Rated: Marvel Cinematic Universe (up to Captain Marvel)

Rated: Marvel Cinematic Universe (up to Captain Marvel)

by Phil's Quick Review A Blog

RATED looks at EVERY Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film and gives a QuickReview as well as putting them in order of BEST to Iron Man 2.!  Updated as and when a new Marvel (Studios) film is released…

(Note scores reflect my original IMDB ratings)

Best: Captain America Winter Solider

A cold war thriller with Robert Redford and a mini Avengers team up.  Add in the always awesome Frank Grillo and a genuinely interesting script and you have Marvel’s strongest cinematic outing.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

2. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Massively far out of Marvel’s usual comfort zone, Guardian’s introduced spaceships, talking racoons and a giant tree person. Cracking script, expert action and a heap of fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

3. Iron Man 3

The Iron Man film that broke a lot of Marvel fans, Shane Black took the playbook and ripped it up.  Twists, turns and a cute central relationships made this a different take on the norm and was all the better for it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Thor: Ragnarok

Well this was a bundle of fun.  The previous Thor films have been okay but Ragnarok delivered a brilliant romp which dragged in The Hulk, a handful of memorable new characters (Korg!)  and some great set pieces to end up being one of Marvel’s best films yet.

★★★★★★★★★★

 ——

5. Marvel’s The Avengers 

All the groundwork paid off as Marvel delivered it’s first ever super hero team up.  The Hulk was back (and done right this time), Hawkeye and Black Widow joined the team and director Joss Whedon delivered the goods.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Spider-Man Homecoming 

Funny, charming, with Marvels best villain and best Spiderman (yup sorry Andrew Garfield) Homecoming is a joy of a film that is by far the closest to what the comic book Peter Parker is.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

7. Avengers: Infinity War

Shocking, well paced and with one of Marvel’s greatest screen villains Avengers Infinity War ALMOST delivered on it’s considerable promise.  Almost.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

8. Iron Man

The Film that started it all… Iron Man was a rock n roll action movie with an unlikely lead, an even more unlikely director and enough balls out moments to wow.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

9. Captain Marvel 

A great origins story, a fun film and a great soundtrack – what more could you ask for really?

★★★★★★★★★★

——

10. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Loud, silly and funny as heck, Vol. 2 isn’t quite the tight film that it’s 2014 original is but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.  Add in an amazing cast (including Stallone, Hasselhoff and Russell) and you have another winner from Marvel…

★★★★★★★★★★

——

11. Ant-Man

Ant-Man is a heist movie. With Ants.  And fights on toy trains.  It’s crazy but it’s also full of charm, humour and fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

12. Black Panther 

Black Panther takes a different approach to the usual Marvel film, yet falls into a lot of the same traps of relying a bit too much on visual effects at times.  That said it’s one of Marvel’s most intimate stories and whilst not perfect is a really strong entry into the increasingly bigger MCU.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

13. Ant-Man & The Wasp

Ant-Man & The Wasp is GREAT fun.  It’s also totally forgettable and delivers what is possibly Marvel’s weakest villain to date.  Not bad by any stretch just off pace of the original.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

14. Doctor Strange

Off the big screen Doctor Strange looses a little but this visually stunning film shows that marvel are still interested in pushing the envelope as far as you can in mainstream blockbusters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

15. Captain America: The First Avenger 

Solid, fun and well done, whilst it has little rewatch appeal Captain America again took a different approach and gave us a couple of Marvel’s most enduring characters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

16. Captain America: Civil War

It’s not bad.  It just didn’t gel with me as much as it did others. Don’t get me wrong there’s a lot to like and again it plays with the expected formula, but ultimately i’m just not that keen to go back to it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

17. Thor: The Dark World

I liked The Dark world MUCH more than others.  Okay so it’s flawed for sure but it’s crazy fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

18. Thor

Thor was a sold film, tasked with the near impossible job of making a god fit in a world of men.  It does it well but not one you’ll rewatch much.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

19. Avengers Age Of Ultron

Marvel’s first disappointment, Age Of Ultron was all show and little else.  Too big, too dumb and too long.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

20. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

It has charm and the casting works well but ultimately The Incredible Hulk (whilst FAR better than the Ang Lee version) just doesn’t have enough to recommend it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

Worst : Iron Man 2

The idea was fine but sadly most of the film misses.  Even Mickey Rourke (yes one of the oddest Marvel villains ever) can’t save this.

