OT: Best Movie Franchise of All Time

[intlzncster]

I could do worse, my folks basement is pretty nice.

The first Godfather is one of the best movies of all time, I'd put just behind Casablanca, but that wasn't the deal, it was best film franchise with one of the ranking elements being consistency across the franchise. So one bad film knocks out an otherwise.

The Lord of the Rings had the advantage of having all three movies shot at the same time. There aren't internal inconsistencies or different directors with different "visions." Under this criteria, it wins.

Have to include the Hobbit (prequel). Every franchise has it's duds. Comes with the whole 'make money off the previous success' thing. Eventually you fail.

 

[David 76]

Look at a list of the American Film Institute's best movies (or any other serious list), and the First 2 Godfather movies destroy anything else mentioned above. The third wasn't up to par, but the first 2 are better than everything else mentioned (except, of course, the non-franchised Casablanca).
Look at the cast! Brando, Pacino, DeNiro, Duval,Diane Keaton vs Micheal J Fox, Christoper Lloyd, Leah Thompson or Ford, Hamil and Fisher or any of the other casts? The only cast that approaches the Godfather would be the adults in Harry Potter.

BTTF and Star Wars are great fun. But it is like comparing the Backstreet boys to the Beatles

 

[CL82]

Have to include the Hobbit (prequel). Every franchise has it's duds. Comes with the whole 'make money off the previous success' thing. Eventually you fail.

If you do, then I agree that LOR is out. The Hobbit is a very different different book than any of the LOR books, but for the movie they wanted to make LOR lite, adding in a lot material very loosely based on various Tolkien sources. It didn't work.

The Hobbit should have been no more than two movies and even that is a stretch. A good a job as Peter Jackson did with the LOR, and I have some quibbles there as well but overall they are well done, I think Chris Columbus (the director of the 1st two Harry Potter movies) would have done a better job. It is a funny story about an accidental hero, not the epic quest, war narrative like LOR.

JMO, though.

 

[UConnSean]

In all seriousness, my favorite series is 100% the nolan batman movies. All three are pure gold IMO

 

[intlzncster]

BTTF and Star Wars are great fun. But it is like comparing the Backstreet boys to the Beatles

That's way too much hyperbole. A good way to judge how good a series is or how much staying power it has and how rewatcheable it is. 538 did a recent article on just that. Based on 4,362 entries from 1,169 respondents.

Star Wars came in at number 1. LOR at 4. Godfather at 6. Harry Potter at 9.

The list included singular movies as well, which explains the gaps.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Only one poster mentioned the Bourne Trilogy and I have to agree, that is one fantastic series. I'm hopeful Matt Damon comes back and have heard rumors that he will, to add to the original three. It may not be the very, very best franchise but it's totally superb and deserves recognition.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Only one poster mentioned the Bourne Trilogy and I have to agree, that is one fantastic series. I'm hopeful Matt Damon comes back and have heard rumors that he will, to add to the original three. It may not be the very, very best franchise but it's totally superb and deserves recognition.

The Matt Damon Bourne movies are super rewatchable and consistent. My favorite is almost always the one I've seen the most recently (so right now it's Identity).

 

[IMind]

Have to include the Hobbit (prequel). Every franchise has it's duds. Comes with the whole 'make money off the previous success' thing. Eventually you fail.

The thing that kills me about the Hobbit prequel is that they didn't have to make it so absurd. The material is there... they left out things that would have been fun.. just to include the gawd awful connection to the LOTR and the mildly romantic drivel. No where near as skillfully handled as the LOTR.

 

[IMind]

Look at a list of the American Film Institute's best movies (or any other serious list), and the First 2 Godfather movies destroy anything else mentioned above. The third wasn't up to par, but the first 2 are better than everything else mentioned (except, of course, the non-franchised Casablanca).
Look at the cast! Brando, Pacino, DeNiro, Duval,Diane Keaton vs Micheal J Fox, Christoper Lloyd, Leah Thompson or Ford, Hamil and Fisher or any of the other casts? The only cast that approaches the Godfather would be the adults in Harry Potter.

