Ranking All MCU Films (Worst to Best)
Now that I've had some time to process Spider-Man: Homecoming on Spoiled Rotten, it's time to try and rank it among all other MCU films!
Time to make some people angry by not having the exact order they would have put these films in!
Film/Rank:
#16- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
The Ups:
The Captain America cameo is everything to me. I hated Captain America before this cinematic universe came along and now here we are. I'm happy when Steve shows up in another character's movie. I also really appreciated the expansion on Frigga, Thor & Loki's mom, and Loki himself.
The Downs:
It's an overall forgettable movie more than a bad movie. I bet people take awhile to remember who the villains are in this outing. Plus Kat Dennings' character from the first Thor movie definitely loses her charm. So overall, this movie suffers from a dearth of "ups" as opposed to an abundance of "downs."
Film/Rank:
#15- Iron-Man 2 (2010)
The Ups:
Everything to do with War Machine finally suiting up and Justin Hammer is good with me. I also loved when Iron Man got drunk at his party. Everything about that leading up to and including the actual fight he has with Rhodes is great.
The Downs:
I didn't mind when I first saw this movie but it does go out of its way to set up what Tony's role will be within the Avengers Initiative only for that to be completely disregarded once we actually get to the movie about the Avengers. I will always defend the MCU as trying to achieve something different. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and it's not going to lead to a bunch of amazing stand alone stories. It is a cinematic universe where we are only ever seeing chapters in an ever expanding story, however, this chapter kind of spun its wheels and didn't contribute much to the overall narrative.
Film/Rank:
#14- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
The Ups:
Unfortunately the "ups" come down to at least it wasn't that boring Ang Lee movie where the first bit of action comes at the expense of mutant dogs. It had the perfect pace for the story it wanted to tell and even worked as another episode of the Bill Bixby show for the first 20 minutes. It was also shot in my home town and the city I went to university in so I guess that's a plus!
The Downs:
I just don't think the Hulk works as a main focus of the movie. This may come down to me not thinking he's a great character. I'm sure there are people who love Bruce's adventures. I think Joss had the right idea making him a character that can appear in movies without having to drive the narrative.
Film/Rank:
#13- Thor (2010)
The Ups:
Thor is extremely charming. I also loved the family dynamics throughout the film and I'm never mad at seeing Idris Elba in a movie!
The Downs:
Like Hulk, I'm not in for whole movies about just Thor. It's a good thing they'll be working together the next time I see either of them! All of the engaging stuff happened when Thor had his powers and was on his planet. This was another case of spinning wheels to get to the feature length mark.
Film/Rank:
#12- Iron-Man 3 (2013)
The Ups:
This all comes down to the twist about Trevor Slattery. I get that it really ticked true Iron Man/Mandarin fans off but this cinematic universe made a case for the twist. The other aspect this movie had going for it was that I'm a Shane Black fan, word to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I appreciated his take on an Iron Man film. It had the Christmas setting just like his other movies and felt different in a good way.
The Downs:
There was too much time out of the suit for my taste. I also hated the way they made my boy, War Machine, the butt of most jokes. He didn't even get to use a suit in the final showdown.
Film/Rank:
#11- Ant-Man (2015)
The Ups:
I legitimately think this movie is slept on. It is a great heist comedy. With, and pardon the pun, small ambitions. That means it doesn't leave much to pick a part. The movie addresses why there aren't more Avengers present outside of a very well done Falcon cameo and makes sure that the inexperienced Scott Lang never feels like he learned too much too soon. I think we can all agree that this film also had great de-aging effects for Hank Pym!
The Downs:
I actually think the only down side of this movie is that because it's such a focused film, there isn't much in the way of mind blowing revelations. Stuff that would make it break into the top 10 realm of MCU films. It's a self contained film that doesn't really take huge swings.
Film/Rank:
#10- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
The Ups:
I rewatched this movie recently, and I don't really understand the hate it received retroactively. I think there are some really cool moments and it flirts with the tension between Tony and Steve that is amazingly paid off in another movie. I guess I just like seeing the Avengers actually get together and bounce off of each other while still saving the day. Here are my initial thoughts on the first episode of Spoiled Rotten. I also think Ultron is like the 2nd or 3rd best MCU villain so sue me!
The Downs:
This movie may have added a bit too much. Some parts of the movie lag, to be sure, while other parts feel like they're just from different movies no matter how interesting they are. This movie could have done with a much clearer vision. I mean the gameplan for the movie not the character. I can see why people who loved Ultron from the comics and other media may have felt let down by James Spader's version.
Film/Rank:
#9- Doctor Strange (2016)
The Ups:
As per usual, here are my initial thoughts about this movie. This movie surprised me, by keeping it simple and, like Ant-Man, making sure that the characters' lack of interactions with the Avengers up until and during the movie was properly explained. I wasn't lost in a topsy-turvy world of magic spells and new dimensions so it was a great starting point for me to get on board with Stephen Strange. I also think they did a great job of creating a villain out of Mordo.
