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It feels glad to see your interest in Lovely Professional University.Lovely Professional University provides ample opportunities to each and every of the eligible students to secure good placement.Placements and Internships Opportunities offered by the University placement department (Division of Career Services, DCS) ensure that students get hands–on experience in working in the industry.Lovely Professional University understand that the training and internships done with industry during the course of study helps the students to gain practical hands-on and real-life work experience even before he completes his degree. LPU provides opportunities to students to avail Internship / On-Job Training with industry as a part of their degree.Internships: Students go for internship with the company during which they are paid certain monthly stipends. Based on individual’s performance during internship, companies tend to absorb these students through a Pre-Placement Offer (PPO). LPU has been successful in generating Internship opportunities for students with a stipend of up to Rs 50,000 per month even when the student is yet to complete his program. Another set of our students pursuing internship with Amazon were offered a PPO with salary package of Rs 27.5 LPA basis their performance upon successful completion of internshipOn-Job Training (OJT): Students pursue training with the same company in which they are placed. In some cases, students get monthly stipend whereas in other cases, students get monthly salary during training period, prior completion of their degree. Over the year since January 2018, 1500+ students (incl. 500+ students from 2019 graduating batch) of Engineering, MBA, Journalism, Multimedia, Hotel Management, Fashion, Hospital and Healthcare, etc. have undergone / are undergoing OJT in the companies where they are placed in like Bosch, L’Oreal, Liberty, Videocon,Blujay,CueMath,Think and Lean,NCDEX,MarriottInternational,Marks and Spencer,RadissonBlu,MAQ Software, Piaggio Vehicles,Airtel, Aditya Birla Health Insurance,KonyIndia,ColgatePalmolive,Guess India, Hind Rectifiers,GenesisColros-Satya Paul,LG Soft India,TekSysytems, Reliance Jio, Roots Analysis, Alight Solutions, DB Corp Ltd., Decathlon Sports India Pvt. Ltd. Everest Industries, Easy Trip Planners, Vyolla Fashions, SPS Hospitals, WrigNanosystems, Edwisor, Herbal Health Consortium, Hettich India, Appeal group, Orient Bell, Utrade Solutions, Samarth Lifestyle, Aditya Birla Fashion,Electromech,etc. This approach also helps the students to gel well and earlier into corporate environment.On-site experience has been gained by LPU students through industry internships in corporate giants like Cognizant, Microsoft, Infosys, ABB, ISRO, Simplex to name a few.A total of 9 students from the Computer Science and Engineering discipline bagged an internship and post placement offer of 9 LPA after demonstrating a stronghold of the core Computer Science concepts from Jugnoo.LPU stands No. 2 in Hackerearth world-wide competitive platform. LPU students have won top positions and PPOs through in industry competitions like Informatica, Delta Automation contest, Texas Instruments Innovation challenge, SBI Digitize, TCS CodeVita, Hackathons by Infosys, SAP, Virtusa, Indian Govt., Rajasthan Govt. LPU Students had won Smart India Heckathon Contest in 2018 & in the same even in 2019 3 Teams of LPU Students have made it to the finals competing against X+ teams across the country. LPU students are also selected by LinkedIn as Campus Editors.Thank You!

Traditionally the Vedas and Upanisads were taught. They are not in the category of modern novels or magazines. Brahmanas learnt them and then passed on the knowledge. Under British rule there was a determined and systematic effort by Christians to destroy the teachings and even belief in the Vedas. They did their job well and India still has not recovered from it, so perfidious and insidious was it that only recently has there been a surge of popular interest in India’s spiritual heritage. This assault on Sanatan Dharma started at the beginning of the 19th century.William Carey (1761-1834) was the pioneer of the modern missionary enterprise in India, and of western (missionary) scholarship in oriental studies. Carey was an English oriental scholar and the founder of the Baptist Missionary Society. From 1801 onward, as Professor of Oriental Languages, he composed numerous philosophical works, consisting of 'grammars and dictionaries in the Marathi, Sanskrit, Punjabi, Telugu, Bengali and Bhatanta dialects. From the Serampor press, there issued in his life time, over 200,000 Bibles and portions in nearly 40 different languages and dialects, Carey himself undertaking most of the literary work.Carey and his colleagues experimented with what came to be known as Church Sanskrit. He wanted to train a group of 'Christian Pandits' who would probe "these mysterious sacred nothings" and expose them as worthless. He was distressed that this "golden casket (of Sanskrit) exquisitely wrought" had remained "filled with nothing but pebbles and trash." He was determined to fill it with "riches - beyond all price," that is, the doctrine of Christianity.Another preacher, William Archer, wrote in his book, India and the Future –"The plain truth concerning the mass of the [Indian] population — and the poorer classes alone — is that they are not civilized people."Reverend A.H. Bowman wrote that Hinduism was a –"…great philosophy which lives on unchanged whilst other systems are dead, which as yet unsupplanted has its stronghold in Vedanta, the last and the most subtle and powerful foe of Christianity."In 1790, Dr.Claudius Bucchanan, a missionary attached to the East India Company, arrived in Bengal. Not long after his arrival, the good doctor stated-"Neither truth, nor honesty, honor, gratitude, nor charity, is to be found in the breast of a Hindoo."Gogerly wrote:"The whole history of this famous god (Krsna) is one of lust, robbery, deceit and murder…the history of the whole hierarchy of Hindooism is one of shameful iniquity, too vile to be described."The prominent missionary, Alexander Duff (1806-1878) founded the Scottish Churches College, in Calcutta, which he envisioned as a "headquarters for a great campaign against Hinduism." Duff sought to convert the Indians by enrolling them in English-run schools and colleges, and placed emphasis on learning Christianity through the English language. Duff wrote -" While we rejoice that true literature and science are to be substituted in place of what is demonstrably false, we cannot but lament that no provision has been made for substituting the only true religion-Christianity - in place of the false religion which our literature and science will inevitably demolish… Of all the systems of false religion ever fabricated by the perverse ingenuity of fallen man, Hinduism is surely the most stupendous."Many Englishmen patronized missionary schools such as Duffs. Charles Trevelyan, an officer with the East India Company asserted in a widely circulated tract-" The multitudes who flock to our schools ... cannot return under the dominion of the Brahmins. The spell has been forever broken. Hinduism is not a religion that will bear examination... It gives away at once before the light of European sciences."Reverend William Ward, an English missionary, wrote a four-volume polemic in which he characterized the Hindu faith as "a fabric of superstition" concocted by Brahmins, and as "the most complete system of absolute oppression that perhaps ever existed".Richard Temple, a high officer, said in an 1883 speech to a London missionary society:" India presents the greatest of all fields of missionary exertion... India is a country which of all others we are bound to enlighten with external truth...But what is most important to you friends of missions, is this - that