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.
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