Greatest trilogy of all time?

Television, Movies Games and Books Other Science Fiction
#1

So here we have it Kevin Smith started it and i say we should decide. Could it be Classic Star wars… its got the history rabid fanbase and one of the best told adventure stories of a generation. or maybe We go back to the lord of the rings. I mean they were epic in just about every way. and changed the scope that most films try to reach for. but there are many others. Let us not forget the godfathers triology family guy be damned there truly great films. matrix altered visual effects for years… Spider-man resurrecting the Superhero as a staple of the summer blockbuster fun…

so here’s the call out to throw down on the greatest trilogy of all time.

#2

Kevin Smith said it best, well Randall said it really and i paraphrase greatly There is only One trilogy and it has nothing to do with a ring and little gay hobbits.

And like Frakkintalos below i do love me some Lord of the Rings. but there is something just wonderful about Star Wars for me. probably because i have been watching it all my life where as LotR is a after college thing

#3

Let me preface this with, I LOVE STAR WARS.

Call it better writing, adapted from the greatest fantasy trilogy of all-time.
Call it better movie-making, from direction to production.
Call it made 30 years later.

Call it what you will, Lord of the Rings is better than Star Wars.

I love both tremendously but LotR wins the blue ribbon.

#4

It was a long time ago in a galaxy far away but it was and is still the most interesting Sci-fi trilogy of all time. If you don’t believe me then sit down and watch with a newb. Next thing you know they’re trying to move stuff with their mind.

#5

like I said elsewhere light me on fire but my favorite trilogy

Is Pirates of the Caribbean. There just this great fun adventure, with strange creatures, curses, Magic, sword fighting, undead monkeys and captain jack sparrow. Its the magic so few films even great films can capture. a great adventure that builds a brand new world and mythology around itself.

I love them all… and lets not forget the giant squid Who doesn’t love a giant squid attacking a pirate ship.

#6

This is a tough question. Can’t I have a best in different categories? SciFi, Fantasy, Action, Adventure… I don’t think I can pick just one to be the best. Maybe someone can sway me to one particular side. :stuck_out_tongue:

#7

Wow good question.

As much as I love Star Wars, I have to say Lord of the Rings is the best trilogy ever made.

Because of the quantity of the source material, the world-building in LOTR is very deep. The characterizations are solid.

I love Star Wars, but the Ring trilogy is a more mature body of work.
I would describe both as instant classics, but the Ring trilogy is a masterpiece.

#8

I’m with you. If you look at it from the point of view of the universes, I think that Star Wars might win, but if you’re looking specifically at the trilogies, LotR has it. The greatest, to me, means the most superior, so the maturity and depth of consideration of everything from plot to character, to language, to costuming, to mythologizing the created world is what sets Fellowship, Two Towers, and Return of the King apart from New Hope, Empire, and Return of the Jedi.

I definitely think LotR is the greatest trilogy of the modern English language, but I don’t think it’s the greatest of all time. And I think it could be beat if someone who was as smart and weird as Tolkein wrote a trilogy in which women did some cool things and had well-rounded characters.

I wonder if the SW v LotR split will come down more to sci-fi versus fantasy fans?

#9

and on a related note, we frakked the Fellowship, but what happened to Towers and Return?

#10

They’re both fantasy, though.

#11

Honestly, I’m not sure I agree that Star Wars is fantasy. It’s more grounded in the hero’s journey than the fantasy genre.

#12

And the Hero’s Journey is not fantasy because…?

#13

Oh no let’s not get into a definition of ‘fantasy’ or ‘fantastic’… I just wrote a sorrybarb paper on this and it was a pain in the sorrybarb…

#14

Please post the “ass” (sorry Barb) paper. I’m really curious about what that entails…

#15

The Hero’s Journey is a geometric form, and fantasy is a quadrangle. They can be the same thing, but not all hero’s journey tales are fantasy, and not all fantasy involves a hero’s journey. Sometimes, you read a rhombus of a story that is both a fantasy and a hero’s journey.

I always replace sorrybarb with “ass” (sorrybarb) which makes your sentence there pretty funny. Like this xkcd:

#16

Hahaha on the sorrybarb misunderstandings…

the paper was on the uses of the fantastic in a novel by a lovely Argentine writer that was translated in 2003 by Ursula K LeGuin to English. My thesis deals with how the fantasic (i.e. that which is impossible in the text) comes from the portrayal of women in power rather from something structural like what Todorov proposes.

If you’re interested, PM me and I can tell you more about it. The paper wasn’t written in English, though. But I can pass along the bibliography…

#17

I applaud you for choosing and defending something that’s neither established fantasy or sci-fi, even though I myself have my own issues of distaste with those movies, PM me I guess if you want to know more.

If we’re talking intended trilogies, my choice would be Star Wars. Lord of the Rings was too heavy handed for me (the novels that is, the movies tried too hard I think). If we’re talking unintentional (that is, can be viewed independently and have no overt connection aside from thematic) however I choose Terry Gilliam’s Trilogy of Imagination, “Time Bandits”, “Brazil” and “The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen”. Time Bandits was a favorite “fairy-tale” for me growing up and when I found out that there were two more films that continued that whimsical theme I had to find and view them. I recommend them but I warn that they might be a bit too eclectic for some.

#18

Wow. Surprised at some of the thots and equally surprised by some things not mentioned yet.

I am going to approach this as “Best trilogy means all three movies are consistently excellent”. With that:

Pirates of the Caribbean - First movie excellent, an instant classic. The second movie stumbled and the third movie was a crime against humanity.

Star Wars - Hobbled by Ewoks.

The Godfather - Have you seen the third movie? Good. Don’t.

Matrix - Even after our discussions I hold the second and third movie significantly lower than the first.

Spider-Man - Started strong, fell down. Hard.

Indiana Jones - Damn you Temple of Doom!

Die Hard - Another brilliant first movie whose follow-ups never achieved the same greatness

Back to the Future - I will freely admit the, “What, are you…chicken?” almost pushed this the other way for me…but c’mon…these movies are pitch perfect and consistent.

Lord of the Rings - If forced to chose only one trilogy…LOTR would be it. Incredibly done, true to the novels without being enslaved by them. A visual masterpiece…and they brought a Goonie along for the ride. FTW.

#19

Even through LOTR has a great story, The Star Wars universe has gone farther in its 30+ years than LOTR in its 50+ years. I do not see generations of people making fiction and movies based on LOTR like you see with Star Wars. LOTR fits in a box where Star Wars has blown the box across the galaxy.

#20

Any love for the Time Bandits, Brazil, Adventures of Baron Munchausen trilogy?