Franchises like Star Wars, Jurassic Park, the MCU, and countless others have been going steady for quite some time. Who started things off the best, though? That's what we aim to determine as the Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five Franchise Starters.
Each writer ranks their top 15 films in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five.
5. THE GODFATHER
Praising The Godfather is seemingly tiring, and yet there's so much to praise. The film is consistently considered one of, if not the, greatest film ever made, and it is the quintessential American epic, supercharging the career of now legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. The iconic nature of The Godfather is seemingly universal. Whether it's the characters, the quotes, or the music, this movie has grabbed everyone in some small way, and it was so successful that it became a trilogy in the years to come (I'd argue that The Godfather Part II is even better). I remember first watching the film in high school, knowing the bar that was set and preparing to be underwhelmed by it. Lo and behold, beyond the striking filmmaking and its approach to the mafia, I was mostly shocked by just how entertaining it is. I imagine the conversation on this movie will continue to be had as long as there are movies. - Adriano
4. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring took on the insurmountable task of introducing J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic, The Lord of the Rings, to cinema-going audiences. The first installment in a groundbreaking trilogy, it can stand alone, but ultimately opens the door to the greatest fantasy films ever made, renowned for being meticulously crafted and full of dedicated performances and characters who bring the screen to life. This film transformed my perspective on the fantasy genre, which I had previously struggled to enjoy and truly invest in due to the plethora of characters, dense mythology, and location names I’d never remember. But Fellowship showed that fantasy storytelling can be detailed, emotionally engaging, humorous, exciting, heartfelt, visually stunning, and immersive all at the same time. - Katie
3. JURASSIC PARK
Everyone loves dinosaurs. It’s an undeniable fact, and one that has remained true for as long as the Jurassic Park franchise has been going. With as many sequels as it has spawned, though (including the arguably underrated III), it would be difficult to argue that any of them fully live up to the majesty of Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic. The adaptation of Michael Crichton's bestseller still inspires much awe, wonder, and fear more than 30 years later thanks to Dean Cundey’s beautifully composed photography, the masterful combination of Stan Winston’s practical animatronics and ILM’s groundbreaking visual effects, an unforgettable cast of characters led by the likes of Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sir Richard Attenborough, and of course, one of the most iconic and beloved scores in John Williams’ storied career. We’ll see how new director Gareth Edwards fares with Jurassic World Rebirth (which original co-writer David Koepp wrote), but no matter what, Jurassic Park will always be lightning in a bottle. - Bode
2. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Even in the 80s, moviegoers were not familiar with the adventure serials of the ‘30s, so finding an interesting means to modernize classic stories was George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s purpose with Raiders of the Lost Ark. They monumentally succeeded as they conceived professor and archaeologist Indiana Jones as a period-specific hero. With Harrison Ford in the role, audiences were swept up in world-spanning escapades with a main character that could fight and teach them about biblical mythology. Like the source material, it was also ripe for further exploration, with more magical items to acquire and more Nazis to be dispatched. Some may prefer The Last Crusade, but Raiders is timeless. - Robert
1. BACK TO THE FUTURE
I'm never going to turn down a chance to talk about my favourite film of all time, so I'm glad to see that it ended up #1 on this list (no collusion, I promise). Back to the Future, to me, is the closest thing there is to a perfect film. Not only did this initial entry set the stage for what became the greatest trilogy of all time, it has maintained its quality and relevance. This film came out in 1985 – 40 years ago – and you can still watch it today without relying on nostalgia. You often hear people begging for original ideas that aren't linked to an existing IP. Something fun, exciting, and memorable... Well, perhaps you need to travel back in time to scratch that itch. The clock tower isn't the only place lightning struck. This film is magic. - Nick
HONORABLE MENTIONS
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