Every Marvel Movie. All 14 (at this point). Ranked. Least liked to most liked. The paragraphs get longer. My interest gets deeper. Let's do this.
14. Iron Man 2
Still a film I'd enjoy to watch, but still a movie with problems that can't be ignored. Part of the plot involves Tony dying from the very device that keeps him alive, but for some reason that plot point isn't as dire as it should be. Tony gets little character growth. The villain's potential is wasted, as is Black Widow's role in the film. Some of the things I like about this film include the reintroduction of Rhodey/War Machine, the silver suitcase armor, and the last fight scene.
13. Thor: The Dark World
This film was neck-and-neck with "Iron Man 2". Has a lot of cool environments, but the supporting cast is very weak. I give props to Loki and Jane Foster, but the old scientist and the Broke Girl and the Broke Girl's assistant add nothing to the film. Thor is pretty likable and the fight scenes get creative. Basically anything that isn't based in reality is enjoyable. Oh, and the villain was wasted.
12. Avengers: Age of Ultron
I didn't expect this film to hit so low. I mean, we get The Hulkbuster, we get Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, we get references to Wakanda, we get The Vision, we get The Avengers, man! But then again Iron Man's actions don't line up with the events of "Iron Man 3". And Quicksilver is killed off and forgotten about. And Falcon and War Machine appear, but don't help until the end. And the idea of Ultron being Stark's "son" isn't focused on strongly enough. It's got great interactions and action, but I found myself shaking my head too many times at possible turns the film could have taken.
11. The Incredible Hulk
We're getting to the films that aren't disappointing enough to lose points. This film is pretty enjoyable, I like the idea of Banner roaming South America. And avoiding the origin story route is very refreshing. However, the plot is very predictable and the villains are very one-dimensional. The action is eye-food, but ultimately this film follows the same steps most Hulk stories follow and the film doesn't have much bearing on the rest of the MCU.
10. Iron Man
This film changed the superhero film genre. That's good. This film had a pretty decent character arc, Stark takes responsibility for his own weapons and seemingly wants to fight terrorism. That last point is pretty cool because you got to figure if we had someone who could afford to be a superhero fighting terrorism would be their priority. The use of Stark's armor makes him different from heroes that came to film before him. The villain is pretty cookie-cutter, and Tony-before and after his character development-isn't very appealing to me personally.
9. Ant-Man
I'm a bit of a sucker for lovable losers. The main character being a former criminal and failure of a father makes me sympathize for him and understand his motivations throughout the film, the fact that he gets to be a superhero and see his daughter and be friends with his ex and his ex's new boyfriend is the kind of happy ending we never see in movies and hardly ever see in reality. And helping the film is the funny (Luis) and layered (Hank Pym) cast of characters. The villain is, yet again, pretty standard, but all the scenes seen at ant-size are so cool. I love the way the world looks and how Scott interacts with it at that size.
8. Doctor Strange
The only thing this film has over "Ant-Man" is how different it is from the typical superhero movie. "Ant-Man" still follows some tropes, but "Doctor Strange" introduces ideas and powers we haven't seen in the MCU. The importance of what Doc does for the MCU without him being as famous as The Avengers adds to the film's credit. The effects are phenomenal. Incomparable. It's like scenes were ripped from the books. The magic is pretty entertaining too and the last battle was one of the best in the MCU. For real, winning a fight without even fighting is a really tough decision for a superhero movie to make so I respect that. Doctor Strange-sadly-isn't that interesting to me as a character. He should be, given his background, but he almost seemed "too normal" or "too predictable" to find interesting. The villain wasn't great, but I really respect how The Ancient One and Mordo were depicted.
7. Thor
If "Ant-Man" was appealing for being a redemption story, and "Doctor Strange" was entertaining for introducing mythic elements, "Thor" combines both factors while also being a fish-out-of-water story. Thor in battle is fun. Thor interacting with humans is hilarious. Yet again the supporting cast isn't great, but The Warriors Three and Sif were fun and Loki was a cool villain from the start. Everything exploring Mjolnir is fun to watch too, and the scene were Thor walks into that SHIELD camp, fights his way through, and tries to lift the hammer was awesome. From beginning to end "Thor" is just a fun film and when it shines brightest when the locations are mythical and the characters are unreal.
