10. Thor: The Dark World (Alan Taylor, 2013)
Easily the weakest installment of the MCU so far is this shrug-ish Thor sequel. Phoned in at its best and just downright lazy at its worst, The Dark World suffers from having to follow on the heels of very successful films before it (Thor, Avengers, and Iron Man 3). The villain is so lackluster (something about a dark elf) that we hardly even care that his plan will plunge the universe into everlasting darkness (how lame of a story is that???). Natalie Portman's character, Jane Foster, gets reduced to a mere damsel-in-distress role, having nothing interesting to say or do throughout the narrative. Even Chris Hemsworth clearly loses some confidence in Thor this time around, and Anthony Hopkins just looks downright bored. The only good use of characters in the film include Tom Hiddleston's delicious Loki (who steals the show in every scene he's in), and a surprisingly hilarious Kat Dennings as Darcy- Jane's intern who was a throwaway character in the first installment. Thor 2 is largely devoid of interesting action sequences, and does not even attempt to throw plot twists or any sort of jazz into the script. I will say this- it does effectively play for comedy during the final battle sequence, but even that ultimately serves to remind us how laughable this movie remains.
9. The Incredible Hulk (Louis Leterrier, 2008)
Coming off the heels of Iron Man must have been no easy feat, but Marvel seems genuinely caught off-guard in the only Hulk film so far. Edward Norton is awfully cast as the titular character, and has about zero chemistry with Liv Tyler's Betty Ross. William Hurt (as General "Thunderbolt" Ross) and Tim Roth (Emil "Abomination" Blonsky) actually do have a lot of fun in their scenes, and take the actions of their characters very seriously. The climactic Hulk vs. Abomination battle is actually a lot of fun in hindsight, and works well with some of the nicer touches in the picture (Robert Downey, Jr.'s cameo at the end, the foregoing of a nonsensical origin story, and small hints of SHIELD and what's to come in the MCU). It's fairly bland and humor-less when compared with other movies in the franchise, but Incredible Hulk really isn't as bad as you remember it. It's certainly better than that Ang Lee disaster in 2003.
8. Captain America: The First Avenger (Joe Johnston, 2011)
Captain America has the potential to be a really lame/narcissistic character, and before Joss Whedon figured out what to do with him in The Avengers... well, he was. The first Cap film succeeds at introducing us to a likable hero in Chris Evans, and squares him off against a Nazi bad guy (played by the so-so Hugo Weaving) who's face proves more menacing that he actually is. The plot is also fairly difficult to follow, not that it particularly matters- because we pretty much know how this is going to go down. Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter and Tommy Lee Jones' Col. Phillips are both really cool and hilarious characters, and there's a lot to be said for Dominic Cooper bringing Tony Stark's father Howard to life, and for Toby Jones' still-creepy portrayal of Red Skull's henchman; but, they all get sidelined in favor of Captain Righteous and Captain Megalomanic. The World War II production design is gorgeous, however, and Johnston takes care in crafting a world that seems realistic for this universe, and still evocative to the 1940s itself. This movie mostly harmless, but overall does nothing to excite me in any meaningful way.
7. Iron Man 3 (Shane Black, 2013)
This movie brings forth an interesting conundrum to the usual MCU formula: I typically love watching movies over and over again, and the MCU flicks remain no exception (I can't even tell you how many times I've seen the first two Iron Man films or The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy). However, after falling in love with Iron Man 3 when it came out two summers ago, I just recently re-watched it- and find that it doesn't really hold up well to repeated viewings. The twist about the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) still comes out of nowhere in a really positive way, and the fact that the film deals with Tony Stark's PTSD following the events of The Avengers makes TOTAL sense on why it would happen, and I'm so glad Marvel took a chance to pursue that storyline. That being said, Guy Pierce is kind of a train-wreck as the villain, seeming to go nowhere even by the end. For the most realistic of the Marvel properties in the MCU, the Extremis story can only go so far without seeming ridiculous- which it ultimately does by the end. Gwenyth Paltrow and Don Cheadle- whom I typically love in these movies- get terrible roles in this installment, and lose a lot of their heart and humor that drove them throughout the franchise up to this point. However, with all this in mind, Iron Man has always been about the titular character, and Robert Downey, Jr. does give a heck of a performance in this movie. He thankfully loses his devil-may-care attitude in favor of a more humanizing and well-rounded hero. Oh, and his chemistry with Ty Simpkins is on point.