The Downs:
I think the "downs" come down to introducing a power that feels too powerful. Using the eye to unkill a bunch of people seems like a power that will cut the tension of a lot of future scenes. I hope it's not in play for much longer.
Film/Rank:
#8- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The Ups:
Before I get into this, you should know that I've already crowned the Captain America trilogy the best Comic Book Movie franchise! Just know that going forward. The comparisons to Wonder Woman were not unfounded. Both movies are solid for the same reasons. I felt for Steve Rogers immediately and wanted him to be able to prove himself just like I wanted Diana to prove herself. As I said, I was not into Cap before these movies and this movie and Chris Evans' casting has everything to do with my 180. As long as Chris is playing Steve that is.
The Downs:
If I had to pick some "downs" it would only be retroactively. I think that the Russo Brothers just took this franchise to a new level, making this first entry feel quaint in comparison.
Film/Rank:
#7- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
The Ups:
This movie is all sorts of dope. I didn't want to like this movie. I wasn't that into James Gunn's films before this and I had no idea who the Guardians were and didn't care to look them up. That all changed with the trailer. Once I saw how fun this movie would be I didn't care that it wasn't a Black Panther movie. It's also one of the first movies I saw with my now wife, Pauline! So that makes it extra special.
The Downs:
There are no "downs." I just like 6 movies more than this one.
Film/Rank:
#6- Iron Man (2008)
The Ups:
This movie is world building at its finest. As much as people like to hate on Tony's motivations and overall demeanour, I think it's because we've watched his journey and feel like he's the friend we just want to see do better. Seriously, I can't picture anyone playing Tony Stark other than Robert Downey Jr. This portrayal is so intricate that anyone who would want to continue playing Tony in this continuity would have to just do a RDJ impression. I don't think many characters in this universe can boast the same. Am I right, Colonel Rhodes?
The Downs:
There could have been more action, or a better final battle but overall, I think this is another "down"-less movie.
Film/Rank:
#5- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The Ups:
Spider-Man is my second favourite Super Hero. You better believe I'm happy that MCU gets to use him and his characters. Tom Holland is defintely my favourite Peter Parker/Spider-Man while I acknowledge that I liked Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker a lot. I say that to say this, making Spider-Man an actual high school student and making his struggle about learning the perfect balance between saving his neighbourhood and being a teenager makes all the sense. I can't wait to see more of him. Listen to what I thought about this movie after seeing it two days in a row!
The Downs:
I'm not a fan of the 8 years later title card in this movie making me question everything I thought I knew about the MCU. Other than that, I really do need more time to come up with the words for properly expressing why this isn't my favourite MCU movie.
Film/Rank:
#4- The Avengers (2012)
The Ups:
Don't listen to Paul! This movie is great because it pulled off something I certainly didn't think it could. The three franchises we were following up until 2012 finally intersected and created something better than the sum of it parts. I already stated that I love watching these heroes bounce off of each other and I definitely felt like this was a team outing instead of an Iron Man & Friends movie.
The Downs:
It doesn't start on the best foot.
Film/Rank:
#3- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
The Ups:
My favourite part about a sequel is that we already know the characters, so now we can go further and find new facets to those characters. Anyone who doesn't love the Yondu arc in this movie has shut down a big part of their hearts. I think that the highs of this movie definitely top the highs of the first movie. It is more emotional and has funnier moments. Try watching these movies back to back and telling me that this isn't an example of the MCU at its finest. If you disagree with me, you may enjoy listening to this episode of Spoiled Rotten.
The Downs:
Maybe the music isn't as good? I don't know. I think that I'd have to do some crazy nitpicking before I got to a "down" for this movie.
Film/Rank:
#2- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The Ups:
Like The Avengers before it, this movie brought together some characters I already cared about and gave them all justice on the screen. It even introduced two big players in Black Panther and Spider-Man much to my delight! Listen to me fawn over this movie on Spoiled Rotten and read about how it was my favourite film of 2016 if you want more insight into this movie being so high on the list!
The Downs:
I don't have any issues with this film but my friend Shane definitely talked about what he didn't like in this movie and most MCU films during his episode of the LDF Podcast.
Film/Rank:
#1- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The Ups:
This movie is The Dark Knight, you know, Batman... my favourite super hero, of the MCU. The most serious movie while still being cool and showing a hero struggle with his values. I'm glad Falcon was introduced in this movie. I've liked him way more than I thought I would. Black Widow is always welcome in MCU films as far as I'm concerned. I loved that this movie actually had consequences and shook up the status quo as well as balanced out a bigger character count than most solo movies get.
The Downs:
Pauline didn't want to watch it so it was definitely a round of Movies vs. Matrimony! Listen to Pauline if you want to hate on this movie. Listen to me if you want to be angered by someone continually saying Steve Trevor instead of Steve Rogers. I get a couple of other things wrong, but I seriously don't have anything bad to say about this movie.
-YG