20 Fascinating Movie Trilogies That May or May Not Feature DeLoreans

It is commonplace to say that the second parts tend to be darker. The Empire Strikes Back, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Temple of Doom, House Party 2 — second parts go to grittier, more disturbing places than their wide-eyed, world-introducing first parts, but you surely know all of this. Who are we kidding, you can probably recite the script for House Party 2 from memory. Here’s something we just realized 17 seconds ago, though. Yes, second parts in a trilogy are usually the darkest, but which ones are the lamest? As we will see, the pattern soon emerges: it’s the third installment. House Party 3? Don’t even get us started.

And here’s something else that’s interesting — quick, name a trilogy in which the lame one is the first entry. That’s actually not a common phenomenon, although one good example is the original Bourne trilogy. Yes, Identity is average, but at least it was interesting enough for Greengrass to make Supremacy and Ultimatum (and no Bourne film ever again). Also, picking unblemished trilogies is hard, because there are also your Jurassic World trilogies or your Killer Tomatoes Eat Frances messing up the neat number three. But whatever, you probably also know all of this. You probably have Killer Tomatoes Eat France tattooed on your retina. What other patterns might arise as we examine other trilogies? Will they feature DeLoreans? You’re just gonna have to see.

20 Back to the Future

Movie Trilogies The Back to the Future trilogy What can we possibly say about the Back to the Future trilogy? We've seen it so many times that we don't even fear death because our mind is gonna replay it just before we die, which sounds fine to us. So we're just gonna say Part III deserves no hostility, and insist that the ending to Part II is absolute perfection. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Universal Pictures

19 Spider-Man

Movie Trilogies Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy 2002's Spider-Man is just wonderful. It's sweet and dramatic, with a tight script and wonderful performances - a major achievement all around. And the 2004 sequel is even better. Sadly, the completely unjustified lack of trust Raimi faced when doing 2007's Spider-Man 3 showed the trilogy's true villain - studio interference. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment, Sony Pictures

18 Ocean's

Movie Trilogies The Ocean's trilogy Ocean's Eleven feels like a movie that had to be made. The Rat Pack concept was already compelling, the new cast is perfect for it, and Soderbergh's direction is peak smoothness. Twelve is even better, but so different and quasi-experimental that no wonder nobody really likes it. And Thirteen? Nope, sorry, too much smoothness is no smoothness at all. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Warner Bros.

17 The Naked Gun

Movie Trilogies The Naked Gun trilogy Some jokes have aged badly, with 331/3'S transphobia being particularly cringe. There, that's all the criticism that can be levied against this trilogy. The 1988 classic throws insanely hilarious jokes at a rapid-fire pace, totally living up to its reputation. 2 1/2 is equally good, plus its environmentalist message rocks. And have you seen 33 1/3 lately? It's hilarious. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

16 Mexico

Movie Trilogies The Mexico trilogy Robert Rodriguez' 1993 El Mariachi needs to be seen to be believed. Made on a US$7,000 budget, it oozes creativity, and Rodriguez absolutely deserved a shot at bigger things. 1995's Desperado is also a pretty fun neo-western. Once Upon a Time in Mexico, though? Not so much. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures

15 The Lord of the Rings

Movie Trilogies The Lord of the Rings trilogy Movie history had never seen anything like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films (or Fellowship, for that matter). But shooting them back-to-back, Jackson succeeded in bringing Tolkien's visions to life, and the man did not drop the ball once. Two Towers and Return are cinematic achievements, and there was no other trilogy after it. No siree. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: New Line Cinema

14 The Harold & Kumar

Movie Trilogies The Harold & Kumar trilogy Harold & Kumar could have gone down the straight- to-video path, but it ended up being a perfectly hilarious trilogy instead. White Castle is just dumb fun, with tons ofquotable lines. Surprisingly, Guantanamo Bay doubled down on both the childish raunch and the rom-com sweetness. And Christmas? Funny stuff, but we could do without Neil Patrick Harris' character being even creepier. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: New Line Cinema, Warner Bros.