6. Iron Man (Jon Favreau, 2008)
Marvel's first film thankfully holds up really well on repeated viewings; and, of course, the fact that it started this whole obsession cannot be overlooked. It features a pitch-perfect performance from Downey, his comeback role that propelled him to one of the most bankable stars on the planet. It's freaking hilarious at points, and downright silly in others- both trademarks of a good Marvel movie. Iron Man is not without its problems, however, as Terrence Howard largely sucks as Rhodie (a role that Don Cheadle thankfully takes over later), and the final battle scene between Iron Monger and Iron Man is largely lackluster (though that does come from the fact that Iron Man really just has terrible villains in the comics to work with). Nevertheless, it's easy to overlook some of these glaring issues in favor of watching Jeff Bridges have a ton of glee playing Obadiah Stane, and Gwenyth Paltrow fits in better than expected as Stark's personal assistant, Pepper Potts. Also, shout out to Paul Bettany for playing JARVIS, Stark's sassy computer and character staple, who plays the faceless role with such ease and grace that it'd be weird to watch these movies without him. The opening sequence is more exciting than it has any right to be, and genuine emotions fuel the entire story. Iron Man also introduced us to fan favorite character Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), as well as Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, asking Stark about something called an "Avengers Initiative".
5. Thor (Kenneth Branagh, 2011)
When Branagh signed on to direct Thor, it left many heads scratching (mine included)- why on Earth would a noted Shakespearean dramatist do a superhero movie? Once we saw the film, however, we no longer wondered what he was doing here. Thor works as a Shakespearean superhero film, filled with several themes of The Bard, including family turmoil, the presence of gods in our everyday lives, and not being able to move past one's destiny. Chris Hemsworth convinces us as Thor, a vain god who can't see past the glories of battle when trapped on Earth for a war he purposely caused. While Hiddleston is still testing the waters as Loki, he nevertheless introduces us to one of the best villains of the MCU thus far. However, the real crowning achievement is Anthony Hopkins, who gives a nuanced and rich portrayal as Odin- ruler of Asgard and Thor and Loki's father. Natalie Portman and Stellan Skarsgard also deliver admirable performances, making us truly empathize with their excitement about finding an alien on Earth. Thor's journey from vain child to "worthy" prince is a blast to watch unfold, and presents a fun treatment of Shakespeare for the comic book crowd.
4. Iron Man 2 (Jon Favreau, 2010)
Ok, I KNOW I'm getting get some flack for ranking this one so high, but hear me out: I think Iron Man 2 is one of the most fun, exciting, and comical adventures an Avenger has faced thus far. Sure, the RDJ drunk party bit goes on a little too long, but that fight with Rhodie in the War Machine suit is so worth the wait. Plus, we get Sam Rockwell and Mickey Rourke being so ridiculously ludicrous it's hard not to love them. This is the film with the best chemistry between Downey and Paltrow, and all of their lines glimmer with the fast-paced hilarity that proved so resilient in the Katherine Hepburn-Cary Grant movies of the Golden Age of Hollywood. The special effects are top notch here, and the final battle scene seems neither tedious or stupid- it's genuinely a ton of fun to watch unfold. Scarlett Johansson is fantastically cast as the deadpan Black Widow, and her role in this, while limited, does give us hope that we will see great things from her down the line (which, of course, we do). This movie plays mostly for laughs, but unlike Thor 2, sprinkles in some of the most serious material the MCU has ever put out (Tony's alcoholism, his relationship with his father, and the turmoil Tony inflicts on Pepper by putting her in charge of the organization). Iron Man is arguably my favorite Avenger, and this is the movie where we really solidified how fun he can be. Can you honestly say that you didn't have a smile on your face the entire film?
