I read an article yesterday listing several movie trilogies where the second movie is actually the best of the three. A lot of series, both on screen as well as in the written page, start with a bang and then slog through a sophomore slump. I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien and the Peter Jackson-directed movies. However, I found both the book and the film The Two Towers to be less intriguing than the first and third entries. I love the book trilogy so much, in fact, I have read it over 20 times in my lifetime.
But back to the list. Some of the trilogies in the article I have not seen. Others I do not care that much about. I will not mention which are which. As our mothers always told us: If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. As the hair turns more and more gray each year, and the joints pop like a bunch of pop rocks candy tossed into my mouth, I realize how wise my mother was. Too bad it took me so long to realize this.
One of the entries is the Mel Gibson Mad Max trilogy. The first depicted a world on the brink of falling apart, dancing on the precipice of the abyss. It felt raw. To be honest, not the best entry. However, the second movie Mad Max: Road Warrior definitely outshone the first entry. I absolutely loved the second movie. The post-apocalyptic world on display hits you in the gut. When society breaks down, when we no longer have access to pay-at-the-pump convenience and at-home grocery delivery service, will we really turn on each other as director George Miller predicts?
The next trilogy is the Blade trilogy starring Wesley Snipes. I absolutely loved the visceral presentation of the first film. Not to mention, the soundtrack reminded me of my college days attending raves with a driving beat and music you can’t stop yourself from moving to. Here, I disagree with the author. He felt Blade 2 represented the best film of the trilogy. My vote does not match. The first was the best. The second was next. And I have only seen the third entry once.
The Dark Knight is definitely the best film in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker represents the height of what it means to own a role. I loved Heath Ledger in the movie A Knight’s Tale. His character in that movie in no way resembles his depiction of the Batman’s greatest and most villainous enemy. In this aspect, the author of the article hit the proverbial and banal nail on the head.
The article mentions The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and I already wrote about how I feel concerning it. Don’t think for an instance I found the movie boring. Not at all. Nor did I the book. I just do not believe the second entry to be the best in either book or film. The final entry on the list is the one many may find the most contentious. I have heard it said over and over again how The Empire Strikes Back is the best of the original Star Wars. I whole-heartedly disagree. Then again, as a science fiction fan, I have been more dedicated to being a Trekkie.
I enjoyed Star Wars. I think Harrison Ford is an incredible actor. The story just never resonated with me. In fact, the only Star Wars universe movie in my extensive DVD collection is Rogue One. I have seen all of the movies. Some more than once when there is nothing else on. I just think Rogue One is the strongest entry in the universe of films. Maybe I feel this way because the stakes feel more realistic in it.
But that is the beautiful thing. We all have our own likes and dislikes. These are all great film trilogies. I just didn’t agree that the second entry represented the best in all the cases. You can find the article here: https://screenrant.com/movie-trilogies-second-film-best/.
What do you think? Do you think these second films are the best of their trilogies?
Take care.
