This week our Roundtable was inspired by a real life one that our founder, Tristan had with some friends over beer. He wanted to know what the rest of the staff thought. (You can find his opinion below.)

We asked: In your opinion what are the 10 best movie franchises of all time? We aren’t asking for your favorite franchises, but rather, the best. (Note, franchises must be comprised of at least 3 movies to count.)

Drew Troller

James Bond, The Godfather, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Die Hard, Rocky, Batman (Christopher Nolan’s trilogy), and Harry Potter.

---

Josh Kan

^have a feeling everyone’s lists are going to look like this.

Also, Marvel franchise is killing it right now.

---

Scott Hoffman

I’d add Bourne, Mission Impossible, X-Men and maybe the Matrix. Also, Alien.

---

Jess Baker

Andrew & Joshua are right … can’t argue with Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, and the Nolan Batman trilogy. I’ll specifically call out Iron Man (because Robert Downey Jr. IS Iron Man. Period. You can’t cast that role any better). Eagerly awaiting “The Battle of the Five Armies” to wrap The Hobbit.

---

Drew Troller

Do the Marvel things count as their own franchises (Iron Man movies, Thor movies, Captain America movies) or just one (Marvel Cinematic Universe collectively)?

---

Niel Stender

Star Wars (old ones), Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Avengers (will be), Batman (new ones), Matrix, Mission Impossible, Austin Powers, Back to the Future, Terminator (2 makes up for any downfall of the others), Die Hard, Fast and the Furious (yes, really), Bourne, Twilight (no, not really), Dirty Harry. Is that 10? I love movies.

---

Chris Day

Andrew and Niel covered the bases so well that I have to get weird with my answer: George Romero’s trilogy of the dead (Night, Dawn, and Day), the Mariachi trilogy, the Mad Max trilogy,
Park Chan-Wook’s “Vengeance” trilogy, Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Three Colors trilogy, the Evil Dead trilogy, the Toy Story trilogy, Sergio Leone’s “Dollars” trilogy, the Pusher trilogy, and last but not least, the Naked Gun trilogy!

---

Drew Troller

Chirs, I was totally lost until you hit Toy Story. We got a cinephile over here!

---

Scott Hoffman

Nice call on the Mariachi trilogy. Totally forgot about that. It may be better to have everyone provide their top 3, otherwise we’re just rehashing the same franchises? Mine would probably be Indy, Die Hard and Godfather.

---

Niel Stender

Was Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy a trilogy? #JerseyStrong and all

---

Josh Kan

Oooh, good call on Toy Story. the third one was intense,…it got a little too real at the end there.

---

Tristan Chan

I think we keep the Marvel Cinematic Universe together (though perhaps we eliminate the original Hulk attempts).

---

Josh Kan

Miyazaki films count as a franchise? Totoro, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky etc.

---

Tristan Chan

1. Marvel Cinematic Universe
2. Star Wars
3. Christopher Nolan’s Batman
4. Back to the Future
5. James Bond
5. Harry Potter
6. The Fast and the Furious
7. Toy Story
8. Indiana Jones
9. Mighty Ducks
10. Lord of the Rings

Star Wars would have taken the top spot had it not been for the prequel disasters, otherwise known as Jar Jar Binks, same goes for the Shia Labeouf experiment with Indiana Jones. The Fast and Furious inclusion was no joke, I’ll have more on that in an indepth post soon.

It should also be noted that once Star Trek’s third movie is made that will assuredly make the list.

Other notables that didnt make the list and in no particular order: Austin Powers, X-Men, Spiderman, The Matrix, the Godfather, Land Before Time (there may have been 2000 in the series but like the NOW series on cd it had to have worked), Shrek, The Mummy, Police Academy, Die Hard, Rocky, Men in Black, Terminator, Pirates of the Caribbean, Naked Gun.

---

Scott Hoffman

I get that the Marvel movies are all linked, but several of them are only connected by an after-credits appearance by Samuel L Jackson. I don’t really consider that a franchise. Especially since Iron Man is already sitting at three movies and counting.

---

Cory Pelc

Everyone is right on with Alien, Star Wars (the original trilogy), LOTR, Evil Dead, and George Romero’s ‘Dead’ Franchise as aforementioned, but also want to add these to the discussion – Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Godzilla Franchise, Ong Bak (Tony Jaa is my spirit animal), Kevin Smith’s Jersey Trilogy, Critters, Tremors and Ossorio’s Blind Dead series. Does the Clint Eastwood “Dollars” trilogy count? With Eastwood having the same mannerisms and the same clothes throughout, I feel like they belong together.

---

Danny King

Dollars should totally count. I’d add Sergio leone’s Once Upon a Time trilogy. Also Evil Dead trilogy & Halloween trilogy (Halloween, Halloween II, and Halloween H20. If Jamie Lee Curtis isn’t the main character then it isn’t a real Halloween movie.)

---

Brad Hartsock

I mean if it’s the best and not favorite franchise I think the answer is Godfather, Godfather, Godfather, Godfather, Godfather, Godfather, Godfather, Star Wars, Godfather, Godfather. If it’s favorite and not best it’s the same but replace each “Godfather” with The Fast and The Furious.

---

Cory Pelc

ha

---

Chelsea Mitchell

Why has no one mentioned The Neverending Story? Also, I’m counting Shrek as an amazing movie franchise.

---

Desiree Duzich

Fast and the Furious!!! 🙂

---

Drew Davis

Must include at least 3? I say James Bond. And I move that Godfather can’t be included considering the third should be stricken from the record books. Star Wars and Indiana Jones (minus those released post 1998) should be in consideration.
—
Oh man, didn’t see some of those posted earlier. Definitely Marvel Universe, First two Batmans and the Nolan ones, Harry Potter, Back to the Future, Toy Story, Rocky, Die Hard. And Mighty Ducks was great call Tristan Chan but I refuse to acknowledge the third. If we’re allowing horrible third installments, then Major League on the strength of the first can be included!