BTTF and Star Wars are great fun. But it is like comparing the Backstreet boys to the Beatles

You're skimping on Star Wars... you're leaving out Sir Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, and James Earl Jones. Star Wars actually has a pretty outstanding cast all things considered. It's more like comparing Led Zeppelin to the Beatles.

PLUS Billy Dee Williams.... come on.

 

[IMind]

The Matt Damon Bourne movies are super rewatchable and consistent. My favorite is almost always the one I've seen the most recently (so right now it's Identity).

I love the Bourne movies and along those lines I love the Transporter (Crank also) movies and the Taken series.

 

[cw00dson24]

 

[intlzncster]

You're skimping on Star Wars... you're leaving out Sir Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, and James Earl Jones. Star Wars actually has a pretty outstanding cast all things considered. It's more like comparing Led Zeppelin to the Beatles.

Good call. I was trying to think of a good comparison, but didn't seem to have one nailed. I was going to go with the Rolling Stones, but for some reason, it didn't seem right.

For the record, I'd take Led Zep or the Stones 100 times out of 100.

 

[superjohn]

That's way too much hyperbole. A good way to judge how good a series is or how much staying power it has and how rewatcheable it is. 538 did a recent article on just that. Based on 4,362 entries from 1,169 respondents.

Star Wars came in at number 1. LOR at 4. Godfather at 6. Harry Potter at 9.

The list included singular movies as well, which explains the gaps.

And people love listening to Drake and Nicki Minaj more than pretty much anybody else. The Godfather and The Godfather part II are near flawless, two of the greatest films ever made. Some of these other movies are very entertaining but they don't hold a candle to Coppola's films.

 

[superjohn]

In all seriousness, my favorite series is 100% the nolan batman movies. All three are pure gold IMO

Loved the first two but thought the last one was horrendous.

 

[superjohn]

You're skimping on Star Wars... you're leaving out Sir Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, and James Earl Jones. Star Wars actually has a pretty outstanding cast all things considered. It's more like comparing Led Zeppelin to the Beatles.

PLUS Billy Dee Williams.... come on.

That's nice and all but no cast compares to Brando, Pacino, De Niro, Duvall, Cazale, Keaton and Caan.

 

[4in16]

Star Wars, James Bond and Harry Potter.

 

[Husky25]

That's nice and all but no cast compares to Brando, Pacino, De Niro, Duvall, Cazale, Keaton and Caan.

Wow, that's a mighty skinny limb you climbed out on.

The Godfather was not so much of the All-Star cast when it was being made as it is now. A strong argument can be made that The Godfather pretty much launched the careers of Pacino, De Niro, Keaton, Cann, Cazale, and Talia Shire.

 

[Bezzz]

Harry Potter. There's something about the 8 H.P. movies that I always watch from the time I land on it to the end and Heaven help the outside world if there is a Harry Potter weekend on ABC Family..

That "something" is Emma Watson.

 

[Husky25]

That "something" is Emma Watson.

In the later movies? Could be, but the chick is about 12 years old in Sorcerer Stone and Chamber of Secrets. That statement may say more about you than it does me...

 

[superjohn]

Wow, that's a mighty skinny limb you climbed out on.

The Godfather was not so much of the All-Star cast when it was being made as it is now. A strong argument can be made that The Godfather pretty much launched the careers of Pacino, De Niro, Keaton, Cann, Cazale, and Talia Shire.

Wtf kind of point are you trying to make? Those are some of the finest actors to ever grace the screen in the last 50 years.

 

[IMind]

Good call. I was trying to think of a good comparison, but didn't seem to have one nailed. I was going to go with the Rolling Stones, but for some reason, it didn't seem right.

For the record, I'd take Led Zep or the Stones 100 times out of 100.

I thought it was an apt analogy.... Led Zeppelin was made up of people that had had success in earlier bands, was built from the ashes of the Yardbirds, and didn't enjoy the same critical success The Beatles did.... while The Beatles were more critically acclaimed, largely considered the best rock band of all time, and came to fame in the band. I thought the Stones as well... but they're more like the Beatles than Led Zep.