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Rated: Marvel Cinematic Universe (up to Ant Man & The Wasp)

Rated: Marvel Cinematic Universe (up to Ant Man & The Wasp)

by Phil Hobden A Blog

RATED looks at EVERY Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film and gives a QuickReview as well as putting them in order of BEST to Iron Man 2.!  Updated as and when a new Marvel (Studios) film is released…

(Note scores reflect my original IMDB ratings)

Best: Captain America Winter Solider

A cold war thriller with Robert Redford and a mini Avengers team up.  Add in the always awesome Frank Grillo and a genuinely interesting script and you have Marvel’s strongest cinematic outing.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

2. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Massively far out of Marvel’s usual comfort zone, Guardian’s introduced spaceships, talking racoons and a giant tree person. Cracking script, expert action and a heap of fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

3. Iron Man 3

The Iron Man film that broke a lot of Marvel fans, Shane Black took the playbook and ripped it up.  Twists, turns and a cute central relationships made this a different take on the norm and was all the better for it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Thor: Ragnarok

Well this was a bundle of fun.  The previous Thor films have been okay but Ragnarok delivered a brilliant romp which dragged in The Hulk, a handful of memorable new characters (Korg!)  and some great set pieces to end up being one of Marvel’s best films yet.

★★★★★★★★★★

 ——

5. Marvel’s The Avengers 

All the groundwork paid off as Marvel delivered it’s first ever super hero team up.  The Hulk was back (and done right this time), Hawkeye and Black Widow joined the team and director Joss Whedon delivered the goods.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Spider-Man Homecoming 

Funny, charming, with Marvels best villain and best Spiderman (yup sorry Andrew Garfield) Homecoming is a joy of a film that is by far the closest to what the comic book Peter Parker is.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

7. Avengers: Infinity War

Shocking, well paced and with one of Marvel’s greatest screen villains Avengers Infinity War ALMOST delivered on it’s considerable promise.  Almost.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

8. Iron Man

The Film that started it all… Iron Man was a rock n roll action movie with an unlikely lead, an even more unlikely director and enough balls out moments to wow.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

9. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Loud, silly and funny as heck, Vol. 2 isn’t quite the tight film that it’s 2014 original is but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.  Add in an amazing cast (including Stallone, Hasselhoff and Russell) and you have another winner from Marvel…

★★★★★★★★★★

——

10. Ant-Man

Ant-Man is a heist movie. With Ants.  And fights on toy trains.  It’s crazy but it’s also full of charm, humour and fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

11. Black Panther 

Black Panther takes a different approach to the usual Marvel film, yet falls into a lot of the same traps of relying a bit too much on visual effects at times.  That said it’s one of Marvel’s most intimate stories and whilst not perfect is a really strong entry into the increasingly bigger MCU.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

12. Ant-Man & The Wasp

Ant-Man & The Wasp is GREAT fun.  It’s also totally forgettable and delivers what is possibly Marvel’s weakest villain to date.  Not bad by any stretch just off pace of the original.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

13. Doctor Strange

Off the big screen Doctor Strange looses a little but this visually stunning film shows that marvel are still interested in pushing the envelope as far as you can in mainstream blockbusters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

14. Captain America: The First Avenger 

Solid, fun and well done, whilst it has little rewatch appeal Captain America again took a different approach and gave us a couple of Marvel’s most enduring characters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

15. Captain America: Civil War

It’s not bad.  It just didn’t gel with me as much as it did others. Don’t get me wrong there’s a lot to like and again it plays with the expected formula, but ultimately i’m just not that keen to go back to it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

16. Thor: The Dark World

I liked The Dark world MUCH more than others.  Okay so it’s flawed for sure but it’s crazy fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

17. Thor

Thor was a sold film, tasked with the near impossible job of making a god fit in a world of men.  It does it well but not one you’ll rewatch much.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

18. Avengers Age Of Ultron

Marvel’s first disappointment, Age Of Ultron was all show and little else.  Too big, too dumb and too long.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

19. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

It has charm and the casting works well but ultimately The Incredible Hulk (whilst FAR better than the Ang Lee version) just doesn’t have enough to recommend it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

Worst : Iron Man 2

The idea was fine but sadly most of the film misses.  Even Mickey Rourke (yes one of the oddest Marvel villains ever) can’t save this.

★★★★★★★★★★

 

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Phil’s Best To Worst: Marvel Cinematic Universe (inc. Ant-Man And The Wasp )

Phil’s Best To Worst: Marvel Cinematic Universe (inc. Ant-Man And The Wasp )

by Phil's Quick Review Best... Other Cr*p

Our ongoing look at the Best To Worst of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films!  Updated as and when a new Marvel (Studios) film is released…  Note scores reflect my original IMDB ratings.

