If I may borrow the words of a great man: we’re in the endgame now. All over the world, we bear witness to the end of an era, the changing of the guard. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to see the closing chapter of its 11-year long Infinity Saga and what an absolute ride it has been.
Whether you’re a DC fanboy or a diehard Marvelite, it’s hard not to acknowledge the cultural force and media presence that this franchise has in cinematic expression and the industry. The first of its kind and nothing can ever take that away from it. So, as we all lose our collective shits in the theatre over what is essentially the Return of the King of comic book films, it seems apt now that we take stock of the MCU legacy. For better or for worse, we’re counting down every film in the MCU from its weakest links to its soaring triumphs.
This is the combined ranking of two of our pop culture writers, Dashran Yohan and Samuel Lim.
22. Iron Man 2
By Samuel Lim
“Hey…I want my bird…that is not my bird”, those were the haunting words that lingered with me after I had just watched Iron Man 2. It was one of the worst things I had ever seen. The plot was a mess, the two villains in here were utterly laughable and only one was meant to be comic relief. Haemorrhoid and ex-wife jokes? What is this, an episode of Seinfeld? Iron Man 2 committed a cardinal sin in the world of action movies, it bored me! How can a film about a rich billionaire with a death machine suit who fights supervillains bore me? Well, the answer is the script. There was no real drama here and I struggled to pin down what exactly Mickey Rourke’s problem was with Stark. In fact most of the time, I was convinced he was drunk.
The action scenes are your standard mediocre fights with a ton of CGI and no real stakes. The only thing that made me break a slight smile was that Iron Man-War Machine team up fight and even that lasted less than five minutes. Dash and I split hairs about a lot of things but both of us can solidly agree that this movie is the worst the MCU had to offer. “Where’s my bird…where’s my bird”, I’m wondering where my brain went after that!
21. Ant-Man and The Wasp
By Dashran Yohan
Ant-Man and The Wasp is a palette cleanser. Slightly more than a relaxing popcorn flick. It is exactly the kinda movie we needed from the Marvel Cinematic Universe after two back to back emotionally harrowing ones. Much like its predecessor, Ant-Man and The Wasp is a comedy-heist film. And boy is it a gutbuster.
Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp steals the show. The character writing in this film is decent, but Lilly takes that material and adds so much more to it. She’s both sexy and smart. Vulnerable and strong. She has great comic timing and immense charisma. Wasp/Hope is the anchor of this film and Lilly steals the show from everybody, including Paul Rudd. This isn’t to say Paul Rudd is shabby as Scott/Ant-Man. He’s effective too. The same, however, can’t be said about the villains, all of whom have cartoon personalities, no layers and no nuance.
Ant-Man and The Wasp is fine. It’s enjoyable but not memorable. It’s the garlic bread you eat before getting your Wagyu steak. But, if it was solely up to me, the film will be a couple of spots higher.
20. Avengers: Age of Ultron
By Samuel Lim
Hold up. How on earth did Age of Ultron end up this low on the list? Damn. It looks like Dashran really hates the movie. To be honest, the film isn’t perfect. There are sub-plots that lead to nowhere, Banner-Black Widow romance, for example, the introduction to the Maximoffs are a little lacklustre and the destruction of Sokovia brought back some Man of Steel flashbacks. All that property damage makes me shudder as a taxpayer.
However, it did manage to come together in the end and James Spader did make for a pretty charismatic Ultron. His motivation is beyond the run of the mill world dominating bad guy. He genuinely saw humanity as a genuine threat to the planet and acted on it. As for action, we got the Hulkbuster armour finally on the big screen. If that doesn’t get your nerd blood pumping, I don’t know what will. Personally, I’d pick it up at a discounted price at the video store or check it out on Netflix if I’m stuck on a plane. Dash would probably borrow it from me and whack it to death and then set it on fire.
Geez, number 20? This is going to be one heck of a list.
