Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) review

Well… this film has had quite a history. Practically ever since it was first announced, the second installment of Disney’s line of Star Wars spin-off films separate from the new trilogy of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and next year’s Episode IX has been subjected to some of the worst luck to ever befall a film production in recent years. Right out the gate, several Star Wars fans were hesitant over the idea of there being a dreaded ‘prequel/origin story’ film centered on one of the most beloved characters in the entire saga, Han Solo. It certainly didn’t help matters when it was made clear that, given the context of the story, Han wouldn’t be played by Harrison Ford this time around, effectively putting tons of pressure on whoever ended up taking on the role to live up to what Ford had done with it. Thankfully, some of these fears were alleviated when the duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were brought in to direct. Over the course of the past decade, Lord and Miller have become well-known for helming highly successful projects that, at first glance, seemed like they wouldn’t amount to anything special. They turned a very simple children’s book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, into one of the most visually vibrant and hilarious animated films in recent memory. They turned the obscure television show 21 Jump Street, known only at the time for being the show that launched Johnny Depp’s career, into one of the funniest comedies of its year. This was then followed by a sequel, 22 Jump Street, which went on to become one of the rare comedy sequels that was not only ‘as good’ as its predecessor, but arguably better. And they turned what could’ve been a massively blatant cash grab, The LEGO Movie, into a charming and fantastically animated adventure that paid loving tribute to the product that it was based on. Thus, with the two of them behind the camera, it seemed as if things would go quite smoothly for this new Star Wars film…

…that is, until June 20^th, 2017, when all hell broke loose. In a stunning development, Lord and Miller announced that they were stepping down from the film’s production despite there being a few weeks left of filming due to creative differences with Lucasfilm. Not long afterward, it was then revealed that the two were basically ‘fired’ from the film due to the overtly comedic direction that they were taking with it, with producer Kathleen Kennedy reportedly being at odds with them since the start of filming. And while Lucasfilm quickly rebounded from this dilemma by hiring the legendary Ron Howard to step in and finish the film, the damage was already done at that point. Despite being an industry mainstay, as well as being no stranger to the studio having starred in George Lucas’ 1973 classic American Graffiti, many deemed Howard as being ‘too safe’ of a choice to take over for the likes of Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Simply put, Solo: A Star Wars Story basically became the equivalent of Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man, which also went through an infamous directorial shakeup when Peyton Reed took over for Edgar Wright, who backed out of the project due to, you guessed it, ‘creative conflicts with the studio’. And while the Star Wars franchise’s run under the Disney banner has led to three critical/commercial hits so far, the equally scandalous production of the previous spin-off film, Rogue One, and the borderline hostile polarizing reaction to The Last Jedi did not put the studio in as high of a regard amongst those on the internet compared to Marvel Studios. But let’s just ignore all that noise for now and just look at the film itself now that it’s finally hitting theaters, because despite such a notorious production behind it, Solo is a highly entertaining foray into the Star Wars universe.

Like Rogue One, Solo: A Star Wars Story takes place in-between the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope at a time where the Imperial Empire is in complete control of the galaxy. It is in this war-torn world where we meet Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), a brash, young wannabe pilot who manages to escape his rough living conditions on the planet Corellia. After a brief, disastrous stint in the Imperial Navy, Han crosses paths with a band of criminals led by Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), who ends up recruiting Han for a heist on a shipment of valuable hyper fuel. During the process, Han also meets and befriends a Wookiee named Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), who ends up tagging along with him on the mission. However, when the heist ends up being a bust, Han, Chewie, and Beckett find themselves in hot water with their ‘superiors’, a criminal syndicate known as Crimson Dawn led by Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany). To appease Vos, Han boldly suggests an alternate plan to acquire the hyper fuel, which involves them acquiring it in an ‘unprocessed’ form from the planet Kessel. Given the seemingly impossible nature of the mission, Vos has his top subordinate Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), who happens to be Han’s former lover who he was forced to leave behind on Corellia, accompany them on the operation to help ensure that it goes smoothly. As a means of procuring a ship for the mission, the group also recruits the notorious smuggler Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), owner of the Millennium Falcon, the fastest ship in the galaxy.

Since the whole directorial shakeup, much speculation has been made over how much of the film was reworked under Howard’s direction. By most accounts, it appears as if he re-shot about 70% of the film, meaning that it’s likely that there are still some parts in the final film that were done by Lord and Miller. Thankfully, there’s no real indication of inconsistency between their directorial visions in the final product. For all intents and purposes, it seems as if Howard did his best to match what Lord and Miller were going for in a manner that would make the production run a lot smoother (e.g. not relying heavily on improvisation). And as for the film itself, it’s a fun ride from beginning to end. If there’s one major advantage that it has over Rogue One, it’s better pacing. As I noted a few years back in my review of that film, Rogue One started off on a bit of a slow note but eventually found its groove by the end, highlighted by its big action-packed finale on the planet Scarif. By comparison, Solo gets things rolling right out of the gate and doesn’t relent for the rest of its near two-and-a-half-hour run-time. Sure, it maybe loses just a bit of steam at the end, but that doesn’t prevent this film from having some of the best pacing in the entire franchise. But as for how the film handles the origin story of one of the saga’s most iconic characters, one’s mileage may vary over how effectively it’s handled. As for me, though, I personally enjoyed all the ways in which the film set up Han’s character. The scene where he first meets Lando Calrissian? Awesome. The scene where he first meets Chewbacca? Heartwarming. The scene where him and Chewie co-pilot the Millennium Falcon for the first time and make the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs? So. Damn. Satisfying! Sure, this is easily one of the simplest plotted outings to come out of the franchise, but what is there is handled nicely.

Alden Ehrenreich obviously went into this film having to deal with some of the most intense pressure that an actor has ever experienced due to him having to take on a role that Harrison Ford had turned into an iconic part of cinema thanks to Episodes IV through VII. Thankfully, Ehrenreich slips into the role with ease, conveying all of Han’s notable quirks, including his tendency to make things up as he goes along, with charisma that almost nearly equals that of Ford’s. At the same time, Ehrenreich also has terrific chemistry/camaraderie with each of his main co-stars. It all begins, of course, with Chewie, as Joonas Suotamo continues to be a worthy successor to Peter Mayhew in the role of Han’s trusted sidekick. Then, there’s Donald Glover as arguably the film’s biggest standout, the younger Lando Calrissian. Granted, Lando surprisingly doesn’t factor into the film as much as one might expect going in (he’s honestly only in about a third of it), but Glover is practically pitch-perfect in terms of replicating the same swagger that Billy Dee Williams brought to the role back in the original trilogy. Ehrenreich also has great chemistry with Emilia Clarke as the film’s main female lead, Qi’ra. Obviously, most Star Wars fans know how this relationship is going to turn out given Han’s relationship with Leia in the other films, but the ways in which they develop Qi’ra for a potential follow-up or two are quite fascinating. Closing out the main core group is Woody Harrelson, perfectly sly as Han’s mentor figure in this film, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the franchise’s newest memorable droid character, L3-37, who’s a fun mix of the energy of BB-8 and the sarcastic wit of Alan Tudyk’s K-2SO from Rogue One as Lando’s primary co-pilot on the Millennium Falcon.  

Now with all this said, I know damn well that this film is shaping up to be one of the most polarizing installments of the Star Wars saga. Hell, most people have clearly already made up their minds about this film before they even saw it because they’re still upset about the whole Lord and Miller fiasco. And that’s a damn shame because the film is ultimately not the disaster that a lot of its critics thought it was going to be. Sure, the fact that Phil Lord and Chris Miller were kicked off the production in the middle of filming instead of during pre-production may have seemed problematic, but Ron Howard does a damn fine job of taking over for them and keeping the final product from being a disheveled mess. And as for the film itself, it’s a fun little sci-fi adventure through the Star Wars universe. Is it the franchise’s best outing? No, not at all, but that’s by no means a criticism given the quality of the Star Wars films that have been made since Disney took over. Simply put, Solo: A Star Wars Story succeeds at being a neat little foray into the past exploits of the franchise’s iconic protagonist. Granted, not everyone will like the ways in which it handles Solo’s backstory, but casual Star Wars fans like myself will no doubt get a kick out of seeing how Han met Chewbacca for the first time and the first time that the two stepped foot in the Millennium Falcon, amongst other things. And to his credit, Alden Ehrenreich manages to live up to a lot of the expectations that were thrust upon him by being a wonderful successor to Harrison Ford as everyone’s favorite ‘stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder’ (“Who’s scruffy-looking?”). Now, would I’ve loved to have seen what Lord and Miller might have done with this story? Yes, but as was also the case with Edgar Wright and Ant-Man, that’s all in the past now. I’m not going to debate about this film being a case of a studio limiting their filmmakers’ creative vision. Instead, I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the ride because, contrary to what some on the internet may claim, the Star Wars franchise is doing totally fine now despite some of its most scandalous behind-the-scenes dilemmas.

