With the lack of note-worthy movies headlining the multiplex this September, I've been wanting to do something different and fun to fill the currently empty void once occupied by reviews. I then thought about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy has not only become the highest grossing film of the year in these United States, but also marks the record books as the tenth film in the MCU. I figured that it would be ridiculous not to make a top ten list of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Disclaimer: For those not familiar with the MCU, they are a series of interconnected films involving the Avengers and most recently, the Guardians of the Galaxy. So in case anyone is wondering why I don't have any of the X-Men or Spider-Man films on this list, it's because those characters are (sadly) not apart of this universe. Thanks a lot Sony and 20th Century Fox. That being said, let's roll.
No surprise with this one. Iron Man 2 has perhaps been universally declared as the most forgettable of the franchise. In all fairness, this film was almost set to disappoint. Paramount forced director Jon Favreau to rush out a sequel in two years instead of three. This lead to a rushed screenplay and a plethora of subplots and a convoluted story. That being said, Robert Downey Jr. is still perfect as Tony Stark, the action is kickin' and Sam Rockwell gives a very funny and in my opinion, underrated, performance as Justin Hammer. It's still a fun little romp, but everyone who walked out of this film left wanting more.
Speaking of disappointments! While Iron Man 2 suffered from a poor script, it was still helmed with great confidence by actor/director Jon Favreau. The director title was handed to writer/director Shane Black. His script focuses more on the comedy aspect and it is easily the funniest of the trilogy. That being said, the plot holes this time around are more abundant and even more ludicrous. The visuals might continue to astound, but the villains so poorly executed that it's almost insulting to their comic book origins. I put this above Iron Man 2 solely for the reason that this film served a purpose rather than a be a pointless exercise like it's previous installment. Once again, a disappointment.
And now for the one that everyone forgot even exists...
When it comes to movie about the Hulk, this takes the cake. But when your competition is Ang Lee's 2003 mopey soap opera interpretation, that's like winning a foot-race against a turtle. It doesn't really mean much. This film however is still a good superhero yarn. The origin story is well-written and evenly paced, Tim Roth eats up his role as the villain, Edward Norton is great as Bruce Banner and the action has just enough Hulk smashes to satisfy the same part of your brain that loved seeing Metropolis get eviscerated in Man of Steel. Overlooked, but worth checking out nonetheless.
7: Thor
I had to think about which of the Thor films I liked more. For me, this was not a quick or easy decision! I thought that this was a great introduction to the god of thunder by having him undergo a large character arc from a once arrogant, would-be king, to a humble warrior that learned that with great power comes great responsibility. Chris Hemsworth is absolutely perfect as Thor, but everyone left the theater talking about Tom Hiddleston as Loki. The dynamic paring of these two outstanding characters on-screen for the first time is definitely something to remember. Even if the action was slightly lacking.
Thor's first solo adventure in sequel-land delivered just about everything I wanted it to be. What Kenneth Branagh's Thor lacked in action and visual splendor, Alan Taylor made up for with stunning shots of Asgard, smooth direction and cinematography and a final showdown that is remains to be one of the most rousing entertainments I've had the pleasure of witnessing on the big screen. It was also refreshing just to have a standalone Avenger film that didn't revolve around a huge, overarching storyline. Christopher Eccleston as Malekith might not have been a great villain, but there was just enough witty one-liners from Loki to keep any fangirl (and me) satisfied.
Chris Evans was able to redeem himself from playing Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four by proving to the world that the star spangled man is so much more than just a really strong guy. This is one film that I can watch over and over again and find more little nuances and hidden details peppered in the background that make me really love it even more. Chris Evans is fantastic as Steve Rogers and Hugo Weaving is awesome as Red Skull. A stellar supporting cast consisting of Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones and Haley Atwel round out a wonderful supporting cast to this fun WWII film period piece in a comic book movie body.
This movie is so ridiculous that it's almost unbelievable that a movie that consists of a talking tree and a foul-mouthed raccoon would end up becoming the highest grossing film of the year in America. Guardians accomplishes a monstrous feat by introducing five new characters and develop all of them during the span of a two-hour run-time. Think about that! The Avengers didn't even do that! The visuals popped, the soundtrack rocked and the comedy destroyed. Any movie that can bring the song "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede back into mainstream culture is worthy of your price for admission.
We are Groot.
Guardians might have been the most unique film on the list, but the best Marvel movie of the year goes to The Winter Soldier. Once again, we are proven that you don't need to be the god of thunder or have a robot-bodysuit to be able to be a hero. The chemistry between Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansen manages to be both adorable and realistic, Anthony Mackie steals every scene he's in and we are finally blessed with two amazing villains played expertly by Sebastian Stan and Robert Redford. The Winter Soldier takes more of a crime/spy movie route and succeeds tenfold. It's one of two films this year I paid to see twice in theaters.
And now for the one that started it all. The grandfather of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and all of the films yet to come. What would the movie business be like if Iron Man wasn't a critical and box office smash? Robert Downey Jr's career would have probably faded away and Marvel would have sold all of the Avengers rights away to separate studios like with X-Men and Spider-Man. With complex characters, an airtight screenplay and perhaps the greatest portrayal of a comic book character ever translated to the silver screen, Iron Man in't just one of the best comic book movies of all time, it's one of the most endlessly re-watchable films of all time. It's just about flawless.
After I saw The Avengers on opening day, May 4th, 2012, my life changed when I walked out of that theater. This might sound like an over-exaggeration but I can say with the upmost confidence that Marvel's The Avenger's changed my life. From that moment on I became obsessed with movies, characters and just gushing over films I adore. About a year later in April of 2013 I started this blog with some of my first reviews being, unsurprisingly, the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's very rare for a movie I was so hyped to see to deliver quite like this. In a sense, The Avengers is my Star Wars and this is one film I will treasure and hold close to me for the rest of my life.
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