19. Thor: The Dark World
By Dashran Yohan
A lot of people do not like Thor: The Dark World at all (evidently, Sam included) and I never understood why. This isn’t a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a pretty damn good one with some great moments in it. And at the centre of it, is one hell of a performance by Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Who can forget the wonderfully directed scene in which Thor says, “No more illusions!” and Loki reveals himself completely — broken and in despair. The Dark World is a decent family drama that explores death and misery.
18. Doctor Strange
By Samuel Lim
This should be higher up on the list. Doctor Strange is one of the funniest movies in the MCU. But humour aside, the colour palette, the editing, the use of the practical and generated effects all working together to bring us a truly unique cinematic experience. The way the film plays with camera angles and lighting to generate a sort of neon-like effect adds to the magic of the MCU. Everything is reflection toppling in and over itself, it was as close to an acid trip as I’ll ever get.
And contrary to what some might have you think, Stephen Strange is not Tony Stark with magic. He has his own complex motivation and character flaws to overcome, namely his scepticism and over-reliance in conventional science. His journey is ultimately one of faith and humility. It certainly helps that the performance is brought out by British icon, Benedict Cumberbatch. And that battle of wits with Dormammu is way cooler than a kid in underoos Michael Keaton’s literal Birdman! The concept of time and the value of life were themes that were really well utilized in the film.
17. Captain Marvel
By Dashran Yohan
Brie Larson is excellent as Captain Marvel. She takes what appears to be mediocre character writing and elevates it with her gravitas and screen presence. She rocks in the bigger superhero sequences (i.e. slow-mo walks, staring into the camera and just being plain old badass), she’s even better in the smaller dramatic moments.
I wish the film itself was as impactful as Brie Larson’s performance. It lacks blood pumping moments that will make you want to scream your lungs out in sheer elation nor scenes that will leave you emotionally drained. It’s also a problem that the film repeatedly reminds you that it’s about the ongoing war between the Kree and Skrulls, but neither of their struggles is explored in a meaningful way. That said, there’s no denying just how much fun this movie is. Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson have excellent chemistry and their snappy back and forth banter is some of Captain Marvel‘s biggest highlights.
Ultimately, Captain Marvel had to do two things: One, it needed to introduce us to a new hero and two, convince us that she could go 12 rounds in the ring with Thanos. The film accomplished both.
16. Ant-Man
By Dashran Yohan
Ant-Man doesn’t scream BEST MOVIE EVER but it is very entertaining from start to finish. This is a small scale personal story. There are no convoluted storylines, no exploding cities, no buildings in the air, no thousands of alien robots serving as nothing more than punching bags for the heroes to destroy 5000 different ways in slow motion. Instead, there’s a one-on-one battle that takes place between a guy in a goofy red suit and another guy in a goofy yellow suit, on a kid’s play set while Thomas the Tank Engine circles them. It’s awesome!
Sounds absolutely ridiculous, right? You’ll be surprised, then, that this movie also tells a decent story, makes you genuinely care about almost all the characters, have a proper female lead AND functions as a standalone film while exploring the larger MCU. This is also the second funniest MCU movie after Guardians of the Galaxy.
15. The Incredible Hulk
By Dashran Yohan
The problem with The Incredible Hulk isn’t that it’s bad. It’s actually a pretty decent origin story that explores the ugly side of what it means to have powers that trigger based on your emotions. However, over the years, the film has become the forgotten bastard child of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and feels almost inconsequential to all the other MCU movies that come after it.
Heck, movie buffs aside, most people are under the impression that the first time we meet Hulk in the MCU is in The Avengers. Who can blame em? The version of Bruce Banner/Hulk we get in The Avengers played by Mark Ruffalo feels like a completely different, upgraded version when compared to Edward Norton’s. And as far as solo Hulk movies go, The Incredible Hulk isn’t even as interesting as Ang Lee’s dour 2003 movie, Hulk.