 

[David 76]

That's way too much hyperbole. A good way to judge how good a series is or how much staying power it has and how rewatcheable it is. 538 did a recent article on just that. Based on 4,362 entries from 1,169 respondents.

Star Wars came in at number 1. LOR at 4. Godfather at 6. Harry Potter at 9./QUOTE]

So you will go with 538 over AFI? What is 538? (honestly not heard of it)
AFI gathered info from 1,500 film artists, critics and historians. 538 heard from 1.169 "respondents". AFI has the Godfather as the second best film of all time. 538 has it 6th. AFI has Star Wars #13. 538 has it #1

I'd go with AFI over 538, unless you have more info.
As for me, much more likely to watch the Godfather again than any other series.. I think it is in a class by itself.

Someone mentioned my omitting James Earl Jones as acting in Star Wars. Funny, if you were joking. If you weren't, come on! Great choice for voice-over but I don't think it, or even Alec Guinness (and I admire them both) match the memorable perfomances of Brando, Pacino, DeNiro in the Godfather

 

[intlzncster]

http://fivethirtyeight.com/ is David Silver's project. Good site with interesting articles and statistics. By no means the be all end all.

AFI is fine, but they often canonize films that shouldn't be canonized (any longer) and fall victim to the over intellectualization of film. And I'm one who does enjoy cerebral films and doesn't like the Hollywood blockbuster very much. I think a number of their Top 100 American films are either garbage or don't belong on the list or underrated. Example: Blade Runner at 97 is criminal.

I also think the vast majority of film critics are full of . I'm liable to go against most critics for what I want to watch. Way to much self importance in that crowd.

And I wasn't arguing that Godfathers weren't great, but you compared Star Wars to Back Street Boys. Which was way off base. Closer to the truth: Porky's would be BSB.

 

[Husky25]

Wtf kind of point are you trying to make? Those are some of the finest actors to ever grace the screen in the last 50 years.

Try some decaf...

Looking back over 40+ years of work, The Godfather had a great cast. No question about it, but other than Brando, they more or less all made scale in 1971. It's not like the movie was cast with the great thespians of the day.

Compare it to say Ocean's Eleven, which was intended to have an all-star cast with Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Gould, Garcia, Roberts, Mac, Caan, Afleck, Cheadle, and Weintraub (helped that he financed the movie). Not to mention Lenox Lewis and Vlad Klitschko.

 

[David 76]

Bon Jovi?

 

[intlzncster]

Bon Jovi?

Mozart.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Movie Series wise

Godfather has to be the classic action/drama.

For more mainstream fast action I go with Jason Bourne, with Fast Furious being a close second.

For more cult fast action its Riddick and Blade (Underworld a bit behind)

Comedy wise the classic has to be Peter Sellers and the Pink Panthers.

I'm drawing a blank on current comedies but as preciously mentioned leaning towards Hot Tub (although I haven't seen part 2). Although if Happy Gilmore wants to come back onto the senior tour to perhaps raise money to put his illegitimate children thru college that would be interesting to qualify onto the list

Star Wars, Hobbit, Batmans there's no re-watchable factor for me.

 

[jleves]

How has nobody mentioned American Pie???

 

[superjohn]

Try some decaf...

Looking back over 40+ years of work, The Godfather had a great cast. No question about it, but other than Brando, they more or less all made scale in 1971. It's not like the movie was cast with the great thespians of the day.

Compare it to say Ocean's Eleven, which was intended to have an all-star cast with Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Gould, Garcia, Roberts, Mac, Caan, Afleck, Cheadle, and Weintraub (helped that he financed the movie). Not to mention Lenox Lewis and Vlad Klitschko.

Thanks but I don't drink coffee. How much the actors are paid has nothing to do with anything. You're way out of your depth, can't believe you just compared the Ocean's Eleven remake cast/acting with the Godfathers cast which had several of the greatest actors ever in their primes.

 

[Dove]

Jaws was on its way to immortal franchise status. Then Jaws 2 happened...and it went 3D.