there is a large population of aborigines, a people who are outside caste....If they are attached, as they rapidly may be, to Christianity, they will form a nucleus round which British power and influence may gather."He addressed a mission in New York in bolder terms:"Thus India is like a mighty bastion which is being battered by heavy artillery. We have given blow after blow, and thud after thud, and the effect is not at first very remarkable; but at last with a crash the mighty structure will come toppling down, and it is our hope that someday the heathen religions of India will in like manner succumb."In the word of Charles Grant (1746-1823), Chairman of the East India Company:"We cannot avoid recognizing in the people of Hindustan a race of men lamentably degenerate and base...governed by malevolent and licentious passions...and sunk in misery by their vices."One Professor McKenzie, of Bombay found the ethics of India defective, illogical and anti-social, lacking any philosophical foundation, nullified by abhorrent ideas of asceticism and ritual and altogether inferior to the 'higher spirituality' of Europe. He devoted most of his book 'Hindu Ethics' to upholding this thesis and came to the conclusion that Vedic philosophical ideas, 'when logically applied leave no room for ethics'; and that they prevent the development of a strenuous moral life.'All efforts were made by the missionaries to portray Hinduism as backwards, illogical, debauched and perverse. As one preacher exclaimed,'The curse of India is the Hindoo religion. More than two hundred million people believe a monkey mixture of mythology that is strangling the nation.' 'He who yearns for God in India soon loses his head as well as his heart.'Horace Hayman Wilson (1786-1860) has been described as ‘the greatest Sanskrit scholar of his time’. He received his education in London and traveled to India in the East India Companies medical service. He became the secretary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal from 1811 to 1833 and published a Sanskrit to English dictionary. He became Boden professor of Sanskrit at Oxford in 1833 and the director of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1837. He translated the Visnu Purana, Rg Veda and wrote books such as Lectures on the Religious and Philosophical Systems of the Hindus.Wilson’s view was that Christianity should replace the Vedic culture, and he believed that full knowledge of Indian traditions would help effect that conversion. Aware that the Indians would be reluctant to give up their culture and religion, Wilson made the following remark:"The whole tendency of brahminical education is to enforce dependence upon authority – in the first instance upon the guru, the next upon the books. A learned brahmana trusts solely to his learning; he never ventures upon independent thought; he appeals to memory; he quotes texts without measure and in unquestioning trust. It will be difficult to persuade him that the Vedas are human and very ordinary writings, that the puranas are modern and unauthentic, or even that the tantras are not entitled to respect. As long as he opposes authority to reason, and stifles the workings of conviction by the dicta of a reputed sage, little impression can be made upon his understanding. Certain it is, therefore, that he will have recourse to his authorities, and it is therefore important to show that his authorities are worthless."Thomas Babbington Macaulay (1800-59) is best known for introducing English education in India. Though not a missionary himself, he believed that Christianity held the key to the problem of curing India’s ignorance. Although he confessed to have no knowledge of Sanskrit and Arabic, he did not hesitate to belittle the religious works of the East. In 1838 there was some debate on India’s Supreme Ruling Council, chaired by Lord Bentinck. 8As to the value of teaching Sanskrit and India’s classical literatures, as well as regional languages, in schools to be established by the British for the education of the Indian people, A few members of the Council were mildly in favor of it, but the elegantly expressed, fully ethnocentric and Philistine view of Macaulay prevailed. In his Education Minute, Macaulay wrote that he couldn’t find one Orientalist."…who could deny that a single shelf of good European library is worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia…Are we to teach false history, false astronomy, false medicine because we find them in company with false religion? The intrinsic superiority of the Western literature is, indeed, fully admitted by those members of the Committee who support the Oriental plan of education…The superiority of the Europeans becomes absolutely immeasurable."He went on to make the outrageous assertion that –"…all the historical information which has been collected from all the books written in the Sanscrit language is less valuable than what may be found in the most paltry abridgements used in preparatory schools in England."In a letter to his father in 1836, Macaulay exclaimed –"...It is my belief that if our plans of education are followed up, there will not be a single idolator among the respectable classes in Bengal thirty years hence. And this will be effected without any efforts to proselytize, without the smallest interference with religious liberty, by natural operation of knowledge and reflection. I heartily rejoice in the project."In other words, Lord Macaulay believed that by knowledge and reflection, the Hindus would turn their backs upon the religion of their forefathers and take up Christianity. In order to do this, he planned to use the strength of the educated Indians against them by using their scholarship to uproot their own traditions, or in his own words - " Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinion, in morals, in intellect." He firmly believed that, "No Hindu who has received an English education ever remains sincerely attached to his religion."To further this end Macaulay wanted a competent scholar who could interpret the Vedic scriptures in such a manner that the newly educated Indian youth would see how barbaric their native superstitions actually were. Macaulay finally found such a scholar in Fredrich Max Mueller.Fredrich Max Mueller (1823-1900) was born in Dessau and educated in Leipzig, where he learned Sanskrit and translated the Hitopadesa of Pandita Visnu Sarma before coming to England in 1846. Since he was penniless, he was cared for by Baron von Bunsen, the Prussian ambassador to England who basked in the childishly pleasant thought of converting the whole world to Christianity. It was in London that Max Mueller met Macaulay who was still on the look out for his ‘right man’.Mueller was first commissioned by the East India Company to translate the Rg Veda into English. The company agreed to pay the young Mueller 4 Shillings for each page that was ready to print. He later moved to Oxford where he translated a number of books on Eastern religion. His magnum opus was his series The Sacred Books of the East, a fifty volume work which he began editing in 1875. It goes without saying that by the end of his career, Mueller had amassed a comfortable sum of money.It is ironic that the man who has Bhavans named after him all over India and is treated with so much veneration there, probably did the most damage to uproot Vedic culture.At the time of his death he was venerated by none other than Lokamanya Tilak as ‘Veda-maharishi Moksha-mula Bhatta of Go-tirtha’ (Oxford).Although Mueller is on record as extoling India’s ancient wisdom, his letters (printed in two volumes) tell an entirely different story. Generally personal letters give a true picture of the writer's inner mind. We present herein some of Mueller’s many statements in which his true view on Indian culture is glaringly obvious -"History seems to teach that the whole human race required a gradual education before, in the fullness of time, it could be admitted to the truths of Christianity. All the fallacies of human reason had to be exhausted, before the light of a high truth could meet with ready acceptance. The ancient religions of the world were but the milk of nature, which was in due time to be succeeded by the bread of life.... 