Top Ten Tuesday: Finest Film Franchises!

We all know what goes into making a movie franchise… more than one sequel, sometimes desired by the masses, sometimes, not so much. Generally speaking, these are big budget blockbuster films, but the genre varies slightly from action to horror to comedy and even fantasy. But, the more pertinent question on the minds of the Movie Geeks is… What makes a movie franchise great? In this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, we attempt to answer that question by compiling our own list of the ten greatest movie franchises of all-time!

Honorable Mention: INDIANA JONES

In the 80’s, the Indiana Jones franchise was on an epic, legendary role. I have met few people in the world who have had anything bad to say about the first three films. Yes, you would be correct in correcting me on there being four films. I’m getting to that… While Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had it’s redeeming moments — in fact, I quite enjoyed the first half or so, prior to the “alien/UFO” reveal — the fact is it was sub-par compared to it’s predecessors. Raiders of the Lost Ark is quite simply a masterpiece of cinematic adventure. This movie introduced the thrill-seeking anthropologist (Harrison Ford) to audiences and we fell in love! Ford combined the reckless charisma of Han Solo with the intellectual charm that would dominate his later roles. How better to exemplify this than to reference the scene when Indie faces a local thug with a sword… someone apparently never told him not to bring a knife to a gunfight, but Indie taught him his lesson. And when it comes to iconic moments in movie history, the infamous “boulder” scene with Indie escaping the deadly cave with the golden idol is unforgettable.

As for Temple of Doom, some (with good reason) call it cheesy… I call it classic Indie fun! Yeah, it’s a tad cheesier than ROTLA, but then again, the melting Nazis at the end of the first film gave me nightmares as a kid… for a bit, then I got over it and loved the movie even more. TOD is just filled with old school adventure and gross-out fun. I classify TOD as roughly the same type of sub-genre film as Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile, including the “romance”. Finally, The Last Crusade (my 2nd fave behind Raiders) is a brilliant example of where a [trilogy] franchise “should” end. Introducing Sean Connery as Indie’s father was brilliant, and he nearly stole the film. TLC proved to have all the elements that made Raiders classic, even giving the film a very subtle, slightly Bond-ish subtext. For my money, Indiana Jones is and always will be one of the best cinematic franchises of all-time, despite it’s illegitimate step-brother from outer space.

10. BACK TO THE FUTURE

Quite possibly one of the most under-rated (perhaps even forgotten on some level) movie franchises, BACK TO THE FUTURE solidly holds it’s place in pop culture. Director Robert Zemeckis had just come off directing the huge hit Romancing the Stone (1984) and was comfortable in the action/comedy genre. Michael J. Fox was a huge television star at the time (Family Ties) and was looking to make the jump to becoming a movie star. Due to scheduling conflicts, Fox had to turn down the iconic role and Eric Stolz (Mask, Some Kind of Wonderful) was cast as Marty McFly… and shooting began.

After deciding Stolz wasn’t right for the part (no, really?), Zemeckis persuaded NBC to let Fox shoot Back to The Future at night while taping Family Ties during the day. (That explains why so much of the first film takes place at night.) The decision ultimately paid off — Back To The Future was the top grossing movie of 1985. It was nominated for four Academy Awards and won an Oscar for sound editing. The movie also generated a #1 album on the Billboard charts, thanks to the extremely popular-at-the-time Huey Lewis and The News. The two subsequent sequels weren’t as big, but fans flocked to see Michael J. Fox reprise his role as the lovable Marty McFly, alongside the difficult to resist bumbling mad scientist Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd.

09. PLANET OF THE APES

“You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!” — George Taylor

The original five PLANET OF THE APES films (1968-1973) chronicled the fall of humankind and the rise of intelligent apes through the points of view of astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston), the ape Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), and his ape-son Caesar (also played by McDowall). They were all box office hits with their winning combination of intelligent science-fiction concepts for adults and talking chimps and action for the kids. I’ve always found it extremely clever how the final three films are at the same time both sequels and prequels to the first two. The PLANET OF THE APES films inspired a TV show, an animated cartoon and a huge industry of APES merchandise. Tim Burton’s 2001 reboot was poorly received but a prequel to that is rumored to be on its way so maybe they’ll get it right.

08. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

A movie made from a ride at a theme park? You’re kidding, right? But of course this wasn’t just any ride at just any theme park. This is the iconic Pirates of The Caribbean ride made famous at Disney Land (California) and Walt Disney World (Florida), probably one of the most popular attractions of all theme parks. Everyone remembers going there as a kid and what fun it was to ride in the boat and see all the animatronic pirates running around to the crazy pirate music. And that’s what Disney was betting on when they came up with the idea for the movies. But it was a risky move. The concept seemed a little cheesy to most, and it didn’t help that director Gore Verbinski didn’t have an especially successful track record (Mousehunt… Really?) But then you add the stroke of genius that is Johnny Depp and it worked brilliantly. Throw in Orlando Bloom, who himself is no stranger to franchise success (Lord of the Rings trilogy), Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush and you have a very wide audience appeal.

