The 6 Best Movie Trilogies Released Since 2000, Ranked

This Collider piece ranks the best film trilogies released since 2000, arguing that a good trilogy is harder to achieve than a single strong film because each instalment must work alone while building towards a satisfying whole. The author picks out six trilogies that stayed consistent or improved with each entry, moving from "good" to "best" rather than declining after a strong opener, as many franchises do.

– Captain America trilogy — each film shifts genre (WWII adventure, 1970s political thriller, ensemble political drama) while Chris Evans's Steve Rogers anchors all three; Anthony and Joe Russo took over directing the latter two – How to Train Your Dragon trilogy — directed throughout by Dean DeBlois, praised for consistent emotional depth (including Hiccup's loss of his father) and steadily improving animation quality – Planet of the Apes trilogy — Andy Serkis's motion-capture performance as Caesar is highlighted as one of the era's best, with Matt Reeves directing the final two films with added moral weight – Dark Knight trilogy — Christopher Nolan gives each film a distinct genre feel while keeping the same central character (the article's excerpt cuts off before detailing this entry fully, and two further trilogies in the ranking are not covered in the extract)