14. Iron Man 3
By Dashran Yohan
I remember just sitting down at the end of Iron Man 3, watching the end credits roll, feeling like I’ve been hit by a monster truck. God, what was that? It would mark the first time I left a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie feeling THAT disappointed. The Mandarin plot twist left a sour taste in my mouth, as it did a lot of fans. But I watched Iron Man 3 again recently and my thoughts have changed significantly.
This is a great TONY STARK movie. Instead of hitting the reset button, writer-director Shane Black turn Tony Stark into a war victim, suffering from PTSD after the Battle of New York in The Avengers.
Watching it with fresh eyes, after six years, even The Mandarin twist works. Not only does the twist reinforce one of the core themes of the film — identity — it also adds layers to the truly personal story Black is trying to tell.
13. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
By Samuel Lim
Guys, don’t let this list fool you with its arbitrary numerical system; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a great film, even better than the first one. Not every film in the MCU has to have heroes go up against world-ending threats or terrorist plots. Sometimes it can just be small and intimate, even a little sweet.
Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is ultimately a comedic coming-of-age film about learning to overcome parental neglect, self-esteem issues, and toxic masculinity as the team learns to be vulnerable with one another. Take Rocket Raccoon, for example, the short-tempered insecure weapons expert of the team. We finally realize that all that anger and bravado came from a place of hurt and a lack of personal validation. That is a profound pathos for a talking racoon to have. By the end of it, I was left tearing up at the screen. It’s rare to find a comic book film with so much emotional complexity. Don’t worry action nuts, there’s plenty of that in there as well.
12. Thor
By Samuel Lim
Admittedly, I was never much of a fan of the character Thor. But damn! A superhero heist comedy with small jokes and a Thomas the Tank Engine gag beats out Marvel’s God of Thunder? I mean Thor is sort of a one-dimensional character at first but then you get to see his hero’s journey and it all comes together at the end. Ultimately though he does learn the meaning of sacrifice and earns his humanity after…a clumsy, rushed romance with Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster? Whatever that’s not important, the important thing he got better.
The overall aesthetics of the film is quite impressive. The studio had to construct an entire world to mimic while yet modernize Norse architecture. And the scene with the Destroyer blasting Thor was pretty cool in my opinion. Let’s not forget it also gave us a fan favourite villain, Loki whose scheming, conniving ways is both the product of raw ambition and tragedy. Also, the villain in the film is the ACTUAL villain of the film, not some bait-and-switch nonsense. That’s right, I’m looking at you Iron Man 3!
11. Thor: Ragnarok
By Samuel Lim
Also known as Thor: Acid Trip. From pompous prince of the gods to mellowed out gladiator, we have seen the Norse deity grown over the years. In Ragnarok, we see Thor at his most uncharacteristic of his past selves, a plucky wisecracking down-on-his-luck warrior trying to do right by his people. Part Rocky Balboa and Spartacus in Space, Ragnarok is an upbeat star quest that isn’t afraid to parody elements of the MCU and other well-known science fiction tropes. For example, Loki’s mischievous nature has always been his defining factor in the MCU, from the attempt of murder or Odin to his fake death at the end of The Dark World. Here, it’s definitely played up more for a laugh than it is as an actual narrative device.
Although over the years we have seen Thor grow and change, the Thor here has more in common with Star-Lord than he does with his comic counterpart. Which brings me to another tiny issue, I can’t tell sometimes whether I’m supposed to treat this more of Marvel’s new more comedic films or as classic Norse Thor due to the tonal inconsistency of the film. But Led Zeppelin man, that’s good taste right there. With a gorgeous colour palette and a rompy comeback story, Ragnarok is definitely something you’ll want in your DVD collection on a long Saturday afternoon.
10. Spider-Man: Homecoming
By Dashran Yohan
Homecoming may not be the best Spider-Man movie — that award still goes to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 — but this is the best version of Peter Parker we have gotten. It is an awesome coming of age story about a teenager who wants to tango with the big boys AKA The Avengers, but learns that his true purpose is to protect the little guy.
