If there’s something every moviegoer looks forward to in a film franchise, it’s a successful sequel that can spawn a trilogy of great films. However, a perfect trilogy is hard to find, as most films face troubles in their second, third, or even first film.
That being said, over the years, there have been some successful sequel and trilogy surprises. Rather than falling apart as the series progresses, some manage to get a second wind and create captivating films that build upon the storylines. Here are five movie trilogies that improved over time and five that declined.
10 Improved: Thor
When Marvel released Thor back in 2011, it was met with positive to mediocre reviews. When Thor: The Dark World came out in 2013, fans consider it to be one of the worst MCU films out there, seemingly killing the trilogy.
In 2017, however, director Taikai Waititi did the impossible when he reinvigorated the series with Thor: Ragnarok. Ditching the serious and Shakespearean tone of the first two for a light and more '80s sci-fi feel, Ragnarok proved to be the perfect trilogy closer.
9 Declined: Iron Man
Serving as a launching pad for the MCU, Iron Man was a one in a million film, essentially restarting Robert Downey Jr’s career and preparing the world for the next ten years of Marvel films. Unfortunately, the sequels did not live up to the first one's success.
Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3 are seen as two of the more disappointing Marvel sequels. With inconsistent tones, weak villains, and messy plot twists, the MCU’s first trilogy became a bit of a joke, a shame considering the importance of the original.
8 Improved: Evil Dead
In 1981, Sam Raimi delivered horror fans a movie for the books with The Evil Dead, a terrifying and gore-filled film that made movie-goers leave the light on. Given the track record of horror sequels, many fans were unsure if the sequel would match the first film.
Raimi, however, managed to make two fantastic sequels that improved upon the original's horror while adding in a dash of black comedy. This made each film unique and entertaining, resulting in one groovy trilogy.
7 Declined: Jurassic Park
An adventure 65 million years in the making, Jurassic Park is considered to be a truly wonderful and imaginative film. Full of great characters, animatronics that still hold up today, and loads of memorable lines, fans couldn’t wait to see the sequels outdo the first.
If anything, the sequels were a good example of how not to do Jurassic Park. With laughable dialogue, repetitive scripts, and a dinosaur yelling “ALAN!,” the next two Jurassic Park films were misfires only a few years in the making.
6 Improved: The Dollars Trilogy
Surprisingly, a lot of sequels are only connected via shared actors, directors, or themes. Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy is one of the oldest examples of this, featuring Clint Eastwood in three different spaghetti westerns that helped set the bar for the genre.
Although the trilogy had interesting stories for the first two installments, A Fist Full Of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More, the final film managed to put the series and Leone on the map. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is fantastic as a standalone western and the final entry in The Dollars Trilogy.
5 Declined: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Something about stories and films set in the space or in a galaxy far, far away seems to draw fans in and make them want more. Therefore, when LucasFilm announced a trilogy of films set after the original Star Wars saga, fans were overjoyed at the possibilities.
While The Force Awakens set a good example for the series, it seemed to be one that the next two entries would ignore. The Last Jedi and Rise Of Skywalker divided fans and critics, ending the new series on a messy, complicated, and overall disappointing note.
4 Improved: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Before the sequels divided fans, a previous rash of films released in the late ’90s and early 2000s, known as the prequel films, tried to win fans over. The movies got off to a poor start with Phantom Menace and Attack Of The Clones.
Then in 2005, a new hope rose with Revenge Of The Sith, the final and most shocking of the prequels. The movie has since become a favorite among fans, as it helped bring balance to the force and ended the prequels with a bang.
3 Declined: The Matrix
Seen as a revolutionary addition to the action genre, The Matrix is one of the most influential sci-fi action films of all time. From incredible set pieces to iconic lines, the future of The Matrix seemed bright when the Wachowski siblings revealed plans for a trilogy.
What made The Matrix so great was that despite its confusing nature and ideas, the film managed to convey them in an understandable way. In the sequels, the filmmakers doubled down on the confusing explanations and themes, unfortunately ruining a potentially great series.
2 Improved: Planet Of The Apes Reboot Series
It’s difficult to make a reboot work. Over the years, there have been multiple attempts to reboot a franchise but only a few have succeeded, one of which being the Planet Of The Apes reboot. Following the so-so Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, the series took a turn for the better.
With the sequels, the franchise managed to improve upon it’s CG and tell unique and captivating stories, giving life and depth to both human and animal characters, creating a reboot trilogy unlike any other.
1 Declined: Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man
The year was 2002 and super-hero films were still trying to find their foothold in the new decade. That summer, Sam Raimi found that foothold when he released Spider-Man and changed the world of comic book movies. He upped the ante a few years later with a polished Spider-Man 2.
Then, in 2007, Spider-Man 3 was released, a movie full of too many villains, strange scenes, and studio interference. With that, the otherwise perfect Spider-Man films lost their foothold and fell from their perch.
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