Verbinski was smart enough to know that these should be fun, action, comedic, summer popcorn movies. And he was right. All three movies ruled the box office when they were released, and Depp even scored himself a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his charming scallywag, Captain Jack Sparrow. And we’re not done just yet. 2011 will bring Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and it looks like it will be as successful as the first three. Oh and that ride at that theme park? It now has an animatronic Captain Jack Sparrow, voiced by Johnny Depp himself. Seriously, the happiest place on earth.

07. HARRY POTTER

The Harry Potter saga is, ironically enough, not one to be taken lightly. The first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, struck that rare compromise between cinematic vision and literary loyalty. Every film since has leaned one way or the other but it seems none have jumped the shark just yet. Of particular note is the third film, directed by Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron; he brought a distinctively darker and more subtle touch to the series, a theme that current director David Yates re-established in the fifth film. As a franchise, Harry Potter has surprised many critics by maturing with its audience and displaying a surprising cinematic ambition, thanks mainly to the unorthodox directors at helm. The final film has been, thankfully, divvied into two parts, the first of which is due holiday time this year.

06. ROCKY

“No, maybe I can’t win. Maybe the only thing I can do is just take everything he’s got. But to beat me, he’s going to have to kill me. And to kill me, he’s gonna have to have the heart to stand in front of me.” — Rocky

OK, so here’s the thing… while Sylvester Stallone has admittedly become as much of a punch-line as a revered pop-culture icon over the years, you cannot dismiss the genius of the character of Rocky Balboa. Let’s not forget that Rocky was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Screenplay that Stallone wrote, and won 3, including Best Picture and Best Director. Rocky stole the heart of America and reminded us why we should always root for the underdog. So of course, there would be sequels. And although all six movies were written by Stallone, they weren’t all gems.

One was fair (Rocky II — a sort of boring continuation of Rocky), one was downright awful (Rocky V — retired Rocky trains young fighter Tommy Gunn… seriously?). But the two in the middle (Rocky III and IV) brought us back to the feeling we had after seeing Rocky. Not only were these movies hugely successful, they also launched the careers of another pop culture icon, Mr. T (Clubber Lang), and Dolph Lundgren whose Ivan Drago is arguably one of the most popular franchise characters (Rocky IV was the biggest box-office hit of the franchise, grossing over $300 million worldwide). The franchise spanned 30 years, when in 2006, Stallone decided to give fans a final farewell with Rocky Balboa. The title alone is enough to put a lump in even the hardest throat. For me, this is one of the all-time great franchises of all time, hands down.

05. ALIEN(s)

Lt. Ellen Ripley and fellow Nostromo crew members were sound asleep in space where “no one can hear you scream” when they’re woken up to a bogus S.O.S. signal. Next thing you know, people’s chests are either bursting or they’re becoming the main course for a nasty bugger — thus beginning the fantastic sci-fi/horror franchise from 20th Century Fox — ALIEN. All ends well in Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking 1st installment (and Ripley goes to sleep for 60 yrs), that’s is till James Cameron comes along and this time “its fargin war.” A groggy Ripley and the Colonial Marines meet up with a hoard of nasty buggars when they’re sent in on a rescue mission to save a colony and pretty much get their asses kicked. Cool thinking Ellen Ripley goes mano y mano with the Queen of the Buggers in a “Clash of the Titans” type battle for the ages and saves the day. (Fans cheered when Sigourney Weaver became the 1st actor/actress to receive an Oscar nomination in a science-fiction film for her performance in ALIENS.)

In ALIEN 3, just as Ripley is finally getting some shut-eye, her ship pulls a five o’clock charlie and crashes — along with, what else, one little buggar on board and another !gulp! inside Ripley. What’s a girl gotta do to catch a break… and some sleep? SPOILER ALERT for those who’ve been living in a cave, Ripley dies only to be woken up again, 200 years later, as an Alien-hybrid clone in ALIEN RESURRECTION. People have been fascinated since 1979 by H.R. Giger’s horrifying design of the Alien with its defense mechanism acid for blood and double jaw and those nasty eggs filled with exploding face-huggers. The same holds true for Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis’ nightmarish creation of the Queen Alien complete with egg sack and spiked teeth. The ALIEN franchise is far from over. Ridley and Tony Scott are prepping for 2 prequels, sans Ripley, to be released in theaters either by the end of 2011 or in 2012.

04. THE LORD OF THE RINGS

Technically speaking, The Lord of the Rings isn’t a “true” franchise and wasn’t even made so much with that in mind, considering all three films were shot simultaneously then released consecutively over a three-year period. Some purists would even call this one films in three-parts… but, semantics aside, we have three separate films that connect into one very long epic that has reached the standard definition of franchise success. Peter Jackson clearly had a vision, but one has to wonder if he ever truly realized how massive the project would become and how massive a success the film adaptations (despite the flaws, you literary fanatics) would prove to be.

