SPOILERS, YO.
14. THE
INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)
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| photo courtesy of amazon.com |
This movie, the last in
my list, often gets a bad rap. In fact, many people don’t seem to acknowledge
it as canon, or remember it when prompted. It’s certainly a much humbler film
than the rest, with action at a comparatively smaller scale and a more focused
narrative. The special effects are miles below what Marvel achieved even with Iron Man that same year, and it doesn’t
help that it features the Hulk pre-recasting. The main problem is that Hulk doesn’t feel like part of the series; despite the Iron Man post-credits
cameo, it’s clear that the studio had yet to sort out its priorities and settle
on the version of the Hulk that this character would evolve into.
Yet even so, The Incredible Hulk is really a pretty
decent watch. Its shameless monster-a-monster action is a guilty pleasure, but
more than that, it investigates themes about loss and loneliness. Hulk tells one of the most touching and
complicated hero narratives of the bunch: Banner is still trying to figure out
his powers and balance his love life with Betty Ross (Liv Tyler!) Even if it’s
not the greatest, The Incredible Hulk
lays a decent foundation for the angriest of the Avengers.
13. IRON
MAN 2 (2010)
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| photo courtesy of themoviethemesong.com |
Iron Man 2 is another movie with a bad reputation, but in reality it too has
quite a bit to offer. Any movie featuring RDJ as Iron Man is pretty much
guaranteed fun. And with a cool new villain, some sweet new suits, and Tony’s
sassy attitude, 2 still packs a
punch. Who can forget that suitcase suit? Or Black Widow’s takedown of Justin Hammer’s
security?
But the criticisms are
justified; there are some glaring problems. Iron
Man 2 bears the mark of studio rush-work, cramming in a whole subplot with
S.H.I.E.L.D that seems pretty out of place. Also, Tony makes a new element
thanks to…a secret map left behind by his father on a table display of the
Stark Expo? Oy. But it’s still cool to see two Iron Man suits go toe to toe, so
we’ll give it a pass.
12. THOR:
THE DARK WORLD (2013)
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| photo courtesy of methodstudios.com |
There’s a lot to like about
The Dark World. Thankfully, it does a
lot more to explore the world of Asgard from the fairly limited glimpses we get
in the original Thor, showing us
medical bays, a new throne room, and even (in a sweet battle sequence) turret
defenses. Speaking of cool action, Dark
World uses the Convergence as an excuse to give us some nice Thor v
Malekith moments. Dark World also
features the dynamic duo (Loki and Thor) bickering like kids, and the ominous
Aether makes its first and only appearance in the MCU.
The problem is that
amidst all these set pieces, Thor himself gets a bit lost in the action. Sure,
he chooses to leave behind the throne of Asgard at the end, supposedly out of
love for Earth/Jane Foster, but there’s really no reason for that in this film
beyond what we’ve already seen/know about Thor. In fact, there’s virtually no
character development for Thor at all (which is understandable considering how
hard it is to develop someone whose every impulse is thoroughly heroic). At
least there’s some Thor-brand humor in the mix.
11. AVENGERS:
AGE OF ULTRON (2015)
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| photo courtesy of studiodaily.com |
Age of Ultron, being the sequel to the Avengers,
certainly bore the weight of expectations. All things considered, it does okay.
It gives us a dose of the Avengers humor audiences have come to know and love,
adds some new heroes into the mix, and gives us a nice dose of character
development for most of the major players. Ultron is a cool villain, and much
of his origin story and development were interesting and promising.
Unfortunately, on just
about every other front, Ultron disappoints.
It follows the formula (and even plotline) of Avengers very closely, it’s downright boring for most of its middle
act, and it leans a bit too far into cheesy territory to be believable. Then
there’s the dropped Thor/vision subplot. The death knell? Ultron. He’s more
developed than some Marvel villains; that isn’t the problem. It’s just that he’s
a much more promising villain (or idea of a villain) than what he ends up being
on screen. Admittedly, he can be scary and surprising at moments. But for the
most part, he’s watered down to make him more defeatable—so rather than face a
real challenge, the Avengers settle for more of the same.