Rating: 5/5!

Deadpool 2 (2018) review

Calling the 2016 superhero film Deadpool a hit would be a massive understatement. Upon its release in February of that year, the X-Men spin-off broke all sorts of box-office records. Not only did it become the highest grossing X-Men film to date worldwide, but it also set various opening weekend records as A.) an R-rated superhero film B.) an R-rated film in general and C.) a film that was released in the supposedly ‘dead’ month of February, and that’s just to name a few. Simply put, audiences were delighted by this raunchy installment of the superhero genre, especially due to its more faithful take on the fan-favorite titular anti-hero after his infamous first live-action appearance in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And thus, everyone’s favorite fourth-wall breaking mutant is back in Deadpool 2 which, as promised in the previous film’s post-credits scene, sees the introduction of Deadpool’s most famous ally from the comics, Cable. This time around, though, former VFX artist Tim Miller is not back to direct after he backed out of the project early in its development due to creative conflicts with lead Ryan Reynolds over the direction that it was going in. Thankfully, a badass replacement was found rather quickly in long-time stunt coordinator David Leitch. Since 2014, Leitch has begun to transition into directing and has managed to make quite a name for himself in the process, having co-helmed the 2014 modern action classic John Wick alongside fellow stunt veteran Chad Stahelski and then making a solid solo directorial debut with last year’s action thriller Atomic Blonde. Ultimately, though, one question still stands. From the perspective of someone who admittedly ‘liked, but not loved’ the first Deadpool film, does this one manage to outshine its predecessor and truly live up to its mantle as an unrelenting, R-rated, meta-fueled superhero extravaganza?

Two years since he first started to operate as the mercenary Deadpool, cancer survivor Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) continues to do what he does best; killing all the bad guys, constantly breaking the fourth wall (primarily to complain about how fellow mutant Wolverine always steals his thunder) and wooing his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). However, Deadpool soon finds himself crossing paths with Cable (Josh Brolin), a cybernetic soldier from the future. Having traveled back in time from his dystopian world, Cable is hellbent on eliminating a young mutant boy named Russell Collins (Julian Dennison), who calls himself ‘Firefist’ due to his ability to shoot fire from his hands, whom Deadpool ends up meeting during a ‘mission’ with his old X-Men ‘pals’ Colossus (Stefan Kapičić) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand). As Deadpool soon learns, Cable’s primary reasoning for hunting Russell is that he will end up killing those who had abused him at a ‘Mutant Re-Education Center’ orphanage, which will then lead to him becoming a killer years later with Cable’s own future wife and daughter being two of his victims. And despite Cable proving to be a highly imposing threat, Deadpool, fueled by his desire to have a family of his own with Vanessa, decides to take on the responsibility of protecting Russell. To do so, he ends up forming a superhero team of his own known as X-Force, which includes the likes of EMP disrupter Bedlam (Terry Crews), acid-spewing Zeitgeist (Bill Skarsgård), and luck manipulator Domino (Zazie Beetz) to deal with the time-traveling warrior who looks a lot like the main antagonist from Avengers: Infinity War.

Despite a change in director, Deadpool 2 does not lose any of the spirit that helped make the first film such a worldwide phenomenon, as it still provides audiences with plenty of great fourth wall jokes that liven up the mood when paired against some of its graphically violent action sequences. But perhaps the best thing that this film does is that it truly lives up to its designation as an unfiltered, balls-to-the-wall (figuratively and literally with emphasis on the latter) R-rated superhero film when compared to the first Deadpool. As I noted a few years back in my review of the first film, while I did genuinely enjoy it thanks in large part to its well-handled humor, I didn’t quite see it as the ‘superhero genre game-changer’ that everyone regarded it as. Despite its various ways of subverting and poking fun at some of the genre’s most widely mocked tropes, its ‘origin story’ narrative ended up covering much of that ground anyway. Plus, the film’s lower budget compared to the likes of other films in the genre did end up rearing its ugly head at times, like during its obviously watered-down finale despite it being set on an MCU-style Helicarrier of all places. To be fair, though, this wasn’t technically the film’s fault as it was just a case of it being an ‘untested venture’ for the studio. Thankfully, that’s not as big of an issue with Deadpool 2, which sports a budget that’s almost double that of the first’s. Because of this, the film takes way more chances when it comes to satirizing the superhero genre that ends up leading to plenty of highly satisfying comedic payoffs. Really, the only thing holding it back is one key plot twist early on that affects some of the main characters. This twist, influenced by one of the genre’s most infamous tropes, ironically helps to give the film more of an emotional core than the first film while still robbing it of the most notable contribution to its predecessor’s most poignant moments while also causing a few instances of tonal inconsistency in the process.

Through it all, though, the film is undoubtedly bolstered by Ryan Reynolds’ phenomenal turn in the titular role, as his comedic timing is just as strong as it was in the first film. This is then balanced excellently with Josh Brolin in his second major role in a comic book film this year after he blew everyone away as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. While there are instances where Cable proves to be just as generally imposing as Thanos, here he is mostly used as the butt of several jokes from Deadpool, who of course is a constant thorn in his sides. Sadly, Morena Baccarin is once again heavily underused as Vanessa despite her genuinely wonderful chemistry with Reynolds. In fact, it’s quite frankly even worse here than in the first film (remember that ‘infamous trope’ I mentioned in the last paragraph? Yeah, it affects her the most…). Thankfully, this is ‘somewhat’ alleviated by the film’s other main female lead, Zazie Beetz as Domino. As soon as the character first appears on-screen, she is immediately established as a badass heroine (despite Deadpool’s claims that her ‘luck-based’ powers aren’t very cinematic) who more than manages to hold her own against Deadpool’s tomfoolery. Julian Dennison is also a major standout as the young mutant Russell as he unabashedly partakes in some of the film’s most risqué bits of humor. And because parts of the film have him utilized as an ‘antagonist’, that technically makes him a better villain than those from the previous film, especially when he partners up with [identity of the second villain in this film redacted due to spoilers; I will say, though, that just like how the first film redeemed Deadpool, this villain’s appearance in this film redeems his previous one]. Finally, you also have plenty of the great supporting roles returning from the first film, including the duo of Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (who don’t necessarily get as much to do this time around but still manage to have their own standout moments) and Karan Soni as Deadpool’s happy-go-lucky cab driver friend Dopinder.  

In conclusion, to answer the question that I laid out in the early parts of this review, I’m pleased to say that I did like Deadpool 2 more than the first film. Now again, this isn’t meant as a slight against the first Deadpool, which is still an enjoyable (and, most importantly, hilarious) entry in the superhero genre that allowed Ryan Reynolds the chance to give the titular character the proper film adaptation that he deserved. It’s just that, at the end of the day, Deadpool 2 doesn’t have to deal with the pressure of being an untested anomaly for both Fox and the superhero genre in general. After all, when the first Deadpool hit theaters in early 2016, it was at a time when R-rated superhero films weren’t yet considered as being ‘commercially viable’ ventures. But now that Fox has basically become the top purveyor of R-rated superhero films at this point thanks to both it and Logan, that means that Deadpool 2 is able to go above and beyond in terms of truly going ‘out there’ with its satirical takes on the genre, which it does with utter delight. This, in turn, allows Deadpool 2 to have some of the most consistently terrific humor to come out of a superhero film to the point where it even rivals the MCU’s trademark sense of humor. And just like the first film, this is then strengthened further by an excellent ensemble cast that’s headlined by Ryan Reynolds once again proving why his recent turns as the Merc with the Mouth have made him one of the genre’s most pitch-perfect casting decisions. With all this said, though, I’ll admit that I still don’t necessarily consider this to be the ‘best’ superhero film of the year as it does sort of suffer from a major plot twist that, from a narrative perspective, ironically also does a few good things in the process. But as far as being one of the most ‘fun’ installments of the genre, Deadpool 2 is certainly near the top of that list.

