Top 10 Third Instalments of Movie Franchises

Greetings, reader!

My ten-week dive into movie franchise instalments continues this week, with a ranking of the very best third movies in film franchises. This was a tough one, as there are weirdly many awesome part threes out there. Here's what I came up with!

Here are my honorable mentions: Back to the Future Part III (1990), Men In Black 3 (2012), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Thor (2011).

10. Toy Story 3 (2010)

The third Toy Story film puts a beautiful bow on things, with its coming-of-age and end-of-childhood themes providing a strong emotional context for the last adventure Andy has with his toys before he leaves for college. Also, Ned Beatty's Lots'o-Huggin' Bear is a memorable villain, and the escape plan the main characters hatch is a clever and memorable one.

All of the three first Toy Story films are on the same level with each other, with the third one's touching core impressing as much as the first one's imaginative premise and the personal nostalgia I have for the vibe in the second one.

9. The Conjuring 2 (2016)

If you're wondering why this horror sequel is here and not on last week's list, it's because it is, after The Conjuring and Annabelle, the third film in the Conjuring Universe despite being the second Conjuring film. The relatively new phenomenon of shared cinematic universes makes the definition of a franchise somewhat complex, but I decided to count one canon universe from the same studio and films with related plots as one franchise - for example, counting the Marvel Cinematic Universe as one franchise instead of counting the Iron Man, Captain America, The Avengers etc. as separate franchises.

Anyways, whether you count it as part 2 of a series of part 3 of a universe, The Conjuring 2 is a seriously kick-ass horror flick. It's my favorite not only out of the three Conjuring films, but out of all nine films that have been released in the whole Conjuring universe thus far. The steady escalation from creepy build-up to a chaotically intense final act is well-written, and the film's scariest moments are up there with the big horror classics.

8. Goldfinger (1964)

*turns evil villain chair around* Ah, Mr. Bond, you've finally made it onto these lists!

Yes, this is the 007 franchise's debut in my instalment series. All of Sean Connery's first three outings in the iconic role are roughly in the same quality bracket, but the level of various first instalments kept Dr. No from reaching the top 10 two weeks ago, just as the overall level of second instalments kept From Russia with Love in the honorable mentions of last week's post. But, for the list of third instalments, Goldfiner was bound to make the cut.

An unforgettable villain, the introduction of mainstay tropes like "shaken, not stirred", exciting action sequences, and Connery just being his suave self - it's all there, making for one of the better early Bond films that is rightfully considered a classic of the action/spy genres.

7. The Meaning of Life (1983)

And now for something completely different. Forget funny individual jokes and storylines (although this comedy gem has its share of those as well), the very narrative structure of the third and final Monty Python film is absolutely hilarious in its own right. The way the various skits tie into each other in obscure ways just enough for this to feel like a cohesive movie, the semi-musical approach with multiple original songs, the story being often interrupted by fish tank sequences, and of course the narrator announcing (and welcoming the viewers to) the middle of the film, and later, the end of the film - that's one hell of a structure.

The Meaning of Life is truly one of the most bizarre films out there, but like a hand-drawn map of Switzerland, that's a big plus in my book. This flick will make you laugh, make you think a lot, and make you laugh quite a bit more.

6. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

I feel a bit bad having the MonsterVerse (Hollywood collaborating with Japan) on today's list while omitting the original Japanese Godzilla franchise. While I consider the OG-Godzilla franchise better and especially more important overall, the modern MonsterVerse simply has the better third movie. After 2014's Godzilla and 2017's Kong: Skull Island were decent but not amazing, this is the definitive franchise peak that showed us how the epic and beloved Kaiju lore envisioned by Japanese masterminds and the visual effects budgets and skillsets from Hollywood can complement one another.

It's truly the best of both worlds - after decades of the Japanese Kaiju movies having brilliant lore and deep storytelling while the visuals tragically undercut their full potential, while the U.S. rebooted and ripped off such movies with big visuals undercut by woefully shallow and lazy writing, this is the ultimate collaboration where the themes of the Godzilla franchise hit hard while the monsters look absolutely breathtaking. The end result is a massively entertaining, surprisingly touching and visually magnificent love letter to Kaiju cinema.

5. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

The third Indiana Jones flick is a wild ride, with the plot being best described as 'one thrill after another' while the premise can be boiled down to 'you know the dangerously badass vibe of this franchise? WHAT HAPPENS IF WE ADD SEAN F**KIN CONNERY INTO THE MIX?'. The answer to this question is, naturally, 'it reaches peak badassery'.