10. ANT-MAN
(2015)
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| photo courtesy of superherohype.com |
Ant-Man
is a breath of fresh air, especially coming right on the tails of the
overstuffed and super-serious Age of
Ultron. The entire premise is pretty absurd, but the movie acknowledges its
inherent ridiculousness with some self-aware, warm humor. Ant-Man is pretty low on the action quotient—it’s really more of a
superhero heist film—and it suffers from a slow middle act.
But it compensates with
Paul Rudd’s charm, really funny dialogue (much from Michael Penna) and smaller,
focused drama. The most refreshing aspect of the movie is the focus on Scott’s
daughter and family obligations as the primary subplot and motivation, rather than
a love interest (though that will surely follow in sequels). Overall, Ant-Man is a solid offering from Marvel,
especially considering that it’s, well, Ant-Man.
9. DOCTOR
STRANGE (2016)
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| photo courtesy of fandango.com |
The most recent Marvel
movie, Doctor Strange, is another
welcome turn away from the big and brash doings of the Avengers. It isn’t the
best the studio has to offer, straying a little too close to the tired and
overdone origin story formula. Strange also
falls prey to the typical Marvel vices: no substantial love interest or villain
development.
Strange’s
strength is sheer aesthetic. The world of these supernatural sorcerers is
visually appealing and sets up some awesome action sequences. The visuals are
among the best Marvel has ever produced. The climax is not only visually
impressive, but also wonderfully subverts typical big-budget expectations. At
the very least, the movie promises that the Doctor
Strange property likely has bigger and better things in store down the line.
8. THOR
(2011)
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| photo courtesy of marvelcinematicuniverse.wiki.com |
Thor is
our second major character introduction in the MCU, and on most fronts, it’s a resounding
success. As an early solo-hero film, it boasts comparatively smaller stakes and
action sequences than most of the films that follows, but it doesn’t matter: Thor is a thoroughly enjoyable intergalactic
adventure.
7. CAPTAIN
AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)
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| photo courtesy of pluggedin.com |
Marvel goes for a period
piece to introduce the final (and yet also first) Avenger into the MCU. The First Avenger struggles with the story
difficulties inherent in its superhero premise—it has to cover lots of time and get Cap into the ice somehow. But
firing on all cylinders, the original Captain America movie is an atmospheric
delight.
Chris Evans as the
titular character is largely responsible for the movie’s success. The strength
of the WWII era (with a bit of Marvel magic) also contributes to the movie’s
charm, along with one of Marvel’s best soundtracks. The comparatively low level
of action and difficulty with character development keep this film, which is
generally an immersive victory, from ranking among the Marvel all-time greats.
6.
IRON MAN 3 (2013)
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| photo courtesy of collider.com |
It’s like Iron Man, but with more explosions and suits.
It isn’t an improvement from Iron Man character-wise,
but this third installment isn’t too shabby. We get a shattered Iron Man ridden
with post-Avengers anxiety and (finally)
some non-tech-based enemies. Plus, there’s all kinds of new tech to love,
including remote control (and potentially haywire?) suits and a full army of
Iron Man suits remote controlled by J.A.R.V.I.S.—not to mention the supremely satisfying attack on and subsequent destruction
of Stark’s Malibu home. It’s Iron Man on the big scale, ramping up the action
quotient for a thrilling climax to the trilogy.
Most interestingly,
there’s the Iron Man-without-armor twist, provided by the interlude in Tennessee.
We see that, in answer to Cap’s accusation in The Avengers, Stark is more than the armor: that it’s ultimately a
tool or extension of him, not the encapsulation of him. All-around, Iron Man 3’s fun ride that finishes out
Tony’s journey on a good note.
5. CAPTAIN
AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)
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| photo courtesy of collider.com |
The MCU movie that
actually dared to change the MCU. There’s not much not to like about The Winter Soldier, which takes chipper
Captain America to a much darker, more mature place. All the pieces are there:
Black Widow, a secretive HYDRA plot, and a Helicarrier blowout extravaganza.
The movie’s main
weakness is plot. It wants to be dark and sophisticated, a superhero Three Days of the Condor with Robert
Redford to boot, but it gives way to cheesiness and impossibilities at
inopportune moments. Despite this, it manages to brood over some relatively
complex (and timely) themes that elevate it above normal superhero fare.
The greatest asset is
undoubtedly the ultra-badass, the badass among badasses, the Winter Soldier
himself. Forget the twist that his identity is Bucky Barnes, he’s just downright
awesome, and the gripping action sequences involving him are maybe Marvel’s best.