What will you do if you’re a teenager with superpowers? One of the best moments in the film happens at a party, as Peter Parker sits on the rooftop contemplating whether he should show-off in front of his peers or be the better man.
The chemistry between Peter Parker and Tony Stark is fantastic, and Iron Man does not overstay his welcome. What prevents the movie from being truly great is the fact that while the parts that have Peter Parker without his suit are absolutely brilliant, the parts that have Spider-Man in his complete high tech costume are mediocre, including the final action sequence that’s pretty much your standard superhero affair.
9. Captain America: The First Avenger
By Dashran Yohan
Captain America: The First Avenger isn’t as dense or unique as many other movies on this list. In fact, it is perhaps the most conventional and straightforward MCU movie. But this beautifully directed period piece by Joe Johnston is an earnest movie that has its heart in the right place. And sometimes, that is enough.
It is also one of those movies, just like Batman Begins, that gets infinitely better after the completion of the entire trilogy, as we look back and compare the innocent, system-believing man Steve Rogers once was, to the hardened rebel he becomes in Civil War. In fact, without Captain America: The First Avenger, we wouldn’t really be able to understand and feel the moral dilemma that Steve Rogers has in The Winter Soldier and Civil War.
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
By Samuel Lim
Nobody really saw this one coming, and I mean nobody. A sci-fi antihero action adventure-comedy with no recognizable superhero characters set to the beat of a best of the 80’s soundtrack? What? But you know what, its actually pretty good. After the grim escapades of Thor: The Dark World and the tense spy caper of Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy is a welcome change of pace. Working more like a quirky intergalactic comedy than a serious space opera, it still manages to entertain while giving you some rad space battles. Even if you’re not crazy about the plot or weak villain Ronan, you will still have blast with these ever-lovable band of misfits. Guardians was a proof of concept that Marvel could do comedy and drama. Also, I think Drax is just really funny.
7. The Avengers
By Samuel Lim
The Avengers was a true trailblazer in the film industry. What the audience experienced in the theatre the day it was released was pure unadulterated magic. The fascinating banter between these heroes of all walks of life that left the audience in the theatre giddy with excitement. The anxious anticipation to see how all these big personalities work out their team dynamics as they bicker among themselves and battle with alien foes. And then it all culminates to that magical moment when the camera circles the Avengers striking a war-ready stance as Alan Silvestri’s score reaches a fever pitch. Now that was some man-tear worthy moments right there.
Here’s the thing, if you watch The Avengers now when the idea of an ‘expanded universe’ is the norm, then it kinda loses its lustre but just as Star Wars changed the Space Fantasy genre and Sergio Leonne changed the Spaghetti Western landscape. Avengers is a trendsetter. The action scenes are kinda basic in retrospect, with the whole alien invasion thing, but it felt like a triumphant prototype.
6. Iron Man
By Samuel Lim
Before the age of major blockbuster franchises pumping out annual sequels and relentless reboots, there was, to quote Nick Fury, an idea. An idea to make superheroes not just for a niche fanboy market or kids on their summer break. An idea to make comic book films fantastically fun and while yet being gritty and grounded. Enter Jon Favreau’s Iron Man. Everything you see on this list had to start from somewhere like the seed of a mighty tree, this is that seed. Action packed, charming and metal as all hell, Iron Man breached the mainstream market with a repulsor blast and paved the way for greater things to come after. Iron Man also made it cool to sit awkwardly in the theatre till the credits ended, much to the annoyance of janitors I’m sure.
5. Avengers: Infinity War
By Samuel Lim
Holy crap, this movie packs one hell of a reality smashing punch! Avengers: Infinity War has the unenviable task of tying back 18 films, managing over 20 key players in the MCU and fulfilling a decade-long promise to fans. It could have failed, in many cases, it should have failed, but it didn’t. Set to dwarf previous films in terms of box office, Avengers: Infinity War is a success. It delivers world-breaking action, a compelling story for the most part and giving us one of Marvel’s greatest, and strangely most sympathetic, villains in Thanos.
