Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five.  This time out: Movie Trilogies

For most a sequel is an unwanted thing.  And rightly so, after all most can be let downs and for every Godfather 2 there is an Independence Day Resurrection.  However their are also some great sequels and in fact some great threequels out their. This week I take a look at the best movie trilogies (and no the Matrix is NOT included).

Close But No Cigar: Bourne Trilogy, The Indiana Jones Trilogy, Evil Dead, The Godfather Trilogy, Die Hard, Mad Max 

5. Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring,The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
It’s no mean feat, adapting a multi-tome epic source novel over nearly 5 years with a cast and crew almostly permanently relocated to New Zealand by a director best known for low budget shlock films.  But man did Peter Jackson pull it off.  Epic does not even come CLOSE to describing the Rings trilogy (and the multiple endings of Return Of The King for that matter) but even now, over 10 years after it all finished, they still stand out as some of the best films of the last few decades.

4. Back To The Future Trilogy 
There may be technically better films out their for sure, but the story of Marty McFly which spans over a hundred years, is everything that is right with how blockbuster films should be.  It defined a career for Michael J Fox, allowed my fascination with Elisabeth Shue to continue and gave us the iconic Doc Brown.  “What the hell’s a gigawatt?”.  Indeed.

3. Aliens Trilogy (Alien, Aliens, Alien 3)
It’s a testament to just how good the first two films are that you almost ignore the fact that Part 3 is considered by most to be a disappointment. Thing is… it’s not. In fact Alien 3 is probably my second favourite of the whole trilogy (just under Aliens and just above Alien).    Okay yes I’m mad but still!  The key point here is just how good the first two films are, with both rating as best of their genre (Sci-fi and Sci-Fi Action).   And trust me… whilst it’s FX’s are dated, try alien 3 Directors cut again. You MAY be pleasantly surprised.

2. Toy Story
Toy Story not only defined a genre, it also redefined how animation was done for ever.  It’s groundbreaking and things would never be the same again.  Yet at it’s heart of every one of the films is a great story, expertly told and brilliantly voiced.  Pretty much perfect.

1. Star Wars (A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return Of The Jedi) 
The trilogy that defined my childhood, that ignited my love with film and that left me playing in my room with 3″ plastic toys for years to come.  Ageless (in it’s original form, not the horrid CGI remasters), this is epic storytelling, grandstanding action and odd plot twists at their best.  Iconic.

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