Rating: 4.5/5

Jim Henson Double Feature

Back in January 2015, I did a big retrospective on the eight theatrically-released films from one of the most famous franchises in pop-culture history, the Muppets. The Muppets, of course, were the creation of Jim Henson, who first conceived the characters along with his wife Jane Nebel in 1955 as part of their show Sam and Friends. In the years since, these characters have gone onto become some of the most beloved icons of both the big and small screen. However, this isn’t the only major franchise that Jim Henson was known for, as he and his titular company, the Jim Henson Company, were also responsible for hit shows like Fraggle Rock, Dinosaurs, and Bear in the Big Blue House just to name a few. And, of course, Henson was also famous for playing a major part in the development of one of the most iconic kids shows of all-time, Sesame Street. But today on Rhode Island Movie Corner, in anticipation of his company’s upcoming film The Happytime Murders that will be hitting theaters this August, we’ll be focusing on the feature films that Henson himself directed. And because we’ve already looked at his feature-length directorial debut, 1981’s The Great Muppet Caper, we’ll instead be looking at the two other feature films that he directed, which happen to have one major thing in common. While neither film was a major critical/commercial success upon their initial releases, both have gone onto become some of the biggest cult classics from the 80’s to the point where ‘follow-ups’ to both are currently in development. Thus, it’s time to ‘remind you all of the babe (“What babe?”) the babe with the power (“What power?”) the power of voodoo (“Who do?”) you do (“Do what?”) remind me of the babe!’… ahem, sorry… as we look at the two films that Jim Henson directed in the 80’s that weren’t about his most iconic creation, the Muppets.

THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982)

One year after he made his official feature-length directorial debut with The Great Muppet Caper, Jim Henson teamed up with fellow Muppet performer Frank Oz to co-direct The Dark Crystal. In this dark fantasy (no pun intended), two young elf creatures known as ‘Gelflings’ named Jen and Kira embark on a journey to restore a powerful crystal that had split 1000 years ago and led to the creation of two species, the wise Mystics and the terrifying vulture-like creatures known as Skeksis. And I do mean it when I refer to this film as a ‘dark fantasy’ because it is very much an example of an 80’s PG-rated film that far exceeded the boundaries of what one would normally see from a film that’s targeted towards younger audiences. Whether it’s through a scene where one of the Skeksis crumbles into dust or another where a young creature known as a Podling has his life essence sucked out of him, it’s easy to see how this film left quite a psychological impact on kids back in the 80’s. And while I personally don’t have any major nostalgic connections to this film, that doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the visual mastery that is on display here. While some of the film’s blue-screen effects have aged a bit, the puppetry and animatronic work to create its wide array of creatures is superb, which is then paired perfectly with the film’s excellent visual designs that come courtesy of illustrator Brian Froud. Really, the only thing holding this film back is that while its visuals are impressive, the writing is a little more problematic. Some scenes feel a little unfocused and drag on a bit while character development is rather light. Still, for what its worth, The Dark Crystal is an engaging and imaginative fantasy adventure, and I am interested in seeing how this universe will be explored further courtesy of an upcoming prequel series on Netflix directed by Louis Leterrier.

Rating: 3.5/5

LABYRINTH (1986)

Just like the 3-D short film Captain EO that was produced for Disney parks, Labyrinth was a huge collaboration between three titans from the world of pop culture. Not only was the film directed by Jim Henson, but it was also executive-produced by George Lucas and starred ‘Ziggy Stardust’ himself, David Bowie, in the role of the main antagonist, Jareth the Goblin King. Plus, it served as another collaboration between Henson and illustrator Brian Froud, who once again worked as the film’s main conceptual designer. Sadly, upon its initial release, the film was not a big hit with critics and it bombed at the box-office. This proved to be an extremely demoralizing moment for Henson and it was ultimately the last feature film that he ever directed before his death in 1990. However, just like Dark Crystal, Labyrinth has gone on to amass a sizable cult following; in fact, Labyrinth’s fandom is arguably even bigger than Dark Crystal’s. It got a manga sequel in 2006, Return to Labyrinth, and an official film sequel is currently in the works that is set to be helmed by Evil Dead reboot director Fede Alvarez. But as for the original Labyrinth, while I once again don’t have as big of a personal nostalgic connection to this film compared to those who grew up in the 80’s, I do appreciate it just as much as I do Dark Crystal when it comes to its visuals. Sure, this film also has a few visual effects that haven’t aged well (e.g. the sequence involving the ‘Fireys’ that even Henson wasn’t fully satisfied with), but the puppetry and animatronic work from Henson’s crew is still top-notch all around. And whereas Dark Crystal truly lived up to the first half of its name as an extremely ‘dark’ fantasy, Labyrinth sports a much lighter tone by comparison that’s very much in the vein of classic films like The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. This ultimately produces a lot of Muppet-esque humor that is handled effectively enough to keep the film’s proceedings from becoming ‘too goofy’.

But, of course, the biggest highlight of the film is David Bowie in the lead role of Jareth the Goblin King. Simply put, the same great stage presence and charisma that made the late performer the icon that he still is today is on full display here, as he perfectly embodies the role of the film’s seductive villain. He also wrote much of the music for this film, which paves the way for some enjoyable musical numbers highlighted by the iconic ‘Magic Dance’ (which I alluded to in the intro to this post). Jennifer Connelly is solid as well in one of her earliest film roles as the film’s main protagonist Sarah, a young girl who embarks on a journey within Jareth’s labyrinth when he kidnaps her baby brother Toby. Admittedly, Connelly is a tad bit wooden in the film’s early moments, though this quickly fades once Sarah enters the labyrinth. She’s joined along the way by an entertaining collection of side characters, including a lovable beast named Ludo and a grumpy dwarf named Hoggle. All of this makes up for the film’s only real shortcoming in that, like Dark Crystal, it does suffer from the occasional narrative lull. That and the film’s ending is, without spoiling anything for those who haven’t seen it before, rather anti-climactic. At the same time, though, the film also does a great job of handling its coming-of-age plot in what is a rare instance of a female-led fantasy story. Thus, while both films are enjoyable in their own unique ways, Labyrinth does sport a tighter narrative compared to Dark Crystal with the added benefit of a great lead performance from David Bowie. And even though this is the first time that I’ve ever watched the film in full, it’s easy to see why this delightfully weird fantasy adventure has spawned the following that it has. Jim Henson may not have lived to see this happen but, per his son Brian, he was at least aware of it before he passed away.     

Rating: 4/5

And that concludes this little ‘retrospective’ on the work of one of the film industry’s most beloved visionaries, Jim Henson. Thanks for following along and be sure to sound off in the comments below with your own personal memories of these 80’s cult classics. 

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) review

(Fear not, my fellow MCU fans who have yet to see this film, as this review will not (I repeat… NOT) be addressing any major spoilers from it. I mean, heck, who do I think I am? That guy from Forbes who spoiled the ENTIRE FILM before it even came out?)

(Seriously, though, what the hell, Forbes?)