[divider]

Best: Captain America Winter Solider

A cold war thriller with Robert Redford and a mini Avengers team up.  Add in the always awesome Frank Grillo and a genuinely interesting script and you have Marvel’s strongest cinematic outing.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

2. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Massively far out of Marvel’s usual comfort zone, Guardian’s introduced spaceships, talking racoons and a giant tree person. Cracking script, expert action and a heap of fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

3. Iron Man 3

The Iron Man film that broke a lot of Marvel fans, Shane Black took the playbook and ripped it up.  Twists, turns and a cute central relationships made this a different take on the norm and was all the better for it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Thor: Ragnarok

Well this was a bundle of fun.  The previous Thor films have been okay but Ragnarok delivered a brilliant romp which dragged in The Hulk, a handful of memorable new characters (Korg!)  and some great set pieces to end up being one of Marvel’s best films yet.

★★★★★★★★★★

 ——

5. Marvel’s The Avengers 

All the groundwork paid off as Marvel delivered it’s first ever super hero team up.  The Hulk was back (and done right this time), Hawkeye and Black Widow joined the team and director Joss Whedon delivered the goods.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Spider-Man Homecoming 

Funny, charming, with Marvels best villain and best Spiderman (yup sorry Andrew Garfield) Homecoming is a joy of a film that is by far the closest to what the comic book Peter Parker is.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Avengers: Infinity War

Shocking, well paced and with one of Marvel’s greatest screen villains Avengers Infinity War ALMOST delivered on it’s considerable promise.  Almost.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

8. Iron Man

The Film that started it all… Iron Man was a rock n roll action movie with an unlikely lead, an even more unlikely director and enough balls out moments to wow.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

9. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Loud, silly and funny as heck, Vol. 2 isn’t quite the tight film that it’s 2014 original is but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.  Add in an amazing cast (including Stallone, Hasselhoff and Russell) and you have another winner from Marvel…

★★★★★★★★★★

——

10. Ant-Man

Ant-Man is a heist movie. With Ants.  And fights on toy trains.  It’s crazy but it’s also full of charm, humour and fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

11. Black Panther 

Black Panther takes a different approach to the usual Marvel film, yet falls into a lot of the same traps of relying a bit too much on visual effects at times.  That said it’s one of Marvel’s most intimate stories and whilst not perfect is a really strong entry into the increasingly bigger MCU.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

12. Ant-Man & The Wasp

Ant-Man & The Wasp is GREAT fun.  It’s also totally forgettable and delivers what is possibly Marvel’s weakest villain to date.  Not bad by any stretch just off pace of the original.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

13. Doctor Strange

Off the big screen Doctor Strange looses a little but this visually stunning film shows that marvel are still interested in pushing the envelope as far as you can in mainstream blockbusters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

14. Captain America: The First Avenger 

Solid, fun and well done, whilst it has little rewatch appeal Captain America again took a different approach and gave us a couple of Marvel’s most enduring characters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

15. Captain America: Civil War

It’s not bad.  It just didn’t gel with me as much as it did others. Don’t get me wrong there’s a lot to like and again it plays with the expected formula, but ultimately i’m just not that keen to go back to it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

16. Thor: The Dark World

I liked The Dark world MUCH more than others.  Okay so it’s flawed for sure but it’s crazy fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

17. Thor

Thor was a sold film, tasked with the near impossible job of making a god fit in a world of men.  It does it well but not one you’ll rewatch much.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

18. Avengers Age Of Ultron

Marvel’s first disappointment, Age Of Ultron was all show and little else.  Too big, too dumb and too long.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

19. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

It has charm and the casting works well but ultimately The Incredible Hulk (whilst FAR better than the Ang Lee version) just doesn’t have enough to recommend it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

Worst : Iron Man 2

The idea was fine but sadly most of the film misses.  Even Mickey Rourke (yes one of the oddest Marvel villains ever) can’t save this.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

Click here for related content

Phil’s Best To Worst: Star Wars Movies! (Updated with Solo)

Phil’s Best To Worst: Star Wars Movies! (Updated with Solo)

by Phil Hobden Best... Other Cr*p

Listed from top to Attack Of The Clones, Phil, of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, breaks down a film related subject in order of his own personal enjoyment.  This time out: Star Wars Films!

 

The Rules: So I’ve excluded the throwaway 80’s Ewok kids films here as well as the Christmas special as it’s far from cannon.  So just the main 11 Star Wars films and the feature length Clone Wars movie.

——

 

BEST: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Empire Strikes Back is a franchise high point for many reasons but MOSTLY as it’s the Star Wars film Lucas had least to do with, instead putting the film into the hands of Kasdan.  It shows – more mature, darker and edgier it still boasts one of cinemas best twist endings and adds depth to the cut out characters from Star Wars.  Essential.

