Movie trilogies often deteriorate, with every new entry being worse than its predecessor but in rare cases, the second film is the best. There are enoughmovie sequels that should not have been made, whose existence proves that adding more films to forcefully continue a film idea that apparently has franchise potential doesn’t always yield fruitful results. This is whymovie trilogies that peaked with the first filmare particularly common with properties that weren’t originally meant to be trilogies.
With planned trilogies, because the ending is often thought out before the first film’s production begins, the third movie can also frequently be the best of the three.Movie franchises that bounced back after a disappointing second filmoften peak with the last entry in the trilogy. Since the stakes are often a continuation of the stakes introduced in the first film, but not developed to the scale where a climactic confrontation is possible, the middle film in trilogies is often the worst, butthere are a few trilogies where the second movie is the best.
Best Movie: Paddington 2 (2017)
Paddington 2
Paddington 2 brings back the adventurous bear, who gets caught up in a heist and is wrongfully accused of stealing a valuable book. Starring Hugh Grant, Sally Hawkins, and Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington Bear, the 2017 sequel earned overwhelmingly positive reviews.
Hugh Grant’s trend of playing movie villainsstarted with the charming sequel toPaddington.He made such an unmistakable impression in a role that’s entirely against the grain of his regular archetype of characters that it created a new direction for his career. That’s not the only formula-breaking achievement ofPaddington 2, though, as it successfully switches up the narrative approach used in the previous film.
Paddingtonis a more run-of-the-mill feel-good coming-of-age family movie, utilizing some of the most common tropes in the genre to explore the popular themes associated with it.Paddington 2, on the other hand, isimaginative, smart, funny, engaging, emotionally rich, and visually gorgeous. The titular protagonist’s character progression will charm anyone into getting teary-eyed multiple times during the film. Unfortunately, its sequel,Paddington in Peru, pales in comparison and might be the weakest film of the three.
Best Movie: Split (2016)
Split
Split is a psychological thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan, featuring James McAvoy as Kevin, a man with 23 distinct personalities. As a new dominant personality emerges, Kevin abducts three girls, including the perceptive Casey, leading to a tense struggle for survival against his own inner turmoil.
M. Night Shyamalan’s movies are characterized by a unique blend of the sci-fi and thriller genres, and the trademark twist ending that will forever be associated with the director. Every prolific sci-fi director inadvertently finds themselvesworking specifically in or at least crossing paths with the superhero genre, and Shyamalan is naturally no exception. HisUnbreakabletrilogy, comprisingUnbreakable(2000),Split(2016), andGlass(2019), is a unique superhero trilogy with movies that are mostly connected thematically, a rarity in a genre dominated by cinematic universes today.
DID YOU KNOW:McAvoy reprised his role inGlass, and is the highlight of the film.
WhileUnbreakableis a great film that introduces Bruce Willis' hero,Glassdoes a poor job of concluding the setup of 19 years due to its cold-blooded, clinical approach to storytelling. However,Splitis the epitome of Shyamalan’s superhero filmmaking, as it successfully deconstructs the anti-hero archetype, reaching for fundamental truths about superheroism. The reason it stands out, beyond being a horror film, which is rare for the genre, is James McAvoy as the “superhero.” He delivers one of the bestthriller movie performances that deserved an Oscar nomination.
Best Movie: Before Sunset (2004)
Before Sunset
Before Sunset is the sequel to Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise, featuring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Set nine years after their initial encounter, the film follows Jesse and Céline as they reunite in Paris for a brief, bittersweet afternoon. The narrative revolves around their conversations, exploring themes of romance, missed opportunities, and the passage of time.
It is difficult to choose the best movie from Richard Linklater’s critically acclaimed romantic trilogy becauseeach film tells a different story, driven by different themes, representing a different erain the characters' lives. Comparing them feels both reductive and unfair to Linklater’s achievement as the director of the three films. However,Before Sunsetis quite obviously the best, perhaps because Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, the actors who play the two leads, co-wrote the screenplay with the filmmaker.
The events inBefore Sunsetoccur nine years after the first film, where the meet-cute concluded with a promise to meet soon after.However, that meeting never happened, and the characters are at their most vulnerable during their interactions in the sequel, conveyed in equal part through the performances and the dialogue. WhileBefore Midnightis a haunting look at the strain involved in maintaining a relationship over the years,Before Sunset’s emotional drama is even more compelling, and might just be thebest Richard Linklater movieever.