He shoots a bazooka at Black Widow and bests her hand-to-hand. He does a sick
knife toss and takes Cap’s shield on more than one occasion. He downright
shoots Cap. And the most hardcore thing about him? He’s a mindless, programmed
killing machine awakened at need. Now that’s what I call a backstory.
4. IRON
MAN (2008)
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| photo courtesy of comicvine.gamespot.com |
The one that started it
all. There’s a reason this movie was able to launch what is currently the
highest-grossing franchise of all time (not adjusted for inflation). It’s
fueled by the incredible charisma of leads Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth
Paltrow, packs in an action punch, and provides some real character drama.
Whether it’s the spine-tingling scare of Pepper being caught by Obadiah, the
antics of “dummy,” or Pepper’s arc reactor gift that saves Tony’s life, Iron Man knows how to deliver a moment.
Perhaps the most
meaningful piece of the puzzle is the romance between Tony and Pepper. The
audience watches as Pepper slowly but surely melts his egomaniacal exterior and
starts him on a journey toward (relative) humility. Their relationship is
heartwarming, irreverent, and hilarious.
3. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014)
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| photo courtesy of tvtropes.com |
The surprise hit that
proved once and for all that Marvel can make anything work. It’s a sci-fi
ensemble extravaganza, boisterously powered by strong performances, bizarre
characters and worlds, and a kick-ass vibe. Chris Pratt leads the star-studded
cast, and it is his emotional journey that audiences resonate with.
Let’s be honest: the
plot isn’t the strongest (especially the conclusion with Ronan). It’s basically
Star Wars with new facades painted
over the same set pieces, and it falls prey to some franchise-building
necessities. But what it lacks in plot, it makes up for in spunk and hilarity. Guardians of the Galaxy is seriously
funny. One of the funniest action movies in recent memory. Beyond that, it’s
responsible for introducing a whole new corner to the MCU, and it does so
convincingly—building a world that is cohesive, enthralling, and immersive.
2.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)
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| photo courtesy of indiewire.com |
Civil War had a lot riding on it, but somehow Marvel managed to crank out an
absolute slam dunk. Civil War is
really an Avengers film, and not just any—it’s the sequel to The Avengers
that Age of Ultron couldn’t be. In
other words, it takes the same level of excitement and mind-splitting action,
and then takes it to a whole new level with a resounding smash into new
emotional territory.
Civil War pits hero against hero in an epic battle. It’s basically a Marvel
fan’s dream. The conflict is rooted in an ideological debate with themes that
resonate in today’s world, even if their basis in the MCU is something of a
flagrant plot-hole (all the bad stuff that happened when the Avengers were
saving the world happened when they were, ahem, saving the world, so that
settles that). But that’s beside the point. The epic-ness in Civil War is off the charts, including
none other than newcomer Black Panther and fan-favorite Spider-Man in his introduction
to the MCU.
What truly separates Civil War from the pack, however, is the
wrenching conclusion. It loses the political focus and sinks to the deeply
personal. It takes characters that audiences have seen on screen for 8 years,
and then gives them a totally legitimate and completely primal reason to hate
one another. It’s horrifying, deliciously dark, and massively impactful.
Hopefully its ramifications will continue to be worked out instead of dropped
once Infinity War comes knocking.
1.
THE AVENGERS (2012)
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| photo courtesy of youtube.com |
The Avengers is the movie that cemented the MCU’s place in film history. Its weak
point? A fairly derivative plot that, on paper, is straightforward and
overdone. Thankfully, the formula is anything but an obstacle here; the
filmmakers make up for it with sheer inventiveness at every turn. There’s never
a dull moment in The Avengers, from
the arrival of Loki and theft of the Tesseract to the battle for New York and
the post-credits Thanos tease.
The Avengers is unprecedented, plain and simple. It combines four major superhero
franchises into one superhero team on film for the first time in movie history,
and it does so with a resounding triumph. Each hero is given an arc (some more
developed than others, sure) and individual moments to shine. There are
hero-on-hero battles to spice up the action. The villain is Loki, whose
charisma and ruthlessness invigorate the action sequences. Most of that action
takes place on the biggest stage of all, New York City, and the result is undeniably
mind-blowing: the perfect, supremely satisfying cherry on top.
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