The interactions between Connery and main star Harrison Ford make for some of the best acting chemistry out there, and Spielberg's directing coupled with John Williams' score continue to create that magically specific Indiana Jones feel. Beginning with an illuminating flashback sequence, continuing through various action/adventure set pieces all the way to the downright legendary final act, this is a tight package and an exceptional third instalment.

4. Dark Knight Rises (2012)

I will now and forever defend this film, disliked by so many. Mind you, I haven't encountered lots of people who consider Dark Knight Rises downright bad, but damn near everyone considers it to be somewhat of a letdown, a film that didn't reach its full potential, and/or just the least good of the trilogy. I'm in the unpopular camp here, as I consider it to be not only better than Batman Begins, but - and bear with me here - better than The Dark Knight. Yes, I said it, and I will die on this hill.

First of all, to everyone who complains that someone on the internet calculated that there's no possible way that Batman could've realistically made it from the pit prison back to Gotham in the timeline implied by the film's events - man, I feel sorry for you. I can only imagine how joyless an existence it must be when you can't sit down to watch a goddamn Batman flick and have fun with it, as showcasing how you're smarter than everyone else is so much more important than enjoying movies and/or life. You know that fiction literally exists for the reason that things could happen that can't happen in real life, right? I've written about this issue in many other blog posts so I won't go deep into it now, other than reminding that if you really demand 100% accuracy and realism from your cinema, then MAYBE your first choice shouldn't be a f**king Batman movie.

I for one love this film, and see it as the culmination of everything Chris Nolan does best with the Dark Knight trilogy. As much as I like and respect The Dark Knight, the third and final instalment is the one that I love. For a movie buff and superhero buff like myself, it hits even harder, with a score even more dramatic, acting performances even more complex, stakes even higher, and a final act even more emotionally charged.

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

The third Harry Potter film takes the fourth-best of the seven books, and turns it into the second-best out of the eight films. This is largely thanks to director Alfonso Cuarón, who infused a genuine passion for the series and the fantasy genre with his own directorial skills and unique style, making for a film that is an awesome movie in itself in addition to being an awesome Potter movie. The combining of creepy, mysterious darker-than-the-first-two-films imagery with countless peculiar details makes for a tone so specific that it's addictive, which is why it's so fun and nostalgic to re-watch this film again and again.

Also, here's my weekly reminder of J.K. Rowling being an unfortunately disappointing person. It's not just a case of her having said something offensive in the manner of making a mistake, it's that she has repeatedly refused to listen and learn. An apology would've gone a long way after her original transphobic remarks, but instead she has chosen the way of the martyr and continues to defend her bigoted talking points instead of giving room to the notion that maybe she should listen and learn. So, as much as I love the books and the movies based on them, I have very much lost my respect for Rowling as a person and would really wish for her to just shut the f**k up.

2. Star Wars: Episode VI - The Return of the Jedi (1983)

Now we arrive in the truly highest tier. The climax of the original Star Wars trilogy (episodes IV, V and VI, naturally) is filled with sci-fi fun, massive payoffs, poetic storytelling and a fist-pumping feel.

The first act, taking place on the franchise's most iconic planet Tatooine, delivers a delightfully gradual series of returns and reunions for our beloved main characters, culminating in a moment that condenses everything I love about the Star Wars atmosphere better than any other (Luke, about to be executed, receiving his lightsaber from R2-D2 and starting to fight back while John Williams' score pumps your heart with a sense of heroism). This is followed by a second act full of exciting build-up and cute, fuzzy ewoks, and then we have the climactic final act filled with dread and redemption on one front and a rebellious battle on the other.

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Looks like I have a thing for third instalments where the subtitle starts with "The Return of the". Then again, I reckon that today's #1 is a choice I don't particularly have to defend - not only is it one of the three only films to win ELEVEN Oscars, it is also one of the three only films that I have personally given a full 10/10 rating to. It's pretty much the G.O.A.T., not just in terms of sequels but arguably in terms of movies in general.

