Movie trilogies: Our favourite finales

SINGAPORE – In writing, the rule of three is a principle that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying or more effective than other numbers of things.

That’s a truism for movies as well. From the original Star Wars trilogy to the Godfather; the Vengeance series to the Before Sunrise trilogy; from the Infernal Affairs series (yes, including The Departed) to Lord Of The Rings, The Matrix ... the list goes on.

And now, the third chapter of another series is set to open next week: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. The Hunger Games follows the adventures of heroine Katniss Everdeen and has been a smashing success since it hit our screens in 2012.

In the first instalment, we are introduced to the nation of Panem, which forces each of its 12 districts to send a teenage boy and girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to compete in the Hunger Games, a battle to the death, where teenagers must fight one another until one survivor remains. Katniss volunteers in her younger sister’s place and, along with Peeta Mellark, is forced to rely upon her instincts to survive.

Not only do they both survive, in the second instalment, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, they find themselves on a “victor’s tour” of the various districts. But they cannot celebrate their win. President Snow has ordered yet another edition of the deadly event — the Third Quarter Quell — and all previous winners find themselves pulled back in. This time, there’s more nastiness afoot and Katniss and her allies need to stay together to survive. In the end, Katniss and a select number of participants escape to District 13, where a rebellion against the cruel government is set to begin. The only thing is, Peeta isn’t with them.

And now there’s Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, the first of two cinematic parts based on the novel Mockingjay, the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy. Directed by Francis Lawrence with a screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong, the story continues to follow Katniss who, after escaping the Third Quarter Quell, becomes a reluctant heroine and symbol of hope for the nation of Panem.

We won’t spoil the movie for you, but there are the inevitable questions that people will want answered (for those who didn’t read the book, that is): Will they find Peeta in one piece? Will the rebellion succeed? And what new colour will Effie Trinket have for her hair?

But, more importantly, will the Mockingjay movies be a worthy end to a series that has so far been exciting and gripping? Only time will tell. In the meantime, here are some of our favourite third chapters from the film franchises we’ve loved through the years.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

This third chapter in the Dollars franchise sees the gruff gunslinger with no name (Clint Eastwood) in search of wartime treasure. The question is, can he get to it before Tucco (Eli Wallach) or Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef)? Its expansive scope — set during the American Civil War — and runtime, just shy of the three hour mark, may seem daunting, but once you hear the whistle trill of Ennio Morricone’s theme and get to that final gunfight, you’ll be thankful you sat through it all.

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

The first two films were action-packed and this one doesn’t disappoint, as Jason Bourne has to evade the bad guys (which in his case, are also technically the good guys). Paul Greengrass’ direction makes this instalment a film series that feels whole. (Even if they’ve agreed to a new Bourne movie once again starring Matt Damon.)

TOY STORY 3

The first two were fun-filled romps and this one is too. However, Lee Unkrich, who was an editor on the first and a co-director on the second, takes it up a notch in TS3 and still has time to impart a little life lesson along the way. A must-see.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

The jury is still out on this, Christopher Nolan’s last Batman outing. But while Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance can’t outshine Heath Ledger’s take as The Joker, there’s enough to make this chapter a worthy cinematic edition for the dark knight of Gotham.

SAMURAI: DUEL AT GANRYU ISLAND

Movie No 3 in the Samura series sees the samurai Musashi Miyamoto (played with gusto by Toshiro Mifune) being challenged by a younger exponent, Sasaki Kojiro. Although Musashi has given up the way of the sword and lives in a small village, he agrees to fight the younger warrior in a year’s time. While there’s less action in this than the first two instalments, you find yourself on the edge of your seat, with the tension mounting as the day of the duel draws near.

RETURN OF THE JEDI

The original trilogy is still the one fans swear by, and no matter what they say, nobody hated the Ewoks that much (at least they weren’t as irritating as Jar Jar Binks). Still, you can’t ignore the thrill of the forest fight nor the largesse of the final space battle — cleverly intercut with the intimate-but-no-less-exciting lightsabre duel between Luke Skywalker and his father, Darth Vader (you do know he is Luke’s father, right?). As Vader once said, “the circle is complete”.

RETURN OF THE KING

Massive battle scenes, Frodo and Sam get attacked by a giant spider and the evil eye of Sauron gets its comeuppance. Despite the extended endings, there’s little to dislike about this one.