'The religion of Buddha has spread far beyond the limits of the Aryan world, and to our limited vision, it may seem to have retarded the advent of Christianity among a large portion of the human race. But in the sight of Him with whom a thousand years are but as one day, that religion, like the ancient religions of the world, may have but served to prepare the way of Christ, by helping through its very errors to strengthen and to deepen the ineradicable yearning of the human heart after the truth of God.""Large number of Vedic hymns are childish in the extreme; tedious, low, commonplace.""Nay, they (the Vedas) contain, by the side of simple, natural, childish thoughts, many ideas which to us sound modern, or secondary and tertiary.""...this edition of mine and the translation of the Vedas, will hereafter tell to a great extent on the fate of India and on the growth of millions of souls in that country. It (the Rg Veda) is the root of their religion and to show them what the root is, I am sure, the only way of uprooting all that has sprung from it during the last three thousand years""Hinduism was dying or dead because it belonged to a stratum of thought which was long buried beneath the foot of modern man. He continued: " The worship of Shiva, Vishnu, and other popular deities was of the same and in many cases of a more degraded and savage character than the worship of Jupiter, Apollo or Minerva. 'A religion', he said ' may linger on for a long time, it may be accepted my large masses of the people, because it is there, and there is nothing better. But when a religion has ceased to produce defenders of the faith, prophets, champions, martyrs, it has ceased to live, in the true sense of the word; and in that sense the old orthodox Brahmanism has ceased to live for more than a thousand years." (Speech at the Christians Missions in Westminster Abbey in 1873)In 1876, while writing to a friend, Mueller said that he would not like to go to India as a missionary since that would make him dependent upon the government. His preference was this -"I would like to live for ten years quite quietly and learn the language, try to make friends, and then see if I was fit to take part in this work, by means of which the old mischief of Indian priestcraft could be overthrown and the way opened for the entrance of simple Christian teaching…India is much riper for Christianity than Rome or Greece were at the time of Saint Paul.""The rotten tree for some time had artificial supports ...but if the English man comes to see that the tree must fall...he will mind no sacrifice either of blood or of land...I would like to lay down my life, or at least lend my hand to bring about this struggle""I do not claim for the ancient Indian literature any more that I should willingly concede to the fables and traditions and songs of savage nations. I simply say that in the Veda we have a nearer approach to a beginning, and an intelligent beginning, than in the wild invocations of the Hottentotes and Bushmen, ""This edition of mine and the translation of the Veda will hereafter tell to a great extent... the fate of India, and on the growth of millions of souls in that country. It is the root of their religion, and to show them what the root is, I feel sure, the only way of uprooting all that has sprung from it during the last 3000 years."When Duke of Argyll was appointed Secretary of State for India in December 1868, Max Mueller wrote to him-"India has been conquered once, but India must be conquered again and that second conquest should be a conquest by education…the ancient religion of India is doomed, and if Christianity does not step in, whose fault will it be?"In another letter, Mueller wrote to his son:'Would you say that any one sacred book is superior to all others in the world? ....I say the New Testament, after that, I should place the Koran, which in its moral teachings, is hardly more than a later edition of the New Testament. Then would follow according to my opinion the Old Testament, the Southern Buddhist Tripitaka, the Tao-te-king of Lao-tze, the Kings of Confucius, the Veda and the Avesta.' 15In an audacious letter to N.K. Majumdar, Mueller wrote –'Tell me some of your chief difficulties that prevent you and your countrymen from openly following Christ, and when I write to you I shall do my best to explain how I and many who agree with me have met them and solved them...From my point of view, India, at least the best part of it, is already converted to Christianity. You want no persuasion to become a follower of Christ. Then make up your mind to work for yourself. Unite your flock - to hold them together and prevent them from straying. The bridge has been built for you by those who came before you. STEP BOLDLY FORWARD, it will break under you, and you will find many friends to welcome you on the other shore and among them none more delighted that you old friend and fellow labourer F. Max-Muller.'Mueller harshly criticised the view of the German scholar, Dr. Spiegel, who claimed that the Biblical theory of the creation of the world is borrowed from the ancient religion of the Persians or Iranians. Stung by this statement Max Mueller writes:‘A writer like Dr. Spiegel should know that he can expect no money; nay, he should himself wish for no mercy, but invite the heaviest artillery against the floating battery which he has launched in the troubled waters of Biblical criticism.’Sir Monier Monier-Williams (1819-1899) was born in Bombay, attending the East India Company’s college and later teaching there. After the death of H.H. Wilson, Monier-Williams became Boden Professor of Sanskrit in Oxford University where he delivered an address wherein he stated -‘I must draw attention to the fact that I am only the second occupant of the Boden Chair, and that its Founder, Colonel Boden, stated most explicitly in his will (dated August 15, 1811 A.D.) that the special object of his munificent bequest was to promote the translation of Scriptures into Sanskrit; so as to enable his countrymen to proceed in the conversion of the natives of India to the Christian religion.’'Brahmanism, therefore, must die out. In point of fact, false ideas on the most ordinary scientific subjects are so mixed up with its doctrines that the commonest education - the simplest lesson in geography - without the aid of Christianity must inevitably in the end sap its foundations.''When the walls of the mighty fortress of Brahmanism are encircled, undermined, and finally stormed by the solders of the cross, the victory of Christianity must be signal and complete.'What is lamentable is that the dream of Macaulay has come true—his vision of creating a caste of ‘Brown Sahibs’ has become a reality. Nowadays, whilst the western world turns it’s face towards Indian philosophy for the answers to life’s complexities, the greatest adversaries of Vedic culture are the Indians themselves—the ‘secular’ politicians, the journalists, the educationalists, in fact the whole Westernised cream of India. And what is even more paradoxical, is that most of them are supposedly Hindus.The result of this is a youth which apes the West.Some may argue that in order for India to progress materially, it is important for her to accept western education and ethics. In the last ten years in India, violence, rape, theft and other social problems have increased. This is only due to the atheistic western-oriented education that India has forced upon its’ youth. In fact, in every sphere of material activity, India tries to imitate the west with farcical or disastrous results.In the realm of entertainment, India produces more films than any country in the world, yet the content of those movies is likened to imbeciles, since the substance of these films incites lust and violence. That is because they are based upon western movies. India has also been introduced to cable-TV so it can see how the rest of the world behaves.Since the British left India, Indian dress code has also changed considerably. Indian men wear western trousers and shirts. If they wear something traditional, they are thought of as ‘old-fashioned.’ Nowadays in major cities in India, young women wearing T-shirts and jeans. Such a drastic change in lifestyle reflects the Indian psyche today.In essence, the youth of India today are taught to be ashamed of being Indian.They are ashamed of their religion and the ethics given by their forefathers. They have been made to believe that embracing westernization is the only way they can progress in life. In this way, the British are still masters of India and the proselytizing Christian indologists have won the day.Until India wakes up to her mistake and strives to rediscover her spiritual heritage, she will continue to produce ‘Brown sahibs’ and will remain under the yoke of the ghosts of Macaulay and the British educational system.Early Indology of IndiaBut despite this sustained state-sponsored assault on India’s vedic heritage, it has not fallen, it is still alive and is now taking root in scores of countries all around the world. Anyone sympathetic to the propagation of Vedic knowledge and ideals should at the very least be appreciative of Srila Prabhupada and Iskcon, and preferable assist them.

The Best Movies Trilogies Of All Time.15. THE MATRIXKeanu Reeves in The Matrix Revolutions The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeThe Matrix took movie screens by storm in 1999 and redefined modern cinema overnight. Using its own filmmaking language and techniques, its virtual world showed us so many things we’d never seen before (many of them based on anime‘s tendency to defy the laws of physics) while wrapped around a story filled with heady philosophical ideas and astounding action sequences. It didn’t hurt that it reframed the perennial “Hero’s Journey” — the same basic story structure used by Star Wars and countless others — as something fresh, smart, and stunning to behold.Its sequels were another case of the “couldn’t live up to the original” problem that plagues so many franchises, though it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. It certainly wasn’t the ideas department, as the Wachowskis brought a truckload of fascinating new ones to the table. The production design, visual effects, and overall ambition took gigantic leaps forward, while intriguing new characters were added to the already appealing cast.But something fell apart somewhere in the presentation. A precisely-defined endpoint was set forth in the original: Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) told Neo (Keanu Reeves) that “as long as the Matrix exists, mankind will never be free.” In other words, it was Neo’s destiny to destroy the Matrix and free all the humans trapped inside. The sequels — the stylish-but-bloated The Matrix Reloaded and the dour, unsatisfying The Matrix Revolutions (both released in 2003) — ignored this mandate entirely, instead deciding that saving the Matrix was preferable. As long as über-powerful Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) was ejected from the system, Neo and the gang would settle for peaceful coexistence with the machines (as long as humans still in the Matrix could opt-out of it, or… something). Because nothing could possibly go wrong with that.The change was undoubtedly so that Warner Bros. didn’t have to close the door forever on one of its most profitable franchises. (For years, rumors have circulated that more Matrix movies are being considered.) Yet if “everything that has a beginning has an end,” as The Matrix Revolutions told us, it’s a crying shame — not to mention confusing — that this trilogy was robbed of its proper conclusion. Nevertheless, the transformative experience of The Matrix makes this an unmissable slice of pop culture history.14. IRON MANRobert Downey Jr. in Marvels Iron Man The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeWhat can be said about the first Iron Man that hasn’t already been stated many times over? It launched both Marvel Studios and the connected “Marvel Cinematic Universe.” It jumpstarted Robert Downey Jr.’s career, elevating him to the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. The movie benefited strongly from the catharsis of seeing Downey overcome his own history and settle into a high-profile role that was the perfect showcase for his comedic and dramatic skills. The cast created most of its own dialogue in that first movie, which added to its realism and sharp humor, while director Jon Favreau staged several stand-up-and-cheer action scenes that audiences couldn’t get enough of.Iron Man 2 stumbled after being rushed into production after the first movie’s box office success, jamming in far too much story for a single film. The over-complicated plot throws a number of obstacles in Tony Stark’s path: an enemy with a personal vendetta against the Stark family, a business rival who wants to take Tony down, the U.S. government wanting to acquire the Iron Man technology for its own uses, and the slow poisoning of Tony’s body by the arc reactor that’s made him a superstar. It also tries hard to work in a romantic subplot with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts, even though that bit feels tacked-on. But hey, it also gives us that cool suitcase armor, and introduces Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow in a flashy fight scene.Iron Man 3 picked up the story strands of The Avengers while bringing in director Shane Black to craft a grittier story about yet another figure from Tony’s checkered past who returns to haunt him. The tone and presentation of the film is drastically different than what came before, digging deeper into Tony Stark’s soul and finally letting him find peace in both his personal and superhero lives. It also featured a truckload of thirty-some Iron Man suits, all of which show up for the finale.Although this trilogy has been overshadowed by other Marvel films, Iron Man’s golden face plate remains the icon that defines the entire enterprise. Robert Downey Jr., meanwhile, continues to change and grow his portrayal of Tony Stark; his recent turn in Captain America: Civil War may have been his best yet.13. SPIDER-MANTobey Maguire as Peter Parker in Spider Man 2 The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimePeter Parker is Marvel Comics’ most popular character, a hero with enduring appeal who’s been around almost as long as DC rivals like Superman and Batman. Encouraged by Bryan Singer’s success with the X-Men movies, Sony decided to revive its long-dormant film rights to Spider-Man. This was a character who’d never been given his proper due, after all, having suffered through a cheesy live-action TV show, and a handful of cartoons that ranged from halfway decent to downright goofy. Getting to see a proper translation of Marvel’s wall-crawling hero with modern effects and filming techniques sounded brilliant.For years, it looked like James Cameron was going to take on his first superhero flick, but those plans fell apart. When Sam Raimi was handed the reigns to create a big-budget Spider-Man movie for Sony, Marvel fans were a little skeptical. Viewers of the Evil Dead movies, however, were wholeheartedly on board, knowing exactly what Raimi was capable of. The director surprised everyone by casting indie darling Tobey Maguire, who showed off an astonishingly buff physique at the movie’s first press conference. Fans’ fears were fully erased when the trailers arrived, showing