Working with the New Zealand special effects group Weta Workshop, Jackson brought the fantasy creatures and characters to life in vivid detail and realism. The action was spellbinding and the story took form due in great part to the magnificent cast put into place, including Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Christopher Lee as Saruman and Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, just to name a few. Perhaps one of the most memorable performances in the trilogy came from an actor who never even had an on screen appearance… Andy Serkis quickly became an audience favorite as the ugly, conflicted Golem, even earning himself several nominations and awards for the performance that sparked groundbreaking Academy Awards buzz, which unfortunately did not lead him to the Oscar. Stunning cinematography, beautiful scores and fantasy battle scenes of an epic proportion never before seen on the big screen, The Lord of the Rings earns it’s place in movie history as a franchise that sort of ended when it should, even if The Hobbit is being developed into a two-picture event, we’ll gladly welcome it into our arms with adoring fandom.

03. JAMES BOND 007

Who wouldn’t want to be James Bond? He’s a suave secret agent with a license to kill. He’s tough as nails and makes love to deliciously gorgeous women with names like Pussy Galore, Honey Ryder, and Holly Goodhead. He drinks his martinis “shaken, not stirred” and never seems to lose when he gambles. The 007 films are the most successful and longest running film franchise ever to reach the silver screen.

It’s success lies in its combination of style and action; attractive men and women, exotic locations, desirable cars, boats, helicopters, etc that create a fantasy lifestyle that secretly most of us would like to live. The men want to be Bond and the women want to sleep with Bond. I love all the Bond films (and have seen them all at the theatre beginning with DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER in 1971) and they all have good points — even the bloated Roger Moore films and the grim Timothy Dalton editions. Hopefully there will be much more 007 to come.

02. THE GODFATHER

“Do you renounce Satan?” asks a priest near the end of THE GODFATHER (1972) as he’s baptizing Michael Corleone’s son. “I do” replies Michael just before director Francis Ford Coppola ironically cuts to a montage of the bloody murders of the five rival family heads. It’s one of the most powerful, influential, and brilliantly edited sequences in cinema and perfectly paved the way for a second chapter adapted from Mario Puzo’s novel about crime, corruption, and family.

Some feel THE GODFATHER PART II (1974) is actually a better film than the original and it’s only sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. The sequel expanded the scope of the saga and offered Coppola a chance to go to a broader horizon but overall, the original is preferred because it breathed life into the gangster genre and gave crime films dramatic respectability. THE GODFATHER is cited as the very favorite by more men of a certain age I know than any other film. THE GODFATHER PART III came out in 1990 to far lesser acclaim and many fans of the first two, including myself, have never given it a second visit. Perhaps it’s aged well and deserves rediscovery.

01. STAR WARS

So, I figure the audience is gonna be split 50/50 on this one… so, here goes our reasoning for why STAR WARS is the #1 greatest movie franchise of all-time: Ca$h Money! Well, not entirely, but that is one element of a successful movie franchise… How much can this property bank? And, as we’ve all known for years now… George Lucas is really good and lining his pockets with this franchise property.

Putting the “green” aside, STAR WARS has it’s merits. Besides, millions of devoted fans can’t be wrong, especially when many have now forsaken their false idol but remained loyal to the films. On that note, STAR WARS has conventions all it’s own. What other franchise can claim that? not even Harry Potter has his own conventions… yet. And, the toys? Don’t get me started! STAR WARS is loaded with memorable characters, sci-tech creations and really, when it boils right down to it… can you get any cooler than a light sabre?

Half of you are probably pleased and delighted to see STAR WARS having topped our list, perhaps even relieved that you didn’t have to scold us for not voting it #1, but the other half of you are probably somewhere between “couldn’t care less” and “are you effing nuts!” For those of you… kudos for having your opinion and sticking to it. See, this is a big part of what makes STAR WARS great… the pop culture love/hate relationship. Love it, hate it, or indifferent… STAR WARS inspires conversation, debate and creatively critical thinking unlike any other franchise, including STAR TREK. (No, endless discussions of alien cultures and sci-fi tech that doesn’t exist isn’t enough.)

As for the films themselves, I think it goes without saying that most people have mixed feeling, even the fans. The very first film — which is of course Episode IV — is a stellar, landmark technological and artistic achievement. Personally, it can be a bit slow in parts, but nonetheless is amazing. For my money, it simply doesn’t get any better than “THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (Episode V) which coincidentally, was directed by Irvin Kerschner, not George Lucas. Hmm… I’ll refrain from opening that can of worms… again!

Then comes RETURN OF THE JEDI… and to be quite honest, was a lot of fun, even if the Ewoks were a little too cute. When you think about it, Episode VI was sort of an early heads up warning of what to expect in the pre-quilogy of Episodes I-III. (Honestly, I’m not sure any of us were properly prepared for Jar Jar Binks, but several therapy sessions later I have moved on and can enjoy the finer aspects of the lesser trilogy in the STAR WARS franchise… my favorite being Darth maul.