By Eoin Harrington
18. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
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| Hemsworth is one of the few bright sports in Thor's second outing |
Without question the weakest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor 2 just doesn't really have too much going for it. Natalie Portman's character, somewhat interesting in Thor is resigned to becoming a plot device, while the plot seems to cheat with get out of jail cards throughout. Too dark and too dreary...and nothing really happens!
17. Iron Man 2 (2010)
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| It says a lot that the best part of this movie is Sam Rockwell dancing |
This is another fairly self explanatory one. This movie is just downright confusing. Who is the true villain? What's the main plot? Should this movie simply be called SHIELD: The Set Up? I'm a huge fan of Sam Rockwell, but even his fun performance can't elevate this mess of a film. Don Cheadle at least is a welcome addition.
16. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
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| This is actually just a photo of Ed Norton on set |
Ed Norton is great. The Hulk is great. Ed Norton's Hulk movie? Not so great. Norton himself does his best and there are some memorable scenes, but the movie struggles to give any real depth to its characters and the story isn't well developed. Considering its near complete irrelevance to the rest of the MCU as well, its hard to find a lot of positives.
15. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
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| Yeah, this is awesome |
Before any of you start screaming: yes, the scene where Vision picks up Thor's hammer is one of the most amazing in the whole of the MCU. And James Spader is superb. But this movie is just so...bleh. There's a lot going on and it doesn't help that a lot of it doesn't really make sense. After the first Avengers was such a hit, this felt like a bit of a dud.
14. Thor (2011)
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| Two of the MCU's brightest stars |
Ah, that Shakespearian Marvel movie. If The Dark World had been a bit more like its predecessor, it might have been a bit more enjoyable. This movie is deeply flawed but Chris Hemsworth gives a breakout performance and the concept of a Norse god stranded in an American desert town is pure gold. A lot of fun. Also Loki.
13. Iron Man (2008)
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| Iron Man was the movie that started it all for the MCU |
Okay, so a lot of people are going to disagree with me on this one. The first Iron Man is great and it is the one that started it all. It just says a lot about the quality of the movies that came after that this is so far down the list. A really fun time all round but not quite on the level of the movies that followed.
12. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
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| "I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over 200 times" |
Look, I know this will be my most unpopular decision. Putting the first Captain America ahead of Iron Man is basically sacrilege. But I'm a sucker for a good Cap movie and the World War II setting works so well. The reason this is the highest ranking of the solo Phase One movies is that it by far does the best job of setting up its central character - Cap is fully fleshed out going into the Avengers, both literally and metaphorically. I just like Captain America, alright?!
11. Ant-Man (2015)
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| Yep. This is my favourite supehero fight scene for the presence of Thomas alone. |
How fun is this movie?! Sure, it may not hugely impact on the rest of the MCU, but it's just so much fun! Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas have fantastic chemistry, but Michael Pena steals the show. Perhaps the only regret I have is that Edgar Wright never got to finish his Ant-Man. How awesome would that have been?!
10. Iron Man Three (2013)
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| Everything is not what it seems. |
Yep. The third Iron Man is my favourite. This is by far the best human drama in the MCU and Shane Black's fantastic wit shines through. A superhero movie set at Christmas - who knew it was such a great idea? And I don't care what anyone says, that Mandarin twist is one of the most brilliant plot twists in recent film history.
9. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
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| "Hey, guys" |
I have always stood by my opinion that this film is a mess. The directors struggle to keep up with the sprawling story and there are far too many free passes given to characters. Has anything really changed by the end of the movie? But, in all fairness, the closing fight scenes between Bucky, Cap and Iron Man are among the all time great superhero fights and the introduction of T'Challa as Black Panther brings chills. Also, SPIDEY, YAY!
8. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
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| "We are Groot" |
Do I need to explain what makes this movie good? If it's not Chris Pratt's breakout virtuoso performance, or the decorated actors making brief appearances (Glenn Close, John C Reilly, among others), or the laugh-out-loud humour, or the break from MCU tradition, then SURELY it's the soundtrack. I dare you to watch this movie and not sing along with at least half of the songs. What a bunch of fun this movie is.
7. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
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| The Revengers |
The first out and out indie film in the MCU and also the first out and out comedy film, Thor: Ragnarok breaks the mold of its Thor predecessors and soars to newfound heights. Without question the funniest movie in the MCU, it also contains some of the best performances, with Jeff Goldblum and Hemsworth being the standouts. Sure, the plot literally makes no sense but the comedy is the best in any superhero movie and it elevates the film to these lofty heights.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (2017)
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| Get me Mr Blue Sky playing and get me it now! |
This has all the stuff that made the first Guardians so fun: brilliant humour, brilliant performances, brilliant cast, brilliant special effects and fight scenes. It not only adds Baby Groot to the equation, but it also has a heart. The story is emotive and genuinely touching at points and, somehow, James Gunn gets us all emotional about a talking raccoon. Also, the soundtrack is somehow even better than Vol. 1.
5. Doctor Strange (2016)
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| "I've come to bargain" |
Similarly to Ragnarok, Doctor Strange is one of the most inventive films in the MCU. The first MCU film to buy completely into magic, the special effects are among the best ever seen on film and even elevate the plot to new heights. As a lover of all things Cumberbatch, I may be biased, but this movie is one of the least flawed in the MCU and the closing "bargain" scene is just fantastic.
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
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| Yeah...definitely not ripped off from that other great Spider-Man movie... |
Y'know how Spidey was, along with Black Panther, the best part of Civil War? Well, he was somehow even better in his solo movie. Sure, the story strays from our image of a friendly, neighbourhood Spider-Man, but Tom Holland is surely already the greatest film Spider-Man. Michael Keaton also delivers the strongest villain in the MCU and Robert Downey Jr gives a surprisingly measured performance. Dragged down only by its late fall to superhero movie clichés, this movie re-imagines what makes a good Spider-Man movie; and succeeds in spectacular fashion.
3. Avengers Assemble (2012)
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| The money shot! |
There's a point, ten minutes into Avengers Assemble, where Samuel L Jackson is asked, "what do we do now?" and you know exactly what's coming. Though some may have passed it out since in terms of outright quality, Avengers remains the model of how to make a fun superhero movie in the 21st century. Mark Ruffalo's introduction, taking over as the Hulk, is the highlight of one of the most fun movies ever released.
2. Black Panther (2018)
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| Wakanda is one of the most rich settings for any superhero movie |
Y'know how Black Panther was, along with Spidey, the best part of Civil War? Well, he was somehow even better in his solo movie. This movie is just breathtaking. The cast, the soundtrack and the screenplay are all top notch, but my god the cinematography is just sensational. The most lush and rich film cinematographically in the whole MCU, Black Panther is simply gorgeous to look at. There also has not been a better match up so far than Chadwick Boseman vs Michael B Jordan. They don't get much better than this one.
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
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| Perhaps not quite the reunion with Bucky that Cap was expecting |
If you're looking for the film that best combines world building, fun, action, invention, a great cast, superb performances, thrilling effects and a gripping story, then there is no other contender here. Winter Soldier is, without question, Cap's strongest outing, while Bucky's return and Falcon's introduction are highlights of the Universe as a whole. It says a lot about Robert Redford's all-time great acting ability that, even as part of such an all-star cast and even in such a bitty role, he acts everyone else off the screen with one of the best performances in the MCU. This film just has it all and proves that the way to make a good superhero movie is to make a genre movie within a superhero movie.
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