4. Avengers: Endgame
By Dashran Yohan
Endgame is exactly my kind of movie. It is filled with loads of smaller, talking moments. Scenes that are quiet but textured. Scenes where characters are just being. And these moments are some of the best the MCU has to offer.
Sure, there are nits to be picked. Outside of Ludwig Goransson’s work in Black Panther, the musical score in the MCU has never really been inspiring. The same can be said about Endgame. Alan Silvestri’s score is fine and serves its purpose well enough, but it is neither unique nor memorable. And the climactic battle sequence, while spectacular, could’ve been much, much longer. There are also noticeable plot holes when it comes to the time travelling aspect and inconsistencies when you look at some of the previous movies.
But as a whole, Avengers: Endgame is everything you’d hope to get from a blockbuster film — dense, emotional, character-centric, smartly written and builds to a final action sequence that is exhausting in the best possible ways.
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
By Dashran Yohan
This is a dense political-espionage-thriller that just so happens to have comic book characters in it. The first Captain America movie was light-hearted, fun and full of hope. The Winter Soldier is a different beast. The Russo brothers completely flip the script on Steve Rogers, making him question the very system that he once loved and believed in. The Russos took a cookie cutter character and made him slightly grey, laying the groundwork for what we later see from his character in Civil War. Suddenly Captain America became that much more interesting.
From almost killing off Nick Fury, to the end of S.H.I.E.L.D as we know it, The Winter Soldier does not mess around. This movie also reintroduces Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers’ childhood best friend who was thought to be dead. The friendship between Bucky and Captain is still one of the more interesting character arcs in the MCU. What a fantastic movie!
2. Black Panther
By Dashran Yohan
Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther isn’t just a good Marvel movie, it isn’t just a superb comic book movie, it’s a great movie. Period. And just like The Winter Soldier before it, this is another comic book movie that transcends its genre.
This is an epic war film; It is a heartbreaking family drama; At times it is a James Bond-esque espionage. This is a film that will empower women, just as much as Wonder Woman did; A film with heavy sociopolitical themes; A film that is unabashedly black.
Black Panther is one of the most emotionally moving Marvel Cinematic Universe film, with every character including and especially the villain, handled with care. In fact, Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger was the best villain in the MCU, until Thanos upstaged him in Avengers: Infinity War.
Besides the occasionally wonky CGI action sequences, this is a movie that triumphs on multiple levels. The characters are wonderfully penned, brought to life by performances by Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, among many others, are great; The whole Martin Luther King Jr. Vs Malcolm X angle is intriguing; The bare-fisted fight sequences are gripping, and so is the climactic war battle sequence.
1. Captain America: Civil War
By Dashran Yohan
I know, a case can be made that the heavier, more singular movies like The Winter Soldier and Black Panther should’ve placed first. A case can also be made that the more spectacular trailblazer, The Avengers, deserves to sit on the Iron Throne. And believe me, cases were made and tables were flipped.
But Civil War is the best of both worlds, both a complex exploration of differing ideologies and a spectacle of a comic book movie. It is blockbuster perfection. Coming in hot at the heels of The Winter Soldier, the pairing of directors, the Russo brothers, and writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, prove that they simply get comic book movies. Here they don’t take the easy route, telling a story that isn’t black & white. Both men are right. You understand both sides and gravitate towards the side that makes the most sense to you.
The conflict and drama slowly build, then there’s the most spectacular action sequence ever put to screen — THE AIRPORT SEQUENCE — and finally, it culminates in a fight sequence that is emotionally exhausting. And I’ll be damned if I don’t mention the introduction of Spider-Man and Black Panther and the reintroduction of Ant-Man. P E R F E C T I O N.
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