have brilliant full-fledged trilogies. Now just because directors such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay and the Marvel studios decide to release a fourth instalment after a film trilogy ends does not disqualify the first three films from being legit trilogies in their own right so yes, you can expect to see some of your modern day favourites on the list!
Here’s our pick of the top 7 greatest movies in three.
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7. The Lecter Film Trilogy
Anthony Hopkins is without a doubt one of the best actors the movie world has ever seen. Starting with the second manifestation of Dr. Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Hopkins’ three performances as the genius yet psychotic cannibalistic serial killer definitely created one of the most iconic villains in film history. 10 years down the road, Hannibal (2001), the second instalment of the trilogy made for a woeful adaption but Brett Ratner saved the trilogy with the third and final instalment, Red Dragon in 2002. As someone who enjoys thrillers and gore, I must say, the Hannibal Lector trilogy is one of, if not the most spine-tingling trilogies of all time.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – 5/5, Hannibal (2001) – 2/5, Red Dragon (2002) 4/5
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6. The Infernal Affairs Trilogy
Andy Lau and Tony Leong, two of the biggest names in Hong Kong cinema at the time, teamed up in 2002 to star in Infernal Affairs (2002). The action packed film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak was a box office smash in Hong Kong and was one of the most successful Hong Kong film trilogies of all time, with both immediate sequels released in 2003.
Infernal Affairs (2002) – 4/5, Infernal Affairs II (2003) – 4/5, Infernal Affairs III (2003) – 3/5
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5. The Back To The Future Trilogy
Delightfully playful, nostalgic and incredibly enjoyable, the Back To The Future trilogy is great because it never gets old! Directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg, the trilogy had a powerhouse production team making the trilogy one of the best there is. Also, Michael J Fox’s charming performance and chemistry with Christopher Lloyd was just beyond beautiful.
Back To The Future (1985) – 5/5, Back To The Future Part II (1989) – 4/5, Back To The Future Part III (1990) – 4/5
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4. The Star Wars Trilogy
When I say the Star Wars trilogy, I am talking about the first three instalments of the movie; Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Stars Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of The Jedi (1983). In 1977, the world was shocked by a film that changed the ideology for summer blockbusters, science fiction and the entertainment industry as whole. Director George Lucas took a big risk and went ahead with his idea for a science fiction space opera that features various blends of influences and that has lead to one of the most popular and recognisable film franchises in the world. That franchise ladies and gentleman is Star Wars. I can’t wait for the upcoming instalment! Let’s hope it is not a let down.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) – 5/5, Stars Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - 5/5, Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of The Jedi (1983) – 5/5
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3. The Dark Knight Trilogy
Oh the intensity and the brilliant choice of cast, such perfection – so much win! Unlike Batman Begins (2005), the genius that is of Christopher Nolan impressed fans with The Dark Knight (2008) and its dependence on its central villain to impress. Nolan presented fans with a comic book film with more character than any other and it was pure brilliance. He created an astonishing finale to his Bruce Wayne with The Dark Knight Rises (2012) which was bold, dramatic and thrilling. Everything from the theme, the tone, the direction of the trilogy, the relationships, the cast, the boldness, the main character and the special effect delivered a satisfying finishing to the greatest comic book trilogy of all time.
Batman Begins (2005) – 5/5, The Dark Knight (2008) – 5/5, The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – 5/5
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2. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
Consistency is probably the biggest reason why the Lord of The Rings trilogy remains as one of the greatest film trilogy today. Unlike many trilogies where the film quality will drop in either the second of third movie, The Lord of The Rings only gets better as it went along. Peter Jackson turned J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy masterpiece into three films and boy, did he do a fantastic job with it.
The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – 5/5, The Two Towers (2002) – 5/5, The Return of the King (2003) – 5/5
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1. The Toy Story Trilogy
If you are a 1990′s baby then you would understand when I say Toy Story was made for us. The timing of each instalment hits close to home as we grew up with is! Toy Story released by Pixar in 1995, was their first ever feature film and was the first film to use CGI throughout the movie. Toy Story revolutionised the world of animation and its following two sequels completed the greatest animated and greatest film trilogy of all time. Period.
Toy Story (1995) – 5/5, Toy Story 2 (1999) – 5/5, Toy Story 3 (2010) – 5/5
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