Let’s Rank the Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies So Far
Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters stateside this weekend and if the foreign box-office numbers are any indication, its going to be a massive success. Marvel Studios has an amazing track record when it comes to raking in cash and when it comes to quality even their worst movies are still better than most other studios’ comic book adaptations. Let’s look at the films from Phases 1 and 2 that have led to this imminent blockbuster.
I’m ranking them from worst to best, or at least how I see it. Keep in mind, none of these films are bad, some are just better than the others. Enjoy!
#10 Iron Man 2
The second Iron Man movie has some rough spots, ok let’s say it has alot of rough spots. As good as Mickey Rouke is as Whiplash, he can’t erase the passenger-bus sized plot-holes throughout the film. The flashy fight scene and buddy comedy aspect of the final battle highlight a film that’s best described as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s growing pain.
#9 Thor: The Dark World
The Dark World has some really cool moments and it plays extremely well the first time you see it. Unfortunately, the cool parts are offset by obvious plot devices, a sub-par villain and basically everything Darcy says. Also, the plot twists and death scenes don’t hold up that well to a second viewing.
#8 The Incredible Hulk
If the MCU has a step-child, it would be The Incredible Hulk. Having to clean up the mess the previous movie left, while trying to transition to a more grounded setting was a tall task. The Incredible Hulk feels like a relic held over from the previous generation of Comic Book movies, but I’m sure that’s due to how early in phase one it was released.
#7 Ironman 3
Although it suffers from many of the same problems as Iron Man 2, the third installment gained a lot from its focus on Tony Stark as a character. Sure, Pepper Potts as an action hero was silly and the house party protocol drips of Deus-ex Machina, but seeing a vulnerability in Stark was a welcomed departure from the norm.
#6 Captain America: The First Avenger
Many people would put this film much higher on the list. Its a nice period piece and there’s some genuine emotion throughout the film. Unfortunately, much of the film comes off as cheesy. You can blame most of that on the script. Even with cheese, the underpinnings of Cap becoming the new Marvel tent-pole can be seen.
#5 Thor
The first Thor movie is basically a 2 hr long magic trick. The character of Thor is hands down the hardest Marvel character to swallow. The Norse “God of Thunder” travels down a rainbow bridge to protect humans from the evils of invisible realms using a magic hammer. That movie should not have worked, but it totally did, and in a big way.
#4 Guardians of the Galaxy
Here’s another film on which others might disagree with me. Guardians was a huge curve-ball. As a relatively unknown group, the Guardians had a lot to prove. What James Gunn and team put together is a wonderful tapestry of characters that cleverly works popular music into a systemically sad tale of anti-heroism. Outside of Thor, Guardians is the biggest surprise on this list.
#3 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The Winter Soldier is better than its predecessor in every way, except one. It’s not a period piece. The risks taken with the story in Cap 2 are big and the payoff is even bigger. Seeing Marvel’s ability to completely burn down the status quo makes the wait for Avengers Age of Ultron even harder. With Cap 3 already being announced as Civil War, the trajectory of this trilogy is mind-blowing.
#2 Ironman
I have long said that Iron Man is a perfect movie. From the casting, to the villain, to origin story, the first Ironman movie plays as well today as it did the day it was released in 2008. Robert Downey Jr establishes a Tony Stark that is sleek, charming, smart and brash in a way cinema has never seen. The Iron Man movies have been coasting on that Stark attitude ever since.
#1 The Avengers
I’ve been very public about my adoration of the first Avengers film. Its the perfect comic book movie. Joss Whedon was thrown a soft ball when asked to write and direct The Avengers and he hit it out of the park. Having your 4 main characters back stories already be established allowed for focus on the story at hand. The Avengers is basically the Star Wars of super hero movies. All rules have been re-written, all bars have been raised and everyone is scrambling to recreate the magic. As its follow up, Age of Ultron has huge expectations.
Don’t agree with me? Let me know on Facebook, Twitter and/or in the comments below. Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters May, 1.
