Best Movie Trilogies of the 21st Century so far

[Various Artist]

The Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy was this century. Hard to believe as there have been two reboots since. I haven't watched them recently but I remember liking them when they came out.

Yes, it was so successful and such a gamechanger, so recently, it felt absurd when they rebooted the franchise before the dust had barely settled on the third one coming out. The fact they then did so again barely another few years after the second two only added to the surreality.

To be fair, the original two Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films are great, the third is... rather less so. It's a real shame that it left a bit of a sour taste in the mouth, which Sam Raimi realised and meant to rectify with an all-guns-blazing Spider-Man 4, only to have the franchise whipped off his toes before he could stick it in the net.

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.

The LotR series was also all this century. The first one came out at the end of 2001, about 8 months before Spider-Man.

[Various Artist]

I've got a big soft spot for Brosnan's Bond, although if I'm being honest with myself that almost entirely lies on the shoulders of the wonderful Goldeneye. There's still a bunch of stuff in there among my favourite film moments – the opening dam plunge, that tank chase, the final battle with Sean Bean on the gantry of the radar dish. And Judi Dench turning up as M and telling Bond, "I think you're a sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War" while swilling Scotch.

I've never rewatched a single minute of Tomorrow Never Dies since I saw it in the cinema, although The World Is Not Enough remains ridiculous fun if only for the delicious incongruity of Denise Richard's Dr Christmas Jones character. Die Another Day is so hilariously OTT it almost backs around into so-bad-it's-good. It was at least memorable – Spectre on the other hand, as mentioned above, I genuinely forgot I'd watched within months of doing so, to the extent that I assumed the opening sequence in Mexico City must've come from a previous film.

[Ellen 5]

50 Shades is a 21st Century trilogy...

[Snake Plissken]

As an avid listener to SMERSHPod, in the vanishingly small chance that I get to be on it, the answer to the best Bond film question is Goldeneye. Because it's not just a great Bond film, it's a great action film for all the reasons stated. And I'm fully convinced that they got Martin Campbell back to do Casino Royale because he made such a good job of Goldeneye.

I think that Brosnan was an excellent Bond, completely underserved by woeful material.

(Do we not have a catch-all Bond thread?)

[Various Artist]

50 Shades is a 21st Century trilogy...

That's a brave note on which to re-emerge on the boards, Ellen. Welcome back

[Various Artist]

As an avid listener to SMERSHPod, in the vanishingly small chance that I get to be on it, the answer to the best Bond film question is Goldeneye. Because it's not just a great Bond film, it's a great action film for all the reasons stated. And I'm fully convinced that they got Martin Campbell back to do Casino Royale because he made such a good job of Goldeneye.

And well said Snake. I've always fully assumed that they brought Martin Campbell back for Casino Royale because he'd already 'rebooted' the series for a new 007 once already so successfully. I don't think it's a coincidence that they're my two favourite Bond films.

And, like CR, whenever I catch a bit of Goldeneye on repeat on TV, I always seem to end up stopping to watch it. 'Nuff said.

[Snake Plissken]

50 Shades is a 21st Century trilogy...

I didn't know that they had actually made all three of them, assuming that in a Golden Compass type situation, they just quietly forgot about the last one.

[Various Artist]

Except with The Golden Compass, they quietly forgot about the last two. Which meant they fell short of filming the full trilogy by merely 2/3.

[Bored Of Education]

If we're allowed to transcend the century cut-off and escape the tyranny of superhero/action franchise shite, I'd nominate Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013).

Oh, me, oh my, you couldn't have named three more dreadful films. Two people you don't care about talking inanely for three films. Well, I assume three films, I fast forwarded through the second one to see if it was anything other than those two twats walking and talking - it wasn't. I relied on reviews to tell me that the last one is them walking and talking with something else happening for a bit of the film.

(though it's probably better than the 'Fast & Furious' series - I haven't seen any of them).

The F & F films that I have seen - about 3 or 4 in parts - are ludicrous not unenjoyable nonsense. A couple of steps below the rubbish Pirates... film but several notches below Con Air and Face/Off

I think that Brosnan was an excellent Bond, completely underserved by woeful material.

This rings true as I really like Brosnan in a lot of stuff but can't really get into the Bonds with him in. In saying that, I fell out of love with Bonds the less camper they became. I hate the turgid Daniel Craig ones.

[S. aureus]

Live and Let Die? I remember that as being pretty decent, but I was quite young when I watched it.
(in reply to elguapo4 at the bottom of the last page)

[Hot Pepsi]

Except with The Golden Compass, they quietly forgot about the last two. Which meant they fell short of filming the full trilogy by merely 2/3.

Rebooted as an HBO show that’s ok.

[Various Artist]

Is that the same Northern Lights adaptation we recently had on the BBC? I've got it recorded but haven't got around to watching yet. I assume they didn't do competing TV reboots and instead co-produced that one!

[Hot Pepsi]

It’s called His Dark Materials on HBO. Is that the same? It’s got James McEvoy in it.

[imp]

Oh, me, oh my, you couldn't have named three more dreadful films. Two people you don't care about talking inanely for three films. Well, I assume three films, I fast forwarded through the second one to see if it was anything other than those two twats walking and talking - it wasn't. I relied on reviews to tell me that the last one is them walking and talking with something else happening for a bit of the film.

I thought they were a sharp and honest portrayal of how relationships evolve - I was gripped from first to last.

[Hot Pepsi]

They're all very good, but the third one is a tough sit. It's discouraging.

[Various Artist]

It’s called His Dark Materials on HBO. Is that the same? It’s got James McEvoy in it.

That's the one – and you're right, it aired both sides of the pond under the series' umbrella title. I was less than enamoured of the casting of James McAvoy as Lord Asriel, but to be fair even McAvoy was rather taken aback by it: listening to him interviewed, he's a big fan of the books and certainly didn't see himself fitting that role. But I think he got parachuted in at the last minute after previous casting fell through(?), and as a big fan what was he going to say – no? So good luck to him I guess.