Peter Jackson pours his heart and soul into every action and battle sequence, complemented by the spectacular costume designs, grandiose sets, and combination of great-for-its-time CGI and authentic New Zealand scenery in the visuals. Howard Shore's all-time great score lifts every scene to further glory, and the more intense scenes are balanced out by humane dialogues delivered by actors who know their shit. So much of Tolkien's book's greatness comes to life on the big screen, and every change from the source material is admittedly well-reasoned. It quite simply doesn't get better than this.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as I continue the project with a ranking of the greatest fourth instalments in movie franchises.

Top 10 Second Instalments of Movie Franchises

Greetings, reader!

My dive into film franchises continues this week with my ranking of the top 10 greatest second instalments from movie franchises. Let's see if the freshly released Dune: Part Two made the cut or not!

Here are my honorable mentions: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Toy Story 2 (1999), X2 (2003).

10. Home Alone: Lost in New York (1992)

The second Home Alone joins the likes of Back to the Future Part II (1989), Rocky II (1979) and many others in the category of 'sequels that are exactly one notch down from their predecessor in pretty much every regard'. The difference is, I actually hold the first Home Alone in higher regard than the first Back to the Future or the first Rocky (come for me, cinema elitists), so being just one notch down from that is still very, very good.

It's not nearly as innovative as the original, but there's enough fun in the premise to make a very successful sequel of pretty much doing it all again - and of course there are some major changes, such as the premise being "Kevin takes the wrong plane and is alone in a city new to him" instead of "Kevin misses the plane and is stuck home, y'know, alone". Also, Tim Curry is a fantastic addition, shining as much as he does in any of his roles. This is the last you'll be seeing of the Home Alone franchise in this instalment-comparing series, because the first two were a big part of my childhood while parts 3 and 4 tried their darnedest to ruin my childhood!

9. Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice (2016)

I know, I know, I know. Today's list might piss quite a few fellow movie buffs off, and this is one of the major reasons why. People, by and large, didn't like Batman v Superman, the second film in the DC Extended Universe (2013's Man of Steel being the first). I am not those people. I love this film, consider it one of the better superhero films ever made, and thus a deeply underrated and misunderstood work. I've written lengthier defense speeches of this film on my blog before, but here's a quick summary of some key points:

- I find the rift between Ben Affleck's Batman and Henry Cavill's Superman to be very well-written relative to the superhero movie genre, with Jesse Eisenberg's refreshing take on Lex Luthor working as the manipulative mastermind pushing them against each other

- Zack Snyder can direct the hell out an intense fight sequence, and Hans Zimmer's sense-tingling score fits Snyder's gloomy style beautifully

- Both of the main superheroes are more interesting and layered than they are in many adaptations: Superman deals with the heavier side of the God complex that comes with his powers, while Batman wrestles with his demons and the flaws in his moral code

- It feels like four movies rolled into one, as it is simultaneously A) a Batman reboot, B) a Superman sequel, C) a hero vs. hero showdown, and D) a Justice League set-up. I know many people see this as a weakness that 'makes the film feel bloated', but I disagree and find the film's multiple roles fascinating

- The film is deeper than most superhero films, as it deals with themes from PTSD to the aforementioned God complex. The graffiti in the ending montage saying "If you seek his monument, look around you" is downright profound.

8. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

A sequel being better than the original - many cynics complain that this "never happens", but I will have you know that while it is undoubtedly much more rare than sequels lesser to the original, cinema history has multiple instances of these cases. And never has the leap in quality been larger than with Star Trek.

Of course, this matter is helped by how much the first Star Trek film sucks. And I say this as a die-hard trekker. Star Trek started out as a brilliant TV series in the 60's, but the first of the thirteen movies belonging the franchise was a piss-poor attempt of bringing Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi world onto the big screen. Thankfully, they kept trying, because nerds across the world were amazed at just how much better the second film was. All that Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) lacked, The Wrath of Khan provides, with its perfect pacing, interesting villain, neat plot connections to the original series, exciting final act, and emotional core.

7. The Life of Brian (1979)

The second Monty Python film had the difficult job of following The Holy Grail, but man, the Pythons had it in them. While I personally rank The Life of Brian slightly below the first and best Python film, comparing these two is quite arbitrary, as both individuals belong in the very highest tier of comedy cinema. This movie combines absurd, clever and creative gags with sharp, tongue-in-cheek satire of religious myths, making for a memorable flick with loads of re-watch value.

