Grant Dillard
Staff writer
gdillard@murraystate.edu
Graphic courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
To celebrate the upcoming release of “Avengers: Endgame,” the conclusion to the 22-film series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has officially been dubbed “The Infinity Saga,” here is a compilation of mini-reviews of every film in the MCU so far; all done in three sentences or less.
Phase One: 2008-2012
Iron Man (2008)
A solid start to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A great story, likable characters, well-timed humor and exciting action make this film a must see. Nearly perfect, save for the flawed third act. 9/10.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
“The Average Hulk” would be a more accurate title. Edward Norton shines in the lead role and the action is quite good; but a weak love interest and less-than-stellar special effects hold the film back quite a bit. The film is better than most people give it credit for; but given how many loose ends have yet to be resolved, it’s no wonder people barely remember it. 7/10.
Iron Man 2 (2010)
A disappointing, but still entertaining sequel that has its fair share of good action and humor; but it’s unfortunately brought down by too many subplots that go nowhere and Mickey Rourke wasted as an underutilized antagonist. 6/10.
Thor (2011)
An above-average superhero film with a solid lead in the form of Chris Hemsworth, and Tom Hiddleston leaves quite the impression in the first of many memorable appearances to come. While Thor’s overall character growth and everything involving Asgard is great, the supporting cast and storylines from Earth aren’t quite as memorable. 7/10.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
An old fashioned action-adventure film with memorable characters, a fantastic origin story, and a good-hearted hero who people can look up to and be inspired by. The second best standalone film in Phase One. 8/10.
The Avengers (2012)
It may not be as impressive nowadays compared to later films in the MCU, but this is still a solid superhero film with great action scenes and amusing character interactions between the different heroes on screen. Loki makes his mark as one of the best comic book movie villains of all time. 8/10.
Phase Two (2013-2015)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Director Shane Black gives audiences a very different, yet still entertaining sequel that features Tony Stark at his most vulnerable, as well as some of the best storytelling and action sequences of the entire “Iron Man” trilogy. The Mandarin twist was a good idea and a brilliant subversion, but it’s the execution that could have been handled better. 8/10.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Due to its subpar story, weak antagonist and comedy that falls flat, this is easily the least impressive film of the MCU. A few key character moments, a creative climax and Loki’s involvement still make the film worth watching at least once. 5/10.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Joe and Anthony Russo make their directing debut in the MCU with this incredible sequel. Full of intense action scenes, a complex narrative and a grittier tone, this is one of the more serious films in the MCU. It’s also the best standalone film that the MCU has to offer. 10/10.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
The MCU’s biggest surprise hit that manages to take a ragtag team of oddball heroes that most audiences didn’t know about and make them interesting and lovable. The film brilliantly embraces its ridiculous settings and characters, providing moviegoers with an action-packed and silly space adventure. It’s not the most epic film in the MCU, but it’s still a fun time. 7/10.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
A good sequel that fleshes out the main heroes even more, while introducing new characters and a memorable antagonist in the form of James Spader’s Ultron. Unfortunately, a plot that mostly plays it safe, an out-of-nowhere romance between Bruce Banner and Black Widow, as well as an overabundance of quips and one-liners hold the film back from being as great as it could have been. 7/10.
Ant-Man (2015)
Appropriately smaller in scale compared to other films in the MCU, this is an entertaining and hilarious heist film that benefits from a great cast, fascinating and creative shrinking technology and Paul Rudd’s natural charm and comedic timing. Uneven pacing in the first 30 minutes and an underwhelming villain hold the film back, unfortunately. 7/10.
Phase Three (2016-2019)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The Russos strike gold once again in what’s essentially the “Avengers” sequel that most people were wanting; containing an interesting story about which side is truly the best way to go, as well as solid character debuts for Black Panther and Spider-Man. The airport battle sequence alone will go down in movie history as possibly one of, if not the greatest action set piece in a superhero film. 10/10.
Doctor Strange (2016)
The plot may adhere too closely to the traditional origin story formula; but astounding visual effects, creative action scenes and a clever third act twist save an otherwise average film. 7/10.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
More of what fans of the first film loved is present, along with added character depth and a much more memorable villain. Yondu and Nebula truly stand out this time around, but a subplot involving an alien race of gold people and a handful of lame jokes is less than stellar. 8/10.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
An entertaining reintroduction to Marvel’s most famous superhero; containing hilarious comedy, likable characters, and an origin story that’s able to stay fresh and new, without resorting to plot elements explored in previous “Spider-Man” films. Tom Holland truly stands out as one of the best live-action incarnations of the web-slinger. 9/10.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Director Taika Watiti takes charge of the “Thor” series and delivers its best installment, ditching the pointless Earth characters and other boring plot elements from previous films and giving audiences what’s essentially a hilarious buddy-comedy set in space. All while still containing amazing visuals and action. 9/10.
Black Panther (2018)
The best standalone film in Phase Three is not only a cultural achievement, but it also gives audiences a fantastic cast, a compelling villain, and one of the best stories in the MCU that ties into real-world issues and teaches a lesson as to why it’s important for everyone to come together. Its immense popularity is earned. 9/10.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
A cinematic landmark in every sense of the word. Everything from the story, the enormous cast of characters, the main villain, the directions the film goes in and the overall scale can be described in one word: epic. This has to be the most impressive offering from the MCU and the 10-year buildup was absolutely worth it. 10/10.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
An amusing follow-up to the first “Ant-Man,” as well as a much-needed dose of joy and humor after the depressing conclusion of “Avengers: Infinity War.” The film contains creative action scenes, a more interesting plot than its predecessor, and a sympathetic adversary in the form of Ghost. The two end-credits scenes are surprisingly brilliant as well. 8/10.
Captain Marvel (2019)
This isn’t the best film that the MCU has to offer, but it’s also not the worst either. Brie Larson is solid as the main lead and a younger Nick Fury is also interesting to watch; but along with its first 20 minutes being a bit jumbled, the film doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, aside from a clever plot twist involving the Skrulls. Still, there’s enough entertaining action and humor to make it worth seeing. 7/10.