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: 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

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Thor: Ragnarok

★★★★★★★★★★

——

5. Marvel’s The Avengers

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

Avengers Week: The 25 Best… Superhero Films of All Time

by Phil Hobden Best... Other Cr*p

In our continuing regular feature, Phil (of Phil’s Quick Capsule Review) along with podcaster Josh Morris, Writer Mike Parkin, Grosse Point Geek’s Will Strong and Motion Picture Manic Jamie Robinson breakdown the 25 Best Films Of a particular genre…

This time out: The Best Superhero Films of All Time

The close but no cigar Films: Batman Vs Superman, Thor Ragnarok, Mystery Men

[huge_it_slider id=”9″]

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

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

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

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Marvel’s The Avengers

★★★★★★★★★★

——

5. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

11. Captain America: Civil War

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

*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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

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: Marvel Films! (Updated)

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

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

★★★★★★★★★★

——

4. Marvel’s The Avengers

★★★★★★★★★★

——

5. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

★★★★★★★★★★

——

6. 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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

7. 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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

8. 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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

9. 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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

10. Captain America: Civil War

★★★★★★★★★★

——

11. 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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

12. 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.

★★★★★★★★★★

——

*13.Avengers Age Of Ultron***

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

★★★★★★★★★★

——

14. 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 Top 5… Marvel Films

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five. This time out: to celebrate this weeks release of Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2, I give you my top 5 Marvel Films!

Close but no cigar: Dr Strange, Ant Man, Thor, Captain America

5 – Iron Man
From the moment AC/DC rung out, you got the idea this was the start of something special. Often copied but not often bettered, this super hero origin film launched the Marvel cinematic universe and set out the template for all the films to follow.

4 – The Avengers
Joss Whedon brought a charm and humour to The Avengers that allowed you to more than ignore it’s mostly flawed CGI finale. It gave us Hulk once again (and done right), brought together an impressive cast and gave everyone a moment to shine. Even Hawkeye.

3 – Iron Man 3
Shane Black delivers a very untypical Marvel film with dark humour, a sharp script and some excellent action. Yes it descends into a CGI slug fest at the end but the journey to get there was more than worth it.

2 – Guardians Of The Galaxy
The soundtrack. The Script. The cast. This was all the fun and still holds up and the most enjoyable Marvel film ever produced. Who would have thought it!

1 – Captain America: Winter Solider
Winter Solider was Marvel doing something a little different. Yeah it had all the usual tropes and beats but it leaned HEAVILY towards the Manchurian Candidate thriller elements. Adding Robert Redford classed up the film and Frank Grillo delivers the action in spades.

Phil’s Top 5… Movie Cameos (Minor Spoilers!)

by Phil Hobden Other Cr*p Top 5

Each week Phil, from Phil’s Quick Capsule Review, takes a look at a different movie or TV related Top Five. This time out: Movie Cameos!

Close but no cigar: Hulk Hogan (Gremlins 2), Mike Tyson (The Hangover), Bruce Campbell (Spiderman 1,2,3), Stan Lee (All Marvel Films), Hugh Jackman (X-Men First Class)

5 – Leonard Nimoy- Star Trek (2009)
It was a perfect link back to the classic movies. A lynch pin that could tie the narratives together. An affectionate nod. And it worked superbly.

4 – Mark Hamill – Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back
It’s about as obvious as most of Kevin Smith’s other writing but his affection for Star Wars and Mark Hamill as an performer shines through and makes this more than just the usual walk on.

3 – Cruise, Paltrow, Spacey & DeVito – Goldmember
Opening up the film with a bundle of A-list cameos proved to be a highlight that the otherwise disappointing Goldmember would never recover from. But WHAT an opening. A franchise highlight for sure.

2 – Christopher Walken – Pulp Fiction
He stuck the watch where? A long scene with one hell of a punch line it reminds you why Christopher Walken is such a great actor and that when Tarantino gets it right he’s one of the best “scene” writers in the movies.

1 – Bill Murray – Zombieland
Totally out of leftfield, Bill Murray in Zombieland is hands down one of the best “Holy F–k”comedy moments in film history. It just comes out of nowhere and one of those moments thankfully unspoilt at the time. Genius.