6. Captain America: The First Avenger
Now begins my unhealthy obsession with Captain America. Chris Evans manages to make a wholesome, honest, humble, and unashamedly flawed character not look condescending. There seems to be this conception in Hollywood now that an entirely good character cannot exist and/or cannot be engaging. In this film we get to see the weakest man with the strongest heart become the world's first superhero. We get a war movie that is also a superhero movie. Most of the cast is just there to be there, but Haylee Atwell as Peggy Carter? Oh my lord. Never have I ever wanted to be a redcoat more than when I saw her. And it helps that she isn't a damsel. The Red Skull may be pretty basic, but in kind of a good way. If Cap is the successful personification of good, Red Skull manages to be the successful personification of evil. He is not at all sympathetic or understandable. He's just evil and somehow not typical. Just as Cap is straight-up good and not typical.
5. Guardians of The Galaxy
This film is a lot of fun and manages to use a large cast of new characters without anyone feeling ignored. What impresses me about "Guardians of The Galaxy" is how different it feels from any other comic book movie, probably because it's a fun space romp. The way music is used in this film both in the narrative and in the structure of the scenes is incredibly smart. Seeing so many cosmic locations, as well as aliens that inhabit the MCU, really just shows us another unexplored corner of this universe. What really helps the film is that you don't need to see any other movie to watch it, you'll get as much enjoyment out of this movie as it's own film as you would if you saw it as a Marvel movie. The villain is sub-par, and if I'm being honest the main characters aren't especially deep. Yes they are fun and quotable and the actors have a good time playing them, but Gamora, Drax, and Rocket are all serious, quick-tempered, killers. And Star-Lord, despite being our point-of-view and the character with the most development, is just the goofy guy with a heart of gold. I'm sorry but I don't find Peter Quill that engaging, not even close to Cap or Tony or even Banner. I still like him, I still like all the characters, I think Rocket and Groot are two of my favorite MCU characters in general because they are so physically different. Groot is just perfect because I expected no less from him.
This film is a lot of fun and manages to use a large cast of new characters without anyone feeling ignored. What impresses me about "Guardians of The Galaxy" is how different it feels from any other comic book movie, probably because it's a fun space romp. The way music is used in this film both in the narrative and in the structure of the scenes is incredibly smart. Seeing so many cosmic locations, as well as aliens that inhabit the MCU, really just shows us another unexplored corner of this universe. What really helps the film is that you don't need to see any other movie to watch it, you'll get as much enjoyment out of this movie as it's own film as you would if you saw it as a Marvel movie. The villain is sub-par, and if I'm being honest the main characters aren't especially deep. Yes they are fun and quotable and the actors have a good time playing them, but Gamora, Drax, and Rocket are all serious, quick-tempered, killers. And Star-Lord, despite being our point-of-view and the character with the most development, is just the goofy guy with a heart of gold. I'm sorry but I don't find Peter Quill that engaging, not even close to Cap or Tony or even Banner. I still like him, I still like all the characters, I think Rocket and Groot are two of my favorite MCU characters in general because they are so physically different. Groot is just perfect because I expected no less from him.
4. The Avengers
I don't really like the costume for Cap or the armor for Tony in this one, and it kind of sucks that Hawkeye spends most of the film hypnotized, but the biggest issue is that "Avengers" has a slow build to the final product. When Cap, Banner, and Stark are on the Helicarrier that's when the film really starts. And when Thor comes in it's even better because now we can see him interact with our characters and his fight scene with Cap and Stark really gives credit to the two human heroes. The two human heroes who go toe-to-toe with a God. The overall story is a nice spin on the first Avengers story where Loki controls The Hulk and Earth's heroes have to stop him. Tying in Loki, a few Infinity Gems, and an alien army really raises the stakes. "The Avengers" really strides because it's the first of it's kind. It paves the way for the rest of the MCU and it acts as a mold for all other superhero team movies from this point forward. What gives "Avengers" an edge over "Guardians of The Galaxy" is that while Guardians has better visuals and great comedy and a good atmosphere, "Avengers" has more defined and distinct characters. And those character interactions build the film in a major way. It helps that supporting characters Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, and Maria Hill offer further entertainment value to this amazing film.
I don't really like the costume for Cap or the armor for Tony in this one, and it kind of sucks that Hawkeye spends most of the film hypnotized, but the biggest issue is that "Avengers" has a slow build to the final product. When Cap, Banner, and Stark are on the Helicarrier that's when the film really starts. And when Thor comes in it's even better because now we can see him interact with our characters and his fight scene with Cap and Stark really gives credit to the two human heroes. The two human heroes who go toe-to-toe with a God. The overall story is a nice spin on the first Avengers story where Loki controls The Hulk and Earth's heroes have to stop him. Tying in Loki, a few Infinity Gems, and an alien army really raises the stakes. "The Avengers" really strides because it's the first of it's kind. It paves the way for the rest of the MCU and it acts as a mold for all other superhero team movies from this point forward. What gives "Avengers" an edge over "Guardians of The Galaxy" is that while Guardians has better visuals and great comedy and a good atmosphere, "Avengers" has more defined and distinct characters. And those character interactions build the film in a major way. It helps that supporting characters Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, and Maria Hill offer further entertainment value to this amazing film.