In just a few days, Marvel Studios’ 2008 blockbuster Iron Man will celebrate its 10^th anniversary… and thinking about that is truly surreal as I still remember going to see that film in the theaters. And like many others at the time, I had no idea of what was about to unfold before our eyes. Back then, the live-action film side of the superhero genre almost entirely consisted of films based on a single character or a small group of heroes. At the time, no one had ever really attempted a massive crossover-centric franchise between multiple big-name comic icons aside from various animated films and TV shows. But after Marvel’s film division made a $525 million financing deal with Merrill Lynch in 2005 to distribute their own films instead of licensing them to other studios, a plan was put into motion to attempt a ‘cinematic universe’ featuring all the major superheroes whose film rights were still owned by Marvel at the time. In other words, they couldn’t immediately work with some of their biggest properties, including Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men, as the former’s film rights were owned by Sony and the latter two’s rights were owned by Fox. Thus, they had to go with some of their lesser-known heroes to start off this new franchise of theirs… and yes, as crazy as it may seem, Iron Man was, technically speaking, a ‘lesser-known’ Marvel superhero prior to 2008. But, of course, that all changed when the character’s first feature film adaptation became one of the most critically/commercially successful films of the year. And it all concluded with a game-changing post-credits scene in which main protagonist Tony Stark was approached by Nick Fury, the head of the government organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. who came to talk to him about the ‘Avenger Initiative’. Thus, a cinematic universe was born…

Since then, Marvel Studios has continued to deliver top quality superhero flicks year in and year out. And while not all their films have been runaway hits, they haven’t necessarily made a downright ‘horrible’ MCU film no matter what directorial conflict or issue with the studio’s now-defunct ‘creative committee’ has ever occurred. And really, the main reason why this franchise has worked as well as it has is that studio president Kevin Feige and his team have made a considerable effort to ensure that the franchise takes its time to develop the universe and its characters before bringing them all together in one film. That was the case with Phase 1 of the franchise, which culminated in the genre’s then-latest landmark installment, 2012’s The Avengers. The heroes of the MCU were then subjected to some darker storylines in Phase 2 before reuniting again for the equally darker Avengers follow-up, 2015’s Age of Ultron. And now, as we near the end of Phase 3, the Avengers are back for Marvel Studios’ biggest endeavor yet, Avengers: Infinity War. A true cinematic epic that has been a full decade in the making, this film sees the Avengers taking on their greatest threat yet, Thanos, who has been continuously built up ever since he first appeared in the first post-credits scene of the original Avengers. And while Joss Whedon isn’t behind the camera for this installment, a suitable pair of successors are in Joe and Anthony Russo, who have already given us two of the MCU’s greatest installments to date in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Sure enough, they once again deliver with a truly jaw-dropping cinematic spectacle that pulls off some of the gutsiest moves that the superhero genre has ever seen.

Over the course of the past 18 installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its various superheroes have come across a variety of powerful objects that were spawned from a series of gems known as Infinity Stones, which were formed in the wake of the Big Bang. And it is these six stones that attract the attention of one figure, Thanos the Mad Titan (Josh Brolin), an alien warlord from the planet Titan who embarks on a mission to retrieve them all so that he can achieve his lifelong ambition of wiping out half the universe. To make sure that this doesn’t happen, all the world’s heroes unite to prevent the Mad Titan from getting his hands on the stones. In New York, ‘genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist’ Tony Stark AKA Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) teams up with his teenaged protégé Peter Parker AKA Spider-Man (Tom Holland), sorcerers Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wong (Benedict Wong), and scientist Bruce Banner AKA the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to safeguard the Time Stone housed within Strange’s special artifact, the Eye of Agamotto. In the African nation of Wakanda, fugitives Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff AKA Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Wanda Maximoff AKA Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and Sam Wilson AKA Falcon (Anthony Mackie) ally with Wakanda’s king T’Challa AKA Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) to protect the artificial being Vision (Paul Bettany), who’s powered by the Mind Stone. And in the far reaches of space, the Guardians of the Galaxy, consisting of thief Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Thanos’ adopted daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana), warrior Drax (Dave Bautista), weapons expert Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), tree creature Groot (Vin Diesel), and empath Mantis (Pom Klementieff) end up running into Thor the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth), who managed to survive an attack by the Mad Titan himself.

Now at this point in the MCU’s run, I will fully admit that I’m just becoming a broken record at this point when it comes to listing all the great things that one can expect in an MCU film. And sure enough, that’s once again the case with Infinity War. You have your amazing action sequences that are bolstered by outstanding visual effects while also showcasing the Russo brothers’ growing strengths as action directors after they originally got their start in comedy. You have the franchise’s great sense of humor that produces an endless array of classic moments that never once take away from the dramatic context of the plot. And in the case of these Avengers films, this great humor is then further fortified by all the terrific character interactions between all the franchise’s great heroes, from Iron Man and Doctor Strange to the trio of Thor, Rocket, and Groot… and yes, that’s only naming a few of this film’s noteworthy combinations. But then the Russo brothers take things one step further by pulling off one of the gutsiest endings that the superhero genre has ever seen. Now, obviously, I won’t reveal anything about what happens in it for those who haven’t seen the film yet, but you could say that it’s possibly a response to the long-standing (and rather questionable) argument that Marvel films don’t have any real stakes in them. And with that in mind, while I know that this ending will probably get reversed somehow in next year’s fourth Avengers film, it is handled perfectly in this film with such a strong sense of emotional poignancy that it rivals any major ‘awards season favorite’.

Given that most of this film’s ensemble cast has already been in at least three or more previous MCU films, there’s really no need to talk about their performances because they’re all just as great as they’ve always been. From the original Avengers squad to the Guardians of the Galaxy to more recently introduced heroes like Black Panther and the MCU’s rendition of Spider-Man, Marvel Studios has managed to create one of the most legendary ensemble casts in film history. Now, admittedly, despite all that, it should be noted that you shouldn’t go into this film expecting a lot of new bits of character development for these heroes as it’s more about the battle against Thanos. And because Infinity War does boast the largest cast of heroes that has ever been seen in a superhero film, some characters do get a little more attention than others, like Thor (who was confirmed by the Russos themselves as having the most screen-time of any main protagonist in the film), Gamora (given her connection to Thanos), and Star-Lord (due to the romance between him and Gamora). This, in turn, could very much perpetuate the ever-growing argument that the MCU is getting too overcrowded. However, just like in Age of Ultron, this ultimately isn’t that much of an issue in the long run because of one simple reason, and it’s the one that I’ve been referring to time and time again. Because all these characters have been given great bits of character development in previous MCU films, there’s not that much of a need for a lot of that in this film as it’d just bog down its proceedings to the point where it ruins the pacing. And just like the previous two Avengers films, at the very least every major superhero gets to have his or her standout moment whether it’s via a hilarious joke or a badass action sequence.    

And then there’s the big bad of this film AKA the one that the MCU has been teasing for years, Thanos. Given all that build-up, along with all the jokes that were made about the character’s initial inactivity during his cameo appearances in Guardians of the Galaxy and Age of Ultron, clearly expectations were high for the Mad Titan to truly leave a lasting impression on viewers. This was especially a matter of the utmost importance for many people after several past MCU villains have been heavily scrutinized by critics and audiences for not being as well-developed as the franchise’s protagonists. Thankfully, that’s not an issue here as Thanos does, indeed, live up to the hype as one of the MCU’s greatest villains. First off, the motion-capture effects used to turn Josh Brolin into the character are outstanding, truly showcasing how far the art form has evolved over the years especially when compared to Brolin’s previous appearances in the role. At the same time, Brolin himself is also phenomenal as one of the most emotionally-driven villains that the franchise has ever seen. Yes, there is quite a lot of emotional heft to Thanos’ arc in this film. Despite all the terrible things that he and his followers, the Children of Thanos (a rather underutilized but still all-around serviceable group of imposing subordinates), does to our heroes, much like Erik Killmonger in Black Panther you’re able to get a sense of how truly committed Thanos is to his goals. And as we soon find out, he ends up going to some incredibly dark places to achieve those goals. In other words, in a film that is full of so many great characters, Thanos might arguably be the most compelling figure of them all.

Anyone who knows me probably guessed beforehand that I was going to love this film seeing how I’ve never given any of the previous MCU films a negative review. But in this instance, I want to truly emphasize why this entry in the franchise is something special. Because for most of this film’s two and a half hour runtime, it gives us everything that fans of the MCU have come to love about the franchise. It has the great action sequences, the wonderful interactions between all its main characters, and an endless array of quotable lines. But then comes this film’s ending, which takes so many daunting risks for an MCU film and yet all of which end up paying off because of how well-handled it is. And even though it’ll probably get fixed somehow in the fourth Avengers film, and even though it comes in a film where character development for its well-established heroes is admittedly not its primary focus, it will still leave one hell of a lasting impact regardless of one’s overall views of the MCU. That is a testament to the phenomenal job that Kevin Feige and his team have done in creating a franchise that has taken its time when it comes to world-building. It is a testament to the amazing direction from the Russo brothers, who have given us three of the MCU’s greatest outings in just the past five years. And it is a testament to the sterling performances of the franchise’s top-notch cast of endearing main protagonists along with one of the best villains in the history of both the superhero genre and film in general. Simply put, for long-time fans of the MCU, Avengers: Infinity War is the culmination of one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences of all-time.

