10. Iron Man 2
While many people have problems with the first sequel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is still a watchable film. There’s a few excellent setups for future films, and characters like Rhodey and Nick Fury get fleshed out. I won’t say it’s the best the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer, but it’s respectable enough to be #10!
9. Iron Man
The original film that kicked off the MCU, the film introduced many elements of an MCU film that are now celebrated: great characters/story, excellent action, and witty humor. Robert Downey Jr. still commands a presence as Tony/Iron Man even close to a decade after the films release. While not the best villain in the MCU, Obidiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) still is entertaining to watch.
8. The Incredible Hulk
Often times labelled the ‘black swan’ or ‘neglected child’ of the MCU, The Incredible Hulk did take some time for many to warm up to, but it is a well-made film, with excellent performances all-around, and the beginning of those MCU connections that we all love so much! Now if only Marvel Studios will remember that characters like Betty, General Ross, and The Leader exist!
7. Captain America: The First Avenger
In terms of origin films, few films do it as well as
The First Avenger. It once again blends all the elments of an MCU film, and works well to establish who Steve is before uprooting him and placing him in the modern world. What the film does is that it makes Steve seem truly out of time, and makes his actions and choices much more understandable when you see where he comes from.
6. Iron Man 3
While slammed by many fans for the Mandarin twist, this film gets accolades from me because of what it does, and that’s taking a character and molding this character into a different genre (Action, Crime-Mystery, Thriller). What you get is a subversion of expectation, and whether that’s desired by people or not, I enjoyed that Iron Man 3 was a departure from the other two films and The Avengers in terms of tone and feel.
5. Avengers: Age of Ultron
A divisive film, and I think partially because there was a lot of expectation by viewers and myself that this film could and would outdo The Avengers in many regards. While I don’t think it ever could’ve (nor did it to be clear) I do think that the film is still serviceable and entertaining. Even with my criticisms, I don’t want it to sound like it wans’t great, I just think there was a bit of exhaustion in terms of that formula, and in my opinion there was a few things they could’ve changed to help elevate the movie; but even as it is, it’s still a damn fine movie.
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Any successful sequel takes elements of the previous movie and builds on them, and with The Winter Soldier it was exciting that it not only built on Steve’s characterization across his debut and The Avengers, but also fundamentally changed his ideology, and made him re-consider his whole take on life, this world, and it’s people.
That’s, kind of intense!
I mean when you consider Cap’s transformation, and in some sense his efforts to remain the man that he’s supposed to be, it’s an interesting dynamic, and amidst characters like Nick Fury, Falcon, and Black Widow; the film still manages to juxstapose all of this against Steve, truly defining his character amongst a deeply personal crisis.
3. The Avengers
For myself, the MCU was fun, if slightly unexciting. Not because anything truly bored me, but because it was building to something in Phase I. We didn’t know much, but then we saw the pieces come together: The Cosmic Cube, Loki, etc.
Eventually, when the film finally brings all these pieces together, it’s true nerd bliss! It took the parts of the MCU and showed that the sum of the parts is equal to the parts themselves, if not more grandiose and exciting! There’s not too much wrong with the film, and most of my complaints are surface elvel stuff. In a summer with The Dark Knight Returns, Joss Whedon showed how powerful a comic book movie can be when it embraces it’s comics lineage!
2. Ant-Man
The latest Marvel Studios release, in my review of the film I said:
“In all seriousness , this film is
PERFECT in how it captures the essence of Marvel Studios and it's spirit. Regardless of your view on how they make movies, this film plays to their strengths. Giving us amazing action, true heartfelt moments that stay with us, and witty humor. We'll have to wait and see how Ant-Man's role grows in upcoming films like
Captain America: Civil War, but I think this film not only established excellent framework, but also introduced Marvel's biggest character to date.”
I still stand by my statement. This film is exciting, this film is full of heart, and it has amazing action. Whether we’re laughing along with Luis, watching Hank or Scott ache as they try to reclaim the love of their daughters, or seeing Ant-Man fight Yellow Jacket on a toy train. This film executed on three simple elements almost flawlessly!
Only one film can best it…
1. Guardians of the Galaxy
It’s hard not to admit that I love, have loved, and will continue to love this film. The 2008 relaunch of the Guardians of the Galaxy was one comic (that and Old Man Logan) that got me back into comics. So I have a bit of a personal bias/preference as this was the property that I got behind.
I was concerned about this film in a weird sense, it was as if I thought “they could do no wrong, but if they do…”
When I saw the film, it was pure bliss. It was perfection personified. It was my favourite team, being adapted faithfully and with some mild (but interesting and fun) deviations. There’s very few things that cause a muscular radioactive beast to cry and one of those was the dance-off scene at the end. Seeing Peter have a vision of his mother was simple, and yet it really did tie the entire movie together. Lazier films *cough* Man of Steel *cough* forget plot elements sometimes. They introduce something and then either forget about it or disregard it. So to have that moment of Peter seeing his mother told me my favourite team was in good hands.
Now…for the sequel.