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Anthony and Joe Russo, 2014)
I'm a huge proponent for SHIELD-driven stories, and political thrillers are always a fun genre to explore. The Russo brothers bring both of these to the forefront in a shockingly effective way with The Winter Soldier, becoming our best look into the corrupt organization so far. The Russos also realize something very important about Captain America: on his own, he's kind of a lame superhero, but when used as the lens for a much larger story, can be wonderfully effective. And so it is for Captain America 2, which basically throws him into this much larger world without ever feeling like the whole movie is revolved around him. Of course, we do get some inspired performances from Johansson's Black Widow and Jackson's Nick Fury, as well as one from newcomer Anthony Mackie as Falcon, to help balance out the responsibility of headlining the picture. The thrills are here and in full effect in Winter Soldier, and with the weird exception of the titular bad guy (who is fairly uninteresting in the already cluttered storyline), the villain are all marvelous. Robert Redford would typically feel somewhat out of place in the MCU, but as a high-ranking SHIELD agent, he not only tethers us to the 1970's political thrillers that inspired Winter Soldier, but also provides a good acting job from a legend. The plot-twists are fairly unpredictable, and though we never question specific characters' loyalties, we nevertheless feel swept up in the chaos of a government agency gone wild. It's a stellar episode in the Cinematic Universe, and one that hopefully paves the way for more ensemble-driven thrillers in the future.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn, 2014)
Tell me you're not singing "Hooked on a Feeling" immediately after seeing the poster to this film. Marvel's most brilliant marketing ever convinced audiences to come in droves to see Guardians of the Galaxy, but its staying power in the North American box office came from incredibly strong word-of-mouth. GOG is a fast-paced roller coaster that never lets up, introducing us to an almost entirely-new cast filled with acting titans and relative newcomers. It's goofiness works really well to propel the film as an action-comedy that gives viewers immense satisfaction from beginning to end. It came out of nowhere, as well; aside from a few Marvel fans, hardly anyone knew anything about the Guardians. Now, that's all people can talk about, as it successfully reminds audiences how fun the MCU can really be. The soundtrack "Awesome Mix Vol. 1" is perfect, and drives the movie in terms of both narrative and general excitement. I can speak for days about the AMAZING performances by Chris Pratt (Star Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon), Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer), and Vin Diesel (Groot), but I'll leave you to your fond memories instead.
1. The Avengers (Joss Whedon, 2012)
Really no surprise here, but the film that really solidified the awesomeness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was The Avengers. I already spoke praises of the cast, so I'll focus instead on how perfectly they mesh together. Their chemistry is practically flawless, and it's a special kind of joy seeing all six (including the yet-unmentioned Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye) Avengers interact with each other on the Helicarrier. The movie is also funnier than most modern comedies, and leaves you busting a gut for nearly the whole film. A film is only as good as its villain, however, and Hiddleston functions beautifully as a seemingly menacing, yet not that good of, a villain. His role reminds us of reading the comics and watching the animated series as a kid, and getting a particular type of glee from seeing the superheroes conquer the bad guys. No where in sight is the angsty and brooding darkness evocative of most superhero franchises, but instead Marvel succeeds at first and foremost allowing us to have a good time. The special effects are extraordinary, and the Battle of New York is easily the best sequence of any Marvel film thus far. The Avengers successfully proves that you can create a blockbuster with heart, wit, intensity, intelligence, and overall joy without ever compromising a sense of fun. And ultimately, that's what superhero movies are for: to give us the best time possible, and to allow us to escape into a world with super soldiers, men in iron suits, aliens, and megalomaniac villains. If Age of Ultron is half as good as The Avengers, then we're in for a cinematic treat unlike any other.
Well, that's my list! Check in next week for the hardest Top 10 list I've ever had to make: the Top 10 Alfred Hitchcock movies!
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