6. The Dark Knight (2008)

While the leap in quality isn't as big with Chris Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy as it was with the Star Trek films, this is also a case where part 2 is simply much better than part 1. Everything that worked about Batman Begins is built upon with further potential, with this sequel realizing Nolan's "not a superhero movie per se, but a gritty crime thriller where they just happen to be wearing capes and being based on the DC Comics characters" vision even further.

Of course, a big reason for The Dark Knight's success is its villain - Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy were solid as the first film's main villains, but Heath Ledger's Joker takes it to another level. It's undoubtedly one of cinema's great villains, and the posthumous Oscar win after Ledger's tragic passing was beyond deserved.

5. Terminator II: Judgement Day (1991)

And here we have perhaps the most famous and uncontested instance of a sequel being better than the original. Mind you, there's not much wrong with the first Terminator, which is an action / sci-fi classic in its own right. But the sequel does everything better, and is arguably the greatest action film ever made.

While the premise of The Terminator was already interesting, the sequel fuels the intrigue further. While Arnold Schwarzenegger's role as the T-800 Terminator made for an ice-cold villain in the first film, it was a genius move to bring him back as re-purposed hero to help Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and John Connor (Edward Furlong) fight a newer, scarier villain, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick).

James Cameron directs every action sequence with a brilliant balance of intensity and entertainment, the use of Guns N' Roses' You Could Be Mine in the soundtrack perfects the badass atmosphere, and the bond between the T-800 and young John is surprisingly moving in between all the action. As much as the chase scenes and fight sequences thrill me, the line "I know now why you cry - but it is something I can never do" makes me cry every damn time.

4. The Godfather Part II (1974)

I keep going back and forth on which is better, The Godfather or The Godfather II. They have slightly different strengths, I love both, and basically, they are exactly as great cinema as each other. So, just as the original ranked highly in last week's post of the best first instalments, this historically acclaimed sequel ranks highly on my list of the second instalments. As for the infamously polarizing The Godfather Part III? Check out next week's blog to see whether I'm on the hate train or not.

But, yeah, this sequel is breathtaking. The flashback storyline detailing Vito Corleone's rise to the top, with Robert De Niro playing the young version of the character Marlon Brando made famous, is pure gold, as is the present-day narrative where Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) branches out to Cuba, fights legal battles, and ultimately faces the poetic rise and fall of the Corleone crime empire.

3. Dune: Part Two (2024)

Yeah, I get that it's a tad bold to put this new release ahead of the likes of The Dark Knight and The Godfather Part II. But that's where I'm at right now - my exact opinion and ranking of Dune: Part Two might very well shift with time, further reflection and re-watching, but based on my experience seeing it for the first time a few weeks ago, it's in the top three part twos of all time.

The state-of-the-art set design and visual effects make for a striking, even breathtaking aesthetic, further complemented by Hans Zimmer's immersive score. The story from Frank Herbert's book is adapted with grace, and everyone in the cast brings their A-game (especially Zendaya and Javier Bardem, who had limited screentime in the first instalment, but really get to shine here). It's an intense, unrelenting blockbuster adaptation of sci-fi's finest book, and I can't wait for the next movie to keep up the good work with the events of Dune Messiah.

2. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

First of all, let's get this out of the way - yes, that is the Roman numeral for 5 in the title, because yes, it is Episode Five, but yes, it still belongs on today's list. I'm going with order of release here, and as any nerd can tell you, the Star Wars movies were released in the classic order of 4-5-6-1-2-3-7-spinoff-8-spinoff-9.

I had to at least consider putting Dune: Part Two above this one, but decided that that would've been too far. The Empire Strikes Back is, after all, The Empire Strikes Back. While I'm of the slightly off-mainstream opinion that the original Star Wars movie is the very best one, I do get why a vast majority of the franchise's fans have Episode V as their #1 pick - it is, in many ways, the perfect sequel.

Themes and plot points from Episode IV - A New Hope are expanded upon beautifully, with intriguing worldbuilding, further character development, a slightly darker and more complex tone, and a cliffhanger ending making this a sweet middle instalment for the original trilogy. Oh, and the most famous plot twist in cinema history is a nice addition (I won't spoil it here in case you've been living in a swamp for 44 years).

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

This is the gold standard right here. Mind you, it's not better than (or even, in a hair-splitting manner, quite as good as) the first Lord of the Rings film, but it still deserves the #1 spot today. Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's iconic fantasy trilogy is, in my view, the best film trilogy of all time, so all three films are going to be up there with the best of them in the three first posts of my instalment extravaganza.