off an exciting blend of strong storytelling, colorful comic-like production values, and dynamic, fast-paced visuals that brought Peter’s spider-powers into the real world.Spider-Man swung into theaters in 2002, solidifying a new age of superhero films that has only increased in dominance since. Raimi gave us a near-perfect depiction of the classic story of the everyman who gains extraordinary powers, and Maguire proved himself perfectly cast as the good-hearted hero who’s forced to learn harsh lessons. Spider-Man 2 ignored the Batman formula of focusing on the bad guys, instead furthering the growth and change of Peter Parker as he matured into his role as Spider-Man. Sure, it was a bit heavy-handed in continually beating down a down-on-his-luck Peter, but the story — about confidence, purpose, and selfless love — was electrifying, and Alfred Molena gave us a fleshed-out villain in Doc Ock. It bested the first movie in every way.Spider-Man 3 succumbed to the Curse of the Third Film, as Raimi acquiesced to studio and fan pressure to include fan-favorite villain Venom, while the director himself preferred classic baddie Sandman. It also featured an unwelcome retcon regarding Uncle Ben’s murderer, and dangled before us a “happily ever after” for Peter and MJ before tossing that whole-hog out the window. Going back to the “MJ’s been captured” well for a third time for its final fight only made it seem like Raimi was running out of ideas. Add in the culmination of Harry Osborn’s story, and it’s obvious that Spider-Man 3 tried to do way too much.A fourth movie was planned but abandoned when Sam Raimi and the studio wanted different things. Andrew Garfield eagerly stepped into the tights for a pair of rebooted films, but despite a fine showing from him, the second movie was a muddled mess. Sony eventually caved to Marvel’s superiority in the superhero genre by allowing Marvel to produce a new series of Spidey flicks starring Tom Holland — who exists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.12. EVIL DEADBruce Campbell as Ash Williams in The Evil Dead II The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeWhen childhood friends Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell decided to make a movie, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. With Raimi writing and directing, Campbell starring, a location shoot at an abandoned cabin in the Tennessee forest, and a meager budget, on came the rise of The Evil Dead. It’s considered among the greatest horror films of all time, because it broke the horror mold by melding it with comedic elements. It had so many horror tropes — a cabin in the woods, an Indian burial ground, incantations from a mystical book, co-stars that turn evil, a hero that barely survives — but it remixed them with witty one-liners and slapstick physical humor. One rave review later (from a certain horror writer in Maine) and there was a phenomenon at the cineplex worth talking about and taking your friends to.Evil Dead II picks up immediately where the first movie left off, finding Campbell’s Ash Williams unable to escape the cabin where he’s just lost all of his friends. Although the movie retreads much of the same ground as the first, it does so with a larger budget and far more confidence. It’s in this episode that Ash is forced to cut off his own hand (it becomes possessed) — a twist that ultimately leads to his adoption of the iconic “chainsaw hand.”The final entry abandons the naming convention used thus far, going with Army of Darkness. It picks up Ash’s story after he’s been sucked through a portal and deposited in medieval times, where he leads an entire kingdom against an invasion of the dead. Some of the darker edge is lost in this one, but the snark is dialed up to eleven, as is the scale.Campbell practically invented the “cocky hero” archetype, swaggering his way through the series and into the heart of pop culture itself. Raimi would find this platform a perfect launchpad into a successful, diverse film career. Campbell would return as Ash Williams 22 years later in the TV show Ash vs. Evil Dead on the Starz network.11. THE BEFORE TRILOGYJulie Delpy and Ethan Hawke in Before Sunrise The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeNo heroes. No villains. No explosions or enormous stakes. Before Sunrise is a quiet little movie about a chance encounter between two lost souls that leads to an unlikely romance. Unapologetically tender, subtly sexy, yet never descending into sap, it reeled in audiences with an irresistible pair of travelers who agree to wander Vienna all night, talking and exploring the city, while waiting for their respective journeys to continue in the morning. Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy demonstrate unquestionable on-screen chemistry, while flirting and revealing the deepest secrets they hold — because they can’t tell them to friends and loved ones. Over the course of a single night, these two strangers come to know one another in the most intimate of ways… And then part company.Before Sunset revisits them nine years later, when Celine (Delpy) finds Jesse (Hawke) at a Parisian bookstore, where he’s signing his own bestseller for customers. Jesse has to get to the airport after the signing, but he has an hour to spend with Celine, during which they delve into even more personal topics. This time, they decide to act on their feelings and wind up together.Before Midnight has a completely different tone, picking up another nine years on, this time with our couple now married (with twin daughters), but feeling romance slipping away in the mundane of day-to-day life. Given how much audiences have invested in these two by this point, you can imagine how it ends. But that’s not really the point.What the “Before” trilogy did was show us that great cinema doesn’t have to be filled with wall-to-wall plot. This humble trio of “movies about people talking,” often in long, single takes, was every bit as absorbing as the greatest moments that film has ever recorded. Also setting this trilogy apart is the fact that its two stars wrote or rewrote most of the dialogue from all three movies, which is at least part of the reason the movie feels so natural and real. Writer/director Richard Linklater has given the theater plenty of great movies, but the Before trilogy stands alone as an exquisite work of art.10. MAD MAXMel Gibson in Mad Max 2 The Road Warrior The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeBefore Katniss Everdeen, Caesar the ape, or Neo, before even Sarah Connor or Snake Plissken, and long before post-apocalyptic dystopian drama was all the rage… George Miller gave us Max.In 1979, Mad Max introduced cinephiles to Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson, in his first major role), an ex-cop and a wanderer across the wastelands of Australia after society has collapsed and resources become dangerously scarce. He’s a skilled driver and an adept warrior who can’t seem to stop helping others despite his desire to be alone after his wife and son are murdered. The first film is essentially a revenge thriller wrapped in action movie trappings, but Miller somehow manages to turn the dry, dull landscape of the Australia desert into a gripping, stylish backdrop for life after the end of the world.Two years later, Max returned in The Road Warrior, which added a mythological aspect to the character. The story is propelled by Max’s need to procure coveted gas to power his signature hotrod, but eventually it brings him into the orbit of a group of survivors trying to defend themselves against a wicked gang led by “Lord Humungus.” You can guess what happens next.The franchise took four years off before returning for Gibson’s final (and what Miller thought would be his final) entry, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. A bigger, more expansive film, this one incorporates the familiar theme of survival-vs.