Rating: 5/5!

Ranking the MCU Films: April 2018 Edition

This weekend marks the release of a true cinematic epic that’s been a decade in the making. This weekend, Marvel Studios will unleash the latest installment in their worldwide behemoth of a franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since it first started back in 2008, Marvel Studios have very much proven themselves to be the kings of the superhero genre by producing an endless array of great superhero films that are bolstered by their layered protagonists, incredible action sequences, and a terrific sense of humor that has produced some of the best moments to come from the world of film in recent years. And now, the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe find themselves facing their most powerful foe yet, Thanos the Mad Titan, in Avengers: Infinity War. As a long-time fan of the franchise, I couldn’t be more excited for this film, especially considering that it is directed by brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, who have already given us two great MCU films these past few years and are also directing the fourth Avengers film that’s set to come out next year. Because of this, I’m confident that they’ll give us yet another iconic superhero epic that will truly cement the MCU’s status as one of the most legendary franchises in all of pop culture. With all that said, today on Rhode Island Movie Corner I’ll be providing you folks with a long-awaited update to a list that I had done a few years back in April 2015 before the release of the previous Avengers film, Avengers: Age of Ultron. Yes, the time has come once again for my personal rankings list of every film in the MCU.

Now, of course, the main reason why I’m doing this post again is quite simple. Since that previous post’s publication back near the tail-end of Phase 2, there have been a lot more MCU films that have come out since then, with Phase 3 arguably being the franchise’s greatest stretch of films yet due in part to the disbanding of the studio’s controversial creative committee. But the other reason why is because like someone’s list of their favorite films of all-time, this set of rankings will never officially be set in stone, and sure enough, my thoughts on these films have very much changed over the years. However, one opinion of mine that still stands today is that I still argue that Marvel Studios has yet to make a ‘bad’ superhero film. Now, for the record, I’m not saying that they’ve been completely ‘flawless’ when it comes to their cinematic output, as there have been some legitimately ‘weak’ MCU films over the years. Plus, not all their TV spin-offs have fared well with critics and audiences (e.g. Iron Fist and Inhumans), so it’s not like I can say that there hasn’t been a ‘bad’ MCU project overall. However, I’d still watch any of these films over something like Fan4stic or Justice League. Because of this, let me make one thing clear; I do not consider any of the following 18 films to be ‘terrible’. With that in mind, if a certain film ends up on the lower half of this list, this is by no means a ‘slight’ against it as it all comes down to personal preferences. And so, let’s not waste any more time and go through my current rankings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films as of April 25th, 2018.

18. THE INCREDIBLE HULK

Part of me legitimately hates to have to put this film at the bottom of this list. Back before the MCU truly became the ever-expanding franchise that it is today, this was always a personal favorite of mine even if it was the overlooked superhero film from a year that gave us Iron Man and The Dark Knight. For one thing, because I didn’t stick around to see the big ‘Avengers Initiative’ post-credits scene in Iron Man (solely because the franchise’s trademark post-credits scenes weren’t common knowledge just yet), it was this film where I first learned about Marvel Studios’ plans for an Avengers film. However, in the years since its release, this film has become quite disconnected to the rest of the franchise, hence why it ultimately is where it is on this list. This is specifically due to the recasting of the role of Bruce Banner, with Mark Ruffalo taking over for Edward Norton after the latter had creative conflicts with the studio over the decision to cut down on the film’s dialogue-heavy sequences in favor of a more action-oriented narrative. And while this does give the film an advantage over Ang Lee’s rather infamous adaptation of the character from 2003 (which I do still like, for the record), it is a shame that we’ll probably never get to see Norton and director Louis Leterrier’s original cut of the film. For what it’s worth, though, Norton does do a good job as Bruce Banner in a film that pays a lot of nice tributes to the classic Incredible Hulk TV series from the 70’s starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno (e.g. the implementation of its iconic theme, ‘The Lonely Man’, in the film’s score). Still, as much as I hate to say it, if you’re binge-watching all these films and find yourself in a situation where you must skip one of them due to a lack of time, then this is probably the best one to skip because of its growing dissonance with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.    

17. IRON MAN 2

As embarrassing as it probably is to admit, when I first saw this film in 2010, I found that I liked it more than the first Iron Man (I’ll explain why when I get to that film…). And while this mindset of mine has changed since then, I don’t consider Iron Man 2 to be the ‘disastrous train wreck’ that the internet always regards it as. With that said, though, that doesn’t mean that this film isn’t devoid of any major issues. During my most recent re-watch of it with my friends Matthew Goudreau and Alex McDevitt, the three of us theorized the possibility that this film was originally meant to be a Phase 2 release until the success of the first Iron Man resulted in the sequel getting fast-tracked so that it could come out not too long after its predecessor. Regardless of what really happened, though, Jon Favreau and his team were clearly rushed when it came to getting this film finished in time for its May 2010 release date. Unlike the first film, the set-up for future entries in the MCU is a lot more pervasive this time around. And sadly, this means that the main plot itself is quite lackluster despite a potentially compelling main antagonist that shares a strong personal connection to Tony Stark, the plotline of his best friend Colonel James Rhodes becoming the character War Machine, and a few nods to one of the character’s most famous storylines, ‘Demon in a Bottle’. It really is saying something when the main villain Whiplash (played by an underutilized Mickey Rourke, who’s been quite public about his dissatisfaction with how the film turned out) is ultimately overshadowed by the secondary villain Justin Hammer, played by the always delightful Sam Rockwell. While Robert Downey Jr. is still just as great as he’s always been as Tony Stark, the film itself does suffer from some sluggish pacing. And while it did serve as the introduction of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow along with Don Cheadle taking over the role of ‘Rhodey’ from Terrence Howard, the two wouldn’t really get comfortable in their respective roles until future MCU films. Thus, Iron Man 2, while not outright horrible, is clearly one of the MCU’s most ‘Creative Committee’-influenced installments. But when it comes to the franchise’s most infamous example of that…

16. THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Yes, the second installment of the Thor trilogy is quite arguably the one MCU film that ended up getting the most creative interference from the studio’s Creative Committee, with director Alan Taylor being extremely vocal about the troubles that he faced during the film’s production. And yet, like Iron Man 2, this film is far from being the ‘godawful piece of crap’ that the internet views it as. With that said, though, this is arguably the most ‘uneventful’ installment of the entire MCU. Aside from the big twist near the end of the film in which it’s revealed that Loki has managed to take over as the ruler of Asgard, Thor: The Dark World is quite lacking in terms of world-building, especially when compared to the next MCU film that came after it (more on that one later…). And yes, the film’s main antagonist Malekith is quite arguably the worst MCU villain to date, with Christopher Eccleston being severely restricted both figuratively and literally as an underdeveloped antagonist who’s defeated quite easily by Thor and company. With that said, why then do I prefer this one over Iron Man 2? Well, while it does share a few of the same pacing issues that plagued that film, I do feel that Thor: The Dark World has a more ‘cohesive’ narrative (though only slightly…). And while it does start off on a rather slow note, things noticeably improve once Thor breaks Loki out of prison to form an uneasy alliance. Simply put, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston are what ultimately keep this film from being a complete disaster. Plus, to its credit, the film does do a few things better than its predecessor, including stronger action sequences and visuals and more time spent on Asgard even though it still tries to balance its time between Earth and the rest of the Nine Realms. In short, while I do agree that this is one of the weaker MCU films, it’s honestly not ‘that bad’.  

