Enough Already: Trilogies

Recently, I was reading a story about Robert Rodriguez' eternally in-development sequel to Sin City when I was reminded of something: despite the fact that it's taken him forever to even mount a first sequel, he's already planning for the third installment.

It was then that I had a thought. Nay, a rant. Here, then, is an open letter to all the genre filmmakers of the world:

Enough already with the trilogies.

I'm not against sequels as a rule, I just don't think there always has to be an obligatory third installment. Rarely does the third part ever match the heights already set by the first two, and often, it can drag down the reputation of an otherwise sterling series. The list of disappointing third-parters goes on and on: The Godfather Part III, Spider-Man 3, The Matrix Revolutions, Scream 3, Superman III, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, etc.

Is it the fault of Star Wars? That iconic series was perhaps the most influential template for trilogies, despite the fact that -- you guessed it -- the third installment of the original series is widely considered the weakest. Now every studio cultivating a franchise sticks a two-sequel clause into its actors' contracts, and directors are less and less willing to give up the reins until they've reached that magic number. Everyone expects Chris Nolan back for the next Batman sequel (it's practically mandatory) and I've got no doubt that the rebooted Star Trek will spawn a fleet of sequels, just as I have a strong hunch that JJ Abrams will let one of his proteges take over the series after he helms the third film.

Would any filmmaker ever be brave enough to craft a series that consists of only two parts? While the idea of a trilogy surely satisfies that screenwriting urge for three-act structure, there's something elegant and bold about crafting a pair of filmic bookends, and it lets the second film stand on its own as an intriguing response to the first film (instead of as a waystation to the rest of the franchise). Sure, the occasional two-film series exists, but most modern examples are merely intended trilogies cut short by box-office dropoffs.

I used to give a great example of a two-film set that worked perfectly on its own: Toy Story and Toy Story 2. The first film was a giddy, nostalgic trip through childhood, while the latter was a surprisingly mature exploration of its end. Taken together they were the perfect pair, each informing the other and leading a big idea to its logical conclusion.

Toy Story 3 is currently set for release in 2010.