3. Iron Man 3
This is one of those controversial choices. At least, it will be to some of my friends who don't like this film. Next to "Captain America: Civil War", this film has one of my favorite interpretations of Tony Stark. More armors, new methods of donning the armor, and the new functions of the armors have really shown how much Tony's progressed as an inventor throughout these films. Who he is as a person really strikes hard too. Tony gets PTSD that stems back to his near death in "The Avengers". This new struggle for Tony is really important because its the first and only time in superhero film history our main character-a normal human next to Gods and monsters-actually suffers from recoil due to unbelievable events. Yes, saving the world was awesome, but doing what Tony did would seriously mess him up. Add to that the entire portion of the film where Tony doesn't have his armors, he only has one armor (a busted one), and he has to fend for himself by using microwave explosives and DIY gadgets he made from Home Depot products. He just goes low-rent James Bond, and he even uses a gun here and there. And then the villain. Oh, the villain. I don't give a single crap about some vaguely Asian wizard with ten magic rings. What I do find fascinating is a guy so evil and so clever he constructs a fake terrorist to distract the country. Because this is America, and the biggest fear to America is terrorism and the mere thought of it. He makes this fake Osama Bin Laden, and then he turns former US soldiers into actual suicide bombers. He does this all to get back at Tony and destroy our country. Yes, he's another villain Tony created. Yes, it was lame when he said he was The Mandarin. But no, this villain is not stupid. It's genius, it's thoughtful, and it totally tail-ends the running theme of advanced terrorism presented in the "Iron Man" trilogy. The only things about "Iron Man 3" that deserve criticism are the random child actor and the Iron Patriot idea, and even the characters know that idea isn't as cool as War Machine.
This is one of those controversial choices. At least, it will be to some of my friends who don't like this film. Next to "Captain America: Civil War", this film has one of my favorite interpretations of Tony Stark. More armors, new methods of donning the armor, and the new functions of the armors have really shown how much Tony's progressed as an inventor throughout these films. Who he is as a person really strikes hard too. Tony gets PTSD that stems back to his near death in "The Avengers". This new struggle for Tony is really important because its the first and only time in superhero film history our main character-a normal human next to Gods and monsters-actually suffers from recoil due to unbelievable events. Yes, saving the world was awesome, but doing what Tony did would seriously mess him up. Add to that the entire portion of the film where Tony doesn't have his armors, he only has one armor (a busted one), and he has to fend for himself by using microwave explosives and DIY gadgets he made from Home Depot products. He just goes low-rent James Bond, and he even uses a gun here and there. And then the villain. Oh, the villain. I don't give a single crap about some vaguely Asian wizard with ten magic rings. What I do find fascinating is a guy so evil and so clever he constructs a fake terrorist to distract the country. Because this is America, and the biggest fear to America is terrorism and the mere thought of it. He makes this fake Osama Bin Laden, and then he turns former US soldiers into actual suicide bombers. He does this all to get back at Tony and destroy our country. Yes, he's another villain Tony created. Yes, it was lame when he said he was The Mandarin. But no, this villain is not stupid. It's genius, it's thoughtful, and it totally tail-ends the running theme of advanced terrorism presented in the "Iron Man" trilogy. The only things about "Iron Man 3" that deserve criticism are the random child actor and the Iron Patriot idea, and even the characters know that idea isn't as cool as War Machine.
