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Last week, I wrote an article on the best movie trilogies to marathon, and my three picks proved to be more controversial than I’d anticipated.
I knew excluding “Lord of the Rings” was a hot take, but my reasoning was solid (it’s a 10/10 trilogy, but too long for most people to watch in a single sitting). It was actually excluding trilogies like “The Dark Knight” and “The Godfather” that appeared to draw the most ire from Tom’s Guide readers.
But I’ll warn you straight up, “The Godfather” still isn’t making the cut. Sorry, much as I believe the first two movies in Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia series are near-enough flawless, “Part 3” is the weaker link, but most of all, it runs into what I'm calling the “Lord of the Rings problem." It requires a commitment of more than nine hours to watch in one sitting.
‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy
“The Dark Knight” trilogy is aptly named because the second chapter, 2008’s “The Dark Knight”, is the reason to watch Christopher Nolan’s three-part Batman saga. To this day, “The Dark Knight” stands not just as one of the best superhero movies ever, but among the greatest movies of the 21st century. Heath Ledger’s unnerving spin on The Joker has become so influential that every take on the character since has to measure up to it.
But to give some credit to “Batman Begins,” it’s a fine opener, introducing Christian Bale’s take on Bruce Wayne, and I particularly love Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of the villainous Scarecrow (who appears across the whole trilogy). Like “The Godfather,” its record is marred by a weaker third act, “The Dark Knight Rises.” But here’s a hot take: I like Tom Hardy’s voice-muffled Bane, and the opening at 30,000 feet is an excellent introduction.
Just be mindful, watching all three “Dark Knight” movies will take you more than seven hours, which in my case, is probably about the limit for a single-sitting movie marathon.
Watch "The Dark Knight" trilogy on HBO Max now
‘John Wick’ 1-3
On reflection, “John Wick” should have perhaps made my original three picks. I love the entire franchise. But my reason for not including it the first time was that you can’t watch the first three “John Wick” movies and get a complete story. “John Wick: Chapter 4” is a necessary watch to complete the character's arc. But that caveat aside, “John Wick” stands among the strong action series in movie history, with Keanu Reeves in electric form.
It starts as a basic revenge story. The first entry sees retired hitman John Wick (Reeves) go on a quest for vengeance when criminal thugs break into his home and kill his dog. But by the third installment, it’s sprawled into a globe-trotting affair with rival assassin gangs squaring off in a lore-rich underground society. Through it all, the action scenes are heart-pounding, and it’s a trilogy that constantly goes bigger in the best way possible.
Watch "John Wick" 1-3 on HBO Max now
‘Alien’ 1-3
The original“Alien” trilogy, comprising “Alien,” “Aliens,” and “Alien 3,” might seem like a very rogue choice for any best movie trilogy ranking, but hear me out on this one.
The first “Alien” is my favorite movie of all time, and the larger franchise is my favorite in all of media (I even love many of the extended universe novels), so I’m hardly impartial. But “Alien” and “Aliens” are universally considered two of the best sci-fi flicks for very good reasons. You got a tightly-wound horror, followed by a macho, masterful action blockbuster.
The black sheep is “Alien 3,” a movie that is divisive with a capital D. Some fans defend it, others dislike it. I’m in the former camp, but with a caveat: you need to watch “The Assembly Cut.” This 2003 special edition cleans up some of its plot holes, tweaks the ropey effects (to a degree, the digital Xenomorph still looks iffy on occasion), and further fleshes out important supporting characters. It’s a marked improvement, turning “Alien 3” into a much richer experience. “Alien 3” also puts a note of finality on Amanda Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) storyline: just ignore "Alien: Resurrection."
Watch "Alien" 1-3 on Prime Video (buy/rent) now
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