From BLACK PANTHER to AQUAMAN - Every 2018 Superhero Movie Ranked From Worst To Best
It's been quite the year for superhero movies but which was the best release of 2018 and which lands right at the bottom of the list? Well, you can find my thoughts on that right here so check it out...
Since Iron Man and The Dark Knight were released, superhero movies have been on an upward trend and we've seen an increase both in terms of consistently quality films and how many we get to see in theaters across a 365 day period. In other words, we're all extremely lucky, and things will no doubt continue getting better over the next few years.
For the most part, 2018 has been an excellent year, something which has been emphasised by the fact that at least two releases could very well end up being Oscar-nominated next February.
With the year's final superhero movie now in theaters, it's time to rank them all from worst to best and we think you'll definitely find this interesting reading. Needless to say, this is just my opinion, and I'm sure you'll have your own! To take a look at my ranking, though, simply hit the "View List" button.
7. Venom
I would say, "What a disappointment" but was anyone actually under the belief that Venom would be good? Shockingly, moviegoers (and many fans) ate it up, hence why it's made a cool $800+ million at the worldwide box office since being released in October.
For me, there's nothing really good to say about this one. Taking aside the fanboy complaints about Spider-Man not appearing and all the other ways the movie completely ignores the comic books, it's just a bad way to spend 90 minutes of your life and, from start to finish, it feels like a movie which should have been released back in 2005 rather than 2018.
When Venom is on screen, it's definitely possible to have some fun and if you like humour aimed at teenage boys, you may even get some laughs. For me, though, this was a total failure.
6. Deadpool 2
I enjoyed Deadpool but have never understood the overwhelmingly positive praise the movie has received since being released back in 2016. That could be why I wasn't blown away by the sequel.
Josh Brolin's Cable was great and seeing a character like The Juggernaut in action was a blast but the Merc with the Mouth and his jokes (many of which were just rehashed from the first instalment) quickly grew stale and there was nothing particularly special with the story. It was only right at the very end a clever use of time-travel was introduced and even that wasn't overly original.
If you're a hardcore Deadpool fan, I'm sure this was a 5* movie. If not...meh?
5. Ant-Man And The Wasp
Maybe it's because Ant-Man and The Wasp was released so much later in the UK but by the time I finally got to see the Marvel Studios sequel, I wasn't exactly blown away. Now, it's by no means a bad movie but it's kind of just...there.
Exploring the Quantum Realm didn't end up being that exciting, and while the Captain America: Civil War fallout was fun, it felt a little too late by that point. On the plus side, Evangeline Lilly's Wasp is the best addition to the MCU we've had for quite some time and Paul Rudd's Scott Lang is always good fun to spend time with.
This was a fun movie and I would definitely recommend it but in the grand scheme of things, it won't go down as an instant classic and probably sits best alongside Iron Man 2 and Thor: The Dark World. Part three needs new direction.
4. Incredibles 2
I didn't get chance to review this for CBM because it was another movie that reached the UK quite late (freaking football...) but Pixar and director Brad Bird definitely delivered a satisfying sequel.
MakingMr. Incredible a stay at home dad resulted in some great moments, while Elastigirl stepping up proved to be hugely satisfying. Jack Jack ended up with some memorable scenes too and while the villain was a tad forgettable, the long wait we endured to return to this world was definitely worth it.
Whether it was worth fourteen years is debatable as the movie doesn't necessarily exceed the first but you can bet your ass that it manages to at least match it.
Joint Third: Aquaman
I really agonised over this decision, especially as both movies are so fresh in my mind but Aquaman blew me away and is such a fun time at the theater that I'm finally feeling 100% (well, maybe 90%) sure that the DC Extended Universe is finally on the right path.
It's by no means a flawless masterpiece but it's hard not to walk away smiling, especially when this feels like a Star Wars movie in terms of the sheer scale and the fact it has an old-fashioned action blockbuster feel which most releases struggle to find these days.
I loved it and regardless of whether or not you're an Aquaman fan, I reckon you'll enjoy it.
Joint Third: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
There's been a lot of buzz surrounding Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse winning the "Best Animation" Oscar next year and it damn well should. A love letter to the world of the wall-crawler, Sony really exceeded expectations here both in terms of focusing on a diverse lead like Miles Morales and all the other spider heroes who appear (including my personal favourite, Peter B. Parker).
The animation style is both amazing and spectacular, with thought boxes and sound effects frequently popping up on screen in a flawless manner which just helps make this adventure feel all the more unique. Throw in the aforementioned great characters and a strong story and it's fair to say this was nothing short of a triumph and a movie that fans of Spider-Man will definitely appreciate.
2. Black Panther
Deciding what to place at #1 also wasn't easy but taking aside the cultural impact Black Panther has had, it only narrowly missed out on the top spot for me. Following T'Challa's debut in Captain America: Civil War, Ryan Coogler took the ball, ran with it, and scored a home run in the process.
Not only is the movie visually stunning but it boasts a strong story and one of the best bad guys to ever grace a superhero movie.
Seeing a diverse cast like this on screen was obviously a treat and despite how important that was for any number of reasons, this would have been a great movie regardless of who starred in it. That's because everything else here was so great but make no mistake about it; it's the diverse cast that makes this one and it's truly a game-changer for the genre and Hollywood in general.
1. Avengers: Infinity War
What a masterpiece.
Despite how traumatic it was to say goodbye to so many of our favourite superheroes, Avengers: Infinity War blew everyone away with an incredible story, some mind-blowing surprises, and a villain who just about managed to top Erik Killmonger in a movie which actually ended up belonging to him!
It took serious balls to tell a story like this but it was indicative of how much trust Marvel Studios has gained from us that we're sticking with them leading into Avengers: Endgame next year.
There are too many good things here to mention but I love everything about what the Russo Brothers did here and can't wait to see what comes next. It will take an awful lot to top this anyway.