★★★★★★★★★★


 

——

2. Star Wars: A New Hope

Groundbreaking, epic and genre defining space sagas don’t get much better than this. A lean plot, some edge of your seat action sequences and THAT ending make Star Wars a simply outstanding film.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

3. Star Wars: The Return Of The Jedi

I love Return of The Jedi.  Growing up it’s the Star Wars film I watched the most (it certainly has the best action of any Star Wars films).  Years on the excitement still holds but there are shadows of the failings of the prequels here also (Ewok’s for some but mostly the convoluted plotting, the fact everyone knows or is related to the Skywalkers and the weak dialogue).  Still the final space battle and the lightsabre duel stand out as the franchises two best moments

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Yup that hit the spot.  Rogue One, a war story, a story of hope and overcoming overwhelming odds.  And thats just the making of it.  Yet it works.  It works SO well in fact that it’s jumped to No4 on this list.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

5. Star Wars: The Last Jedi 

Delivering a new style of Star Wars film, The Last Jedi makes some bold choices (and some silly ones) to take Star Wars in a fresh new direction that will finally allow it to move past it’s Skywalker focus story and firmly land the legacy on the shoulders of some new characters. It doesn’t all work but when it does it’s some of them most spectacular Star Wars yet!

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens  

After the much maligned prequels, the first Star Wars film to be Lucas free felt very much like a homage as it retooled A New Hope’s story and gave us a “Best of” compilation.  That said it was well done, set up an array of exciting new characters and gave us well hell of a twist when you know what happens to you know who.  Not as good as we wanted it to be but a massive step up from the prequels.

★★★★★★★★★★

 

——

7. Solo : A Star Wars Story 

Solo is good.  It’s just a victim of teh production issues that plagued it from the start.  The cast are mostly superb (Clarke isn’t sadly) but the film runs out of steam as it tries to hit every Solo touch point referenced in previous Star Wars films.  Good but could have been better

★★★★★★★★★★

——

8. Star Wars: The Revenge Of The Sith

The best of a very bad bunch, Sith at least had a darkness to it that the franchise had avoided previously.  It’s still shouldered with terrible acting, a plot that steps on the original trilogy more than it ever needed to and some terrible FX work BUT it’s not Attack of The Clones.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

9. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2005)

From little acorns big Oak Trees grow and that’s very much the case here.  See the Star Wars: the Clone Wars animated film has nuggets of promise that would later be fulfilled by the excellent TV show but the feature length pilot instead gets itself weighed down in trying to please too many people and ends up being a bit of a mess.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

10. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 

Deeply flawed, badly plotted and criminally dull at times this film is saved by some excellent visuals (although dated FX), the pod race and the final duel between Jedi & Sith.  It overplays it’s hand throughout however and the Jedi prove to be rather dull as leading characters.  Less said about Jake Lloyd the better.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

WORST: Star Wars: Attack of The Clones 

A real low for the series and one of the worst sequels ever made, Attack of The Clones gets almost nothing right.  If A terrible story that makes no sense, a boring end battle where CGI things shoot CGI things and the blowing of one of Star Wars most talked about moments (The Clone Wars!!!) weren’t enough you also have one of the most wooden central performances ever (helped by some of the worst dialogue ever).  It’s a bad film. And one to be avoided.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

For Related Content Click Here

Phil’s Best To Worst: Marvel Films! (Updated – with Avengers Infinity War )

Phil’s Best To Worst: Marvel Films! (Updated – with Avengers Infinity War )

by Phil's Quick Review Best... Other Cr*p

In our latest regular feature, coming out the first Friday of each month, Phil (of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review) breaks down a film related subject in order of his own personal enjoyment from Best To Worst.  This time out: Marvel Cinematic Universe films!

Note scores reflect my original IMDB ratings.

[divider]

Best: Captain America Winter Solider

A cold war thriller with Robert Redford and a mini Avengers team up.  Add in the always awesome Frank Grillo and a genuinely interesting script and you have Marvel’s strongest cinematic outing.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

2. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Massively far out of Marvel’s usual comfort zone, Guardian’s introduced spaceships, talking racoons and a giant tree person. Cracking script, expert action and a heap of fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

3. Iron Man 3

The Iron Man film that broke a lot of Marvel fans, Shane Black took the playbook and ripped it up.  Twists, turns and a cute central relationships made this a different take on the norm and was all the better for it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Thor: Ragnarok

Well this was a bundle of fun.  The previous Thor films have been okay but Ragnarok delivered a brilliant romp which dragged in The Hulk, a handful of memorable new characters (Korg!)  and some great set pieces to end up being one of Marvel’s best films yet.

