Best Movie Trilogies of the 21st Century so far

[Ray de Galles]

Over the lockdown and amongst other movie viewing I've gone through a couple of my favourite recent trilogies with my 13 year old son, namely Christopher Nolan's Batman films and the reboot of The Planet of the Apes series.

The surprise for me is that, while The Dark Knight is probably the best individual film, the POTA films are the best overall trilogy (and, to be honest, 'War for...' may even match if not exceed TDK). Caesar is one of, if not the, strongest movie heroes of recent decades and his growth & development through the films are the backbone of the stories. It is also that rarity in a trilogy in that each individual film is an improvement on the last.

I want to introduce him to the John Wick series at some point but as they are at the harder end of the 15 certificate it may be a while before I do so. Though if the lockdown goes on as long as I suspect my resolve may break on that score.

Amy other contenders/suggestions? I suppose one could make a case that some of the individual MCU characters like Iron Man and Thor have their own trilogies and my daughters are taking us through The Hunger Games films as some shutdown nostalgia but a) they do that daft thing of splitting the third book in to two films and b) are even clunkier and slower than I recall sitting through originally (and I didn't last to the final two when they first came out).

I feel I must be missing some other options.

[elguapo4]

As an unapologetic Tolkien nerd, it has to be the Lord of the Rings trilogy for me, though I'd put Planet of the Apes ahead of the Hobbit. They're the only trilogies that I've seen in full this century.

[Hot Pepsi]

I really like the Pirates movies even though the second two are a bit of a mess. It’s hard to understand the plot until you’ve seen them a few times.

I also like the latest Star Wars but get why so many people don’t.

I like all the other series mentioned above, except I haven’t seen the second two John Wicks. The first one was just violence for its own sake and I couldn’t see the point.

Overall, the Planet of the Apes series is probably the best unless LOTR can count as this century because the second two were in this century.

[1974ddr]

Can't argue with LOTR. The Hobbit was a great disappointment though, dragged out to a ridiculous length with crap comedy dwarves thrown in for good measure. Ray bloody Winstone. If he's not getting on my tits interrupting the football with his pathetic attempts to persuade me to bet on the timing of the next VAR decision, he's masquerading as a dwarf. Made me long for Gimli to turn up with a battleaxe.

Nobody likes a superhero film more than me, but the MCU since Avengers Assemble leaves me cold. Once they started making four hour films (well, they seem that long) featuring every Marvel character that has or will ever have existed, I lost interest. They've even dragged Spiderman into it now, I believe. Bloody Robert bloody Downey bloody Junior and Samuel 'MF' Jackson in an eye patch. Codswallop. Having said that, my daughter (28) made her partner sit through all twenty-odd films in the 'correct' order (not in one go, thankfully) and they both enjoyed the experience.

How about the Star Trek trilogy, with Zachary Quinto's amazing Nimoy / Spock?

There's also the original Bourne trilogy (all 12A I think) and the excellent Girl With The Dragon Tattoo trilogy (in Swedish with subtitles) although that may also be a bit strong in parts for a 13 year old, particularly the first film which is an 18. I think the other two are 15 certificates. Maybe watch them yourself, if you haven't already, and leave the lad out.

[elguapo4]

Ray Winstone wasn't in the Hobbit, James Nesbitt and Ken Stott were the main UK actors playing hobbits.
I forgot about Star Trek, really enjoyed the first two, the third one was a bit meh.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

High School Musical 1, 2 and 3 - essential watching in our house.

[Ray de Galles]

I can't believe that I didn't think of the Star Wars films, probably because I was focusing of the whole series of new movies rather than the central trilogy of sequels.

The Bourne films are a good call, I think my son would love them. I thought they began in the nineties though.

I've done my time with HSM, VA - enjoyed them too but as my daughters are 16 & 18 now and are probably past a revival.

[Benjm]

Of the trilogies I've seen, I'd put Apes ahead of Star Wars, Pirates and Dark Knight. The Bourne films were very enjoyable but didn't grow through the series nearly as much. I had some dust in my eye at the end of War... which is unusual.

[Hot Pepsi]

I thought the Bourne films were in the 90s. My sense of time is all off. The first three are great. The one without Matt Damon is ok, and the last one with him just felt extraneous.

I forgot there was a third JJ Abrams Star Trek. I liked all of them, but I can only recall two.

The Swedish Girl with a Dragon Tattoo series is good. The Rooney Mara version is good too, but they only made one.