13 The Godfather

Movie Trilogies The Godfather trilogy Imagine we're saying something original and groundbreaking about The Godfather. That it's a masterpiece of cinema but, like, with dry wit and sidesplitting poop jokes. Add some brilliant comments about Part II. Something something Brando Pacino De Niro and our boy John Cazale. For Part III, you can imagine just the poop jokes. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

12 Ginger Snaps

Movie Trilogies The Ginger Snaps trilogy While everybody's reevaluating Jennifer's Body, let's spare a thought for 2000's Ginger Snaps. It's got goth sisters, werewolves, and gore - and it's awesome. 2004's Unleashed succeeded by not rehashing the original and instead trying new tricks, while Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning took the prequel route, with interesting but lesser results. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Motion International

11 Evil Dead

Movie Trilogies The Evil Dead trilogy Sam Raimi's indelible contribution to the horror genre is one damn solid trilogy. 1981's The Evil Dead is grimy splatter chaos on a shoestring budget. 1987's Evil Dead II goes bigger, better, and more cartoonishly insane, and Army of Darkness is an absolutely worthy action-fantasy finale. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Universal Pictures

10 Dollars

Movie Trilogies The Dollars trilogy Rumor has it that Italian legend Sergio Leone did not conceive these Spaghetti Westerns as a trilogy, but does it matter? Starting with 1964's A Fistful of Dollars, Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name would reappear in 1965's For a Few Dollars More, and most iconically, 1966's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Produzioni Europee Associate, United Artists

9 Three Flavours Cornetto

Movie Trilogies The Cornetto trilogy Edgar Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy is simply a wonder. Shaun of the Dead is the zombie comedy, and Hot Fuzz is a perfect send up of dual- wielding, buddy cop action movies. The World's End, while the weakest of the three, is a bonkers sci-fi action comedy with plenty of entertaining twists. POLICE CRACKED.COM POL TOTAL — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Universal Pictures

8 Three Colors

Movie Trilogies Three Colors Based on the ideals of the French Revolution (and coolest values ever) liberty, equality, and fraternity, Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski made these three astonishing psychological dramas in 1993 and 1994. Blue, White, and Red are award-winning masterpieces, (and they're not really allegories for those values, because artsy geniuses have to mess with us like that). CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: MK2 Diffusion

7 Cloverfield

Movie Trilogies The Cloverfield trilogy Paradox is pretty by-the-numbers sci-fi horror, a sad threequel to a perfectly fine series. The original 2008 film is a fun and interesting piece of found-footage creature feature, while 2016's 10 Cloverfield Lane is probably the closest the series got to being unironically good, no buts. The CB CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

6 Blade

Movie Trilogies The Blade trilogy Many strong trilogies have weak third parts, but this case is just sad. 1998's Blade was a refreshingly original action horror flick that surprised everyone. The 2002 sequel is even better, a perfect shot of style, gore, martial arts, and CGI. The trilogy could do no wrong - and then that wimpy Dracula guy came along. Screw you, Blade: Trinity. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: New Line Cinema

5 Bill & Ted

More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Orion Pictures

4 Before

Movie Trilogies The Before trilogy Before Midnight is maybe a bit too bitter (we just want Jesse and Céline finding happiness together, you know). The 1995 original, Before Sunrise, is a surprisingly smart and sweet romantic comedy, a film so unique we just smile at the thought of new generations rediscovering it. And Sunset is just magnificent. That ending? Swoon. CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures

3 The Dark Knight

Movie Trilogies The Batman's success is proof that everyone forgot about Batman Begins. The main culprit, though? The Dark Knight, a movie so perfect it easily overshadowed the already great 2005 film. And as for The Dark Knight Rises, it's so ambitious it ends up failing. But it's still awesome, and not acknowledging it is just having been spoiled rotten by Nolan. The Dark Knight trilogy CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: Warner Bros

2 Anchorman

Movie Trilogies Do you know what The Legend of Ron Burgundy is? in case you're not aware, it's kind of a big deal. Also, you know Anchorman is a trilogy, right? 2013's The Legend Continues was the same joke, but stale, while 2004's parallel film Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie just smells like Bigfoot's d*ck. The Anchorman trilogy CRACKED.COM — More: Wikipedia
Image Credit: DreamWorks Pictures

1 Nicolas Cage

Movie Trilogies The Holy Nicolas Cage trinity We hear your objection that this isn't a real trilogy, and we counter by just pointing to The Rock, Con Air, and Face/Off. The Rock? Unwitting everyman hero Cage. Con Air? Southern, long-haired, roundhouse- kicking Cage. Face/Off? Peak Nicolas Cage, but also peak John Travolta and peak John Woo. Sorry, but you're just not being rational. CRACKED.COM — More: Den of Geek
Image Credit: Buena Vista Pictures, Paramount Pictures

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