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5 Movie Franchises That Got Better With Each Installment

Movie franchises decay at an alarming rate. Narratives which had no business continuing in the first place have soaked the realms of cinema with thousands of unnecessary continuations, most of which have proved mediocre and damaging to their source material. Think Resident Evil, or Saw, two perfect examples of movie franchises which constantly have to drum up banal reasons for bringing their characters back into the fray. Sequels like these only serve to push their characters into territories which compromise their established personalities and motives, or to rehash the same plot elements all over again, essentially destroying the integrity of the original story.

2) The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)

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The Movies: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) (Dir. Peter Jackson)

Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy (based on the works of British writer J.R.R. Tolkien) arguably never takes a dip in quality, assuring that every film in this particular franchise is just as good as the others. But we reckon that given how these movies form a rich tapestry of storylines and character relationships that expands and grows with every installment, it makes sense to consider that each film is marginally better than the last. The first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, made the fantasy genre cool again, and gave us a brisk and perfectly-paced journey that didn’t slacken for any of its 178 minute running time. (5.0/5)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) (Dir. Peter Jackson)

With the Fellowship officially broken, Peter Jackson was forced to split the screen-time three ways to encompass each groups’ particular journey for follow-up The Two Towers. This movie brings in a political edge to the trilogy that Fellowship lacks, giving its characters time to slow down and relish in some finely-observed character moments. Gone is the frantic pace of the first movie, but The Two Towers works as more than just a bridge between the more action-heavy entries in the series: it’s where we get to know our characters, proving it a rich and complex work as any fantasy movie has the right to be. (5.0/5)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) (Dir. Peter Jackson)

The most emotionally satisfying and appropriately epic entry in the series, The Return of the King sees that all the established elements are brought together, leaving long-time fans feeling utterly drained (in the best way possible), having joined Frodo on his perilous quest to destroy the One Ring. The Return of the King doubles up on the emotion and spectacle, fully fleshing out the amazing world that Peter Jackson crafted for this franchise to inhabit. The ending is often criticized as being way too long, but given the length of the entire story, thirty minutes doesn’t seem long at all for wrapping up the events of these extremely impressive and arguably perfect cinematic endeavors.  (5.0/5)

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