15. THOR

Despite what I just mentioned about how Thor: The Dark World boasts stronger action sequences compared to its predecessor, I do still prefer the first Thor film by a slight margin. On a personal level, this was the first ‘great’ film that I saw in 2011… despite the mistake that I made of seeing it in 3-D while having to sit in the front section of the theater. But even with that setback, along with the fact that it’s now near the bottom of this list, I still thoroughly enjoy the first Thor film. Admittedly, some might take issue with the narrative decision to have Thor be banished from his home, which means that most of the film is set on Earth instead of Asgard. However, I do think that Thor’s arc in the film is well-handled, as his time on Earth allows him to learn humility and to care about others instead of stroking his own ego. And while I do understand why some aren’t too keen on some of the goofier bits of humor that occur during the scenes set on Earth (which many have argued was an even bigger problem in The Dark World), I’ll admit that I didn’t mind a lot of the humor in this film. For the record, though, I’m mainly referring to the jokes revolving around Thor’s attempts at trying to adapt to life on Earth with hilariously disastrous results (e.g. him smashing a cup on the floor after drinking coffee (“This drink, I like it! ANOTHER!”)). Thor himself proves to be a solid lead thanks in large part to Chris Hemsworth’s breakout performance in the role. And while I personally feel that he didn’t fully stand out in the role until his appearance in The Avengers, Tom Hiddleston also makes a stellar debut as Loki. But perhaps the most important thing to note here is that under the direction of Kenneth Branagh, Thor, arguably Marvel Studios’ first ‘risky’ project, managed to avoid becoming the laughable mess that some people thought it might have been. While he may not be the ‘best’ action director, Branagh’s experience with adapting the works of Shakespeare helps to give this story of the gods of Norse mythology the kind of emotional poignancy that’s become one of the most vital staples of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

14. ANT-MAN

Calling Ant-Man one of the most infamous productions of the MCU would be an understatement. Fanboy derision became quite high when, in May 2014, the film’s original writer/director backed out of the project due to creative differences with the studio. But while directorial shake-ups are common in the film industry, the fact that this director was fan favorite Edgar Wright (who had been working on it for nearly a decade way before the MCU even started) cast a dark shadow over the film that is still there today even though it’s been years since it came out. I mean, sure, it’s legitimately quite sad that we’ll never get to see Edgar Wright’s take on Marvel’s shrinking superhero. However, Wright’s replacement, Peyton Reed, does manage to produce an entertaining heist-themed superhero film that may not be the MCU’s best outing but is still just as enjoyable as the rest of the films in the franchise. This is namely due to the film’s fantastic handling of Ant-Man’s powers, resulting in plenty of fun action sequences highlighted by the film’s big finale. But instead of taking place in the middle of a crowded city like the Avengers films, this finale takes place in the bedroom of the main protagonist’s young daughter, which sees the hero and villain use everything from a Thomas the Tank Engine train set to building blocks to try and defeat each other. Speaking of the main protagonist, Paul Rudd proves to be an excellent fit in the role of current Ant-Man Scott Lang, a sympathetic guy who’s just looking to get his life back in order after a stint in jail so that he can reunite with his daughter. He’s joined by an equally excellent supporting cast that includes the likes of Michael Douglas as former Ant-Man/creator of the suit’s technology Hank Pym, Evangeline Lilly as Hank’s daughter Hope (who will soon become the Wasp in this film’s sequel later this summer), and Michael Pena as Scott’s hilarious best friend Luis. In short, Ant-Man is perhaps the prime example of why Marvel Studios shouldn’t be taken for granted, as they more than managed to rebound from Edgar Wright’s departure to produce yet another great installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  

13. DOCTOR STRANGE

Now admittedly, some may argue that the solo film debut of Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme is a tad bit on the predictable side. Specifically, Doctor Strange’s origin story shares quite a bit in common with Iron Man’s origin story, with both starting out as egotistical rich guys who learn to let go of their egos when they suffer devastating injuries, which then lead to them becoming superheroes. But whereas Iron Man was the story of a billionaire who constantly works to atone for his mistakes, Doctor Strange is more about how its title character, Stephen Strange, overcomes all the pain in his life to find his purpose, even if it means having to leave his past life behind despite his intent to return to it. With that in mind, writer/director Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill very much succeed at giving Doctor Strange a well-written origin story to the point where those similarities to Iron Man ultimately aren’t that much of an issue. But, of course, the biggest selling point of Doctor Strange is its visual effects. While the MCU films have always done a nice job in this department, Doctor Strange outshines them all through the ways in which it shows off the mystic side of the MCU, leading to a whole bunch of visually stunning (and, in many cases, psychedelic) action sequences. And with that in mind, this film also serves as an excellent introduction to the franchise’s mystical world without it ever becoming way too disconnected to what we’ve already seen from the MCU. Top it all off with an excellent performance from Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, along with an equally superb supporting cast that includes Tilda Swinton (whitewashing controversy aside…) as the Ancient One and Mads Mikkelsen as one of the MCU’s better villains, Kaecilius (Mikkelsen was thankfully spared from having to play Malekith in The Dark World due to scheduling conflicts), and you have yet another entertaining entry in this great franchise.

12. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

Despite being the title character’s second reboot in half a decade, along with it being distributed by Sony instead of Disney, the influence of Marvel Studios not only makes Spider-Man: Homecoming a part of the MCU, but also the character’s best solo outing in years. And while it’s only at the #12 spot on this list, I do consider this film to be one of the MCU’s best ‘character-driven’ installments. This film does a phenomenal job in setting up the MCU’s rendition of Peter Parker, who instead of being a ‘fresh out of high school’ adult like in previous onscreen incarnations is just a kid from Queens who wants to join the Avengers but soon learns that he might be in over his head when it comes to those desires. This helps to give the film a more grounded nature compared to the rest of the MCU films without sacrificing the grand scale of its action sequences, and Tom Holland does a phenomenal job in the title role. This is backed further by the pitch-perfect use of Tony Stark as Peter’s mentor (with Robert Downey Jr. serving more of a cameo role instead of the usual leading role that he’s had in other MCU films so that he doesn’t overshadow Holland) to the point where Peter even goes through the same arc that Tony went through in Iron Man 3 about how their suits do not define who they are. And, of course, you also have some great supporting roles as well, including Michael Keaton as another one of the MCU’s better villains, Vulture, who’s tied to one of the franchise’s best twists in which it’s revealed that he’s the father of Peter’s crush, Liz Allan. In short, director Jon Watts very much succeeds at giving this film the ‘John Hughes teen comedy’ aesthetic that he was going for while still maintaining all the great elements of an MCU film.

11. IRON MAN

Sometimes it is quite surreal knowing that it has now been a decade since the original Iron Man first hit theaters back in 2008. Since then, a lot of other franchises have attempted to establish their own cinematic universes though not exactly to the same level of critical and commercial success that Marvel Studios has achieved. And really, this film still stands as the prime example as to why the MCU was able to succeed in the ways that it did... and that’s because setting up the universe wasn’t its primary focus. Sure, it introduces S.H.I.E.L.D. and there’s the big Nick Fury cameo during the post-credits scene, but that’s seriously it when it comes to world building. Instead, Iron Man… is about Iron Man. It never loses focus on the transformation of Tony Stark from a self-obsessed playboy into a noble superhero after he gets kidnapped by terrorists who have been using his company’s weapons in ways he hadn’t intended. This ties into what I feel is the main reason why some cinematic universes haven’t been able to get off the ground when compared to the MCU, as they often tend to focus more on the world-building than whatever story they’re currently trying to tell. And as you might have guessed, this is basically the one thing that hurt Iron Man 2; it did the exact opposite of what its predecessor did. Ultimately, though, while the MCU has certainly come a long way since then, the first Iron Man still manages to hold up quite well amongst the competition thanks to the great direction from Jon Favreau, solid pacing and humor, and a bunch of great action set-pieces. And of course, it’s all bolstered by Robert Downey Jr. in the title role of Tony Stark. Simply put, he was perfectly cast as everyone’s favorite ‘genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist’, and it’s easy to see why he is still considered as the headlining figure of the entire franchise.  

Oh yeah, and I should probably discuss what I mentioned earlier about how there was a time where I liked Iron Man 2 more than the first film. Well, the main reason why is because you may be surprised to know that I wasn’t that big on this film the first time I saw it, and admittedly I find that it’s kind of hard to explain why this was the case just because it’s been such a long time since I saw the first Iron Man in theaters. The only thing that I can think of as to why this was the case for me is that this was at a time where I was just starting to go see PG-13 rated films in theaters. And to put it bluntly, the first Iron Man has a bit more of an edge to it compared to other MCU films, mostly due to the intensity of the scenes where Tony is a prisoner of the terrorist group known as the Ten Rings. Now, granted, the action sequences in this film don’t get overly graphic or anything. Every MCU film to date (and yes, this counts for both the pre-Disney and Disney era MCU films) has successfully managed to maintain a family-friendly vibe while still having enough of an edge to them to appeal to older audiences, and this one is no exception. But I guess you could say that this was just a case where 13-year-old me was a little overwhelmed by what was happening on-screen. Obviously, though, things have changed since then. In fact, I can assure you that I immediately warmed up to the film once I saw it a second time which, if I’m right, was not long after I first saw Iron Man 2 in theaters.      

10. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

While the first Iron Man is obviously the biggest MCU solo film from Phase 1, Captain America: The First Avenger is my personal favorite non-Avengers MCU film to come out of that era of the franchise. The First Avenger is a highly entertaining WWII-era superhero film that showcases director Joe Johnston’s strengths when it comes to directing period pieces (just look at the film that he directed back in 1991, The Rocketeer, which feels quite similar in terms of narrative and tone). Ultimately, though, the main thing that makes this film work as well as it does is Chris Evans’ fantastic turn in the title role. Now, of course, when Evans was first cast in the role, there was some skepticism from those who weren’t sure that he was a good choice for the part as, at the time, he was known more for playing snarky jock types, including his previous Marvel role as the Human Torch in the early 2000’s era Fantastic Four films. However, as we all know, Evans very much proved his critics wrong by perfectly conveying all of Steve Rogers’ best characteristics, most notably his nobility and ability to persevere through hardships. Because of this, Steve immediately establishes himself as an endearing protagonist when he starts off as a skinny kid from Brooklyn (the visual effects to make Evans look scrawny are still impressive even to this day) while still maintaining that spirit once he becomes Captain America. This helps to make the finale, in which Steve sacrifices himself by flying a bomb-loaded plane into the Arctic only to be reawakened several decades later in the present, one of the most genuinely heartbreaking moments in the entire MCU. And yes, that’s even if you went into it already aware of what’s going to happen to Steve given his backstory in the comics. Simply put, Cap’s final line before the credits says it all (“I had a date…”). On that note, Evans is backed by one of the best ensemble casts to ever come out of the franchise. There’s Hayley Atwell as future MCU fan-favorite Peggy Carter, Stanley Tucci as the noble scientist Dr. Erskine who coordinates the experiment to turn Steve into Captain America, Sebastian Stan as Steve’s loyal best friend Bucky, and Hugo Weaving as the film’s imposing antagonist, Red Skull. Because of all this, Captain America: The First Avenger is a delightfully old-school summer blockbuster that perfectly blends its retro setting with the MCU’s visual aesthetic. In fact, I’d say that it’s even a bit underrated given how it tends to get overshadowed by its two primary follow-ups, thus making the Captain America trilogy arguably the best trilogy to come out of the MCU.

9. BLACK PANTHER

I should preface this section by saying that the only reason why Black Panther currently isn’t any higher on this list despite me gushing about it in my review of it a few months back is simply that, at the time that I’m writing this, I’ve only seen it once. Usually, I don’t add new MCU films to this list until after seeing them at least twice, but because I planned to do this list again before seeing Infinity War, I figured that I could possibly come up with an idea of where it’d end up. And because these rankings aren’t set in stone, I have the feeling that this film will soon climb up to a higher spot in the future. And that is because Black Panther is very much a milestone entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the MCU films have always been known for their strong emotional poignancy, this aspect of the franchise is quite arguably the most important element of Black Panther as it drives both the plot and its character development. Whether it’s through Chadwick Boseman’s excellent portrayal of the title character or Michael B. Jordan as arguably the MCU’s greatest antagonist, Erik Killmonger, or the strong spiritual vibes that are directly tied to its setting of the nation of Wakanda, this film will certainly leave quite an impact on you on an emotional level. And thanks to the strong direction from Ryan Coogler along with a terrific ensemble cast that includes the phenomenal trio of female leads in Lupita Nyong’o as T’Challa’s love interest Nakia, Letitia Wright as his genius sister Shuri, and Danai Gurira as the badass warrior Okoye, it’s easy to see why Black Panther has become the cultural phenomenon that it is. What else more is there to say except…

8. THE AVENGERS

Now I’ll openly admit that if you really start to analyze the first Avengers film, you’re bound to notice a few things off about it. For one thing, it has a rather basic narrative that’s really nothing more than the heroes banding together to stop an invading enemy threat. Plus, as I’ve mentioned quite a few times over the years, the film does start off on a rather slow note. However, none of this has ever remotely hindered my enjoyment of this film. I still consider the first Avengers film as a landmark entry in the superhero genre, especially because of what it accomplished for the franchise. It proved that multiple superheroes could work together on-screen thanks in large part to all the time that we’ve already spent with them in previous films. This, in turn, keeps the film from being bogged down by the necessity for setting up these characters; and yes, that’s still the case even when considering that this was Mark Ruffalo’s first appearance as Bruce Banner. Another key factor to this film’s success is, of course, director Joss Whedon, whose snappy dialogue makes The Avengers one of the most quotable films in recent memory. “I understood that reference”, “Shakespeare in the Park”, “That man is playing Galaga”, “I’m always angry”, “He’s adopted”, “Puny God”, seriously folks, to quote Cap himself from other MCU films, “I can do this all day”. And that is why this film has continued to maintain a spot in my personal Top 10 favorite MCU films. Sure, it’s not the first MCU film that I’d recommend for its plot and character development, but when everything else around it is so terrifically handled, it ends up being not that big of a deal. In other words, despite what I’ve said about this film’s shortcomings, I still consider it as one of the superhero genre’s greatest masterpieces.

7. THOR: RAGNAROK

Despite being a vital member of the Avengers, Thor’s solo outings haven’t exactly been the MCU’s most critically acclaimed outings. That all changed, though, with Thor: Ragnarok, which is easily the character’s best solo film. For one thing, it benefits from having Chris Hemsworth’s best performance yet in the role as it allows him the chance to fully show off his strong comedic talents. And this, of course, ties into the best aspect about this film in that it’s one of the best comedic entries in the MCU. Obviously, humor has been a vital part of the MCU since the beginning, but here it is at its arguable best with an endless array of great lines and hilarious sight gags. However, this has led to some backlash towards the film from fans who were disappointed at it being more comedic compared to the serious nature of the Ragnarok story arc from the comics that it’s directly influenced by. But as I’ve said before, this is an argument that I’ve just never understood because Thor: Ragnarok is much more than just a comedy. It has its genuinely effective emotional moments, treats the threat of Hela the Goddess of Death seriously (while still giving Cate Blanchett the opportunity to work with some of the film’s humor), and even ends with the main protagonists intentionally (yes, intentionally!) causing Asgard’s destruction when they realize it’s the only way to stop Hela. Simply put, director Taika Waititi deserves a lot of credit for taking so many risks that ended up paying off in the long run while also giving the film its own unique style complete with all kinds of awesome aesthetical touches. Because of this, Thor: Ragnarok is hands down one of the most entertaining installments of a franchise that’s practically well-known at this point for making entertaining blockbusters.

6. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Controversial MCU Opinion #1; not only do I consider Age of Ultron to be better than the first Avengers, but it’s also one of the most underrated MCU films to date. Clearly, the heightened expectations set up by the success of the first Avengers ultimately had a negative impact on the sequel. However, while the first Avengers is still very much a landmark entry in the genre, the one major advantage that its sequel has is that it boasts a stronger narrative that is defined primarily by the main villain Ultron being the creation of Tony Stark and how the latter works to atone for his mistake. Ultron himself is a highly enjoyable villain thanks in large part to James Spader’s charismatic turn in the role. However, not everyone was satisfied with how the character was ultimately portrayed more as a humorous villain compared to the sinister threat that was promoted in the trailer via the darker rendition of ‘No Strings on Me’ from Pinocchio. Still, Spader perfectly encapsulates the role as Joss Whedon wrote it. Speaking of Whedon’s work on this film, another big controversy surrounding it stemmed from its characterization of Black Widow, primarily due to her budding romance with Bruce Banner. However, I’ve always found this backlash towards this relationship to be extremely overblown, as their interactions in the first Avengers film at least keep this development from being completely out of left field. But the one argument against this film that always baffles me is that apparently, some thought that the film had lackluster action sequences. And yet, as evident from the big opening attack on a HYDRA base to the fight between Iron Man in the Hulkbuster and an enraged Hulk to the finale in Sokovia as it’s lifted into the air, that isn’t even remotely the case. Plus, with fun new characters introduced like Scarlet Witch and the Vision along with the same great tone that perfectly mixes humor with effective bits of character development, Age of Ultron is just as epic as its predecessor if not more so, which I’m certain will be the same case with Infinity War.