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
The Road Warrior, aka Mad Max 2, picks up after the original 1976 film and continues following Max’s (Mel Gibson) journey through a post-apocalyptic Australia. This time, Max helps a group of locals escape bandits to protect their wealth of gasoline. George Miller again directs the Mad Max sequel and is often considered the fan-favorite of the original trilogy.
Mel Gibson’s career took a justified tumble after his arrest,the aftermath of which revealed the truth behind the accusations of homophobia and antisemitism that had been levied against the actor for years. As problematic as his legacy is, he did have an undeniable impact on the action genre, especially, and the threeMad Maxmovies he starred in perfectly demonstrate that. While George Miller’s eventual return to the franchise withMad Max: Fury Roadgave us one of the bestaction movies that far exceeded all expectations, the second film in the original trilogy is almost comparable to it.
It wasn’t untilMad Max 2: The Road Warriorthat the franchise found its recognizable form.
Mad Maxintroduced the apocalyptic world that would eventually house a successful franchise, but it wasn’t untilMad Max 2: The Road Warriorthat the franchise found its recognizable form. Iconic chase sequences, afull-fledged commitment to depicting the absurdity of life after an apocalypse, and much more well-rounded characters make it the better film of the two. The third one,Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, may have had potential, but is often considered the worst in the entire franchise, which now comprises five films.
Best Movie: Blade II (2002)
Blade II
Blade II, directed by Guillermo del Toro, features Wesley Snipes reprising his role as the titular vampire hunter. He is enlisted by the Vampire Nation to combat the Reapers, a mutant vampire species threatening both humans and vampires, in this action-packed sequel to the original film.
Blade is amovie character who helped reshape genre expectationsby bringing unchecked profanity and excessive gore to a genre that was largely PG or PG-13 until then. Wesley Snipes is the definition of cool in the role of the titular vigilante who kills vampires to protect humanity, using his superpowers that come from being half-vampire, half-human.Bladeis a tight, action-packed thriller that introduces a few elements of the world and dives into the action from the very first shot.
However,Blade IItakes a slightly different approach and yields much better results – due in no small part to Guillermo del Toro’s work as the director – because it expands on the lore and introduces more side characters, whilestill prioritizing the crazy and bloody action that enthralled viewerswatching the first film.Blade Trinity, its sequel, suffers from being too ambitious and crumbles under the weight of its lofty goal by bringing so many characters into the mix that Blade himself gets sidelined.
Best Movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, follows Steve Rogers as he adapts to contemporary life while confronting a new adversary, the mysterious Winter Soldier, amidst internal threats to S.H.I.E.L.D. The film explores themes of trust and loyalty as Rogers teams up with allies to uncover hidden conspiracies.
Phase 2 of the MCU got off to a rough start.Robert Downey Jr.’s leading role as Tony Stark in theIron Mantrilogy came to an end withIron Man 3,which got mixed reviews due to the absence of the real Mandarin and because the conclusion to Tony Stark’s personal arc didn’t satisfy everyone. To make matters worse, the next film,Thor: The Dark World, is perhaps the worst movie in the entire MCU. So, when the Russo brothers took charge of the other major single-character trilogy in the MCU, the stakes were at their highest ever.
Not only did the directors outdo themselves withCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, butthey also made one of the best MCU films to date. It grounds Steve Rogers' character as a man out of time who is grappling with the evolving technology, culture, and nature of espionage, and reintroduces Bucky Barnes as a memorable villain who will eventually have a redemption arc.Captain America: Civil Waris practically anAvengersmovie, and spends much less time on the character than the second film, which remains the best in theCaptain Americafilm series.
Best Movie: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 continues Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, with Tobey Maguire returning as Peter Parker. Released in 2004, the film follows Peter’s struggle with balancing his personal life and superhero responsibilities, while confronting the formidable villain, Doc Ock, portrayed by Alfred Molina. Parker’s relationships with Mary Jane and Harry Osborn further complicate his journey.