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
I always knew which films would be my top two, the hard part was deciding which was better. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is exactly the kind of sequel Cap needed. To do a film where Cap responds to every little detail about the modern day may be funny, but has no core to it. This film explores Cap's response to the ethics of the modern day. Here we have a guy who stood for The American Way, a guy who personifies the better aspects of a 1940's America. So how would a character like that respond to drone strikes? To 24/7 cameras? To immoral espionage and the abuse of power and the tactics of fear? How would a completely honest character respond to an organization built with lies and deceptions? And when Cap is forced to go rogue and discovers his age-old enemies of HYDRA have been inside SHIELD ever since the organization was founded? It's not just a shake to him, it's a shake to Nick Fury who was our representative for SHIELD since "Iron Man". It's a shake to Black Widow as SHIELD was the closest thing to a family she ever had, being part of it made her feel like she was redeeming herself and now that was a lie. SHIELD being HYDRA effects the MCU in general. All the times SHIELD has screwed over our heroes or allowed villains to get away with stuff? It makes sense now. And with SHIELD being broken up and the U.S. government taking initiative, the paths of our heroes drastically change. And then there's Bucky. Maybe we comic book fans see it from scene one, but boy was it satisfying to see movie-goers gasp at that reveal of Bucky being The Winter Soldier. The way he fought, the absence of memories, it's so engaging to watch Cap try and try to get his friend back. This is the only person from his old life to be as alive as him. The way Cap is portrayed, the dead-on action scenes, and the kind of emotional gymnastics this film pulls off (looking at you, Peggy) really earns it it's spot.
I always knew which films would be my top two, the hard part was deciding which was better. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is exactly the kind of sequel Cap needed. To do a film where Cap responds to every little detail about the modern day may be funny, but has no core to it. This film explores Cap's response to the ethics of the modern day. Here we have a guy who stood for The American Way, a guy who personifies the better aspects of a 1940's America. So how would a character like that respond to drone strikes? To 24/7 cameras? To immoral espionage and the abuse of power and the tactics of fear? How would a completely honest character respond to an organization built with lies and deceptions? And when Cap is forced to go rogue and discovers his age-old enemies of HYDRA have been inside SHIELD ever since the organization was founded? It's not just a shake to him, it's a shake to Nick Fury who was our representative for SHIELD since "Iron Man". It's a shake to Black Widow as SHIELD was the closest thing to a family she ever had, being part of it made her feel like she was redeeming herself and now that was a lie. SHIELD being HYDRA effects the MCU in general. All the times SHIELD has screwed over our heroes or allowed villains to get away with stuff? It makes sense now. And with SHIELD being broken up and the U.S. government taking initiative, the paths of our heroes drastically change. And then there's Bucky. Maybe we comic book fans see it from scene one, but boy was it satisfying to see movie-goers gasp at that reveal of Bucky being The Winter Soldier. The way he fought, the absence of memories, it's so engaging to watch Cap try and try to get his friend back. This is the only person from his old life to be as alive as him. The way Cap is portrayed, the dead-on action scenes, and the kind of emotional gymnastics this film pulls off (looking at you, Peggy) really earns it it's spot.
1. Captain America: Civil War
At first, I didn't want this to be my favorite Marvel movie. I guess it just seemed so typical. Superheroes fighting each other, Spider-Man showing up, being able to pick which side your on based on who you like more. I hate the "expected" reasons for liking a film. To like this movie for the reasons I just gave is extremely common among people who see these movies just for the visuals and costumes and fights. But as someone who looks for character and story in these films, I found "Captain America: Civil War" managed to be everything it was advertised as and more. Looking past the action, there are awesome things about this film. Again we see Cap struggle, this time with his own allies and the changes being made to the way heroes operate. Again he sees new rules and methods put in place for the sake of safety as a means of losing control, as a means of an untrustworthy organization crippling what The Avengers are trying to do for the world. And it's heavy for the inciting incident to be Scarlet Witch's mistake. For that event to remind people of the destruction caused by The Avengers, and for it to be a complete accident rather than something that couldn't be prevented makes the U.S. government's response reasonable. Add to that Cap's continued issues with Bucky. But if you can't see Cap as the star of this film, I'll eat my hat and admit Tony Stark would be the second face to focus on. This is my favorite Tony Stark in the MCU, hands down. Same attitude and wit, but my God does this Tony own his problems. Finally, he realizes all his enemies are a result of his actions. Finally, he admits his struggle to get Pepper back stems to his unhealthy obsession with being a superhero. This guy has come near the brink of death and still continued to fight evil and he can't explain what keeps him going. Before the film came out I thought "Tony hates the government. How is this going to work". And it did work. It worked because Tony-for the first time since "Iron Man"-thought "oh, the problem was me all along". And the three-way relationship between Cap, Tony, and Bucky at the end? Love that. Love that, love that, love that. There is no better motivator to fight your best friend than "your other friend killed my parents". It's a fight you can't really pick a side for because yes, Bucky killed Tony's parents. But Bucky was under mind control. You understand Stark's actions and you know why they're wrong, but you can see yourself doing the same thing in Tony's position. Black Widow, The Vision, and Scarlet Witch get good character stuff. Black Panther's introduction is super engaging. And, well, Spider-Man is amaze-balls. My only issue is how the MCU Spider-Man/Iron Man duo is being done, but that pales in comparison to everything this film manages to do. It's a third Cap movie, it's a superhero fight movie, it introduces two new heroes into the mix, it premiers Ant-Man's Giant Form, it's a realistic narrative on the responsibilities of superheroes, all of that and never does it trip on it's own feet! And again, an underrated villain that I love. Basically The Punisher, but for superheroes. A character who is a direct response to the destruction heroes bring with them, a character who's methods and resources become believable the more you learn about him, and a character who sets in motion the entire fight of the film, the guy who causes "The Civil War". And he does all this without taking pot-shots at our heroes, he does all this without throwing a single punch, he does this with no mask, no moniker, and no superpowers. Helmut Zemo is one of the best superhero antagonists to hit the screen and nobody even realizes it. That's how brilliant this movie is. Seriously, if The Super Russo Bros can do all that with so many characters and plotlines and it still comes out better than any other MCU film, I cannot wait to see what they do when "Avengers 3" pulls in The Guardians, Doctor Strange, Thanos, and whatever other corners of the MCU!
