Trilogies!

Today's post will be an homage to trilogies. Now, I will be the first to admit that sequels are often a bad idea. (Can anyone say "Grease 2"?) Remakes are often even worse. (The recent Clash of the Titans debacle comes to mind.) However, trilogies are a separate entity that have shaped some of the greatest movie franchises in history. Below is my list of the top 5 all-time greatest trilogies, all available today at our MacArthur store!

1) Back to the Future - How could this one not be first? For those of you who have been living in a under a rock quarry or at the bottom of a garden pond for the past 25 years, this film is about charming high school slacker Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his quirky awkwardly-too-old-to-be-his-friend pal, inventor Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd). Doc invents a time machine (out of a DeLorean) and takes Marty with him into the 1950's, where he befriends his high-school parents; into the year 2015 where he sees himself as a middle-aged man, and into the Old West, where he finds that the cowboy costumes sold in your local Halloween shop aren't exactly stylish. A wild ride from start to finish, this trilogy is fun for the whole family!

2) Star Wars - I suppose now this franchise counts as 2 trilogies (or possibly a set-of-six-ogy, but I don't know the actual word for that). Regardless, the Star Wars movies have managed to transcend generations, making geeks out of baby-boomers and ten-year-olds alike. With Hans Solo for the girls and Princess Leia for the guys, these movies are great entertainment for both Grandpa and little Suzie.

3) The Mummy - Now, I know that earlier I said that remakes can sometimes be a mistake. But these movies are so darn entertaining that I just couldn't leave them off the list. Brendan Fraser stars as Rick O'Connell, a swashbuckling adventurer in the deserts of Egypt who gets saddled with uptight librarian Yvie (Rachel Weisz). They accidentally unleash an evil mummy on the world, and fall in love in the process. Witty wordplay and great chemistry make this trilogy one you won't want to miss! (Although if you're going to miss any of it, skip out on part 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emporer. The franchise just isn't the same without Rachel Weisz as Yvie.)

4) Indiana Jones - For those of you who still want to see Harrison Ford shoot people but aren't so into the Star Wars thing, this is a perfect choice. We get to ride along as Indie negotiates ancient booby traps, gets in bar fights in Marakesh, and reunites with his father (the unforgettable Shawn Connery). But let it be known that this review refers to the original trilogy-the recent Kingdom of the Crystal Skull should probably be left on the shelf.

5) Toy Story - I'm the first to admit I may be a bit biased on this one. I loved Toy Story 3 so much that I saw it 3 times in the theater. What can I say, I just can't get enough of Ken and Barbie in their dreamhouse. Biased or not, this trilogy is funny, sweet, sad, heart-wrenching, and just all-around fun. Grown-ups will love seeing some of their favorite childhood toys come to life (Barrell of Monkeys, anyone?) and kids will love the goofy characters, bright colors, and adventure as the toys get replaced, broken, and ::gasp:: donated! Toy Story 3 is not yet available on DVD, but now is a perfect time to catch up on the first two, currently re-released and on our New Kids wall!

-Posted by Colleen