Top 10 MARVEL MOVIES

10. X2: X-Men United (2003)

20th Century Fox

It may seem small compared to the history-shattering events of First Class or Days of Future Past, but the second X-Men movie is still the best film in the principle X-Men franchise because of its laser focus on the persecution of its characters, both good and evil. The prejudice against mutants feels more personal in this installment, with the villain (a vile Brian Cox) exacting personal revenge against the X-Men with a first-strike mentality that feels all-too prescient in post-9/11 America. And the inclusion of Bobby Drake’s incredulous family, who handle his “coming out” in exactly the wrong way, sends a firm message that the X-Men are outsider heroes who will always be socially relevant. Add in some great action and a plot that, unlike most of the rest of the films in this franchise, actually makes perfect sense and you’ve got the best “proper” X-Men movie so far.

 

9. The Avengers (2012)

Marvel Studios

The first-ever all-star superhero team-up movie is one of the most entertaining blockbusters ever made, with a stellar cast of characters who are given ample time to interact and evolve before they set out on their mission to punch an alien invasion to death. The plot is simple, but that’s a necessary evil: it gives our heroes a reason to team up, and challenges to overcome, and then gets the hell out of the way because what we really came for was the heretofore unprecedented chance to see these titans interact on camera and kick butt together. The Avengers doesn’t amount to anything more than popcorn entertainment, but director Joss Whedon completely nails it.

 

8. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios may be spending most of their time redefining superheroes for the 21st century, but that didn’t stop them from also producing one of the best nostalgic action movies ever with Captain America: The First Avenger. Joe Johnston’s World War II adventure perfectly captures the sentimentality of its idealistic hero, played just right by Chris Evans, while pitting him against the classically threatening Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). Marvel would go on to challenge the very concept of Captain America in the sequels, but first they wisely captured why the hero worked so well in the first place with this rollicking, involving and thrilling throwback.

 

7. Iron Man Three (2013)

Marvel Studios

Tony Stark sets out on his most unpredictable adventure in Iron Man Three, which forces the hero to spend most of the film without his trademark suit of armor, and to discover the limits of his own ego. Sir Ben Kingsley is threatening and then… he’s something else as The Mandarin, whose portrayal in Iron Man Three proved divisive to hardcore comic book fans. But in a genre defined by faithful adaptations, this clever reworking of familiar characters and these unexpected turns of events make Iron Man Three stand out. It’s a thoughtful, funny, exciting and unusual superhero movie that works on every level… unless you’re religiously devoted to the original version of The Mandarin for some reason.

 

6. Captain America: Civil War(2016)

Marvel Studios

The consequences of unleashing superheroes into the world lead to a spectacular confrontation in Captain America: Civil War, which finds (most of) the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe duking it out over moral principles. Is it right for The Avengers to be an autonomous collective of all-powerful lawmen, or do they owe the world their servitude, even though that would open the door to potentially egregious conflicts of interest and corruption? The plot is too convoluted for its own good, but that’s okay because it maneuvers all of these great characters into the single most spectacular superhero fight in movie history, and introduces great new characters like Black Panther and a note-perfect, rebooted interpretation of Spider-Man.

 

5. Guardians of the Galaxy(2014)

By the time Guardians of the Galaxy came out, astute members of the audience had already started to notice that Marvel Studios had a formula for its superhero movies. Character-driven action movies with big MacGuffin storylines and plenty of quips. It ain’t broke, but Guardians of the Galaxy fixed it anyway, proving that a great filmmaker like James Gunn (Slither) can work within the confines of that genre and produce something that feels unique anyway. The strange cast of characters – which includes a raccoon and a tree – are all selfish a-holes, living in a far out space opera set to a soundtrack of kickin’ 1970s pop tunes that becomes its own character in the movie. The eccentricities add character, the exceptional cast adds heart, and the audience loves every minute of it.

 

4. Deadpool (2016)

20th Century Fox

It took long enough, but 20th Century Fox finally gave Deadpool another chance after completely ruining the character in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. And thanks heavens they did. The new Deadpool is a sly satire of superhero movie conventions, tucked tidily into a plot that works just as well as any of its serious comic book brethren. Ryan Reynolds is a wisecracking mercenary who volunteers for an experimental cancer treatment that gives him superpowers but destroys his life, and he sets out for revenge, dragging two subpar X-Men along for the ride (the good ones were too expensive) and breaking the fourth wall every other minute. Hilarious, knowing, and subversive, Deadpool is popular for a reason. It’s just that good.

 

3. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Columbia Pictures

The whole point of Spider-Man, the character, was to flip the superhero power fantasy on its head, and prove that having abilities far beyond those of normal men would basically suck. Spider-Man 2 captures that suck so perfectly that it’s easy to ignore the film’s minor flaws – like the generic mad scientist plot – and focus on Peter Parker’s emotionally devastating journey. Spidey isn’t a hero because it comes naturally, he’s a hero because his overwhelming sense of guilt won’t let him be anything else. Director Sam Raimi loves torturing this hero, and we love watching it because it makes him stronger and gives the rest of us hope. Life is hard, our victories are few and far between, and everyone feels unappreciated, but sometimes you also get a little slice of cake, and that’s reward enough.

 

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Marvel Studios

The second best Marvel superhero movie takes Captain America, a hero from a simpler time, and thrusts him into a complex contemporary setting. And to think, it could have been fish-out-of-water nonsense, but instead Captain America: The Winter Soldier challenges the very concept of heroism. When confronted with political corruption, Cap’s finely honed sense of right and wrong forces him to do the right thing, even while common sense dictates it’s wrong. The Winter Soldier dares to say that America has lost its way, declaring the core politics of the 21st century to be the work of bogeymen and forcing the audience to decide once and for all what really matters: what’s right, or what’s safe. Heroes stand by their principles, no matter what the cost, and thanks to a great cast, a sharp screenplay and slick direction by The Russo Bros., it makes for ecstatic cinema.

 

1. Logan (2017)

20th Century Fox

Hugh Jackman’s (supposedly) last film as Wolverine is gloomy, angry, and exquisite. The R-rated drama depicts a dying Logan and a dying Professor X trying one last time to make a difference, by protecting a girl who could very well be the world’s last mutant from a despicable group of scientists and mercenaries. The filmmakers were given the freedom to let Logan play out like the last X-Men story, or at least the last Wolverine story, and that gives the film more consequence than any other superhero film. They’re not holding anything back, so the characters use the last ounce of their strength to lay everything on the line, emotionally and physically. The effect is remarkable. Logan is one of the best superhero films. Period.