Ranking Marvel's first two phases


With the release of "Avengers: Age of Ultron," Marvel's Phase Two is nearly complete. Technically "Ant Man" in July will close it out as the 12th in an inter-connected set of films. But with two "Avengers" films and plenty of stand alone stories, it's a good time to rank the 11 Marvel universe films.

Below is the order I would place them (in ascending order).

11. "The Incredible Hulk" (2008)
If your dream was to see Edward Norton portray a superhero in a pensive, at times boring, film, this is your dream. But seeing as how this was a marginal movie and Norton was quickly replaced as The Hulk by the time "The Avengers" rolled out, it's easy to dismiss this movie as a rare Marvel misstep.

10. "Iron Man 3" (2013)
I love Robert Downey, Jr., and I love the way he portrays Iron Man, but I didn't love this film. The first post-"Avengers" release was a bit of a downer. Shane Black is good at crafting a certain kind of film, but I'm not sure an "Iron Man" movie is it.

9. "Iron Man 2" (2010)
This isn't a bad movie, it's actually kind of enjoyable. But Mickey Rourke wasn't the most inspired choice of villain.

8. "Thor: The Dark World" (2013)
Some prefer the "Thor" sequel to the original, but I'm not one of them. This is a fine film that advances the story, but I preferred Thor's origin story.

7. "Thor" (2011)
I think Kenneth Branagh's visual style gets lost a bit here. This is also one of the funnier Marvel movies, and one that had the least heavy action sequences. I like this introduction and bit of world building.

6. "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011)
This period piece had a lot of fun elements. They did a great job of crafting the World War II look, and it has a lot of fun pieces, serving as a bridge to "The Avengers."

5. "Iron Man" (2008)
When Downey first served as Iron Man, the Avengers was just a dream. He carried a lot of weight on his shoulders to establish a character and the the Marvel universe, and it still holds up as one of the most fun superhero movies.

4. "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015)
It's always fun to have the band back together, and there is plenty of humor here. But "Ultron" feels like a film that, at times, is overwhelmed by world building, fan service, and too many big action set pieces. It's still good, but it's not as great as it could have been.

3. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014)
This is a different kind of superhero movie, and it does a lot to take the Marvel universe in a different direction. It grows Captain America as a character, and it puts a lot of pieces into place.

2. "The Avengers" (2012)
A movie that proved the whole is greater than its parts. This movie has comedy, builds an interesting story and proves that a team up movie can be a lot of fun.

1. "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014)
A different kind of team in a different kind of world, I loved the way the characters and story meshed here. This felt like a different kind of movie and I'm excited to see how Marvel builds on the "Guardians" and, eventually, enfolds them into the "Avengers" world.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more