Rank 'Em: Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-2014)

10. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Is Iron Man 3 the worst movie on this list? Probably not but with several of these films being nearly equal in my eyes as far as overall value goes, the bottom five on this list are essentially interchangeable. The reason that Iron Man 3 is here at the very bottom at this point in time is how the enjoyment level I get from it has dropped each time I have watched it, more so than any other film on this list. Don’t get me wrong, It would have never been too high which may be in large part due to the type of character Tony Stark was in the first outings. The witty, confident characteristics of Stark that flooded the first two Iron Man’s are stripped away in part three as Stark is found suffering from panic attack’s as he struggles to adjust to a reality where evil is up close and personal. And while Robert Downey Jr. handles this fine, it isn’t all that effective, as the character we have came to love is toned back. So if this once wildly entertaining character is turned down, what is it that takes its place? Big scale action pieces of course. It is no coincidence that Iron Man 3 along with The Avengers and Thor: The Dark World occupy the last three spots on this list as they are extremely similar in the way they attempt two things: action and humor, even mixing the two often. There really isn’t much of a foundation to this formula and it is hard for Iron Man 3 to ever reach the emotional level that the first two films did with this kind of approach. I will say however that the final showdown between Stark and his army of Iron Man’s and Aldrich Killian (Guy Pierce) is amusing but as it goes on and on, it quickly loses steam.     

9. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Out all the films on this list, Thor: The Dark world can be considered the biggest tease. When the credits role, you can’t help but think that the movie you just watch was most successful at building up a great moment and bringing it down with some sort of unearned, quick twist. As I’ve seen every one of these films in theaters I don’t remember being as captivated as when I witnessed the burial ceremony for Thor and Loki’s mother Frigga (Rene Russo). The instrumental piece from composer Brian Tyler, the colors and the overall somber and respectful mood all accompanying it truly turn it into something of absolute beauty. Following this is an equally intriguing scene featuring a vulnerable and heartbroken Loki due to the death of his mother. All of this though to only to have its effectiveness took down a notch or two with some kind of twist that is then changed with another twist. It all just tries to be too smart for its on good, making for an experience that is more frustrating than anything else. What also doesn’t help is that it seems like every character besides Thor is meant for comic relief. The best thing about Thor was Chris Hemsworth’s ability to embrace the shear silliness of it all but here he is kind of put to side so that Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and even Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster are supposed to be funny before anything else.                

8. The Avengers (2012)

With all but two Marvel entries being released in the heat of summer blockbuster season, The Avengers, with the 4 year, 5 movie build up, definitely had ambitions to be the biggest blockbuster of them all. And while financially it did (concerning only summer releases), The Avengers still feels flat. It is difficult to say that it is a total disappointment as it does offer a moment or two of true heart and the heavy load of explosion laded action sequences are well done to say the least (even if some sequence solely have the Hulk to thank for their success) but it never can reach the epic tone that it bills itself as. It all feels more like a television episode rather than an event for the big screen. Some of this has to with the production design but in large part due to the way it moves simply through things, never carrying that much weight. In its defense, The Avengers has a lot parts it has to incorporate. In the process, the team of super heroes have to get acquainted with one another which oddly gives the movie an appearance of a talky at times. Some times these moments work but all too often they feel a bit awkward, having little authenticity.           

7. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Out of the ten films on this list, The Incredible Hulk is interesting in the difficulty that comes with trying to place it. It is one that could be where it is, seventh, or could be as high as fourth or maybe even third. Why it is where it is and not higher isn’t that it does many things wrong but because it just isn’t as entertaining as the movies ahead of it. Marvel’s darkest film to date, The Incredible Hulk feels like the forgotten entry given that it has yet to get a sequel and that the role of Bruce Banner is now in the hands of Mark Ruffolo not Edward Norton but it does offer moments of raw intensity that have become rare in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The New York battle between Hulk and Tim Roth’s Blonsky in Monster form is a big scale, knock ‘em out, drag ‘em out fight that becomes highly entertaining. Though the film in general tends to move a little too quickly, never taking advantage of solid turns from Edward Norton and Liv Tyler or the humanity involved with Banners condition that is set-up but not fully played out.   

