The Trilogy. The Saga. They are how movie fans get the “bigger story”. It is how people who enjoy novels are able to get a closer translation of their books on the big screen, than a traditional 2 hour movie.
Personally, I prefer movies this way, multiple chapters or parts. I understand that it is extremely difficult to tell a story onscreen with limited screen time, again the traditional run time is only 2 hours. However, I am almost always left wanting more. There are a few occasions where only one movie was needed to tell the story, The Sixth Sense is one, and almost always films based on true events/stories, such as American Gangster, are able to tell the whole story or at least the important events within the time allotted.
I am also a strong believer that these trilogies and sagas should be filmed in the same manner in which they apparently filmed Lord Of The Rings. Back to back to back. Yes, I am also aware that this is another difficult task to pull off. Actors and directors have “other jobs”, but I just enjoy having all the same characters joined with the same directors vision all the way through from the start of the first flick to the closing credits of the final entry of the series. Having characters played by two different actors/actresses makes it similar to a Soap Opera on television. Personally, I think perhaps Joel Schumacher’s mishaps could have been over looked had Michael Keaton maintained the cape and cowl through all 4 movies instead of 2. Maybe, as the look of Gotham changed dramatically having swapped directors. In a later blog I do plan on pointing out the positives of the movies considered “flops” by the majority.It can be said that it is easier to shoot a series based on books in this style, but The Matrix was started as a single movie, then with the success, the writers wrote 2 more parts (The Matrix Reloaded and Resurrection) and they were filmed back to back.
Might be wrong on this one, but perhaps when trilogies are “planned”, it draws and keeps more people than usual. People who will give the second or third (or fourth, etc) parts a chance even if they are not completely sold after the first, they do this with anticipation it will get better and better. The first instalments are usually used to set up the story and provide information on the key characters, so the following instalments are more open to “go for it” in other areas on the film/story (special effects, fight scenes, etc). I say this as I am not an avid reader, but my Sweets is, and she is a typical female and loves the Twilight saga. So, of course I have been dragged to the theatre to see them, and bought them as gifts on DVD, like most boyfriends out there I am sure (called a “safe gift”). Anyhow, my Sweets told me that the final chapter of the series is pretty gruesome. I admit, despite the sappy love story, the series gets better with each film. I am actually interested in seeing the final film, it could be a movie both the guys and gals will like. Girls cause its well Twilight, and guys because of the fighting and I think its the child birth that’s the gruesome part.
Trilogies, sagas, or whatever you want to call them (if a prequel is added to a 2 part series, is it now a trilogy? Matter of opinion I say) make for perfect entertainment, well definitely for the couch potatoes, on a boring day, rainy day or even a sick day especially. So, here is a semi-quick Top 10 List of Trilogies/Sagas. They are in no particular order, some I like more than others and will simply forget to add them to the list.
I. Star Wars saga
1. Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace
2. Star Wars Episode II Attack Of The Clones
3. Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith
4. Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope
5. Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
6. Star Wars Episode VI Return Of The Jedi
II. Back To The Future
1. Back To The Future
2. Back To The Future II
3. Back To The Future III
III. X-Men
1. X-Men
2. X-Men II: X-Men United
3. X-Men III: The Last Stand
A. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
B. X-Men: First Class
IV. Underworld
1. Underworld
2. Underworld Evolution
3. Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans
V. Indiana Jones
1. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
4. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
VI. Austin Powers
1. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
2. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
3. Austin Powers in Goldmember
VII. Lord Of The Rings
1. Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2. Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers
3. Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King
VIII. Die Hard
1. Die Hard
2. Die Hard 2 Die Harder
3. Die Hard with a Vengeance
4. Live Free or Die Hard
IX. Harry Potter
1. Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone
2. Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets
3. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
5. Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix
6. Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince
7. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows Pt. 1
8. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows Pt. 2
X. The Godfather
1. The Godfather
2. The Godfather II
3. The Godfather III
Again, no particular order, I know I left off some. Spider-Man, Star Trek, 007, the list is rather large. Some are good from start to end, some start great and die off, others pick up speed as they go on. Long running series like Star Trek or especially Harry Potter, it’s quite a trip watching them age with each passing film.
So, go pick these and other ones up. Rent if you can (Blockbuster gone), buy is preferred, because then in some cases you can get the extended versions, giving even more of the story! Ahaha! Sometimes you get a cool collectable....you know you wanna. Off you go.
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