★★★★★★★★★★

 ——

5. Marvel’s The Avengers 

All the groundwork paid off as Marvel delivered it’s first ever super hero team up.  The Hulk was back (and done right this time), Hawkeye and Black Widow joined the team and director Joss Whedon delivered the goods.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Spider-Man Homecoming 

Funny, charming, with Marvels best villain and best Spiderman (yup sorry Andrew Garfield) Homecoming is a joy of a film that is by far the closest to what the comic book Peter Parker is.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Avengers: Infinity War

Shocking, well paced and with one of Marvel’s greatest screen villains Avengers Infinity War ALMOST delivered on it’s considerable promise.  Almost.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

8. Iron Man

The Film that started it all… Iron Man was a rock n roll action movie with an unlikely lead, an even more unlikely director and enough balls out moments to wow.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

9. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Loud, silly and funny as heck, Vol. 2 isn’t quite the tight film that it’s 2014 original is but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.  Add in an amazing cast (including Stallone, Hasselhoff and Russell) and you have another winner from Marvel…

★★★★★★★★★★

——

10. Ant-Man

Ant-Man is a heist movie. With Ants.  And fights on toy trains.  It’s crazy but it’s also full of charm, humour and fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

11. Black Panther 

Black Panther takes a different approach to the usual Marvel film, yet falls into a lot of the same traps of relying a bit too much on visual effects at times.  That said it’s one of Marvel’s most intimate stories and whilst not perfect is a really strong entry into the increasingly bigger MCU.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

12. Doctor Strange

Off the big screen Doctor Strange looses a little but this visually stunning film shows that marvel are still interested in pushing the envelope as far as you can in mainstream blockbusters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

13. Captain America: The First Avenger 

Solid, fun and well done, whilst it has little rewatch appeal Captain America again took a different approach and gave us a couple of Marvel’s most enduring characters.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

14. Captain America: Civil War

It’s not bad.  It just didn’t gel with me as much as it did others. Don’t get me wrong there’s a lot to like and again it plays with the expected formula, but ultimately i’m just not that keen to go back to it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

15. Thor: The Dark World

I liked The Dark world MUCH more than others.  Okay so it’s flawed for sure but it’s crazy fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

16. Thor

Thor was a sold film, tasked with the near impossible job of making a god fit in a world of men.  It does it well but not one you’ll rewatch much.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

17. Avengers Age Of Ultron

Marvel’s first disappointment, Age Of Ultron was all show and little else.  Too big, too dumb and too long.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

18. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

It has charm and the casting works well but ultimately The Incredible Hulk (whilst FAR better than the Ang Lee version) just doesn’t have enough to recommend it.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

Worst : Iron Man 2

The idea was fine but sadly most of the film misses.  Even Mickey Rourke (yes one of the oddest Marvel villains ever) can’t save this.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

Phil’s Best To Worst: Star Wars Movies! (Updated)

Phil’s Best To Worst: Star Wars Movies! (Updated)

by Phil's Quick Review Best... Other Cr*p

Listed from top to Attack Of The Clones, Phil, of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, breaks down a film related subject in order of his own personal enjoyment.  This time out: Star Wars Films!

The Rules: So I’ve excluded the throwaway 80’s Ewok kids films here as well as the Christmas special as it’s far from cannon.  So just the main 10 Star Wars films and the feature length Clone Wars movie.

——

 

BEST: Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Empire Strikes Back is a franchise high point for many reasons but MOSTLY as it’s the Star Wars film Lucas had least to do with, instead putting the film into the hands of Kasdan.  It shows – more mature, darker and edgier it still boasts one of cinemas best twist endings and adds depth to the cut out characters from Star Wars.  Essential.

★★★★★★★★★★


 

——

2. Star Wars: A New Hope

Groundbreaking, epic and genre defining space sagas don’t get much better than this. A lean plot, some edge of your seat action sequences and THAT ending make Star Wars a simply outstanding film.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

3. Star Wars: The Return Of The Jedi

I love Return of The Jedi.  Growing up it’s the Star Wars film I watched the most (it certainly has the best action of any Star Wars films).  Years on the excitement still holds but there are shadows of the failings of the prequels here also (Ewok’s for some but mostly the convoluted plotting, the fact everyone knows or is related to the Skywalkers and the weak dialogue).  Still the final space battle and the lightsabre duel stand out as the franchises two best moments

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Yup that hit the spot.  Rogue One, a war story, a story of hope and overcoming overwhelming odds.  And thats just the making of it.  Yet it works.  It works SO well in fact that it’s jumped to No4 on this list.

★★★★★★★★★★

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5. Star Wars: The Last Jedi 

Delivering a new style of Star Wars film, The Last Jedi makes some bold choices (and some silly ones) to take Star Wars in a fresh new direction that will finally allow it to move past it’s Skywalker focus story and firmly land the legacy on the shoulders of some new characters. It doesn’t all work but when it does it’s some of them most spectacular Star Wars yet!