-morality as Max goes up against an anti-villain played by Tina Turner (sporting what may be the most extreme shoulder pads of all time) to save another colony of refugees and help them find a new home.Defined by bizarre characters with goofy names, over-the-top action set pieces, and a reluctant hero always forced to make difficult choices, the Mad Max franchise maintained a high standard of quality throughout its run. Thirty years after Thunderdome, George Miller triumphantly revived the franchise with the universally-adored Mad Max: Fury Road. Tom Hardy took over the titular role (he’s contracted for up to four more, should Miller choose to go that far), and Miller dove back into Max’s world with a renewed vigor and sense of purpose. He’s currently at work on the next film in the series.9. THE “THREE COLORS” TRILOGYIrene Jacob and Jean Louis Trintignant in Red The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeDon’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of this one. It’s an art house trilogy by one of the most acclaimed European directors of all time — who you also may have never heard of. Krzysztof Kieslowski constructed this intricate house of cards, released in 1993 and 1994, with subversive twists on France’s political ideals: liberty, equality, and fraternity. Each movie stars a different cast, but is interconnected in a shared continuity in subtle and surprising ways. Blue is considered an “anti-tragedy” themed around liberty; White is an “anti-comedy” on the theme of equality; Red is an “anti-romance” about fraternity. And each works their respective color into the scenery in clever ways.Juliette Binoche stars in Blue, a study on emotional liberty, as a widow in mourning for her recently deceased husband and daughter. Instead of remembering them, she goes to extremes to distance herself from her pain. Julie, the main character, tries to withdraw from society and live in isolation, but is drawn back in when she discovers that her late husband had a mistress.In White, Zbigniew Zamachowski is Karol, a man who’s subjected to a humiliating divorce, loses everything, and is reduced to a street beggar. A chance encounter opens his eyes to an opportunity to turn the tables on his ex. It highlights equality in the most unexpected of ways: a sad, lost soul who turns to vengeance to balance the scales of justice. His success is equal parts cathartic and tragic, a tale of revenge served incredibly cold that has a more profound impact on Karol than it does his victims.Red is the most acclaimed of the trilogy, in which Kieslowski looks at the meaning of fraternity by presenting a group of characters with nothing in common whose lives become entwined. The core of the story has young Valentine (Irene Jacob) encounter a reclusive, sullen retired judge named Kern (Jean-Louis Trintignant). Despite his glum personality and detached behavior, Valentine continually finds herself visiting him, trying to uncover the humanity he’s worked so hard to hide. There’s much more to it of course, and the finale assembles Kieslowski’s jigsaw puzzle together in poetic fashion.8. BACK TO THE FUTUREChristopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeNarratively speaking, Back to the Future is a perfect movie. Every line of dialogue and plot point matters, every conflict introduced is resolved in a pulse-pounding, brilliantly tidy way. It creates rules of time travel that rely on a MacGuffin (either the DeLorean or the Flux Capacitor, take your pick), yet those rules make logical sense and the movie never violates them. Amazingly, Back to the Future does a remarkable amount of world-building without putting the whole world in jeopardy; it’s a story that revolves entirely around the lives of one family.Who didn’t thrill to the story of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), wannabe rock star who goes thirty years back in time, saves his parents and transforms his loser family unit into a happy, loving, successful household. He gets the girl (though technically, he never lost her), prevents his best friend from dying, and saves the day. He even invents rock ‘n’ roll. It was a box office triumph.Back to the Future Part II had impossibly high expectations to live up to, but its main story arc suffered from a lack of creativity and remake fever (the wholly unnecessary return trip to 1955). On the other hand, time and distance have bestowed Part II‘s first act with rose-colored glasses, as all of its ideas about the future have embedded themselves permanently into our everyday vernacular: hoverboards, wearable technology, flatscreen televisions, smart homes, tablet computers, and much more.Part III injected more originality into the mix, taking our heroes back to the Old West and relying less on repeating the same old story beats. It culminated with a finale set aboard a runaway train that managed to up the intensity over the first film’s stormy showdown, not to mention introducing a love interest for Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd). Neither sequel quite lived up to the first film’s jolt of crisp storytelling or justified turning a truly fantastic film into a good-not-great trilogy.But there’s no denying that Back to the Future is one of the greatest adventures ever put on film.7. CAPTAIN AMERICAChris Evans as Steve Rogers in Captain America Civil War The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeCaptain America: The First Avenger introduces us to Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a pure-hearted American who wants to serve his country in World War II. But Rogers is a weakling with no strength and no skills to speak of, aside from a keen tactical mind and an unerringly straight moral compass. When he’s injected with a super-soldier serum, he becomes Captain America, the country’s first superhero and a central figure in defeating the Nazis.It also introduces us to Steve’s best friend, “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan), who is presumed dead in the second Great War after falling from an impossible-to-survive height. Bucky nevertheless returns in the modern day in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, much like Steve, who’d been frozen in ice beneath the Atlantic during First Avenger‘s final battle. Bucky, it’s explained, was saved and abducted by Hydra, and brainwashed into the titular consummate assassin, complete with a metal arm and mad wetwork skills. While Steve wrestles to put a corrupt S.H.I.E.L.D. out of business, Bucky is used as a tool of his enemies, but Cap finally manages to get through to him before the movie’s end.Captain America: Civil War, the conclusion of the trilogy, would have been such an easy misfire. Focusing on the comics’ story of the same name, it presents the Avengers — and their leader, Captain America — with an ultimatum about superheroes falling under the supervision of world governments. It also features a major conflict between Cap and Iron Man. And it’s no small miracle that it manages to do right by a dozen major characters — including introducing Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and the new Spider-Man (Tom Holland). But filmmakers Joe and Anthony Russo wisely keep the story’s heart entrenched in the bromance between Steve and Bucky, now reformed but still capable of being “activated” as the Winter Soldier with the proper sequence of phrases. This allows Steve’s relentless pursuit of saving his friend to form the through-line for the entire trilogy, showing that Cap would go so far as defying the law if it meant helping his oldest pal. As superhero movies go — not to mention an integral part of Marvel Studios’ connected universe — that’s some profoundly emotional stuff.The Captain America films may not be three parts of one story, but their characters forge an emotional journey that viewers can easily track from one flick to the next. It