The Two Towers continues the dazzling set design, cinematography, score and overall production design that The Fellowship of the Ring set an incredibly high bar for. The plot takes us to places ranging from the creepy Fangorn Forest, through the beautiful plains of Rohan and all the way to the ominous Black Gate, all coming to life in a brilliant fashion loyal to the world created by Tolkien's unparallelled imagination.

The middle instalment of the film trilogy is best remembered for the battle of Helm's Deep, and rightfully so - it is truly one of the greatest battle sequences ever seen on the big screen, with a vibe so immaculate and action so intricately coreographed that the end result has the viewer's heart racing no matter how many times you've seen it play out. Much like the battle of Helm's Deep, the battle for first place in today's blog was a tough one, but Peter Jackson and company are the heroes who came out on top with this one.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as I continue the project with a ranking of the best third instalments from movie franchises.

Top 10 First Instalments of Movie Franchises

Greetings, reader!

Today marks the beginning of a new, ten-week series. I'm comparing various instalments from various movie franchises - which franchise has the best first film, which has the best second film, et cetera. Kicking things off, these are the greatest franchise-opening films of all time!

P.S. For those interested, my annual Oscar predictions had the result of 15 correct out of 23. Not as good as the 17/23 I got the last two years, but not terrible either. Maybe next year I'll break my record!

Here are my honorable mentions: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Back to the Future (1985), Batman Begins (2005), Die Hard (1988), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

10. Halloween (1978)

The original Halloween is a stone-cold classic in the field of horror cinema. No unnecessary gore or overkill jump scares, just expertly built suspense and vibes. The signature creepy feel of Halloween night is on full display, with the overall atmosphere of Haddonfield, Illinois being just so very bleak and ready for shit to go down.

John Carpenter's steady directing and the spine-tingling score (also composed by John Carpenter!) really nail Halloween down as one of the quintessential horror classics, and a franchise debut that certainly raises enough curiosity to justify at least a few of the 12 sequels / remakes / reboots / spin-offs. Some of them are surprisingly good, but none of them hold a candle (or even a jack-o-lantern, heh) to the original.

9. The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix trilogy kicks off with a film that more or less defines the modern era of sci-fi cinema. When you watch The Matrix now, the movie feels clichéd, but that's just because so very many sci-fi action movies made after it have ripped off its style. This is a standard-setting film, influential enough for many to copy from it and refreshing enough to warrant re-watch after re-watch.

The directing by the Wachowski sisters is zany and delightfully out-of-the-box, and the end result is one of the more mind-bending and thought-provoking films in the genre. The worldbuilding is cool enough that the film does beg for sequels, and those sequels are worth watching - but once again, there's no beating the original with this franchise.

8. Dune (2021)

Sure, one could argue that David Lynch's 1980's fever dream Dune is the first in a franchise where this remake is second and 2024's Dune: Part Two third. But I didn't go with that; in so many ways, Denis Villeneuve's 2021 Dune is a fresh start, a clean slate, the start of something new, and much more a new adaptation of Frank Herbert's book than a new version of the 80's movie.

Anyways, this is an all-timer - possibly the best film of the 2020's so far, and arguably the best realization of book-to-movie adaptation I've ever seen. Everything from the set designs to the casting decisions works in making the end product feel eerily much like Frank Herbert's Dune, one of my favorite books, and seeing it done justice on the big screen is a treat. I just saw the sequel this week, so next week's blog post (the top 10 second instalments of movie franchises) will reveal what I thought of that!

7. Home Alone (1990)

This subjective favorite was hard to rank, but #7 was what I ended up going with. Home Alone will always be my favorite Christmas movie, and more importantly, very possibly my favorite kids' movie of all time. I loved Home Alone as a child, and as a grown-up, the sheer nostagia always moves me and takes me to a magical place. It's an entertaining and whimsical joy ride of shenanigans, and one of those movies I just never get tired of.

6. Jurassic Park (1993)

This groundbreaking 90's sci-fi adventure flick kicked off the uneven Jurassic Park franchise, and is arguably Steven Spielberg's greatest film. The John Williams score is one for the ages, and everything in the film just works - the balance of edge-of-your-seat tension and wholesome family fun, the memorable cast and dialogue, you name it.

The Oscar-winning visuals also mark the film as Hollywood's greatest visual effects in relation to the time of the film's release. Seriously, a movie from 1993 has no business having such strikingly authentic-looking dinosaurs!