6. Thor (2011)

If I had only watched it once, Thor would have found itself at the tail end of this list, most likely at the very bottom. Maybe it had to do with my expectations being influenced by my heavy love affair with the Iron Man series at the time or the terrible 3D but I was not all that satisfied with my experience with Thor after watching it for the first time in May of 2011. Twice since then I revisited the world of the Nordic God turned comic book hero and for my sake along with the films proper placement on this list, I’m glad I did. Other than maybe Guardians of the Galaxy, in it’s nature, Thor is Marvel’s most outlandish franchise as it takes us to a different but sophisticated world that features characters that have a purposely over-the-top, Shakespearian feel to them. While Hiddleston’s Loki and Anthony Hopkins’ King Oden are given plenty to do, it is Hemsworth in the title role that is the best example of this type of character. Hemsworth, what has essentially been his only time to shine in the MCU, embraces the sheer silliness of the premise and the role he takes on making for an admirable performance. Thor runs into trouble though when it comes to earth, as it slows down a bit, never feeling as grand as it does when Asgard is in the background.        

5. Iron Man 2 (2010)

Sure, Iron Man 2 is as sequelish as they come at times with it’s bright explosions, light hearted atmosphere and a villain with few words but leading the charge of this approach is Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko and it’s hard not to enjoy Rourke. With these sequel qualities also comes Marvel introducing the quirky, all jokes character, here in the form of Sam Rockwell’s Justin Hammer, that they seem to rely a lot on since The Avengers. Sometimes these humor first characters work (Guardians of the Galaxy) and sometimes they don’t (Thor: The Dark World) with Hammer fitting somewhere in the middle as Rockwell is able to provide the energy needed throughout but with everything else going on, the character, not given much of an impact, begins to feel a little to thick. When the gimmicks are put to side though, Iron Man 2’s middle chunk is able to match the emotional appeal that it’s predecessor posses, as the storyline involving Stark and his father, the late Howard Stark is well done to say the least. Tying into this story line is Stark facing death which is compelling for a short moment but is more often than not disappointedly lumped into the light hearted aspects. At the end of the day though, after the underwhelming is picked apart, there is Downy Jr. once again standing tall and while he isn’t Iron Man great, he is still pretty darn good, going as far to say that it’s his second best effort in the now handful of turns as Stark.          

4. Captain America (2011)

Captain America: The First Avenger differs from the rest of the MCU with the heroic feel it accomplishes. This sounds odd considering that we are talking about 10 movies about super heroes but when most of these feels like an action movie with a hero in it, Captain America comes off as a movie about a hero first and for most. A lot of this has to with the way Captain America’s origins are explained. Before he was a Nazi fighting weapon, Steve Rodgers was a scrawny guy from the Bronx that was finding it impossible to get enlisted. What is not scrawny though is his heart and love for his country. The film makes this very clear and in doing so makes for a character that is a hero from the inside or the one that were rooting for because he is the underdog. It’s not just the storyline that creates for this heroic feel. The film's tone, while embracing its 1940’s setting, has a grand feel to it thanks to the music accompanying it, glossy but color lacking look and the straight man dialogue given to Captain America. The way that all of this is presented in Captain America’s phenomenal first half feels like a homage to the genres place in cinematic history with its old school but ultimately eloquent approach. It’s a movie that would play well decades ago as well as now. Unfortunately though Captain America can’t carry the tremendous amount of heart it displayed in the first act into the second as, like several Marvel outings, it fails in creating a proper rival for Captain America with Red Skull. What starts out as a promising villain (the moment when he is getting a portrait painted of him is satisfyingly chilling), Red Scull with Hugo Weaving in the part isn't  given much of a chance to be all that evil.        

3. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Although it is a part of the MCU, it still feels a little odd including Guardians of the Galaxy on this list due to how much it differs. Of course, the action beats and trends are similar to how they are presented in the others but even in this aspect at a small level and especially everything else there is a real tangy feel. It doesn’t feel like a movie that is already destined to be a major franchise or a part of something massive as it confidently goes against the grain, embracing its goofy attempt to be different. And what a goofy attempt it is. We are talking about a film with a talking raccoon and tree so if there were ever an opportunity to be different, it is here. And while director James Gunn may not have erased the edges of the square, he still travels far outside of them as he creates, at times, a full out romp letting the quirky, humor focused characters take over and the actors bring them to life, voice work or not, let loose. Because of this, along with the popular classic music throughout, Guardians of the Galaxy has a cult classic in the making type of feel. Most impressively though, even in the midst of the heavy dose of quirky humor, the film still shows a tremendous amount of heart and emotion. To see a CGI tree risk its life for others by growing around them while his raccoon best friend is in shambles and to feel empathy towards them along with the situation is a pretty special achievement to say the least.             

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier has a lot to offer and it couldn’t have been released at a better time for Marvel. The MCU was in a bit of a slump as Marvel seemed to be making the same movie over and over in the few years leading up to The Winter Soldier release in April of 2014.  Marvels best sequel to date offers a bit complexity that had been missing from previous entries. While there is just as much action packed into its 2 hour plus running time as any of the others, these sequences freshly seem to have a personality of there own. With these sequences going off the beats of the music accompanying it or vise versa at times there is high level of flair and intensity present. What also sets it apart is the way that it’s a movie about S.H.I.E.L.D. and the internal problems at it’s core rrather than being solely focused on the next chapter in Captain America’s story.  This makes for an interesting way to move the MCU forward, story wise and quality wise.

1. Iron Man (2008)
Although, it was somewhat overshadowed when released in 2008 by The Dark Knight, the same can’t be said when putting Iron Man up against its MCU follow ups. It’s the one that started it all and what a start it was. What makes Iron Man better than the rest? To put it simply, balance. Where others have struggled to properly juggle the elements such as action, humor and characters that make up a marvel film, Iron Man is exciting without being one big action piece, funny without being a forced romp and heartfelt without being overly sentimental. Director John Favreau along with the writing team is able to take all the above aspects and feature them at the right time with exact dose needed. And while the finale doesn’t seem to play all that well after multiple watches, everything leading up to it holds up. While these first 105 minutes or so can still be consider the Marvel way and not as applicable as others in the genre, they still make a connection, even if small, to worldly events and the current climate surrounding it unlike any of the MCU films have to this point. But the thing you take away from Iron Man, isn’t Iron Man, its Tony Stark. Why? He is the Marvel character that has had the greatest move to the silver screen and it’s really not even close. In large part, the reason Tony Stark is as entertaining as he is, especially in his first go around, is Downey Jr. Downey Jr. makes it impossible to see anyone else in the role, as he illuminates each word he utters in Iron Man’s running time with his approach that, yes, overflowing with energy but always appropriate to the moment. It’s hard to think that this film would work if he doesn’t give the performance he does. Going along with this thought, it is also unclear that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be the mammoth that its now if Iron Man doesn’t work on the level that it does.    

Review: 'Furious 7' (2015)

Universal Pictures

It quickly becomes clear that Furious 7 is going to play more like a highlight reel rather than another story in the franchise. It doesn’t waste any time with a plot or even a whole lot of talk, almost as if director James Wan and screenwriter Chris Morgan realized that none of this is the reason that the franchise has only became stronger with each entry.  So where does its success come from. What the Fast and Furious franchise does best is explosive, large-scale action sequences. Furious 7 highlights this strength by amping the action up way beyond any level it has reached before, to the point that it completely takes over.

