Kevin
The teaser trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three has finally given us a glimpse at how one of modern cinema’s most ambitious trilogies might wrap up, and it got me thinking about just how rare it is for a trilogy to truly stick the landing.
You come out swinging with a terrific first film, raise the stakes with the second, and then suddenly you’re staring down the hardest part of all: delivering a finale that tops what came before. That’s no small feat. But every now and then, a trilogy actually pulls it off. So let’s take a look at three trilogies that absolutely stuck the landing, and three that, well, probably should have quit while they were ahead.
Nailed It: War for the Planet of the Apes
As a massive fan of the Planet of the Apes franchise, I was more than a little apprehensive when it was announced that the series would be rebooted with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. CG apes? Come on. Even Tim Burton’s misguided reboot at least had Rick Baker’s incredible makeup and prosthetics going for it.
But Rise worked, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes raised the bar considerably. It would have been easy for the trilogy to stumble at the finish line, but War for the Planet of the Apes was a genuine triumph, anchored by Andy Serkis’ extraordinary performance as Caesar. Yes, the franchise continued with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, but Rise, Dawn, and War form a remarkably satisfying trilogy and a near-perfect arc for Caesar.
Blew It: Spider-Man 3
Sam Raimi clearly had a story he wanted to tell with Spider-Man 3, but the studio had other ideas, namely, “more villains.” Specifically, Venom. Sure, the character was (and still is) a fan favourite, but he never quite fit within Raimi’s world, and it shows.
With Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Venom (Topher Grace), and the New Goblin (James Franco) all competing for screen time, the result was an overcrowded narrative that never had a chance of reaching the heights of the first two films. And the less said about Emo Peter Parker, the better.
Nailed It: Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 arrived eleven years after Toy Story 2, and at the time, it was easy to wonder if Pixar was simply going back to the well for an easy cash grab. Instead, the studio delivered a sequel that stands as one of the all-time great animated movies, not to mention emotionally wrecking an entire generation.
That incinerator scene? My God. It has no business hitting as hard as it does, but that’s exactly why the movie works so well. And then there’s the ending: a now-grown-up Andy passing his toys on to the next generation. It wasn’t just closure for Woody, Buzz, and the gang; it was closure for the audience who grew up with them. Sure, Toy Story 4 came along later, and Toy Story 5 is on the way, but let’s be honest: this was the perfect ending.
Blew It: Blade: Trinity
Some trilogies go out with a bang… and then there’s whatever the hell Blade: Trinity was.
After two movies of being the coolest motherf***er in the room, Blade suddenly finds himself playing second fiddle to Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel in his own movie. It feels less like a finale and more like a backdoor pilot for a spin-off nobody was asking for.
Following Stephen Norrington’s kick-ass original and Guillermo del Toro’s stylish sequel, the third film is strangely bland by comparison. And then there’s the behind-the-scenes drama: Wesley Snipes reportedly refused to interact with the cast and crew, communicating only with writer/director David S. Goyer via Post-it notes, which he signed “Blade.”
Oh, and Dracula is the villain. You’d think that would be cool.
It’s not.
Nailed It: The Return of the King
Now we come to the gold standard of trilogy finales. The Return of the King is that rare threequel that delivers on absolutely everything: massive battles, emotional payoffs, and character arcs that had been building steadily across the previous two films. It’s all here, and it all lands.
Watching this at a midnight screening back in 2003 remains one of my all-time favourite moviegoing memories. We laughed, we cheered, we cried, and there’s never really been anything else like it. People love to joke about the multiple endings, but honestly, after spending nearly twelve hours in Middle-earth, that extended goodbye was far from indulgent. It was earned.
Blew It: The Godfather: Part III
Let’s get this out of the way: I don’t think The Godfather: Part III is a bad movie. It just happens to be a follow-up to two of the greatest films ever made, which is an impossible position to be put in.
Even at its best, the film struggles to escape the shadow of its predecessors. It does bring Michael Corleone’s story to a tragic, fitting conclusion, but Francis Ford Coppola himself has described it as more of an epilogue than a true finale. It helps to think of it that way, but it also makes it feel less grand than what came before.
There are also some notable missteps. Robert Duvall’s absence as Tom Hagen is deeply felt, and then there’s Sofia Coppola as Michael’s daughter. I don’t want to be too harsh, but it’s immediately clear that her performance can’t quite stand alongside the acting heavyweights surrounding her.
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Trilogies are a gamble. You can build something incredible over two films, and then completely fumble it at the finish line. Or, if everything clicks, you deliver something that sticks with audiences for decades. Now it’s Dune: Part Three’s turn. No pressure, Denis. Let us know your favourite — and least favourite — trilogy finales in the comments.
