Film: What's the Best Marvel Movie So Far?

When first seeing the original Iron Man, like most others, I never anticipated the mega-franchise that it would spawn. First they set up their heroes in individual adventures before the amazing crossover, Avengers Assemble, which brought them all together, thrilling geeks everywhere and making DC eternally jealous. Guardians of the Galaxy is the tenth film to be released from Marvel Studios, showing their confidence by taking the chance on a mostly unheard of comic. There doesn’t seem to a better time to take a look back at the films that have come before, ranking them by their awesomeness.

(Spoilers in the Iron Man 3 section)

9. The Incredible Hulk

While many of the others were nigh impossible to rank, this rather bland adventure was inarguably in dead last. The plot is a bit all over the place and the love story is over-the-top, largely due to Liv Tyler hamming it up. For only the second film from Marvel Studios it wasn’t the most promising movie. That’s not to say that I believe this film is without merit; unlike many others I do still find it an enjoyable adventure. Edward Norton captures the awkward nerdiness of Bruce Banner and the story is at least an improvement over the previous attempt to adaptHulk to the big screen. Abomination is also a good opponent to face Hulk, equally matching him in terms of strength and size. Overall the biggest problem with this movie is how forgettable it is, with there being little about it to really recommend.

8. Iron Man 2

The rule often goes with superhero movies that the first film is a bit of a clunker, replaying origin stories which everyone who loves comics already knows whilst remaining light on real substance. The sequel however is the film where they really get to cut loose; featuring a darker story, stronger villains and expanding the character’s world.Iron Man 2 is a bit too similar to the original, even ending on Tony fighting a bigger Iron Man suit, and spends too much time focusing on a search for a new energy source for Tony’s army. It also suffers from that all-too-common superhero film problem: way too many villains. It seemingly can’t quite decide whether to make Justin Hammer or Vanko the main villain and as such flits between the two constantly. The only thing that really places it above Incredible Hulk is the introduction of the sexy Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), who can take down a room of enemies in a matter of seconds, as well as the expanded role for Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. All in all, Tony Stark is as brilliant as ever and, although his drunken antics are a bit much at times, he still is a delight to watch.

7. Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America’s debut adventure is unfortunately based in one of my least favourite genres: the war film. Thankfully this being Marvel it does so with the same level of fun that separates them from the darker crop; I’m looking at you DC! The sci-fi alternate history that the film portrays is quite camp, with the discovery of the Tesseract advancing Nazi technology. Chris Evans is great as the pinnacle of human achievement and idol for America; he even manages to effectively portray Steve in his wimpier, delicate pre-superhero form despite some hokey CGI. Hayley Atwell is also brilliant as his love interest, a stubborn woman who can kick just as much butt as Cap himself.

6. Thor: The Dark World

In many ways this is the typical superior superhero sequel: it’s darker, a bit bolder and features bigger set pieces. The highlight of the film is the elves’ assault on Asgard, reminiscent of dogfights in Star Wars. The final battle which make an inventive use of portals is also an unexpected delight. Minor characters like Darcy are given room to grow and Loki takes on more of an antihero role throughout, allowing for some great moments of brotherly oneupmanship. However the Dark Elves are a bit bland as villains, Malekith having no real defining traits, and their plot to turn the universe’s lights off makes absolutely no sense. While it’s still a fun film, it’s not enough to break into the top 5 of the Marvel cinematic universe as well as being so far the worst film of phase 2.

5. Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 struggles for being the first film to follow Avengers Assemble and as such can’t quite live up to the spectacle. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its moments, from Tony’s 007 inspired suit-less assault on the villain’s stronghold to the final battle utilising a legion of Iron Man suits. What this film is most remembered for is the shock reveal that the Mandarin, Iron Man’s most arch enemy, is in fact just an actor. It angered many fans but for me I considered it a fun moment that totally makes sense considering how ridiculous the portrayal had been up until that point. The relationship between Tony and Pepper is pushed even further here, with Tony unable to get over a fear of death brought about by his near-death experience in Avengers. Unfortunately this is another case of the villain not quite being satisfying enough, Killian not quite living up to the promise of The Mandarin – hell he even gets taken out by Pepper!

4. Thor

I can remember this being the first Marvel movie to really surprise me; while Iron Man wasn’t a hero I expected to fall in love with it should have been obvious with that suit being filled by Robert Downey Jr. Meanwhile Thor was a high fantasy comic I was barely aware of, featuring gods of Norse legend who speak like Shakespearean characters beating the crap out of each other. The action sequences are spectacular, from the battle on the frozen world of Jotunheim featuring an endless army and giant monsters to the conflict of Thor and his friends versus the seemingly unbeatable Destroyer. The film also has some great comedy moments, mostly built around Thor’s unfamiliarity with human culture – my personal favourite being him trying to find a steed in a pet store.

3. Iron Man

This is it, the very first Marvel movie, which really showcased what to expect from the franchise going forward. Robert Downey Jr. feels born to play the role of Tony Stark, as he goes from hard-partying playboy to hero with a brief stop in a cave for good measure. Unlike many origin stories this one actually feels essential, probably because unlike Spider-Man not everyone has heard of Iron Man, and if they have probably don’t know enough about him to know what’s going to occur. Some of the film’s best moments come out of the testing sequences as Tony attempts to put together his first real suit. Unfortunately some of the action scenes do leave a little to be desired, the final battle itself being a bit too brief and without flair. However this film really made it clear what would set Marvel apart from the crop, the overall sense of fun and excitement which many other superhero movies had forgotten in their attempts to create darker stories.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Winter Soldier is one of the more experimental Marvel movies to date, attempting to be more than just a standard action movie by throwing in elements of a political thriller. Turning Captain America against his ally S.H.I.E.L.D., it questions who you can trust, pairing Cap with super-spy Black Widow as they investigate. In the end it all comes down to the expected all out battle, with another fight above the sky, but the journey to get there is at least something different. The Winter Soldier is also an effective foe to face Cap, just as strong and skilled making their fights very well matched. The reveal of the true villain is a great surprise, leading to a conclusion which promises to change the landscape of the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward, and by the time Avengers: Age of Ultron rolls round it should be a very different world indeed.

1. Avengers Assemble

It’s odd that while it was so hard to rank these movies I knew right from the get go which I liked least, and which I loved most. Let’s face it: there’s no way any other film could top this list. Avengers Assemble (the British title, which I still hate) is Marvel’s triumph, bringing all their big heroes together for one great adventure that is able to perfectly balance the main cast, giving them all their own arcs and powerful moments. It’s even able to make great use of The Hulk, something which films have struggled with previously (see number 9). The action sequences are magnificent, all culminating in the Battle of New York which sees all of the Avengers face off against an endless army. Of course being a Joss Whedon movie the dialogue is fantastic, the teammates sparring verbally as well as physically. I knew as soon as I first saw it that it would be my new favourite superhero movie and it has yet to be topped, although Avengers: Age of Ultron gets closer every day in threatening to do so.