★★★★★★★★★★

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6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens  

After the much maligned prequels, the first Star Wars film to be Lucas free felt very much like a homage as it retooled A New Hope’s story and gave us a “Best of” compilation.  That said it was well done, set up an array of exciting new characters and gave us well hell of a twist when you know what happens to you know who.  Not as good as we wanted it to be but a massive step up from the prequels.

★★★★★★★★★★

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7. Star Wars: The Revenge Of The Sith

The best of a very bad bunch, Sith at least had a darkness to it that the franchise had avoided previously.  It’s still shouldered with terrible acting, a plot that steps on the original trilogy more than it ever needed to and some terrible FX work BUT it’s not Attack of The Clones.

★★★★★★★★★★

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8. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2005)

From little acorns big Oak Trees grow and that’s very much the case here.  See the Star Wars: the Clone Wars animated film has nuggets of promise that would later be fulfilled by the excellent TV show but the feature length pilot instead gets itself weighed down in trying to please too many people and ends up being a bit of a mess.

★★★★★★★★★★

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9. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 

Deeply flawed, badly plotted and criminally dull at times this film is saved by some excellent visuals (although dated FX), the pod race and the final duel between Jedi & Sith.  It overplays it’s hand throughout however and the Jedi prove to be rather dull as leading characters.  Less said about Jake Lloyd the better.

★★★★★★★★★★

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WORST: Star Wars: Attack of The Clones 

A real low for the series and one of the worst sequels ever made, Attack of The Clones gets almost nothing right.  If A terrible story that makes no sense, a boring end battle where CGI things shoot CGI things and the blowing of one of Star Wars most talked about moments (The Clone Wars!!!) weren’t enough you also have one of the most wooden central performances ever (helped by some of the worst dialogue ever).  It’s a bad film. And one to be avoided.

★★★★★★★★★★

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Phil’s Best To Worst: Marvel Films! (Updated)

Phil’s Best To Worst: Marvel Films! (Updated)

by Phil's Quick Review Best... Other Cr*p

In our latest regular feature, coming out the first Friday of each month, Phil (of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review) breaks down a film related subject in order of his own personal enjoyment from Best To Worst.  This time out: Marvel Cinematic Universe films!

Note scores reflect my original IMDB ratings.

[divider]

Best: Captain America Winter Solider

A cold war thriller with Robert Redford and a mini Avengers team up.  Add in the always awesome Frank Grillo and a genuinely interesting script and you have Marvel’s strongest cinematic outing.

★★★★★★★★★★

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2. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Massively far out of Marvel’s usual comfort zone, Guardian’s introduced spaceships, talking racoons and a giant tree person. Cracking script, expert action and a heap of fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

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3. Iron Man 3

The Iron Man film that broke a lot of Marvel fans, Shane Black took the playbook and ripped it up.  Twists, turns and a cute central relationships made this a different take on the norm and was all the better for it.

★★★★★★★★★★

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4. Marvel’s The Avengers 

All the groundwork paid off as Marvel delivered it’s first ever super hero team up.  The Hulk was back (and done right this time), Hawkeye and Black Widow joined the team and director Joss Whedon delivered the goods.

★★★★★★★★★★

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5. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Loud, silly and funny as heck, Vol. 2 isn’t quite the tight film that it’s 2014 original is but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.  Add in an amazing cast (including Stallone, Hasselhoff and Russell) and you have another winner from Marvel…

★★★★★★★★★★

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5. Spider-Man Homecoming 

Funny, charming, with Marvels best villain and best Spiderman (yup sorry Andrew Garfield) Homecoming is a joy of a film that is by far the closest to what the comic book Peter Parker is.

★★★★★★★★★★

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6. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Loud, silly and funny as heck, Vol. 2 isn’t quite the tight film that it’s 2014 original is but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.  Add in an amazing cast (including Stallone, Hasselhoff and Russell) and you have another winner from Marvel…

★★★★★★★★★★

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7. Iron Man

The Film that started it all… Iron Man was a rock n roll action movie with an unlikely lead, an even more unlikely director and enough balls out moments to wow.

★★★★★★★★★★

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8. Ant-Man

Ant-Man is a heist movie. With Ants.  And fights on toy trains.  It’s crazy but it’s also full of charm, humour and fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

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9. Doctor Strange

Off the big screen Doctor Strange looses a little but this visually stunning film shows that marvel are still interested in pushing the envelope as far as you can in mainstream blockbusters.

