After watching the latest Knives Out movie from
Netflix last night – Wake Up Dead Man, I got to thinking… what are my
all-time favorite Top 10 film trilogies? I enjoyed all three of detective
Benoit Blanc’s cases, but did they rank that high? Sounds like an excuse for
another blog post. Note, so many great series have gone beyond three films,
often hurting their overall legacy. None of those are included on my list no
matter how much I enjoyed the first three films. You won’t find The Matrix
movies, or Indiana Jones, Bourne, Toy Story, Ocean’s, Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, or
John Wick. Nope, three and out. Those are the rules. So, without further
ado from #10 to #1, here are my all-time favorite film trilogies.
Chronicles of Riddick
I’m going to justifiably catch some shit on this one, but I
love Pitch Black. To me, it’s one of the most original sci-fi horror
movies out there. No, it might not rival Alien, but it is still highly
rewatchable. The two sequels don’t quite measure up, but they’re still
entertaining in their expansion of Riddick’s universe. Rumor is, star Vin
Diesel is planning a fourth entry in this franchise so I’m going to let these
films enjoy their spot on this list while they’re still eligible.
The Equalizer
John Wick might not be allowed on this list, but Robert
McCall is just as much of a badass. Denzel Washington is one of the best in the
business and I love him in this role. His ability to communicate deadly intent
with just a look in his eyes or twitch of his mouth helps this action franchise
rise above just about all others. Unusual for a trilogy, I think the third film
is actually the best of the bunch.
28
I have to admit I’m not a fan of the last five minutes of
the latest entry in this series which might not bode well for the next planned
installment, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, but every other minute of
the three current zombie films is a blast. Before director Danny Boyle
delivered 28 Days Later in 2002, zombies basically shuffled along the
streets and weren’t hard to outrun. No longer. Now they’re fast and so much
scarier.
Quiet Place
Like Pitch Black, what makes these films so good is
their original concept. An invasion of aliens that hunt and kill based on sound
is so innovative and makes for such natural tension that it’s difficult not to
get caught up in the difficulties the characters face in their fight for
survival. One could argue that the second and third films don’t tread much new
ground, but they’re still worthy extensions of the original movie.
Mexico
I might not have ever watched the low-budget El Mariachi
if it weren’t for the sequel, Desperado and the third movie in this
trilogy, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, but those latter films are some of
my all-time favorites. Modern westerns filmed with director Robert Rodriguez’s
dark humor and over-the-top style, they made stars of lead actors Antonio
Banderas and Salma Hayek.
Dollars
What Rodriguez is to modern westerns, Sergio Leone is to
classics. His Dollars trilogy released in 1964, 1965, and 1966 set the gold
standard for post-John Wayne western movies. The anti-hero lead played by Clint
Eastwood might have changed names in each film, A Fistful of Dollars, For
a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but the
audience recognized him every time as the scowling gunslinger you absolutely
did not want to mess with.
Dark Knight
If you’ve read many of my earlier posts, you know I’m not
much of a superheroes fan, but Batman is the exception to that rule. Christopher
Nolan’s trilogy raised the bar for what comic book movies could be and Heath
Ledger’s performance as Joker in the second film, The Dark Knight,
deserved the best supporting actor Oscar it received. I’m not sure any
superhero movie in the future will ever touch it.
Godfather
No, I don’t like the third film any more than you probably
do, but the first two movies are such classics, this trilogy ranks third among
the all-time best anyway. Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall,
so many great actors and performances in these movies. Writer Mario Puzo’s
story of a family’s generations rising from poverty in Italy to the top of
organized crime in America is mesmerizing.
Lord of the Rings
Before director Peter Jackson came along, many thought it
was impossible to do author J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy trilogy justice on
the big screen. He proved them wrong. The Lord of the Rings movies were
so well made, with such amazing special effects, solid writing, and dedicated
performances, they won a total of 17 Oscars, made truckloads of money, and
turned a whole new generation into fans of the books.
Star Wars (Original
Trilogy)
Say what you will about the prequel and sequel trilogies
that came along decades later, but in my opinion, the original Star Wars
trilogy released in 1977, 1980, and 1983 is the best of all time. I watched
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth
Vader on the big screen as a young child and I’ve been hooked on sci-fi ever
since. It’s hard to describe to younger generations just how groundbreaking
these movies were in their day and they still hold up despite the antiquated
effects technology. There’s a reason why George Lucas and now Disney have sold
50 years of toys and series based on these characters and their universe.
They’re simply the best.
Rian Johnson’s Knives Out trilogy doesn’t quite reach
the heights these other trilogies do, but all three movies are still a fun
watch. Daniel Craig never fails to hold the viewer’s attention and in the most
recent entry, Josh Brolin and Glenn Close in particular are great foils against
his detective’s powers of deduction. Wake Up Dead Man began streaming on
Netflix last night so check it out.
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