also accomplishes the unprecedented task of besting itself with each subsequent entry. (How many other trilogies can you think of where the third movie is the best of the series?)When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man may get all the attention, but Captain America is the crown jewel.6. INDIANA JONESHarrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark1 The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeYou may be tempted to think of George Lucas as a one hit wonder. Sure, he had a few smaller successes here and there — American Graffiti, Willow — but aside from a galaxy far, far away, his career hasn’t exactly been filled with beloved classics. Radioland Murders wasn’t awful. Red Tails should have been better. Strange Magic? Uninspired. And the less said about Howard the Duck, the better.But there is that other franchise that Lucas is known for, the one he teamed with BFF Steven Spielberg on. Once again drawing on his love of matinee serials, Lucas dreamed up a swashbuckling archaeologist named Indiana Jones, a bookish professor who becomes a rough-and-tumble adventurer when some ancient treasure caught his attention. The fact that his exploits often brought him into conflict with forces of evil, such as Nazis, was almost coincidental; he never set out to be a hero. But his world-weary determination, rascally charm, uncanny knack for survival, and wry sense of humor always kept us coming back for more.His first outing, Raiders of the Lost Ark, was a near-perfect movie in every way. Spielberg’s kinetic direction brings Lucas’ vision to life with spontaneity and excitement, while Lucas’ plot centers on one of the most sought-after relics of all time. Their concoction was the role Harrison Ford was born to play, despite not being Lucas or Spielberg’s first choice. Indy was surrounded with colorful, mustache-twirling villains and a beautiful, strong-willed woman (Karen Allen, who was anything but a damsel). With his fedora, leather jacket, and bullwhip in hand, a new kind of movie hero was born, and he’s one that’s lasted through multiple generations.Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom begins with a thrilling action sequence set in a Shanghai nightclub, followed by a daring escape from a crashing airplane. When Indy, his sidekick Short Round (Jonathan Ke Quan), and hilariously exasperated new love interest Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw), arrive at Pankot Palace, they discover the terrifying temple of the Thuggee cult, who make ritual human sacrifices and enslave children. For a good thirty to forty-five minutes, the movie descends into an oppressively bleak look at an evil-worshipping cult. Thankfully, things pick up again before the end, culminating with an unforgettably thrilling mine cart chase.Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade restored the lighthearted feel of the first film, sending Indy on a quest — aided by his father (a cheeky Sean Connery in one of his best performances), no less — to find the Holy Grail. Those dastardly Nazis reared their ugly heads again, there were sensational chases through Venetian canals and Jordanian deserts, and this time there were two Dr. Joneses to save the day.We’ve chosen not to include Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as the first three movies form a winning “original trilogy” a la Star Wars. Besides, Crystal Skull is a “19 years later” sequel that lost the plot by following the rabbit trail of Indy’s long-lost son (Shia LaBeouf) — a storyline Lucas stubbornly insisted on pursuing, even though it never works. With Lucasfilm now in Disney’s hands (and Lucas himself out of the picture), plans are in motion for a fifth Indiana Jones film, which will hopefully wash away the meh taste left by number four.5. THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGYChristian Bale as Batman in The Dark Knight The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeWhen Christopher Nolan was handed the keys to the Batmobile, he knew that the only way he could make a superhero movie was to do it as realistically as possible. That meant he had to approach the Batman mythos as if it were something that could truly happen. No superpowers, no fantasy or science fiction, no standard comic book stuff. It would be drama that rang true, performed by serious actors, almost literary in quality.To truly appreciate the achievement that was Batman Begins, you have to remember the Bat-flick that came before it: the abysmal Batman & Robin. Nolan’s instinct was to get as far away from that silly, hyper-colorful fantasy as possible by grounding his movie in the real world. One of the smartest ways he did that was to avoid lazily relying on CGI visual effects, instead staging enormous, elaborate sequences with real objects, such as the amazing tractor trailer that flips end-over-end in The Dark Knight or the mid-air jailbreak that opens The Dark Knight Rises. Nolan is also singlehandedly responsible for bringing IMAX cameras to blockbuster movie-making, leading to the format’s adoption by other filmmakers and an exponential rise in its popularity.But none of these things would matter if the Dark Knight Trilogy wasn’t a master class in cinematic storytelling. Or if Nolan hadn’t cast high-pedigree actors like Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and a bravura turn by the late Heath Ledger as a different kind of Joker, among others. The high point is inarguably The Dark Knight, which is widely regarded as the finest superhero movie ever made.Unlike other superhero sagas, the Dark Knight Trilogy boasts genuine, bonafide closure. We got to see Batman Begin, after all, so why shouldn’t we witness his end? Nolan must’ve felt the same way, as he gave his hero and his trilogy a definitive conclusion.4. THE GODFATHERAl Pacino and Marlon Brando in The Godfather The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeIt should come as no surprise that the celebrated saga of the Corleone mafia crime family ranks highly on our list. The first two films in particular are treasured classics for a myriad of reasons. It defined the careers of director Francis Ford Coppola, stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, and novelist and screenwriter Mario Puzo. It won a total of nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture for the first and second films.A moody, fully-realized world is introduced in the soft lenses and mud-colored cinematography of The Godfather. The film told the story of Michael Corleone (Pacino), a World War II veteran who returns home to his Italian-American family in New York and becomes deeply embroiled in the mafia war his father is waging. At its barest of bones, the first film is a tragedy about a good man who goes bad, albeit in part as a result of the circumstances around him. It ends with the death of his father Vito (Brando), and Michael taking his place as the head of the Corleone family.The Godfather Part II, the first sequel to ever win Best Picture, continued Michael’s story as Don Corleone, charting his schemes and sins to come out on top over rival crime families. Robert de Niro appeared in flashback scenes as a young Vito Corleone, depicting the patriarch’s rise from Sicilian orphan to mob boss. Pacino’s nuanced performance in Part II is considered one of the best of all time, and the movie became the rare example of a sequel that’s as cherished as its progenitor.While two years separated the first two movies, Part III came after a 16-year gap, which may explain why it never achieved the same success as the first two. Coppola designed the finale as the “epilogue” of Michael’s story (which he believed was complete after Part II), with an aging Michael Corleone trying to atone for his sins while appointing a successor (Andy Garcia).The first movie is one of the most quoted films of all time, even though it’s brimming with