John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (May 2019)

[WillBrink]

The Matrix was never intended as a trilogy. Neither was Star Wars. Nor The Expendables. Nor Back to the Future. Nor El Mariachi. Mission Impossible. Shrek. Naked Gun. Toy Story. The Mummy. Die Hard. Mad Max. The Bourne Identity. Indiana Jones. (List continues.)

Every single one was, "Hey, we made money on this and people loved it. Let's make another!" And for a lot of these trilogies, the best movies are either the second or the third of the trilogy.

That's not my understanding. I'd read the Wachowskis had all three in mind and mostly written. The studio forced them make some changes so the first would be a stand alone if it flopped, but it was always intended by them as a trilogy.

[WillBrink]

The James Bond franchise and the Jason Bourne movies (six total) come to mind, for me at least.

The Bond movies are a good example, but found the Bourne stuff followed what I said. First few were ok, downhill fro,m there. Las one was total garbage.

[MountainRaven]

I actually like the second one better than the first.

I thought the second one had better gunplay, but the first one had a better story.

(Dude kills a bunch of mobsters who killed his dog, stole his car, pissed on his wife's grave, and killed his sensei) > (Dude kills a bunch of mobsters because a different mobster burned his house down, and then kills the bunch of mobsters who burned his house down)

The Bond movies are a good example, but found the Bourne stuff followed what I said. First few were ok, downhill fro,m there. Las one was total garbage.

The first three Bourne movies were pretty good. Should have ended it there. The last one, though, yeah, that one was total, flaming trash.

[Slater]

"John Wick 2" was a decent showcase for the Benelli M4.

[Moose-Knuckle]

The Bond movies are a good example, but found the Bourne stuff followed what I said. First few were ok, downhill fro,m there. Las one was total garbage.

The first three Bourne movies were pretty good. Should have ended it there. The last one, though, yeah, that one was total, flaming trash.

Are you gents referring to movie number four The Bourne Legacy (2012) with Jeremy Renner or movie number five Jason Bourne (2016) where they brought Matt Damon back?

Technically those are number five and six in the franchise if you count the original The Bourne Identity TV (mini-series) from 1988 but meh.

[Adrenaline_6]

Star Trek #2 was also better than the first. In fact, a lot of them were better than the first.

Halle Berry and attack dogs...I'm in.

[sundance435]

Star Trek #2 was also better than the first. In fact, a lot of them were better than the first.

Halle Berry and attack dogs...I'm in.

Terminator 2 is kind of the penultimate, more modern example for me (even though that bad boy is now over 20 years old). Then someone always brings up "Predator 2", which I didn't think was that bad.

[sundance435]

The Matrix was never intended as a trilogy. Neither was Star Wars. Nor The Expendables. Nor Back to the Future. Nor El Mariachi. Mission Impossible. Shrek. Naked Gun. Toy Story. The Mummy. Die Hard. Mad Max. The Bourne Identity. Indiana Jones. (List continues.)

Every single one was, "Hey, we made money on this and people loved it. Let's make another!" And for a lot of these trilogies, the best movies are either the second or the third of the trilogy.

Pretty sure Lucas always intended for Star Wars to be a trilogy, but as WillBrink pointed out with the Matrix, he wasn't sure the studio would make more than 1 if it didn't perform well.

[flenna]

Pretty sure Lucas always intended for Star Wars to be a trilogy, but as WillBrink pointed out with the Matrix, he wasn't sure the studio would make more than 1 if it didn't perform well.

The first Matrix was groundbreaking in the way it was filmed. The problem with the last two Matrix movies (other than they weren’t as good as the first) is they didn’t line up with the first movie. In the first Neo and his merry band of men, and women, were trying to save humanity from being used as human batteries for the machines. In the last two they were just trying to save “Zion” and the poor souls that were plugged up were forgotten about.

[WillBrink]

Star Trek #2 was also better than the first. In fact, a lot of them were better than the first.

Agreed, one of the rare examples, but also a unique example with changing casts, etc.

Terminator 2 is kind of the penultimate, more modern example for me (even though that bad boy is now over 20 years old). Then someone always brings up "Predator 2", which I didn't think was that bad.

Terminator was the classic, T2, was OK, but it didn't even approach the first, and after that, meh.

Pretty sure Lucas always intended for Star Wars to be a trilogy, but as WillBrink pointed out with the Matrix, he wasn't sure the studio would make more than 1 if it didn't perform well.

My understanding, they always intended it as a trilogy, with the risk averse studio putting limits on the first so it was stand alone if it tanked.

The first Matrix was groundbreaking in the way it was filmed. The problem with the last two Matrix movies (other than they weren’t as good as the first) is they didn’t line up with the first movie. In the first Neo and his merry band of men, and women, were trying to save humanity from being used as human batteries for the machines. In the last two they were just trying to save “Zion” and the poor souls that were plugged up were forgotten about.

See above, but while 1 was the best, all were good, and on watching them multiple times, actually got better. The unplugged humans were going to be wiped out and were fighting a last stand fight, I can see why saving the those being used as batteries a secondary concern, and they did a good job of showing that only Neo actually being fully integrated into the Matrix would save the few humans left in Zion from being wiped out totally. The machines were winning and "we" were losing, and a deal struck between Neo and the head Matrix mind is what prevented it to now fight a common foe. I'd actually like to see #4 at this point as it was still left someone open ended.