Worst2First: My Top Third Films

Worst2First: 

My Top Third Films

With the third "Hotel Transylvania" film coming out this week, I decided to focus my top ten list on the best third films I've seen.

Two's company, but three is a crowd.  In many instances, that's very true, but in cinema, sometimes you need a third film to help complete a story.  While there's been countless third films, I've found my personal ten favorites, which I will now list for you.  This doesn't mean I like the third film the best out of the trilogy, but I found them very enjoyable, important, and meaningful.

So here is my personal top third films, worst2first...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

 Goldmember

Mike Myers took the 1960s spy subgenre and turned it on its head with the creation of Austin Powers, a man frozen in time, who thaws out in the present still living according to the swingin' 60s.  His blend of slapstick, crude, and offbeat humor has echoed through the years, and while "Goldmember" isn't the strongest of the lot, it's got some of the best one-liners of the franchise.  Plus Beyonce kills it, veteran actor Michael Caine playing a womanizing spy, and Myers playing multiple parts - including his iconic Dr. Evil, hilarious Fat Bastard, and the film's true villain, Goldmember. 

#9

 Day of the Dead

Legendary director George A. Romero took the concept of zombies and made them mainstream, and it's thanks to his revolutionary transformation that we've been gifted with numerous zombie films, shows, and games since.  His iconic trilogy began with "Night of the Living Dead" before moving to the mall in "Dawn of the Dead," and his third film takes us to an army base with a mad general and one of cinema's most famous zombies - Bub.  While some of the effects haven't held up with time, it's still an iconic piece of work and one that's cemented zombies in the mainstream for decades to come.

#8

 Thor: Ragnarok

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first two "Thor" films often rank near the bottom due to several different factors, most importantly they're both deemed as too dull.  With "Ragnarok," Thor raises himself to the upper echelon of the MCU, delivering a film that's equal parts action, comedy, and drama in perfect measure.  In his quest to prevent the evil goddess Hela from destroying his homeworld, Thor enlists the help of friend Hulk, the Valkyrie, and even his trickster brother Loki to take her down and prevent Ragnarok.  With a kicking soundtrack and intense cast chemistry, the film is a bonafide hit for the MCU.

#7

Captain America: Civil War

Taken from the comic series of the same name, "Civil War" is the third Captain America film that feels more like a mini-Avengers movie.  Here, Captain America and Iron Man find themselves at odds over whether or not to be regulated by the government, leading to a split between the superheroes.  The result is an action-packed spectacle the MCU is best known for, with one of the most exciting action sets ever put on film.

#6

 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Harrison Ford invented one of cinema's most iconic heroes in Indiana Jones, an adventurer who travels the world looking for its most hidden treasures.  In the third film, he's out to find the Holy Grail before the Nazis can find it, and this time he's aided by his father, played by the ever-amazing Sean Connery.  The chemistry between the two men helps drive the story, and even though it's decades old, it still holds to the test of time, with exciting action and laugh-out-loud humor.

#5

 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

When you think about Westerns, two names come to mind: John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood.  Giving birth to the Spaghetti Western genre, director Sergio Leone brought a series of three films that he at first didn't envision connecting and produced cinematic gold.  "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" finds Eastwood's character (known as The Man With No Name) uniting with a bad guy to find buried gold during the end of the Civil War.  On top of Eastwood's now-iconic performance, this trilogy also introduced the world to the visionary musical work of Ennio Morricone, and provided audiences with a new love of the Western genre.

#4

 Avengers: Infinity War

A film ten years in the making, yet still falling under the mantle of "Avengers," "Infinity War" finds (almost) every hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe uniting to stop the mad Titan Thanos from finding the Infinity Stones and erasing half of humanity.  The stakes have never been higher, the action never been greater, and the results never more potentially heartbreaking.  Jaw-dropping from start to finish, a true thrill ride for the eyes and the ears.

#3

 Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi

While easily the weakest of the first "Star Wars" trilogy (those darn Ewoks), "The Return of the Jedi" is still an iconic film that firmly cemented the new sci-fi genre and made household names out of its then-unknown stars.  Filled with action, character development, and the blowout after THAT big shocking twist in "The Empire Strikes Back," "The Return of the Jedi" is still seen as a masterclass of filming that's withstood the test of time.

#2

 Toy Story 3

Pixar proves that you don't need an epic drama to make the tears fall, all you need is a group of toys who come to life when their owners aren't around.  "Toy Story 3" is the perfect conclusion to the trilogy, and possibly one of the best endings in all of cinema.  As Andy prepares for college, his toys fear that they will be thrown away and forgotten, and the film serves as the perfect story for kids who grew up with the franchise - most of whom were also the age of Andy at the time - and gives them fond memories of childhood gone by.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house, and that proves how powerful these films can truly be.

#1

 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

To me, there still hasn't been a movie as epic, as perfect, as undeniably profound as Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.  Films far before their time, Jackson takes J.R.R. Tolkein's story and gives it new life, with extraordinary effects, tremendous performances, unbridled action, and everything you'd ask for in a film and then some.  "The Return of the King" is Jackson's crowning achievement, concluding an epic tale about love, loss, strength, weakness, power, trust, and everything else in between.