After the euphoria that I experienced after watching Captain America Civil War twice this weekend, me and my buddies couldn’t help but think about where it ranks in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) pantheon.
The list below is my attempt at doing just that.
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s still number one to me, to quote rap legend KRS-1, until further notice. I simply loved everything about this movie: Captain America’s internal conflict about what’s right and wrong; the introduction of The Falcon; the “twist” with the resurrection of Hydra; Black Widow’s bad-ass-ness; the musical score; the villain, Bucky Barnes and his ominous metal arm and theme music, and “on your left!” I simply love this movie!
- Captain America: Civil War. Maybe this ranking is a little too high, because I have just seen it. But for now, I’m comfortable with it in this spot. Why? I call this film “Marvel’s the Avengers with more grit.” It’s no knock on the Avengers, which still ranks as the most game-changing, ensemble comic book movie adaptation ever. But there is something about this film, in particular, the heavy emotional tug-of-war between Tony Stark (and his “family” tragedies via James Rhodes/War Machine and his parents) and Steve Rogers (and his “family” loyalties via Barnes and Peggy/Sharon Carter).
- Marvel’s the Avengers. Trust me, I have ZERO problem if someone argues that this should be in one of the top two spots. It’s still probably the most exciting MCU film so far. But therein lies the rub. It’s big, blockbuster Hollywood fun in the ilk of a Jaws or Jurassic Park, but lacks the depth, character development and layers of the last two Captain America films ranked above it.
- Iron Man. How soon we forget. Without this surprise megahit, I wouldn’t even be writing this post. In all likelihood, there would be no MCU, as we know it. In the vein of DC’s game-changing Batman Begins, this film, with its integration of contemporary geopolitical issues, signaled the dawn of very grounded and believable superhero films.
- Guardians of the Galaxy. When I first heard that this film was being made, my initial reactions were not positive at all. I was like, “really, I’m supposed to get hyped about a talking raccoon and a walking tree?” But after being taken on this crazy fun, “Star-Wars-like” ride, I was won over. And for my money, the movie also features the best soundtrack that this genre has had to offer. Speaking of my money, I even bought the CD, I loved the music that much!
- Ant-Man. Just like the aforementioned Guardians, I had serious reservations about the World’s Tiniest Hero being depicted on the big screen. And just like Guardians, I was proven that I need to shut my mouth, hold my pen, and trust in what Kevin Feige and his peers at Marvel are doing. When it comes to bringing second tier (yes, Iron Man too) and third tier comic book characters to life, no one has proven to do it better.
- Thor. Again, another second-tier character whose stand-alone film worked due to the: deft direction by Kenneth Branagh, excellent casting of the titular character-relatively unknown Chris Hemsworth proved perfect for the role, and well-done special effects. The latter point can’t be understated because in films with superpowered, space-based heroes like Thor, it can get really cheesy really fast. Think Green Lantern bad in terms of effects, but they hit the mark. And, oh yeah, Marvel’s best villain was introduced here as well. I think we all know who he is.
- Captain America: The First Avenger. I totally know that I will take shots from my peeps on this one. Yes, it’s slow. And yes, it’s devoid of heavy action or transcendent special effects. But you know what? That’s why I like it! I loved the fact that it wholly embraced the fact that it’s a period piece set in the 1940s, and focused more on the development of its titular character over setting up future films. The film introduces a larger audience to the perfectly-casted Chris Evans, which made us soon forget his Fantastic Four disaster. It also brought us the MCU’s strongest female character to-date, Agent Sharon Carter, played magnificently by Hayley Atwell.
- The Incredible Hulk. Another one that may draw some ire. However, I find this film slightly underrated. As this Collider article eloquently describes, this film was pretty solid but got somewhat lost in the weeds of 2008. It was the greatest year in comic book movie history, with the release of Iron Man and The Dark Knight. It would have been interesting to see how Ed Norton, who was fantastic in this film, would have played in the larger MCU, but Mark Ruffalo ultimately filled in rather nicely.
- Avengers: Age of Ultron. “Confusion. Disappointment. But not despair.” These aforementioned words sum up how I feel after watching this movie. With the first Avengers and a series of excellent trailers serving as the foundation, Age of Ultron was one of the most anticipated sequels in history. It delivered at the box office, grossing over $1 billion worldwide, but something was missing. I left the film feeling confused due to the various subplots taking place. I felt a disappointed that it didn’t live up to the hype (which was to be expected, I guess). Ultimately, it was watchable (not bad) but largely forgettable (not memorable).
- Iron Man 2. As my younger brother has often said about this film, Iron Man 2 is our shared, guilty viewing pleasure. We are fully aware that the villain, Whiplash, is cartoonish and hollow. We both realize that the film skims over Tony Stark’s battles with the concept of his own mortality, alcoholism and “daddy issues.” And we are also clear that it’s a commercial for future MCU films. The funny thing is, we both enjoy watching it, despite acknowledging that it’s one of the bottom three MCU films ever made.
- Iron Man 3. Where do I start on this one? The unnecessary Mandarin twist? One of my favorite character actors, Guy Pearce, being relegated to an “over-the-top” caricature of a villain? Or the fact that Iron Man is actually hardly ever in his armor in this movie? Take your pick. There was a lot not to like about this film, despite the fact that it was well-acted by Robert Downey, Jr. (as always) and well-directed by the highly-regarded Shane Black. But simply put: the story, nor the villain (i.e. the twist) were that compelling.
- Thor: The Dark World. Last and definitely least is the ugly duckling of the family. I will say this about the MCU, when a movie with a Rotten Tomato score of 66% is your worst film, then you are doing something right overall! However, this film was largely brooding, boring and dark. Pretty ironic considering that the titular character can shoot lightning! The positives? The end-credits teaser set up the number 5 film on my list and Loki continued to affirm his status as the MCU’s greatest villain.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on my list via the comments form above or below.