5. IRON MAN 3

And here’s where I REALLY get controversial, placing arguably the most polarizing MCU film to date in my personal Top 5. When I last did this list, I put it at #6, and after a few more MCU films came out, it got overtaken by a few of them to the point where, for a while, it was in the lower half of my Top 10. However, upon my most recent re-watch of this film with Matt and Alex, I realized something; by putting it at that spot, I was lowballing it just as much as the internet was despite how much I loved it. Thus, I will say it here and now; Iron Man 3 IS the most under-appreciated MCU film to date. Of course, the main reason why this film was so polarizing was due to the big bait-and-switch revolving around the supposed main antagonist, the Mandarin. Instead of it being Ben Kingsley’s character, it was revealed that Guy Pearce’s Aldrich Killian was the main antagonist of the film whereas Kingsley was playing a drunken British actor named Trevor Slattery who was roped into Killian’s plan. I’ve talked about this twist several times in the past and, simply put, the internet seriously needs to get over it as it does work from a narrative perspective in a story that draws parallels to recent developments in the War on Terror. Killian’s a terrific antagonist, one of Marvel’s best, and Kingsley is fantastic in his ‘dual role’ as Slattery and his ‘portrayal’ of the Mandarin. Aside from that, the film itself also benefits from having its own unique style, which is good considering that this was around the time when the franchise was starting to get a lot of flak for its films being ‘too similar’. In other words, director Shane Black makes a ‘Shane Black MCU film’, and the results are spectacular. Plus, it also boasts one of Robert Downey Jr.’s best performances as Tony Stark, who grapples with the traumatic events that he went through in the first Avengers film in a brilliant arc that allows him to realize that Iron Man is not his definitive identity. Thus, while Iron Man 3 is unfortunately remembered primarily for the backlash towards its infamous twist, hopefully, it will one day be recognized for having one of the most layered narratives of any MCU film.

For further analysis as to why this film is one of the MCU’s best, here’s an editorial by my friend Matthew Goudreau on why Aldrich Killian is, in his opinion, the best MCU villain to date.

https://www.theyoungfolks.com/review/91012/a-case-for-aldrich-killian-as-the-best-mcu-villain/

4. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER

If Iron Man 3’s polarizing nature was any indication, 2013 was a bit of a rough year for Marvel Studios. While neither of their two theatrical releases that year were commercial flops, both attracted a mixed response from critics and audiences. Thankfully, the studio’s fortunes changed the following year beginning with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which served as the Russo brothers’ sterling franchise debut as directors. And for their first franchise endeavor, they proceeded to give us another one of the MCU’s most well-layered plots that feels like it came out of a 70’s political thriller. In doing so, it allows for some great new character development for Cap as he must now adapt to living in the present day, where his old-fashioned WWII-era ideals do not gel well with the morally grey aspects of modern day sensibilities. This then ties in nicely to the film’s big bombshell that reveals that HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD along with the plotline that sees Cap’s friend Bucky Barnes return from his supposed death in The First Avenger as HYDRA’s brainwashed operative, the Winter Soldier. Add in some amazing action sequences and some of the best performances from Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson as Cap, Black Widow, and Nick Fury, respectively, and it’s easy to see why this film still stands as one of the most popular MCU films to date. And while it may not be my #1 favorite film of the franchise, I do very much appreciate it for managing to revitalize the Marvel Cinematic Universe at a time where it seemed like things were starting to get a little rocky.

3. CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

While it may only be at the #3 spot on this list, I do not have any major issues with the Russo brothers’ second MCU film. Captain America: Civil War simply hits all the right notes, which is saying something considering that it’s inspired by one of Marvel’s most infamous recent storylines from the comics. And yet, instead of being a direct adaptation of writer Mark Millar’s miniseries of the same name, the film instead repurposes the storyline’s conflict of having the Avengers on opposite sides of a superhero-restricting government act into a story that ties in nicely to everything that’s happened so far in the MCU. Simply put, the film shows how, despite the Avengers’ good intentions, they’ve created their own demons amidst all those that they’ve saved, hence why the film’s main antagonist, Zemo, is not a sentient AI or warmongering alien. Instead, he’s just a normal guy who enacts revenge on the Avengers after losing his family in the Battle of Sokovia from Age of Ultron, and while he is taken into custody at the end of the film, he basically succeeded in his efforts to tear them apart, thereby making him one of the more ‘successful’ MCU villains. On that note, the conflict between the Avengers is much more balanced in the film compared to the comics. Both sides have legit points to stand behind and the film thankfully avoids turning Iron Man into an antagonist like he was in the comics. Thus, it results in the film having some of the best emotional depth of the entire franchise, all headlined by the devastating finale that’s based around the dark secret of Bucky killing Tony’s parents even though it was when he was under HYDRA’s control. Pair this with some of the best action sequences to come out of the MCU in recent years, including the big airport battle between Cap and Iron Man’s factions of Avengers, and you have one hell of a superhero epic that kicked off Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the best way possible.   

2. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Upon its release in 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy was easily Marvel Studios’ riskiest venture at the time, as they had to make a compelling superhero film based on a group of characters who, at the time, were such an obscure team that even hardcore comic fans probably didn’t know who they were. Flash forward to today… and the Guardians aren’t a C-list superhero squad anymore. This is, of course, thanks in large part to writer/director James Gunn’s finely tuned screenplay that’s so steeped in emotional poignancy that you do come to care about a cocky, dance-loving thief, a stone-cold assassin, an equally stone-cold warrior who doesn’t understand metaphors, a tree creature who only says three words, and a hot-headed, gun-toting, talking raccoon. These five characters are excellently portrayed by Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper, respectively. They are then joined by an equally excellent supporting cast that includes the likes of Michael Rooker as Yondu, Karen Gillan as Nebula (even though she’s a bit underused here), and Lee Pace as the film’s main villain Ronan, who I’d argue is rather underrated as far as MCU villains go. But at the end of the day, the main reason why this film works as well as it does is because of its main protagonists… that and a gorgeous visual style, a kick-ass 70’s/80’s soundtrack, and one of the best MCU screenplays in terms of humor.  Thus, for quite a few years, this stood as my #1 favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film, only to be topped by another adventure with everyone’s favorite intergalactic ‘bunch of a-holes’.

1. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

Like Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is an MCU sequel that hasn’t been as well-received compared to its predecessor. While the reviews weren’t bad for the 2017 follow-up to Marvel Studios’ big 2014 hit, several critics (and I do mean ‘several’) argued that the film ‘wasn’t as fresh’ as its predecessor. But in this case, it’s the complete opposite scenario; Guardians 2 IS better than the first film, and considering how great the first one was, that’s saying a lot. However, James Gunn does manage to craft a story that’s even more emotionally powerful through its exploration of themes like fatherhood, represented by the main plot of Peter Quill reuniting with his long-lost Celestial father, and sisterhood, represented through the continuing conflict between sisters Gamora and Nebula. This is then strengthened further by the decision to have the Guardians be split up into pairs of two (and in one case, three). Sure, it means that they’re separate from each other for most of the run-time, but these pairs are perfectly set up, from the roguish trio of Rocket, Groot, and Yondu to kindred spirits Drax and Mantis. This, in turn, makes their eventual reunion that more impactful. And it all concludes with one of the most emotional finales of any MCU film, as Peter’s ‘true’ father figure Yondu sacrifices himself to save ‘his boy’ and is then given a proper send-off by his fellow Ravagers. Pair that with some of the best MCU visuals to date and an even stronger soundtrack (e.g. the use of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ and Cat Stevens’ ‘Father and Son’, just to name a few) and you have yet another first-rate installment of this legendary franchise.

And that concludes my rankings list for all currently released Marvel Cinematic Universe films as of April 2018. Thanks for following along and be sure to sound off in the comments below with your own personal rankings lists for these 18 films. Plus, you can expect a review of the next MCU epic, Avengers: Infinity War, sometime in the next few days; after all, the thought that this legendary experience is soon going to be upon us 'does put a smile on my face'.