Furious 7 picks up where the Fast and Furious 6 credits scene left off with Owen Shaw’s brother Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) going after Dom, Brian and the rest of the crew that was responsible for the death of his brother. It is made very clear early and often that Deckard is even more ruthless than his brother. He successfully kills Han (Sung Kang) in Tokyo (the credit scene in Fast & Furious 6 but depicted here as well) but fails to kill Brian and his family after blowing up their house and only manages to put Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) in the hospital after he somehow survives a massive jump from a building exploding at the hands of Deckard.

This prompts the crew to go into all out protection mode while attempting to get to Deckard before he gets to them. This catches the attention of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), an off the record type of government agent that is after a dangerous computer program called ‘Gods Eye’ before it gets into the hands of a terrorist by the name of Jakande (Djimon Hounsou). Seeing an opportunity to help each other get what they want, Mr. Nobody offers to help get Shaw for Dom if Dom and the others will get him ‘Gods Eye’. After agreeing, the crew, keeping up with the world traveling theme the previous films have done, find themselves in Dubai but end up back in Los Angeles for a massive showdown with Deckard.        

And what a showdown it is. You have the Rock, after surviving a ridicules fall, flexing out of a cast to break out of the hospital in order to help the crew by firing off countless rounds from a gun even bigger than him. While this is happening, Dom rolls his car a thousand times and just when you may think this is the one that did him in he pulls through like there is nothing to it. This all seems ordinary though given what takes place leading up to this Expendables-esque finale.

The action sequences have become more and more elaborate and over the top with every minute this series continues. But as these moments take over something has to take a back seat. So, going along with the fact that the backseats in the vehicles featured in these films are pointless, that thing doesn’t get put in the back seat, it gets moved to the trunk. That thing is a script. When it comes to Furious 7, saying that the script gets put in the trunk is rather generous. It is clear that one of the few things Furious 7 wants to accomplish is being the best mindless, outlandish action piece it can be. And that’s exactly what Furious 7 does, never allowing any details to get in the way, only breaking for brief phrases that are always dumber than the last but never take away from the several entertaining moments of the film. These moments include Dom and Brian driving through three sky scrapers, Brian barely grabbing on to a the spoiler of a car as he jumps from another vehicle as it is quickly going off a cliff and, in a moment that some this experience up nicely, Mr. Nobody winking at Dom right after he is shot. Immediately after this, my first thought was I hope he survives this because I want him in the next one. My second thought was that it is clear that everyone involved in making this movie understands how outlandish it is so I guess I’ll fully get on board with it. 

Of course though there is some kind of theme here, and as you are probably already well aware, that theme is family. I have been calling this group a crew but Dom makes it clear early and often that it is a family. It uses this theme nicely, not weighing the film down but managing to give a proper farewell to Paul Walker. Furious 7 is able to honor the life of Walker in a thoughtful way that also blends well into this notion of family.

            

            With the action first approach that Furious 7 takes it becomes clear that the Fast and Furious franchise is one that is able to adapt. You’re not watching The Fast and the Furious for the seventh time, which is rare when it comes to these long lasting franchises. This franchise though has been able to successfully change the formula slightly from entry to entry all while remembering that the most important aspect is its sequences of big time action. Furious 7 is no exception, making clear that this is a franchise, even after fourteen years, is still on the rise as it shows no signs of slowing down.     

Grade: B 

Review: 'Home' (2015)

DreamWorks

Preceding both Mr. Peabody and Sherman and Rio 2 during their respected theater runs last year was the animated short Almost Home featuring the voice talents of Steve Martin as Captain Smek, the leader of an alien race called Boovs that are in search for a new home planet. As I watched this short not once but twice, I realized that I was enjoying myself far more than anyone else in the theater. Of course it garnished a few giggles from the young audience but nothing like the roaring praise of laughter that I was giving it throughout. This short though was just the beginning, as it was an early promotional tool for a feature film by the name of Home.