[Ginger Yellow]

Sympathy For Mr Vengeance, Oldboy, Lady Vengeance

[Ray de Galles]

While catching up with a months-old episode of the current series of 'University Challenge' tonight those films were revealed to me as being a thematic trilogy rather than a narrative one. I'm going to have to confer with the judges as to if they're allowed, I'm afraid.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Another thematic trilogy worth seeing is Céline Sciamma’s coming-of-age films: Water Lilies, Tomboy and Girlhood

[Ray de Galles]

These suggestions are all getting a bit clever-clever for me, let alone my 13 year old boy.

[S. aureus]

Toy Story 2,3 and 4 then?
(OK, Toy Story 2 was last century).

[1974ddr]

Ray Winstone wasn't in the Hobbit, James Nesbitt and Ken Stott were the main UK actors playing hobbits.
I forgot about Star Trek, really enjoyed the first two, the third one was a bit meh.

Wasn't he? Terrible films anyway. I remember James Nesbitt and Ken Stott, I thought Ray Winstone was in it too. Must have been someone else dialling it in for cash.

[That Night In Barcelona]

The Infernal Affairs trilogy are all post-2000.

Mission Impossible seemed to undergo a semi-reboot in the 2000s, taking on a more consistent thematic approach and tone after JJ Abrams starting producing them in 2006, even more so after Christopher McQuarrie got involved and wrote/directed the latter two.

[1974ddr]

I thought the Bourne films were in the 90s. My sense of time is all off. The first three are great. The one without Matt Damon is ok, and the last one with him just felt extraneous.

I forgot there was a third JJ Abrams Star Trek. I liked all of them, but I can only recall two.

The Swedish Girl with a Dragon Tattoo series is good. The Rooney Mara version is good too, but they only made one.

Spot on with Bourne 4 and 5. I feel much the same about The Godfather part 3. Didn't think much of the US version of Dragon Tattoo though, it just felt like a pale copy of the Swedish original. And I like Daniel Craig.

[Hot Pepsi]

I thought it was pretty much the same as the Swedish version except it was easier for me to
understand.

[delicatemoth]

Another thematic trilogy worth seeing is Céline Sciamma’s coming-of-age films: Water Lilies, Tomboy and Girlhood

Ahh, I didn't know there was a third film. Water Lilies is great but Tomboy absolutely tore me apart, it's a devastating film.

[Ginger Yellow]

The Infernal Affairs trilogy are all post-2000.

I thought of those too, but to be honest the first is by far the best. The second has a decent Godfather-y vibe to it, but it's not a patch on the first. And the third is not very good at all.

I don't feel that way about Park's Vengeance trilogy. Oldboy certainly gets all the attention, and it's the most visually striking (though Sympathy... has some great cinematography too), but they all hang together as different approaches to the same theme. Sympathy is probably the weakest narratively, or at least its nihilism is a bit too oppressive and arguably undercuts its message.

[Patrick Thistle]

Toy Story 2,3 and 4 then?
(OK, Toy Story 2 was last century).

The 3 Cars films are all this century. Cars 2 is dreadful though.

[Patrick Thistle]

I'm not saying they're any good as a) I haven't seen them, and b) the consensus seems to be they're utter bilge, but there have been 3 Da Vinci Code movies released this century.

[Ray de Galles]

We watched the first Bourne movie the other night so thanks to 1974ddr for suggesting those. We enjoyed it and will definitely watch the rest (well, maybe not the Damon-free one).

I was led to believe that the Bourne movies were seen as a reset for that style of action film and had a great influence on how the Daniel Craig era Bond movies (which are a particular favourite of my son's) reinvented the franchise. I'm not sure I can see that watching the film now but it's probably not fair to judge them and try and assess their impact so long after release.

I've only caught up with the last few Mission Impossible movies (which are said to have had a similar effect on the genre) by chance in recent years through seeing them on planes or when there was nothing else on when I fancied a movie trip. Perhaps me and the boy will start from the beginning with them too.

[Snake Plissken]

The Damon-free one isn't bad. TBH, I prefer it to the latest one with Damon, mainly because the shaky-cam was pissing me off so much.

[multipleman78]

If you split the Mission Impossible movies into two trilogies, the last films have been excellent. The last one in particular, Fallout, was a superb action film.

Sub question-Are the Mission Impossible films the best series of films that have gone beyond a trilogy?