Since 2008, Marvel have cashed in incredibly heavily on the demand with 10 films and 3 TV series if my counting is accurate (it may not be, so I'm covering myself) (Oh, and I'm not counting Age of Ultron because it's only just come out and I'm not entirely sure of it myself)(I never stick to what I say so there's a good bet that I may put Age of Ultron in the list and this means I don't have to come back and edit). So out of what's been produced, what's your favourite? Why? If you've been living on an island without the need for any other sort of entertainment for 7 years (lucky sod) then what should you watch from the series?
Well as it's my platform, here's the list of all 13 (maybe 14) in order of preference.
13) The Incredible Hulk. (2008)
I'm sorry to all fans of the big man, this one is a very forgettable film in the grand scheme of what's been produced. For a start, it was before the time of the big money multi-films-in-the-universe contracts and it's a singular appearance for Ed Norton, which may be why it feels so out of sync with the rest. The plot is a fair way from gripping, with less backstory than Marvel afforded a lot of the other original films aaaaaand I only remember it as a straight forward action flick. Must say though, for a last-on-the-list film, it isn't a 'bad' entertainment effort (more contently average), hence the shedloads of cash they've made over the years.
 | ||
| The Incredible Hulk (2009) |
12) Iron Man 2 (2010)
Again, not a huge amount to write home about, Iron Man's sequel kinda falls into the same action only bracket of Hulk, and it's also a sequel, so you're forever comparing it to the original, and it's not as good. There are some pretty good bits, Sam Rockwell is forever a welcome presence on screen in my eyes, and, errrrrm, welcome Scarlett Johansson? Probably the two best parts of the film I think, only watched it a week or so ago and still can't remember the best bits, doesn't bode well?
 | ||
| Iron Man 2 (2010) |
11) Thor: The Dark World (2013)
First of the Thor films on the list, which I'd probably call the weakest character based series, but that may just be me not enjoying the whole other realms part of the Marvel universe all that much. There's not much I can really say to big it up except say that it's a fairly well constructed film the budget is fairly well spent? But sadly the entire plot feels incredibly Dr. Who, and it's rather lackluster because of it.
 |
| Thor: The Dark World (2013) |
10) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (2013-)
The first TV show to make the list, and I think it falls down on the experimental nature of the concept, i.e trying to make a TV show from a concept you've only presented previously in a cinematic form. But it's light entertainment, a few cameos from Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and picked up a lot in the latter half of the first season and into the second season. You get a lot more time to develop plots and characters in a 20 odd episode season, and they didn't quite do enough early on to keep up a decent pace. Bonus points though for some of the crossover stuff.
 |
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Series 1 (2013) |
9) Thor (2011)
Again, not my favourite of all the character series, but a touch stronger than the sequel. Possibly the most admirable part of the film is the Asgardian architecture VFX, which, 3 years after their first film, is probably Marvel's biggest VFX design challenge since their inception. The humour in this Thor film trumps the other, as you're seeing a out of world character become acquainted with life on earth, and even though it's the first time you see him in the cinematic universe, I feel there's far more in the way of character development in this film than the second. Again, Thor probably suffers on this list because the supernatural nature of the world appeals to me less than the earth based films.
 |
| Thor (2011) |
8) Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
For many people not the strongest character in the universe, but there's something about the 40s feel film that is very entertaining, especially when it plays as a film that certainly does not take itself all that seriously. It's more of a classic almost Indiana Jones style flick instead of the hyper scienced action film you find from some of the other titles. It's got silly German accents, introduces the Tesseract, makes reference to Indiana Jones, introduces Peggy Carter and Howard Stark (more on them in another entry, and despite it's pacing failings as the film reaches it's conclusion, it's a fun way to spend a couple hours!
 |
| Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) |
7) Agent Carter (2014-)
In a way this is a combination of Captain America and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and contains the better elements of both. It's set just after the events of the bulk of Captain America, in a time where there may technically be no superheroes? Think about it, CA on ice and missing, age wise it's long before any of the other characters are born and long before Thor visits earth, so... yeah? We settle instead for Peggy Carter, dealing with shit on a daily basis and working thrice as hard as anyone else in the pre-S.H.I.E.L.D era. A few other cameos from familiar faces help bulk out a cast of people I don't recognise, but most importantly off the back off their first TV venture, the characters evolve at a far faster rate, and there's none of the drag you get from AoS. Hence the higher ranking.
 |
| Agent Carter, Series 1 (2014) |
6) Iron Man 3 (2013)
The next two on the list were real tricky to pick between, however I had to leave this one at 6 because of the success created off the back of the other film. Iron Man 3 is possibly the funnest of the trilogy, with RD-J at his most obnoxious, and possibly his best performance in the series. Personally as someone with 0 attachment to the historical Mandarin character, I quite like what they did with him (the Croydon reference gets extra points for them too). There's far more in the way of character vulnerability than the other films as the suit(s) goes missing for a hefty chunk of time, and overall it's just a rather enjoyable, humourous couple of hours. It's a Marvel film, that's the only box it's really ever going to tick.
