Best and worst movie threequels

When the third time is, and isn’t, a charm

By Brett Buckalew, Special to Metromix

Eleven years ago, the creative wizards at Pixar pulled off a rare, impressive feat—with “Toy Story 2,” they made a sequel magically superior to its already quite accomplished predecessor. Now, the animation studio enters even trickier franchise territory, with this week’s release of “Toy Story 3.”

While it’s safe to assume that the Pixar crew can wrap up a trilogy successfully—their track record of high-quality hits has become the stuff of Hollywood legend—the truth is that the third time is rarely the charm for filmmakers looking to extend a series beyond its first sequel.

Before we see if “Toy Story 3” winds up a triumph or a disappointment, here’s an evenly divided list of the five best and five worst (or, really, most disappointing) threequels ever made. 

Follow @metromix on Twitter for the latest in movies, music and TV

Related items:

• 'Toy Story 3' photos
• 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' photos
• 10 franchises that need to die