stereotypes. The genius of the Godfather saga is how masterfully it weaves those very cliches into a tapestry so compelling, you can’t take your eyes off of it.3. TOY STORYWoody Buzz and the gang in Pixars Toy Story 3 The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeIt’s the best-reviewed trilogy of all time. Rotten Tomatoes shows that critics adored all three movies across-the-board. Only the second film scored less than 100% approval, instead landing 99% of critics’ adoration. (Which can only mean that one critic somewhere out there had a migraine on review day.)The first movie was a perfect confluence of circumstances. In Toy Story, Pixar changed animation forever by showing the world that computers could produce imagery every bit as expressive and alive as traditional hand-drawn animation — if not more so. John Lasseter and his cohorts created the first-ever feature-length CGI movie and wowed the world. Technical achievements aside, Toy Story succeeded because it’s an ingenious story, at once both original and timeless. Lasseter filled it with timeless characters and archetypes anyone can identify with. The stalwart cowboy hero (Tom Hanks), the delusional space ranger toy who thinks he’s real (Tim Allen), the cast of kooky sidekicks, each with a distinct personality. Pixar built a vivid world with its own rules and used it to tell a fable in the classic Disney vein.Toy Story 2 had Woody discovering he was a valuable collector’s item based on an old TV show, forcing him to choose between joining other toys from that same show to live in a museum or returning to the little boy who loved him. It also introduced some great additions to the cast, like cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Woody’s loyal horse Bullseye. Toy Story 3 was the series’ emotional powerhouse, a masterpiece that had Woody, Buzz, and the gang literally staring down their own mortality as Andy grew too old to want to play anymore. The heartbreaking, impossibly beautiful finale was as blissfully perfect an ending as any trilogy could possibly achieve.A fourth Toy Story is coming, but Pixar has said that it’s something completely new and not part of Andy’s story, so we believe the first three films still constitute a trilogy. Toy Story 4 will be a love story between Woody and Bo Peep, who fans will remember was “lost” by the time of Toy Story 3.2. STAR WARS: EPISODES IV-VIMark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeThere is truly no limit to the influence of the preeminent pop cultural touchstone that is Star Wars. The three original films in the series are undoubtedly the most treasured film trilogy of all time. Did anyone even make movie trilogies before Star Wars came along? Back in 1977, no one could have imagined how Star Wars would change movies, pop culture, and yes even the world, forever. Can you picture a world without Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Princess Leia in it? What about Chewbacca? R2-D2 and C-3PO? Yoda? The Jedi, the Force, and lightsabers? The Death Star (er, Stars)? X-Wings?It’s a classic wish-fulfillment fantasy: a young man (Mark Hamill) who’s bored with his humdrum life is propelled into a life of adventure, learns he has special abilities, and must rise to the challenge to save the entire galaxy. He meets an old mentor (Alec Guinness) who guides him on his quest, where he makes allies and enemies, discovering a destiny that only he can fulfill along the way. It’s a familiar formula that countless stories have drawn upon, but it came at a unique moment in history. In 1977, the Vietnam War was still lingering in Americans’ minds. President Nixon was smack in the middle of the Watergate scandal. New York was being terrorized by the Son of Sam murders. The Cold War was heating up, and the entire world was facing an energy crisis. Is it any wonder that this powerfully earnest story format struck a nerve in a cynical world?The Empire Strikes Back arrived in 1980, wowing moviegoers with a second chapter that took Star Wars to the next level. A bigger budget, a seasoned director, a darker story, and a genuinely shocking revelation about Luke Skywalker’s parentage was a perfect formula for a follow-up, and to this day it ranks as the highest-rated entry in the saga. Return of the Jedi wrapped up the story in 1983 by resolving Empire‘s cliffhanger and destroying both Darth Vader and his Emperor once and for all.More movies followed, with George Lucas directing a prequel trilogy between 1999 and 2005, which was heavier on visual effects but disappointingly inferior on story and character. More recently, with Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, a new trilogy was kicked off, with fans proclaiming it a return to the revered sensibilities of the original trilogy. A series of standalone films set in the Star Wars universe are also in various stages of production.Add in the full empire of tie-in products and media — books, toys, television, games, music, and so much more — and the full cultural impact of Star Wars may be immeasurable.1. THE LORD OF THE RINGSSauron in The Lord of the Rings The Best Movie Trilogies Of All TimeProbably the greatest modern example of a single story told in three parts, The Lord of the Rings is our pick for the best and truest example of a “pure” trilogy. Many have tried to imitate its formula, but nothing can really compete with J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy saga, retold on the silver screen by director Peter Jackson. There’s just no better way to do it than to script, plan, and prep three movies entirely in advance, and then film all at once. The result was a combination of production design, costumes, makeup, cinematography, music, visual effects, acting, and more that enjoyed a consistency so perfect that no other trilogy even comes close.This achievement can’t be overstated. The only other instance on record of an entire trilogy being filmed all at once is Peter Jackson’s Tolkien prequel, The Hobbit (which didn’t need to be a trilogy at all). James Cameron has stated his plans to film the second, third, and fourth Avatar films all at once, but who knows if that’s what will wind up happening.In 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) is given the sacred mission of carrying the most dangerous object in existence — a golden ring of unprecedented mystical power — into the most evil realm on earth, to the one place it can be destroyed. He’s accompanied by a colorful cast of Hobbits, men, a powerful wizard, an elf, and a dwarf. They’re dogged at every step by wicked creatures working for the dark lord Sauron, who requires the ring to restore his power and subjugate the world. Kind wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) makes the ultimate sacrifice, while CGI wonder Gollum (Andy Serkis) is glimpsed for the first time.The fellowship is divided into three groups in The Two Towers (2002), each going in different directions but all working toward the same goal of saving the innocent and defeating Sauron. The pressure was on for Jackson and company to deliver a follow-up that improved on its predecessor — no small feat considering The Two Towers is a story without a beginning or end. A number of major new characters are introduced as we’re treated to looks at all new locations in Middle-Earth, along with the exhilarating Battle of Helm’s Deep.The story ended in 2003 with The Return of the King, in which Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn finally embraces his destiny, Frodo and his faithful friend Sam (Sean Astin) succeed in destroying the ring, and Sauron is destroyed. King is a powerhouse punch of emotional impact, providing eye candy on an astonishing scale and paying off every plot thread introduced by the trilogy with beautiful closure for every character.The Lord of the Rings is essentially a ten-hour movie, and a masterpiece in every sense of the word.