Worst2First: My Top Ten Best Marvel Films

Worst2First: My Top Ten Best Marvel Films

This summer brings us two new Marvel movies, which I'm sure will be included on an updated list: Captain America: Civil War and X-Men: Apocalypse.  The Marvel Cinematic Universe is vast and growing, with Doctor Strange, Black Panther and Captain Marvel soon arriving in theaters, but there's been several films before the ones coming soon that encompass the entire franchise.  DC only wishes they could make a cinematic universe like Marvel has, and for every awful film (Daredevil, Hulk, Elektra), there's been those that have surpassed not only critical acclaim, but became bonafide hits. 

That being said, here's my top ten Marvel movies, Worst2First.

**There will be no spoilers.**

#10

Thor

Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder, is banished to Earth due to his hubris and taught humility after his father, Odin, takes away his mythical weapon Mjolnir.  He meets Jane Foster and is forced to defend Earth (or Midgard as they call it), from his half brother Loki, who sets out to rule the Nine Realms.  Directed by Kenneth Branagh (best known for his Shakespearean films), "Thor" is more than just a typical superhero movie, as Branagh also infuses his love for the Bard in the film with the dialogue and story.

#9

Spider-Man 2

In cinema, it's rare that a sequel is deemed better than the original, but Marvel has somehow managed to buck the trend (as you'll see further down the list), and "Spider-Man 2" is no exception.  The second film finds Spidey worn out from crime fighting, having to endure ridicule from the Daily Bugle, and watch as the love of his life falls for his best friend, all the while having to keep his identity secret.  He's ready to throw in the web when a new enemy in the form of Doctor Octopus (personally one of my favorite Marvel movie villains) arrives and threatens everything and everyone he holds dear.  A great character movie with dazzling action and a surprise ending.

#8

Ant-Man

I feel like I put this film in a lot of my top tens, but that's only because I was truly amazed how much I enjoyed it.  A Marvel film centering around one of its more obscure, albeit less exciting, heroes seemed to be destined for disaster, but Paul Rudd brings a vibrant life to Scott Lang's Ant-Man, and Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly give exceptional supporting performances as Scott turns from a life of crime to being the smallest hero, and hopefully earning back visitation with his beloved daughter.

#7

X2: X-Men United

As I said with "Spider-Man 2," "X2" is another sequel that exceeded its predecessor in pretty much every way.  The X-Men face a government Mutant Registration Act after a mutant tries to assassinate the President, and forces the X-Men to work with Magneto against military leader William Stryker.  The action is non-stop, the character development deepens, and we're given the gift of Nightcrawler, quite possibly one of the best X-Men in the franchise (and one I eagerly await to see again in "Apocalypse").

#6

Iron Man

Tony Stark is everyone's lovable billionaire playboy philanthropist, and his origin movie is filled with dramatic pieces, action, and the birth of one of Marvel's mightiest heroes.  After his Humvee is attacked, he is kidnapped by rebels with a chest full of shrapnel and forced to think on his feet to survive, and thus Iron Man was birthed.  After escaping he returns home to realize that the real enemy is much closer than he thought.  A fantastic origin story with a compelling story and the rebirth of Robert Downey Jr.

#5

Guardians of the Galaxy

As a young child, Peter Quill was abducted by aliens and raised in the outermost parts of space.  Now an adult, he salvages anything he can find, and when he comes upon a mysterious orb, he's suddenly hunted by one of the galaxy's most dangerous creatures - Ronan the Accuser.  He enlists the help of aliens Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Groot and Rocket Raccoon to stop Ronan and gain back the orb, which has more power than they could imagine.  Much like "Ant-Man," the "Guardians of the Galaxy" is one of the more obscure heroes in Marvel's universe, and it looked like a huge gamble - after all, how can you take a talking raccoon and a living tree seriously as heroes?  Yet, once again, Marvel pulls off a miracle and makes a film filled with action, humor, heart, and drama - not to mention a kicking soundtrack.

#4

X-Men: Days of Future Past

The future looks bleak for mutants.  Sentinels are hunting them down all over the world, and only a few remain alive.  In a desperate attempt to change the future, they send Wolverine back to the 70s in order to prevent the Sentinels from ever being built.  "Days of Future Past" brings together the old X-Men (Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman) with those Bryan Singer introduced in "First Class" (James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult), which was a huge undertaking and could've resulted in disaster.  Instead, the film flows beautifully and is able to tell a cohesive story involving time travel with some amazing action and plot.

#3

Avengers: Age of Ultron 

The Avengers rejoin in order to stop Ultron, an artificial intelligence who sets out to destroy the world in order to create a better one.  "Age of Ultron" is your typical summer blockbuster, with action from start to finish, and reunites Earth's Mightiest Heroes and adds in Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and The Vision as they battle a robot bent on destruction.  Not as amazing as the original, but it's still one monumental undertaking that also sets up the "Civil War" story beautifully.

#2

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The first "Captain America" wasn't much to write home about, but thankfully the Russo brothers (who are also directing "Civil War" as well as "Infinity Wars") managed to take the first Avenger and give him a compelling story.  Set in modern time, Steve sets out to stop the mysterious Winter Soldier and uncovers a deadly truth about his mortal enemy H.Y.D.R.A.  "The Winter Soldier" adds Black Widow to Steve's quest, and also introduces Falcon and delves deep into Cap's past and his surprising connection to the Winter Soldier.  The ultimate "sequel-is-better-than-the-original" movie.

#1

The Avengers

Loki arrives to Earth with a deadly plan - to enslave humanity with the help of an alien army.  To combat this threat, Nick Fury initiates the Avengers Initiative, recruiting Earth's Mightiest Heroes - Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow - to stop this human extinction event, if only they could work together.  This is where DC needs to take some notes on how to create a universe and make it work.  Marvel spent years telling the stories of said heroes before uniting them, giving them a richer story and more in-depth characterization than if they started off with this film.  It was an undertaking no one thought could happen - how can you have a movie with so many big characters together and make it work?  Joss Whedon (of "Buffy" fame) manages to do this exceedingly well by infusing his dry sarcastic wit with nonstop action sequences and compelling characterizations.  "The Avengers" is one of those rare superhero movies that manages to exceed expectations and shows us what a great superhero movie can be.