Across all of sci-fi , only these two trilogies can claim to be great from beginning to end , and it's a rare feat indeed. For any sequel to live up to its predecessor is a minor miracle, but repeating the trick is cinematic gold dust. In the sci-fi realm, living up to expectations has proven especially tricky for even the biggest franchises.

Star Trek had a long-standing issue with odd-numbered movies , Star Wars sullied the legacy of the original trilogy by adding the inferior prequels (then sullied the improved reputation of the prequels with the inferior sequels). Alien and Terminator both struggled after releasing two great movies. Planet of the Apes ' original run was inconsistent and the same goes for Predator , while The Matrix and Men in Black have only mana

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