5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Comedy films are sometimes overlooked by cinema buffs, which is a travesty - making one laugh is one of the most important goals art can accomplish, and a much-needed accomplishment in this day and age. And no film makes you laugh quite like Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

This comedy legend has it all - the six-member Monty Python comedy troupe with their impeccable chemistry and weird humor, a collection of insanely memorable and quotable moments, hysterical running jokes and gags that range from impressively clever to so-stupid-that-it's-extremely-funny. The scene where the two tower guards have trouble following the King's orders is, in my honest opinion, the single funniest scene in cinematic history.

4. The Godfather (1972)

The classic of the classics. The original Godfather is cinema heritage, with character dynamics that have influenced everything in Hollywood, ridiculously quotable dialogue, and an unforgettable atmosphere created by a beautiful score, razor-sharp directing and impeccable art direction / set decoration that all fit together with aplomb. The acting performances by Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Robert Duvall and James Caan* make this into a serious candidate for 'best-acted film of all time'. So, yeah, it's a good one.

*I know that listing six names as examples may seem like bad writing, but I simply didn't have the heart to leave any of those names out when thinking about how much each performance brings to the end product.

3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

The first Harry Potter film combines what I loved about the first Home Alone film as described above, and what I loved about the first Dune film as described above: it's a nostalgic gem that was a major part of my upbringing, and it's one of the greatest book-to-film adaptations I've seen. The locations, characters and various plot points from the first book come alive on the big screen in a spectacular manner, making for a magical film with infinite re-watch potential.

Also, most of the Harry Potter films are good enough to make it into their respective top 10 in this franchise-instalment series, and I feel a bit uncomfortable praising the series multiple weeks in a row when considering the controversies around J.K. Rowling and her, y'know, hate speech. The very least I can do as an ally is to bring as much attention to trans rights on this platform as I do to praising the movies based on her books, so here goes: Rowling's bigoted rhetoric on trans people isn't just 'controversial', it's downright dangerous, as there's always a correlation between rhetoric against the human rights of specific minorities by popular figures, and hate crimes committed against these people. Things for trans people are difficult enough, with so much hateful ideology sparking legislation against a community just trying to live their lives, so people like Rowling should really just shut the f**k up.

2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Speaking of remarkable book-to-movie adaptations, this is the film that defied decades and decades of 'No filmmaker could ever do this book series justice' attitudes. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy is so grand in scale and intricate in feel that it would've been hard to imagine a big-screen adaptation living up to it all, until Peter Jackson took on the challenge and passed the test with flying colors.

The Fellowship of the Ring kicks off the greatest film trilogy of all time with amazing production values, a dynamite cast, a heart-melting and psyche-pumping Howard Shore score, and magnificent New Zealand scenery captured by Oscar-winning cinematography. It brings Tolkien's imaginative fantasy world to life on the big screen in a downright breathtaking manner.

So how come such a masterpiece isn't the greatest franchise-opening instalment of all time? Well, because...

1. Star Wars (1977)

One of the very greatest films ever made, period. Star Wars is a relatively simple adventure tale, yet the world George Lucas created had something so inherently magical and addictive about it, that this individual adventure film spawned two sequels, a prequel trilogy, a legacy sequel trilogy, two spin-off films, and various spin-off TV shows (not to mention the graphic novels et cetera deeper down the semi-canon iceberg). People just keep wanting more and more Star Wars, and the thanks for this absolute craze (probably the closest equivalent that the movie franchise world has had to Beatlemania) can be addressed to the film that started it all.

Star Wars (later re-branded as Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope) is perfectly paced, with fascinating worldbuilding and intriguing characters. The music by John Williams is as magnificent as it gets, and the visuals and set design go illegally hard for the 1970's. No movie franchise in history has kicked off with as much promise and hype as this absolutely historical game-changer.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week as I continue this project and rank the top 10 second instalments of movie franchises.

My 2023/2024 Oscar Predictions

Greetings, reader!

As per tradition, I'm sharing my Oscar predictions on the last Thursday before the ceremony. Let's see how I do this year, and whether I beat my last year's score of 17 out 23!

Actor in a leading role - Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy)

This one will be a contested race, as Paul Giamatti's acclaimed role in The Holdovers has gotten a lot of critical acclaim and award season hype, with many seeing it as a possible dark horse. The winner will definitely be one of those two, but even with Giamatti's recent hype, my gut says to go with Cillian Murphy, whose explosive (heh) performance has been seen as a no-brainer Oscar winner since last summer.