So finally, one year after this short premiered, Home is here and although I never reached the level of laughter that I did with the short, I can easily say that I was satisfied with the experience nonetheless. One of DreamWorks broader appealing entries; Home is a thoroughly entertaining and a sincerely heartfelt animated film that gets better with each minute that is added to its running time.

Where is home for the Boov’s? A question they have been asking themselves as they have been running away from their enemy the Gorgs, looking for a safe planet to call ‘home’. They finally find that place in the form of Earth, so they quickly invade the planet, move all the humans to different parts of the world and take over their former homes. The Boov’s all appear to be a lot of a like besides Oh, voiced by Jim Parsons, taking on several of the characteristics of his Big Bang Theory character Sheldon Cooper, a naïve but creative and up beat Boov that has been somewhat out casted by the others due to his knack for making mistakes but mainly because he is different than everyone else.

Oh makes his biggest mistake yet though when he accidentally sends an invite to everyone, including the Gorgs, to a party he is throwing at his new place. Because of this, Captain Smek, reprised by Steve Martin but in more of a supporting part than a lead, along with several other Boovs are on the search for Oh, so he must go to a place on earth where they won’t find him. In the process he crosses paths with a young girl nicknamed Tip (voiced by Rihanna) that was not transferred away from her home and is now searching for her mother Lucy (voiced by Jennifer Lopez). So after Oh builds a hovering car that is fueled by slushy mix and featuring several other gas station novelties, the two embark on a journey to find Tips mother, get Oh out of trouble and prevent the Gorgs from destroying earth. 

One thing that DreamWorks animation has made clear is that the younger audience is their main concern. A DreamWorks release tends to be a goofy type of fun but in doing so becomes rather one note. Out of the gate, Home is not different as Oh, along with the rest of the Boov’s are introduced and as they invade earth, the younger audience should enjoy the antics of Oh and Captain Smek that take place during this time.

With this said though, there is some creativity that can be appreciated by everyone. As I mentioned in the plot description, using typical items you would find in a gas station, Oh makes a car mobile again by allowing it to hover above the ground. What fuels this invention? A slushy called Busta Lime. Sure, children won’t understand this but it did earn a chuckle or two from me. One thing that enhances Oh and the other Boovs is the way that a change in emotion causes their normal purple skin color to change. Red is anger, blue is shame, yellow is fear and green is deception. It’s not groundbreaking by any means but it seems to always enhance the moment, increasingly becoming more interesting as the film goes on.

It is when Oh and Tip team up that an older generation will start to find the most value in Home. One major reason that Home can connect with an older audience compared to most animated films is the add complexity to its story. Instead of an introduction, dilemma and then ending, there is a thought-out introduction to the characters, especially Oh, and then there are more than just one dilemma keeping Oh and Tip from accomplishing what they are set out to do. It is not often you see this happen in a movie such as this but because of this both Oh and Tip along with the story grows on the audience, to the point of being invested in what is going to happen next. It is in these dilemmas, that you will find a story about how emotions play a powerful role in who we are and how we face problems. As where a Boov runs from problems, a human takes them head on and are prompted to so by their feelings and emotions. The idea that mistakes make us who we are and are a part of life is also something that Oh learns.  As Oh realizes this and that being different is a good thing, the film reaches its highest points.  

When watching Home, I was the only one in the theater so it is hard to tell if it is capable of keeping the kids interested when it takes this more sentimental route. But with high tempo, pop style music and eye-catching images taking place up to the credits, a younger audience should still find a level of entertainment. Because of this, Home is DreamWorks best since How To Train Your Dragon.     

Grade: B+               

Review: 'Get Hard' (2015)

Warner Bros.

Without a doubt, the teaming up of Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart has the makings to be a strong comedic duo. Everybody is well aware of the work Will Ferrell has done over the past 15 years and how he has managed to stay towards the top when it comes to funny men on the big screen. On the other half of this duo, one could easily argue that, at the current moment, the man in that number one spot is Kevin Hart as nearly everything he has been a part over the past few years has found great success. So putting them side by side in the same movie should make for one extremely funny experience. On paper that is. But, using a popular sports term, they still have to play the game. The game being the actual movie they star in and the actual movie being Get Hard. Get Hard solely relies on Ferrell and Hart to make it funny but in doing so, proves that even the most entertaining men in the business need something to stand on.  