★★★★★★★★★★

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10. Captain America: The First Avenger 

Solid, fun and well done, whilst it has little rewatch appeal Captain America again took a different approach and gave us a couple of Marvel’s most enduring characters.

★★★★★★★★★★

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11. Captain America: Civil War

It’s not bad.  It just didn’t gel with me as much as it did others. Don’t get me wrong there’s a lot to like and again it plays with the expected formula, but ultimately i’m just not that keen to go back to it.

★★★★★★★★★★

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12. Thor: The Dark World

I liked The Dark world MUCH more than others.  Okay so it’s flawed for sure but it’s crazy fun.

★★★★★★★★★★

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13. Thor

Thor was a sold film, tasked with the near impossible job of making a god fit in a world of men.  It does it well but not one you’ll rewatch much.

★★★★★★★★★★

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14.Avengers Age Of Ultron

Marvel’s first disappointment, Age Of Ultron was all show and little else.  Too big, too dumb and too long.

★★★★★★★★★★

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15. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

It has charm and the casting works well but ultimately The Incredible Hulk (whilst FAR better than the Ang Lee version) just doesn’t have enough to recommend it.

★★★★★★★★★★

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Worst : Iron Man 2

The idea was fine but sadly most of the film misses.  Even Mickey Rourke (yes one of the oddest Marvel villains ever) can’t save this.

★★★★★★★★★★

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Phil’s Best To Worst: Spider-Man Movies

Phil’s Best To Worst: Spider-Man Movies

by Phil Hobden Best... Other Cr*p Top 5

In our latest regular feature, coming out the first Friday of each month, Phil (of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review) breaks down a film related subject in order of his own personal enjoyment from Best To Worst.  This time out: Spider-Man films! 

[divider]

Best: Spider-Man 2

Easily the best Spiderman film, introducing Doctor Octopus and with both Rami and McGuire a bit more free in their roles.  Which means Rami gets to add an element of Evil Dead to the visuals and no film has ever been worse for that.

★★★★★★★★★★

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2. Spider-Man HomeComing 

MCU Spiderman almost (almost!) takes the crown here on his first full length story – Keaton is superb as the Vulture but it’s Holland’s film and he runs with it.  A great MCU film and even better a great Spiderman film.

★★★★★★★★★★

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2. Spider-Man

Still years on the relationship between Parker, MJ & Spiderman remains strong, with a origin story we weren’t yet bored of so expertly handled.  A great film.

★★★★★★★★★★

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3. Captain America: Civil War

Okay so STRICTLY not a Spiderman film as he only appears in it but Tom Holland’s Spiderman debut steals the show as was SO memorable it became almost the sole topic of conversation when leaving the film.

★★★★★★★★★★

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4. The Amazing Spider-Man

Rebooted with Andrew Garfield, it’s actually not a terrible film. It’s just a bit pointless. It also suffers from a really weak villain in The Lizard and far too much CGI.  That said it DOES feature one of the best Stan Lee cameos ever!

★★★★★★★★★★

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5. Spider-Man 3

Emo Spiderman. A bored MJ. A host of sub plots that don’t work. A villain you don’t care about. And Sam Rami forced to include a character he hated in Venom.  It’s just a mess and not a fun one at that.

★★★★★★★★★★

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Worst : The Amazing Spiderman 2

It’s not that The Amazing Spiderman 2 is bad, it’s just boring.  So boring that as I wrote this I cant remember much about it, Too much CGI, Garfield looks far too old to be playing the role as it’s written and a central relationship you just don’t care about.

★★★★★★★★★★

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Phil’s Best To Worst: Guy Richie Films

Phil’s Best To Worst: Guy Richie Films

by Phil Hobden Best... Other Cr*p

In our latest regular feature, coming out the first Friday of each month, Phil (of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review) breaks down a film related subject in order of his own personal enjoyment from Best To Worst.  This time out: Guy Richie Films! 

[divider]

Best: Lock, Sock And Two Smoking Barrels

Lock, Stock is a near flawless film. It’s also one of the best film debut’s and one of the best British films ever made.  Yes it’s that good.  From Moran’s faultless Eddy to impressive debuts of Statham & Vinnie Jones.

★★★★★★★★★★

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2. Snatch

Whilst not QUITE hitting the highs of Lock, Stock Snatch is a fun slice of quotable British gangster fun.  Alan Ford is a real stand out, but it’s Brad Pitt that steals the show.

★★★★★★★★★★

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3. Rock N Rolla

Often forgotten in the pantheon of Guy Richie films, RockNRolla is good fun and a more mature gangster film than either Lock, Stock or Snatch.  Great cast, good script… shame we are still awaiting for the promised return nearly ten years later!