 |
| Iron Man 3 (2013) |
5) Iron Man (2008)
This beats out Iron Man 3 because of the simple fact that it spawned the rest of the now entertainment empire. Overall Robert Downey Jr does fairly well as a Tony Stark, so much so that for a lot of people he is now that character. As origin stories go it works rather well for an outsider coming into the comic book world, and you're provided with rough outlines of who some of the main players are, what is apparently considered possible within this new cinematic world and what technology is available. It's a very suitable bridge between comics and film, and still regarded by many as one of the better films in the universe.
 |
| Iron Man (2008) |
4) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
When you're going to change things up a bit, and start introducing a new series of characters into your cinematic empire, why not start with a mute tree and a talking raccoon who are best mates? Guardians just has something insanely catchy about it, and you often care very little about the wide array of new locations and people you're meeting. The new characters are fun, and immensely likeable, the pop culture references are likeable, and the cassette mix that appears in the film is catchy as hell. If you're looking for a one off watch, it works like that too.
 |
| Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) |
3) The Avengers (2012)
One of the most profitable films of all time (I think), and for many the best film within the entire universe. It's so high up the list for me due to the lack of need for much backstory, or baggage within the story. It relies heavily upon people going to see the other films in what they would call 'Phase 1' to be completely knowledgeable about what exactly is happening, however, in terms of sheer enjoyment and understanding the story presented on screen, it still works. It's been noted on a number of occasions how well the cast has been juggled in terms of screen time, and how for such a large scale project it still feels incredibly personal.
 |
| The Avengers (2012) |
=2) Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
This slipped in joint second having seen it twice since release, and enjoying both screenings. Made on a grander, international scale, with a much bigger cast, and a new batch of superpowers. It excited me more than it's predecessor, and plugs a number of gaps that The Avengers missed out on. There's more in the way of surprise, the humour and all round chemistry is better, there's still the character driven story behind it, and although there will be 101 million Loki fans out there to tell me I'm wrong, I thought the more menacing and deranged Ultron is superior. Personal opinion isn't it, I don't need to justify anything, just like it more. And so, it's joint second in entertainment value with...
 |
| Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) |
=2) Daredevil (2015)
Third time lucky on the TV show front? Daredevil is the best and also most recent of the Marvel TV shows, and I feel that it's probably due to the combined reasons of changing from their rather recognisable style and less broadcaster involvement due to it's distribution method. It's darker and more violent than any Marvel product before it, and it suits the characters and the nature of the story down to the ground. You're away from the hi-tech world of Stark Industries and S.H.I.E.L.D, and into the back alleys of Hells Kitchen where there's no aliens or superpowers on show, just a blind guy maiming anyone doing wrong. I've done loads on it already >here<, so check that out for the full on convincer.
 |
| Daredevil (2015) |
1) Captain America: The Winter Solder (2014)
Another of the more recent films, and in my opinion the stand out effort. It not only has the entertainment value of the other higher ranked films, but it also crosses far more genres, feels like the most well considered film, and provides the viewer with the biggest universe twist so far. Now with everything being intertwined with all these films, the actions of one film can affect the others, and christ do they enjoy referencing the other movies. Especially in Iron Man. The effects of Winter Soldier change everything that has been harmonious before in the Universe, and almost allow Marvel to move on and expand. Coupled with the action elements, it's also part spy thriller, contains some of the best characters from the series (CA, Black Widow, Fury, Hill) and introduces a few more excellent additions. The spectacle is spectacular, some of the gadgets are proper Bond-esque (except for the one that is full on Mission Impossible) and you get a good old fashioned well done car chase for your money too. I'm pretty sure that's everything to include? It's just a really entertaining, engaging film independently and links up nicely with all the others. I'm looking forward to what the directors do with the other installments that they've been entrusted with, especially if there's as much care and attention as there is with this.
Oh, and I nearly forgot about the scene in the lift. It's impossible to pull off a full on fight scene in a lift, right...?
 |
| Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) |
So there's a full and almost explained ranking of everything Marvel has churned out to entertain the masses up until now, and if you want to know why it's so shoddily written, that will be because of the writing in installments. Love it or hate it, it works for them, and there's actually probably a little in there for everyone, and there's a lot more planned. Some people can't stomach the fantastical nature of some of the produce, but if you're open minded to the action/sci-fi genre you'll probably end up enjoying at least some of it. Law of averages isn't it? Give enough options and something is bound to work. Or maybe in this case it goes the other way? Tarnished with the same Marvel logo so to speak, if you see one and really dislike it, then the rest are automatically discarded? I don't know, not really sure if this is relevant or not, just looking for a conclusion. How about another still from the winning film? That'll be the way I do it, I'll try and return to the original premise behind this blog next time. Try...
 |
| Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) |
