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3. The James Bond franchise Speaking of successful and all-time, the 22-plus James Bond movies, from Sean Connery’s Dr. No to Daniel Craig’s Skyfall, are pieces of one of the most beloved and recognized franchises of all time, spanning nearly five decades.

The movies are, of course, based on the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming. They provide solid entertainment each time around - with enough familiar elements to constitute a pleasant and expected viewing experience (you know bond will have his gadgets and his women and his tricky relationship with M) combined with enough ingenuity and creativity to surprise at every turn. The latest entry of the bunch, Skyfall, is arguably one of the best ever, and Daniel Craig has proved to be a solid Bond, stepping into shoes previously worn by the likes of Roger Moore, Connery, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan.

Unlike some of the other franchises discussed today, what is remarkable about 007 is that the series will likely endure for years and decades to come, long after the studios have run out of ideas to milk every last dollar out of some of the other franchises listed here. I, for one, always welcome a Bond flick as solid and thoughtful entertainment.

2. The Star Wars franchise

I can hear the groans of the non-Star Wars fans, including other Box Office Prophets writers. Alas, to me personally, the Star Wars movies are some of the best of all time, and the franchise one of the most noteworthy ever. Accuse me of drinking the kool-aid if you will, and I will not be able to argue with you.
For one, the original movie, now known as Episode IV, forever altered the course of film history by creating the concept of a blockbuster movie to begin with. Perhaps Jaws had tapped that concept two summers before it, but when Star Wars become the cultural phenomenon it did, there would never be any turning back for the way Big Hollywood approaches moneymaking.

Then, when Lucas and Co. decided to make The Phantom Menace in 1999, they again affected film history indelibly. Now, prequels, remakes, and reboots proved a success, and a cascade of such films has flowed endlessly since. One can rightfully question the merits of the over-commercialization of film, and the prequel/remake culture, for the art of film. Regardless of one’s view on the matter however, the simple fact is that Star Wars is responsible for these trends - whether we like them or not - and is thus infinitely influential.

Finally, the movies themselves are solid, if not amazing, and always entertaining. Sure, Attack of the Clones is a sappy disaster, but I don’t mind The Phantom Menace and really liked Revenge of the Sith, not to mention the original three. Add the timeless John Williams theme, and what you get is a series whose movies have touched our collective consciousness and imaginations in ways that few other pop cultural phenomena ever have.

The question, of course, now that Disney owns the franchise and is preparing three more entries, is whether any more damage will be done to the original three, or whether the new direction that J.J. Abrams is taking, along with the reappearance of much of the original cast, will increase or decrease the value of this film series.

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