Actor in a supporting role - Oppenheimer (Robert Downey Jr.)

I haven't seen nearly all of the films nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but RDJ is hard to beat - his role in Oppenheimer deserves to be bombarded with all sorts of awards (will I really do a different pun for all eight categories that I'm expecting Oppenheimer to win? Only time will tell).

Actress in a leading role - Killers of the Flower Moon (Lily Gladstone)

Lily Gladstone has been sweeping the awards season, becoming the first actress of Native American descent to win a Golden Globe, for example. A historic Oscar win on top of that would certainly look nice, and be a remarkable milestone for the native communities.

Actress in a supporting role - The Holdovers (Da'vine Joy Randolph)

While the selection of actresses nominated here is insane in terms of collective talent, the general award season hype seems to buzz around relative newcomer Da'vine Joy Randolph more than it does around more seasoned Hollywood names like Emily Blunt or Jodie Foster.

Animated feature film - The Boy and the Heron

This one could go many ways - often it is the mainstream Disney hit (Elemental) that wins, but this year, there's a subversive LGBTQ+ -themed cult hit (Nimona) and a mega-critically-acclaimed groundbreaking-animation-style film (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) throwing wrenches in the gears. Yet I'm gambling and saying it's none of them: I would go with Spider-Verse but it's a sequel to a film that already one this award a few years back, and I would go with Nimona but they didn't really market it for award season hype so it's flying under the radar. Therefore I'm going with The Boy and the Heron, which I haven't seen but is apparently very good and Oscar-worthy.

Cinematography - Oppenheimer

Not only is Hoyte van Hoytema's cinematography in Oppenheimer incredibly impressive, it's exactly the kind of cinematography that often does well in the Academy Awards. A balance of technically impressive trick shots to show you've got the skills, and long, pensive and artistic shots that leave room to breathe and make the film feel all Oscar-y. After being nominated but not winning for Dunkirk, and somehow not getting nominated for Tenet, it's about time that the longtime Chris Nolan collaborator gets the recognition he deserves before his fuse is burnt.

Costume design - Barbie

This could go many different ways, but my money is on Barbie - despite underperforming in relation to expectations in nominations (I'm still not over the Greta Gerwig directing snub), I'm guessing Barbie will win a few categories, and this one is a no-brainer as the film's costume aesthetic was well-thought-out, diverse, zany and fun.

Directing - Oppenheimer

I'm anticipating a loud bang of applause when Christopher Nolan finally wins the Best Director Oscar that has evaded him for so long.

Documentary feature film - 20 Days in Mariupol

I haven't seen 20 Days in Mariupol, but apparently it's an amazing documentary detailing the horrors of war in Ukraine. It sounds like a documentary good enough to win the Oscars, and also the subject matter is exactly something that the Academy would want to highlight at this time.

Documentary short film - The ABCs of Book Banning

I haven't seen this one, but based on what I've heard about it, I really hope it wins, as it appears to shed light on one of the more frustrating aspects of the ridiculous culture wars going on in the U.S. right now. This short documentary winning an Oscar might not change anything, but I reckon it would make for a nice symbolic gesture and a middle finger to the goddamn clowns who are quite literally following in Hitler's footsteps yet somehow don't realize they're on the wrong side of history.

Film editing - Oppenheimer

I'm anticipating Oppenheimer to be one of those films that come out every few years, where their critical acclaim and overall production values set off a chain reaction of various categories - it can't just win Best Picture and a couple of others, it's got to win like eight categories or something. Best Editing seems like a no-brainer to add to this collection.

International feature film - The Zone of Interest

Every year, I choose the category I'm the most sure about, and make a promise: if I don't get this one right, I'm going to watch all Sharknado films (Jesus Christ, apparently there are six of them AND THREE SPIN-OFFS by now) and rank them on my blog in excruciating order. I still haven't lost this bet, but one can only play with fire for so long. This year, my pick for the Sharknado category is International Feature Film.

It's a bit of a no-brainer when one of the films in this category is also nominated in a bunch of other categories - sure, the Spanish Society of the Snow also has one other nomination (makeup and hairstyling), but this U.K. film is nominated for Best Picture, Screenplay and Directing. It's a bit boring if the International Feature award goes to the equally white and western country that the U.S. spun off from, but then again, 'boring and predictable' is often quite a good tip-off when making Oscar predictions.