Get Hard begins with introducing the audience to Ferrell and Hart’s characters along with the type of life they live. James King (Ferrell) is a successful hedge fund manager that has the extraordinarily big house and sexy fiancée (Alison Brie) to prove it. Then there is Darnell Lewis (Hart), a manager of a car washing service at the building James works at, who also happens to be struggling to find the needed funds to send his daughter to a better school. So when James is sentenced to ten years in a maximum security prison after he is falsely accused of embezzlement and is willing to pay Darnell 30,000 dollars to toughen him up for prison, as he assumes, because he is black, that he has been to prison, Darnell is quick to take the Job and has 30 days to complete the task.   

            

           As far as the type of humor that Get Hard attempts, if you are a fan of prison rape jokes then stop what you are doing and go watch this movie now as this is sure to be well worth your time and money. Yes, Get Hard is prison rape joke, after prison rape joke with some more prison rape jokes. Maybe the first two or three times it is semi-funny but just because you describe it differently or use a different tone does not keep it funny. To the scripts credit though, but not really, towards the end of the film, the ‘get hard’ term is used as a double entendre. What a surprise.

             

          Other than this, there is not much more to the script as it really only revolves around the concept that James does not want to get raped in prison. Yes, you could call it a lazy script as Ferrell and Hart are expected to carry the film by making several clever less jokes and plot points seem funny but to say there was no effort put into it would be wrong. It is obvious that lots of effort went into squeezing as many prison rape jokes in as possible and making sure that nobody gets in the way of Ferrell and Hart’s attempt to save the script. Even the lesser entries in both Ferrell and Hart’s body of works have a handful of characters that lend comedic support. Not here though. It is, for the most part, all Ferrell and Hart. Nobody else is given much of a meaningful role such as Craig T. Nelson as James’ boss or Alison Brie as his fiancée who are both given little screen time (on a side note, while on the subject of Ferrell and Nelson in the same movie, I’m still waiting for a Blades of Glory spin off focusing on Nelson’s Coach character). As far as humor goes, any other comedic moments not given to the two leads go to T.J. Jagodowski (the guy in the passenger’s seat in the Sonic commercials), a gay man a café James and Darnell go to, who at times out shines everyone with only a couple minutes on screen. T.I. could be considered the exception when saying that it’s just Ferrell and Hart as he is given more to do than anyone else other than them but still amounting to very little and nothing as far as humor goes.

            

            If you have read any other reviews or even just happen to see any headlines regarding Get Hard, you were sure to notice claims of the film being offensive. Sure a lot of it could be considered offensive. Isn’t offensiveness at the foundation of several comedic situations? This film, along with countless other comedies over the years could be picked part when determining if they are offensive or not. For the most part, anything that can be considered offensive in Get Hard has been seen or heard before. I will say however, and maybe my eyes and ears have been harden to these things, the only thing that really stood out as offensive and way off base was a comment made by Darnell when toughening up James that suggest that gay men were easy or would always partake in a sexual scenario if given the chance. I’m sure this is not the first time that this type of offensive humor has been attempted but it just felt a little out of line.

           

            It would appear that Get Hard is a laughless mess and although it is is closer to this than a thoroughly entertaining comedy, it is important to note that in between the bad is a little bit of good. The thing about Ferrell and Hart is that because of their charm and approach, they are able to make poor material somewhat bearable. And even though they are not on top of their game here, they still manage to provide a few laughs here and there. It’s just not enough though due to the lack of support provided to them, therefore causing Get Hard to be a less than average comedy that will surely find a place towards the bottom of both stars list of work.

Grade: D+