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.