Showing posts with label comic book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comic book. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Top 10 Marvel Movies

So, this list doesn't simply refer to the movies that Marvel has produced, but I'm also including any movie featuring a Marvel comic book character.  X-Men are welcome here, as well as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and Blade.  I am excluding Conan, but that's pretty much it, and I think it makes sense to leave Robert E. Howard's beloved barbarian out of the mix.  Additionally, I'm not looking at box office results or other people's reviews.  These are my personal favorites and I'm sure that many people will see things differently.  I'm aware that I'm pretty heavy on the new stuff when we get to the top of the list, but I think that Marvel has recently upped the ante in a big way.  I'll also point out that if I felt that the Daredevil series on Netflix was eligible for consideration, it would surely own a spot on this list.  Please check that show out if you haven't already done so.

Verily, I say unto thee, these are my Top 10 Marvel Movies:

10 - Blade (1998)
I think a lot of people have forgotten about Blade.  This movie was a big hit and it totally rocks.  When I hear people talk about how either the X-Men or Iron Man started this current comic book movies craze, I wonder if they've seen Wesley Snipes killing it as Marvel's premiere vampire slayer.

9 - Spider-Man (2002)
I'm a big fan of Sam Raimi's work with your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.  More on that later.  Like many, I wish it would have been possible to utilize the Green Goblin's classic look from the comics, but Willem Dafoe was amazing in the role despite a clunky outfit.  Great story, great effects--great movie!

8 - Iron Man (2008)
Hello there, Robert Downey Jr., welcome to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  This perfect exercise in casting brought these movies to another level.  Having Jeff Bridges along for the ride was a pretty good call as well.  Fun, quirky, and action-packed, this one definitely paved the way for the movies sitting at the top of my list.

7 - X2: X-Men United (2003)
X-Men was cool.  X2 is amazing.  I love the villains, I love the script, and despite numerous attempts to do more with the character, this is the best representation of Wolverine that we've seen on the screen to date. 

6 -Spider-Man 2 (2004)
It is entirely possible that the big brawl pitting Spidey against Doc Ock atop a moving train is still the finest fight scene that we've seen in any comics-inspired film, but that's not the only reason I put this one on my list.  The story is first-rate, the acting is spectacular, and this is one of Raimi's best features.  That's high praise.

5 - X-Men: First Class (2011)
Incredibly cool, riveting, and witty, this is the best X-Men movie we've gotten thus far.  I know that a lot of you enjoyed X-Men: Days of Future Past a lot more than I did (don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot) but it just didn't do as much for me as this thought-provoking and ass-kicking thrill ride. 
Bonus points: Michael Fassbender is superb.  I love Magneto's storyline in this film.  Ian McKellan was also incredible in the role, but Fassbender absolutely steals the show in First Class.

4 - The Avengers (2012)
If you didn't experience a nerdgasm while watching Earth's Mightest Heroes join forces in 2012, you're not a true nerd.  At the time, I thought there was no way that Marvel could top this magnificent blockbuster.

3 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Then we got this splendid thriller.  The plot is wicked, the action is relentless, and somehow Marvel found a way to improve upon The Avengers.  This feat grows even more impressive when you consider that they managed to do so with Captain America front and center.  I love Cap, but I thought that his first film wasn't one of Marvel's elite productions.  It was good, but it wasn't in the same league as many of their other efforts.  Then they brought in the Winter Soldier and blessed us with this gem.

2 - Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Last week, Marvel hit us with their second Avengers movie, and they somehow crafted a sequel that was bigger and better than the first one.  This is officially the first Marvel movie that I watched twice on opening day.  I've watched several of these flicks more than once in the theater, but this one was so awesome that I went back for a second helping. 
Bonus points: the second time out I got to enjoy Avengers: Age of Ultron in IMAX 3-D.  Holy wow.

1 - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
When this film was first announced, I was curious.  When they named James Gunn as director, I figured it would be pretty cool.  Yet I never expected it to emerge as Marvel's coolest cinematic offering.  Truthfully, Guardians of the Galaxy is about as entertaining as movies get.  It's energetic and joyous, and it somehow topped everything else on this list while drawing from an obscure property. 

. . .


Please feel free to chime in on my choices and offer up your own.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Short Attention Span Review - Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Marvel continues to kick DC's ass on the big screen with Avengers: Age of Ultron, a massive spectacle that is thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.  I'm more of a Marvel guy than a DC guy, but I'm also a comic book fanboy at large, so I'm excited when any superhero makes an appearance in theaters.  I liked Man of Steel and Nolan's Batman trilogy was damn impressive.  Yet Marvel annihilated DC's best film adaptations with the first Avengers movie, and they have somehow managed to produce a sequel that is even bigger and better.  First off, I love Loki and Tom Hiddleston has been one of the Marvel cinematic universe's coolest discoveries.  Yet Loki is a trickster and he has never been the supreme badass that Ultron is.  In truth, it is quite possible that Ultron has been the most daunting villain that the Avengers have ever faced in the comics, and they've squared off against Galactus, Thanos, Dr. Doom, and any other Marvel villain worthy of a showdown with the Earth's mightiest heroes.  Accordingly, though the movie version of Ultron is a CGI creation, he towers over most villains of the cinema, largely due to James Spader's fantastic voice work.  I remember thinking that nabbing Spader for such a gig was a good thing when I first heard about it, but it's better than that, it's a great thing.  It's a perfect thing.  Spader kills it and the story allows Ultron to be as menacing and as intriguing as he should be.  Of course, everyone fares well in this picture and that's a tremendous credit to Joss Whedon's screenplay and his fantastic work at the helm.  It must be supremely difficult to take so many significant characters and try and come up with an arc for each of them and ensure that everyone gets to shine when it's time for the good guys and the bad guys to throw down.  That's exactly what Whedon has managed to do, however, as I found myself thoroughly invested in everyone's story and utterly thrilled at all the marvelous action taking place.  This truly is an Avengers movie; it's a team effort where every hero and villain is integral to the epic story which unfolds in remarkable fashion.  Maybe Iron Man plays a bigger role than anyone else, or maybe it's actually Hawkeye who benefits the most from the fantastic script.  Of course, it could be the Black Widow, or the Hulk, or Cap, or--you get the point, right?  Oh, and then there's Iron Man donning his Hulkbuster armor to go mano a mano with the big green guy.  Wow.  And the big finale?  Double wow.  Avengers: Age of Ultron is just a marvelous movie with a magnificent cast, a great director, sensational effects, and a wonderful villain squaring off against the greatest band of comic book heroes we'll ever see together on the big screen.  Go see this one as soon as you possibly can.

Final Grade: A+
Ultron is the supreme badass that he should be and it is amazing that
James Spader was able to do so much for the part with his voice.