Trilogy Week Part 2

Hey everybody, and welcome to part two of Trilogy Week.  If you haven't read the first post of the week, I'll give you the quick summary.  First of all, I'm not reviewing trilogies based strictly on quality.  I'm reviewing them based on their ability to be watched in a marathon.  I find that movie marathons are one of the most rewarding ways to spend an day/night, so that's what I'm going with.  I'm counting down the five most marathonable movie trilogies of all time.  The fifth was The Lord of the Rings and the fourth was the Ocean's trilogy.  So without further ado:

Marathonable Trilogy Number 3 - Indiana Jones

Yes, I know.  It's not a trilogy anymore.  I don't care, because I do not recognize the fourth one's place as a worthy member of this series.  So I'm calling it a trilogy, consisting of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, all three directed by Steven Spielberg.

This is a tricky one to marathon because of the timeline.  Temple of Doom, the second one released, actually takes place before Raiders of the Lost Ark.  So there are two ways to marathon this trilogy.  I would recommend going in the order of release.

The Indiana Jones Trilogy is a classic example of quality action filmmaking.  There's humor, the plot never stands still, it's got a little bit of romance, and more than enough fight and chase scenes.  Harrison Ford seems like he was born to play the role of Indy.  My only knock against it is that there are too many snakes.  I, like the title character, hate snakes.

The trilogy is good to marathon because all three films are equally engaging.  Even though they follow different storylines and have different auxiliary characters, Harrison Ford holds everything together with style.  I'm also a huge fan of Sean Connery as Ford's father in The Last Crusade.  Each film holds up as an individual and as part of a trilogy.  This makes for a very enjoyable marathon experience.  But Harrison Ford isn't finished, because he will also appear in...

Marathonable Trilogy Number 2 - Star Wars (Original Trilogy)

Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi comprise one of the most iconic pieces of American cinema ever.  Star Wars was directed by George Lucas, (producer of Indiana Jones,) The Empire Strikes back by Irvin Kershner, and Return of the Jedi by Richard Marquand.  But the entire series was the brainchild of George Lucas.

The trilogy tells a classic tale of good versus evil, set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.  While it's not necessarily believable that it took place long ago given all of the futuristic technology, the far, far away part sure is.  One of the series' strong points is its incredible makeup, costume, and animations for its alien creatures.

The story is simple and easy to follow.  There are clear good guys and bad guys, and you immediately know which is which.  There's not too many characters to follow, and they more or less follow the same path, so you never really have to worry about juggling to many plotlines at once.

The acting is pretty good, with the cast being led by a young Harrison Ford, who, as previously stated, is the man.  The voice of James Earl Jones is not bad either.

If you have not seen Star Wars, I cannot recommend it highly enough.  Just for the sake of your own cultural knowledge, I think you owe it to yourself to see at least the first one, if not the whole trilogy.  There are so many classic lines, characters, and locations to see and hear.  (My favorite:  "It's a trap!" -Admiral Ackbar)  If you have seen it, it is still always worth watching again.  I have yet to met a person who did not enjoy the original trilogy, and marathoning it just adds to the experience.

I guess that's all for now.  Tune in on Friday when I reveal the All-Time Most Marathonable Trilogy!  Until next time, let the wookie win.
-Harry