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Monday, April 22, 2019

Sorry about the lack of posts! And my obligatory MCU list!

Sorry about the lack of posts, guys! Things are in transition. Expect a re-design soon (Everyone loves redesigns, right?) In the meantime, I posted this in the comments of this article, got greyed out, then realized, “Oh, right, I have a blog that’s thirsty for content, why not just post it there?” So here you go. Sorry if it seems like I’m trolling you with my unorthodox picks. I calls ‘em like I sees ‘em!

  1. Iron Man (Practically perfect in every way)
  2. Black Panther (Plot problems, but inspiring and deep)
  3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Kicks all kinds of ass, but awkward yoking of Hydra story to the Winter Soldier story)
  4. Guardians of the Galaxy (Just delightful)
  5. Avengers: Infinity War (Deftly plotted, wildly thrilling)
  6. Iron Man 3 (Fantastic action, but a step down from the top 5)
  7. Captain America: The First Avenger (aka The Rocketeer Part 2, which is a compliment)
  8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (Underrated, big emotional punch)
  9. Doctor Strange (Amazing, but I wish he wasn’t a jerk anymore after his spiritual journey, like in the comics)
  10. Avengers: Age of Ultron (Underrated, admirably complex)
  11. Captain Marvel (A little too jokey, but a lot of fun)
  12. Spider-Man Homecoming (Disposable fun)
  13. Thor: Ragnarok (Massively overrated. Huge tone problems. A horrific tragedy with a chuckleheaded tone. Still a fun time at the movies)
  14. Thor (Plot problems, but a great cast)
  15. The Incredible Hulk (Underrated. A fun slam-bang action flick)
  16. Thor: The Dark World (Underrated. I’d rewatch it anytime. The only reason I ranked it so low is that the MCU is so damn good.)
  17. Captain America: Civil War (Ludicrous villain plan, murky theme, forced conflict, it makes no sense who signs up for each side, etc.  Great action, though)
  18. The Avengers (Massively overrated! Nonsensical plot, awkward chemistry)
  19. Ant-Man and the Wasp (Forgettable. The first on this list I wouldn’t rewatch.  The Wasp in the comics is a ray of sunshine!)
  20. Ant-Man (Considered turning it off, finished out of complete-ism)
  21. Iron Man 2 (The only genuinely bad movie they’ve made.)

10 comments:

Rochelle Krause said...

I agree 100% with Iron Man. I'm always surprised when it's placed low on most other people's list. Its story structure is terrific.

Ishmael said...

A shame you didn't dig the Ant-Man movies. I've probably watched them the *most* often relative to how long they've been out.

Matt Bird said...

Yeah, obviously, one issue is that I've never been a fan of Ant-Man in any medium. I am a big fan of the Wasp in the comics (and the Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes cartoon my kids love), but she's had all the joy taken out of her. Lilly is an appealing actress and does fine with the material they give her, but where's the character's joy? I've always liked Peyton Reed, and I always meant to write up "Down With Love" as an Underrated Movie, and he does a good job with tone in the movies. I should admit that the real reason I had to make myself finish Ant-Man was because Donald Trump had been elected the day before. I guess I'm talking myself into liking the movies fine. There are just a lot of really good movies on this list!

James Kennedy said...

This last comment reminds me about how you admitted you didn't like "The Last Jedi" because you were tired and had to take a dump or something.

Matt Bird said...

James! You exist!

James Kennedy said...

Not for long! I'm off to Boston this weekend!

Ishmael said...

I see what you're saying as far as being disappointed with the way the character was adapted... but shouldn't you be comparing Michelle Pfeiffer's character rather than Evangeline Lilly's? Unless you are, in which case I'm even more confused.

Still, a bummer when the focus isn't on the one you were hoping for either way.

Matt Bird said...

Yes, I suppose that Michelle Pfeiffer is Janet Van Dyne Wasp, but we've never gotten much of a chance to know her. I want my Wasp young and chipper! In the comics, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor are all pretty serious, whereas Hawkeye and Wasp are the lighthearted ones. In the movies, the big three are all more given to levity than the comics, whereas the formerly-light heroes are pretty dour.

Jonathan Auxier said...

Surprised by your dislike of Ragnarok, which I enjoyed -- movies like that will bring me back to the theatre in a way that superhero teamup nonsense will not. (Blanchett's knifelady character is awful, but so are most of the MCU villains.) Feels like this deserves a weeklong series to explain.

Matt Bird said...

I like Ragnarok a lot less now that I know it’s not going to be reversed. It’s as if they said, “We know none of you liked the first two Thor movies, so we’ll make a joke of doing away with Jane (off screen), Odin, the hammer, the Warriors Three, and, in the end, all of Asgard, which we will literally turn into a punchline as it blows up.” For those of us who liked the first two movies, it was a real slap in the face. Blanchett’s Hela was by far the best thing about the movie!