On the heels of Fox’sX-Menfranchise, Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy became the biggest Marvel movie series before the MCU began. Theperfect non-animated action movie for kids to watch,Spider-Manrevolutionized superhero cinema in the 21st Century with its use of bright color palettes, comic-accurate costumes, and depictions of superheroes protecting and helping people from non-apocalyptic threats. Its sequel vastly improved on it, though, and continues to be one of the best superhero movies of all time.
Spider-Man 2is primarily based on theSpider-Man No More!storyline from Issue #50 ofThe Amazing Spider-Man.
Spider-Man 2deconstructs Peter Parker and Spider-Man’s personas separately, leaning into the ridiculous nature of the infamous “Peter luck.” However, instead of abandoning him, the film ends in a sweet and triumphant moment that’s characteristic of Hollywood blockbusters of the era. With the perfect balance of action, drama, comedy, and romance, it isa brilliant demonstration of how to make an endearing blockbuster. However,Spider-Man 3, which will forever remain famous for the memes based on it, is at the bottom of the trilogy in any ranking based on quality due to inconsistent writing and nonsensical creative choices.
Best Movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a Fantasy film by director Peter Jackson and is based on The Two Towers book by author J. R. R. Tolkien. A sequel to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, this installment continues Frodo’s journey to take the One Ring to Mount Doom to destroy it.
One does not simply name aThe Lord of the Ringsmovie as the best in the trilogy, because all of them are perfect, which is what makes the trilogythe only other one besidesThe Godfather, with three Best Picture Oscar nominees. It is difficult to establish a consensus on which of the threeThe Lord of the Ringsmovies is best, butThe Two Towersgets picked enough times for there to be a genuine argument in its favor.
The Battle of Helm’s Deep makesThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towersafantasy movie with one of the best action scenesever.The characters, whom viewers know well by now, are more fleshed out, and with the introduction of the Kingdom of Rohan, the overarching plot takes shape. Gollum also becomes a major character in the trilogy through his arc of trying to steal the ring and eventually joining Frodo and Sam. The gradual development of the plot in preparation for the conclusion in the next film makes it the best second movie of a trilogy ever.
Best Movie: The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is the second installment in the Batman trilogy starring Christian Bale as Batman. Released in 2008, the film follows Batman’s alliance with Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent as they combat the organized crime that threatens Gotham, facing the menacing Joker.
From film buffs to critics, a large fraction of viewers, irrespective of their impression of Christopher Nolan as a director,nameThe Dark Knightas the best superhero film ever made. It changed the face of the genre forever, and the trends it started continue to be seen in superhero films today. Gritty narrative and visual details, grounded characterization of the superhero, darker color palettes, adhering to a sense of realism, and treating a superhero like a metaphor – the cultural and cinematic impact ofThe Dark Knightruns deeper than one can ever fully comprehend.
It received critical acclaim of unprecedented levels, being considered a bona fide masterpiece, and not just by superhero film standards.
Moreover,The Dark Knightdid something no other superhero movie had done to that point.It received critical acclaim of unprecedented levels, being considered a bona fide masterpiece, and not just by superhero film standards. Part of that legacy is, of course, due to Heath Ledger, whose portrayal of the Joker is one of thebest Oscar-winning actor performancesever. However, beyond that, the quality of writing, cinematography, acting, production design, and direction elevate it to levels that neither of the other films in the trilogy reach.
Best Movie: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back is the second installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, directed by Irvin Kershner. Released in 1980, it follows Luke Skywalker as he trains under Jedi Master Yoda, while Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Rebel Alliance face ongoing threats from the Galactic Empire and Darth Vader.
Irvin Kershner’s sequel to George Lucas' seminal film is often considered the best sci-fi film ever made. Living up to the standard set byStar Wars, now known asA New Hope, was no small task, butThe Empire Strikes Backraised the standards further, to a level that perhaps no otherStar Warsfilm ever reached. It expands on the world introduced in the first film, has one of the best training arcs in cinema history, and ends with perhaps the most iconic movie twist of all time.
The well-written dialogue ofThe Empire Strikes Backstays with you long after the credits have rolled, especially the wisdom imparted by Yoda, who was introduced in the film. Despite a two-hour runtime, the film is unbelievably economical, wasting no scenes or lines, as it develops the plot and sets the stage for the next movie. Its balance of character-driven and plot-driven narrative design makes it endearing and memorable.The Empire Strikes Backis the best example ofthe second film being the best movie in a trilogy.
