Movie franchises with no bad movie: 8 series loved from first film to last
Eight movie franchises with no weak link, from the Dollars Trilogy, Three Colors and Toy Story to The Lord of the Rings, How to Train Your Dragon, Planet of the Apes and Paddington.
Most long series have at least one stumble. These eight franchises are the exception: every film was well received. Here is where to begin each one, in order of the first film's release.
How we chose
Taste is personal, so this is not a numbered ranking. We picked series in which every film was well received by critics and audiences, and we count only the main films of each series.
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Dollars Trilogy: 3 films, praised by critics from start to finish.
Three Colors: Blue (1993)
Three Colors: 3 films, praised by critics from start to finish.
Before Sunrise (1995)
Before: 3 films, praised by critics from start to finish.
Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story: 4 films, praised by critics from start to finish.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Lord of the Rings: 3 films, praised by critics from start to finish.
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
How to Train Your Dragon: 3 films, praised by critics from start to finish.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Planet of the Apes (2011): 3 films, praised by critics from start to finish.
Paddington (2014)
Paddington: 3 films, praised by critics from start to finish.
Frequently asked questions
Which movie franchises have no bad movie?
Among the best known are Toy Story, The Lord of the Rings, How to Train Your Dragon, the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, Paddington and the Dollars Trilogy.
Which franchise should I start with?
Start with Toy Story for the whole family, The Lord of the Rings for fantasy or A Fistful of Dollars for westerns.
Is there really a franchise without a single weak film?
It depends on taste, but these series have consistently high critic and audience ratings across all their main films.
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Which one is your favorite? On Rankiew you can rate every film, write reviews and build your own lists.
Sources: official studio releases, filmographies and public records.