Makeup and hairstyling - Maestro

Movies about real-life figures from modern history are often a darling for this category, as truly making an actor look like their real-life counterpart is a bold challenge for makeup and hairstyling departments. Maestro has gotten its share of acclaim (as well as prosthetic nose controversy discourse) in Bradley Cooper's transformation into legendary composer Leonard Bernstein, so this seems like the one to go with.

Music (Original score) - Oppenheimer

It's hard not to be biased here, as Ludwig Göransson is one of my favorite modern composers and he deserves everything in life. But seriously, the Oppenheimer score has such potential to win this category - the unique soundscapes, the heart-pounding intensity, the composer so clearly working with razor-sharp creativity and atomic precision (I know, the puns are getting lazy).

Music (Original song) - Barbie (What Was I Made For)

Billie Eilish' music is always a hit with the critics, and this song won this same category at the Golden Globes. It's going to be one of the two nominated Barbie songs for sure, but I reckon this one has more Oscar potential than I'm Just Ken.

Picture - Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer has all the elements of a Best Picture winner. Its production values merit wins in several other categories, it's bound to do well in the ranked-voting system as it's hard to imagine many Academy members putting it last, its critical acclaim and award season hype are massive, and its message is thought-provoking and timely. Oh, and it didn't bomb in the box office either.

Production design - Barbie

This one could go many ways - most years, there's a clear frontrunner for Best Production Design, but this time, it's an even playing field. Will they go with the zany and colorful sets of Barbie, the deep-end historical designs of Napoleon, or the ambitious and attention-to-detail-oriented productions Oppenheimer or Killers of the Flower Moon? It could go many ways, and I wouldn't be surprised to the least if especially Oppenheimer won. But, gun to my head, my money is on the Academy rewarding out-of-the-box creativity with Barbie!

Animated short film - Letter to a Pig

Geopolitical complexities will definitely have a role to play in whether or not the Academy chooses to highlight this French-Israeli production. I could see it going either way, but I'm guessing they will go with this one.

Live action short film - The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Usually, the short film categories go to whichever film has the most socially relevant message that the Academy wants to boost at that time. But this year, I'm guessing that they'll make an exception and award Live Action Short Film to this creative fantasy tale, as it has a lot more critical hype around it than any of its fellow nominees.

Sound - Oppenheimer

The Oscars have often shown appreciation for groundbreaking films, and the sound design in Oppenheimer is bold in a way that will likely influence many films to come, creating quite a boom.

Visual effects - Godzilla Minus One

This Japanese Kaiju reboot has a bit of an underdog approach to it, as films of this nature rarely do well at the biggest award shows. But the visual effects of Godzilla Minus One have been so spectacularly praised on multiple different fronts, that even the Academy might be able to recognize that not all great cinema comes from Hollywood. As a major fan of the Godzilla franchise and the general Kaiju mythos in Japanese cinema, I'm really hoping I'm right about this one.

Writing (Adapted screenplay) - Barbie

This year, I'm calling Best Adapted Screenplay as the single most hotly contested Academy Award, when combining the even-ness of the playing field with the prestige of the award. This is the nail-biter I'm looking forward to, as it could go so many ways - will they reward the socially poignant and relevant script of American Fiction, the humorous and out-of-the-box way of delivering a feminist message with Barbie, or the much-praised dialogue and storytelling of Poor Things? Or will this be yet another award thrown Oppenheimer's way, as the screenplay certainly is up there with the year's best?

It's going to be a tough race - so tough, in fact, that I'm forfeiting my vision as a betting man and choosing to play with faith and bet on the film I'd most want to win the category (this optimistic and romantic tactic is also known as "my brother Ville betting actual money on England winning the football World Cup / European Championship every time"). Greta Gerwig's Barbie script is genius and would deserve to win, so I'll just try to manifest it.

Writing (Original screenplay) - Anatomy of a Fall

It's a pretty good tip-off that in the Golden Globes, Anatomy of a Fall won the whole writing thing - they don't have separate categories for adapted and original screenplays, but rather lump them all in together, and Anatomy of a Fall took the win. So I'm guessing it'll do the same when there's half the competition.

Thank you for reading! Let's see how well I do this year - last year's 17 out of 23 will be tough to beat.