Thanks for reading.
At first, I didn't want this to be my favorite Marvel movie. I guess it just seemed so typical. Superheroes fighting each other, Spider-Man showing up, being able to pick which side your on based on who you like more. I hate the "expected" reasons for liking a film. To like this movie for the reasons I just gave is extremely common among people who see these movies just for the visuals and costumes and fights. But as someone who looks for character and story in these films, I found "Captain America: Civil War" managed to be everything it was advertised as and more. Looking past the action, there are awesome things about this film. Again we see Cap struggle, this time with his own allies and the changes being made to the way heroes operate. Again he sees new rules and methods put in place for the sake of safety as a means of losing control, as a means of an untrustworthy organization crippling what The Avengers are trying to do for the world. And it's heavy for the inciting incident to be Scarlet Witch's mistake. For that event to remind people of the destruction caused by The Avengers, and for it to be a complete accident rather than something that couldn't be prevented makes the U.S. government's response reasonable. Add to that Cap's continued issues with Bucky. But if you can't see Cap as the star of this film, I'll eat my hat and admit Tony Stark would be the second face to focus on. This is my favorite Tony Stark in the MCU, hands down. Same attitude and wit, but my God does this Tony own his problems. Finally, he realizes all his enemies are a result of his actions. Finally, he admits his struggle to get Pepper back stems to his unhealthy obsession with being a superhero. This guy has come near the brink of death and still continued to fight evil and he can't explain what keeps him going. Before the film came out I thought "Tony hates the government. How is this going to work". And it did work. It worked because Tony-for the first time since "Iron Man"-thought "oh, the problem was me all along". And the three-way relationship between Cap, Tony, and Bucky at the end? Love that. Love that, love that, love that. There is no better motivator to fight your best friend than "your other friend killed my parents". It's a fight you can't really pick a side for because yes, Bucky killed Tony's parents. But Bucky was under mind control. You understand Stark's actions and you know why they're wrong, but you can see yourself doing the same thing in Tony's position. Black Widow, The Vision, and Scarlet Witch get good character stuff. Black Panther's introduction is super engaging. And, well, Spider-Man is amaze-balls. My only issue is how the MCU Spider-Man/Iron Man duo is being done, but that pales in comparison to everything this film manages to do. It's a third Cap movie, it's a superhero fight movie, it introduces two new heroes into the mix, it premiers Ant-Man's Giant Form, it's a realistic narrative on the responsibilities of superheroes, all of that and never does it trip on it's own feet! And again, an underrated villain that I love. Basically The Punisher, but for superheroes. A character who is a direct response to the destruction heroes bring with them, a character who's methods and resources become believable the more you learn about him, and a character who sets in motion the entire fight of the film, the guy who causes "The Civil War". And he does all this without taking pot-shots at our heroes, he does all this without throwing a single punch, he does this with no mask, no moniker, and no superpowers. Helmut Zemo is one of the best superhero antagonists to hit the screen and nobody even realizes it. That's how brilliant this movie is. Seriously, if The Super Russo Bros can do all that with so many characters and plotlines and it still comes out better than any other MCU film, I cannot wait to see what they do when "Avengers 3" pulls in The Guardians, Doctor Strange, Thanos, and whatever other corners of the MCU!
Thanks for reading.
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