★★★★★★★★★★

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4. Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey Jnr is a great Holmes, Jude Law gets his teeth into Watson and the set pieces are bold and silly.  I enjoyed this a lot.

★★★★★★★★★★

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5. The Man From U.N.C.L.E

Take the Sherlock Holmes vibe, mix in a mostly forgotten TV show and add a dash of two handsome leads and you have the messy but enjoyable Man From Uncle.

★★★★★★★★★★

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6. Sherlock Holmes : A Game Of Shadows

In hindsight this film wasn’t quite 7/10 I originally rated it.  On second viewing sadly it lost a lot and certainly is the lesser of Richie’s post gangster films.

★★★★★★★★★★

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7. King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword 

A hot mess of a film that can be both rushed and boring.  Think Lock, Stock and One Smoking Jude Law. Not a total bomb but also not great either

★★★★★★★★★★

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8. Revolver 

A Kabala influenced mess, Revolver is only for the hardcore Guy Richie fans.

★★★★★★★★★★

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Worst : Slipped Away 

I’m married to Madonna. Lets make a film with Madonna.  Oh.  She cant act. Awkward.

★★★★★★★★★★

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Phil’s Best To Worst: Alien Franchise (Updated)

Phil’s Best To Worst: Alien Franchise (Updated)

by Phil's Quick Review Best... Other Cr*p

In our latest regular feature, coming out the first Friday of each month, Phil (of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review) breaks down a film related subject in order of his own personal enjoyment from Best To Worst.  This time out: Alien Films! 

[divider]

Best: Aliens (The Directors Cut)

Aliens is not just a high water mark for the Alien franchise itself  but it’s also a high watermark in sequels, action and science fiction films. Yes – its that good (in fact one of my top 5 films of all time).  Especially in it’s extended edition (Sentry guns!).  James Cameron has never been better (T2 was close) and delivers action & thrills alongside a memorable quotable script.  A classic. (Side note it also gave us a piece of music that has been used in almost every action film trailer since…)

★★★★★★★★★★

 

 

 

 

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2. Alien

Alien is a tense science fiction survival horror with an award worthy central performance by Sigourney Weaver and career making direction from Ridley Scott. It’s aged well and still today, over 35 years after it was released stands up as one of the best films of its genre.

★★★★★★★★★★

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3. Alien 3: The Alternate Cut 

Alien 3 is much and unfairly maligned as a film.  This “Alternate Cut” (listed here as a separate film as that is pretty much what it is) restores some of David Fincher’s original vision for the film as well as taking away some of the less liked elements.  The effects on this restored version aren’t great but what IS pretty stunning is how much better this film is that it’s studio messed with original.

★★★★★★★★★★

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4. Alien 3

Growing up I watched Alien 3 almost as much as I did Aliens.  It’s gritty approach, limited technology and the way it tossed aside the more upbeat ending of Aliens appealed to me.  Yes it’s flawed for sure and the studio enforced ending doesn’t work but it has moments that show just how great this could have been had the studio let Fincher do his thing.

★★★★★★★★★★

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5. Alien Covenant 

Alien Covenant isn’t perfect.  But it’s a far more enjoyable movie than Prometheus was, finally delivering us the Alien we wanted alongside a story that, whilst I don’t always like, at least mostly makes sense. Visually great but still full of dumb people doing dumb things, it ramps up the action and is never dull.  Pulp Alien for sure but good pulp…

★★★★★★★★★★

——

 

6. Alien: Resurrection

There’s a sharp drop off between Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection but it’s not a film without merit.  The issue here come from the franchise bring back Weaver after her death in Alien 3.  There were so many directions the  film could have gone in but sadly it ends up as a much lesser retread of the three films previous. And don’t even get me started on the new born.

★★★★★★★★★★

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7. Prometheus

Great idea. Badly done. Prometheus is a mess of a film which offers a stupid script with stupid characters doing stupid things.  It’s dull at times, makes no connection in production design to the previous films (the technology is well beyond Alien Resurrection which is set years ahead) and wastes what could have been an  interesting film.

★★★★★★★★★★

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8. Alien Vs Predator 2: Requiem

Alien Vs Predator Requiem is bad.  It’s just slightly less bad that the original.  The main issues (other than story & cast) come from the filmmakers desire to shoot everything so dark that you cant see anything for the bulk of the movie.  Totally forgettable, it’s a low point for the franchise.

★★★★★★★★★★

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Worst : Alien Vs Predator 

You take the two most iconic creatures from cinema.  Ignore the excellent games and comic books which offered far superior storylines and you deliver what is an utter mess of a film.  Nonsensical, boring and badly made this film does nothing with it’s concept.  One to avoid.

★★★★★★★★★★

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