IN HONOR OF AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, ABBEY OFFERS UP A LOOK AT
HER FAVORITE MARVEL MOVIES
Article By Abbey Archer
In my first article ever here at CineMast, I ripped into Marvel pretty good — and I still stand by the things I wrote. But we’re not talking about that stuff today. Instead, in honor of the Avengers: Infinity War, opening in theaters on April 27th, 2018, I’ve been commissioned to write about some of my favorite Marvel films. This includes releases from Sony and Twentieth Century Fox… So where my X-Men and Spider-Man homies at? Holla!
Remember…These picks are purely subjective and entirely my own, and at the time of writing this, I still have yet to see Black Panther, so no complaints, please!
HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Amazing Spider-Man; The Avengers; Captain America: The First Avenger; Spider-Man; X-2; X-Men: Days of Future Past.
ANT-MAN (2015)
The first title up is rightly at the top of my list. Ant-Man was supposed to be director Edgar Wright’s venture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while he ultimately left the project, his influence and humor are prevalent in Peyton Reed’s finished film. Add in the national treasure that is Paul Rudd as the titular hero, a scary-looking villain in the form of Yellowjacket, and some absurdly funny action sequences, and you’ve got a slam dunk. What I really appreciate about this film is that its makers opted to avoid going the full 100% CGI route for the sections of the film when Ant-Man shrinks, instead opting to shoot with macro camera lenses to give several sequences more realism — and you can tell. Here’s hoping that Ant-Man and the Wasp delivers as well as this gem did.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014)
I’ll be the first to admit that, upon first seeing the trailers for this film, I didn’t think this would be a very good movie. I have since eaten crow. Guardians of the Galaxy is everything we should expect from a Marvel film: snappy visuals, laugh-out-loud dialogue, fun characters, and awesome action. Everyone is perfectly cast as a “bunch of jackasses,” and writer/director James Gunn and crew magically reintroduced amazing ‘70s music to us lowly humans. The villain is … definitely a throwaway (and a colossal misuse of Lee Pace), but the humor and story more than make up for that. Are you hooked on a feeling, yet? ‘Cause I am!
IRON MAN (2008)
The OG of the MCU, Iron Man, has more than lived up to its hype and prestige. Turning 10 years old next month (HOLY CRAP), Jon Favreau’s foray into the superhero genre was a total knockout, giving audiences the goods in action, comedy, and a surprising amount of tension. If anyone was born to play a role in a Marvel movie (besides Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool), it’s Robert Downey Jr.! He is and always will be, Tony Stark. The redemption story here (both in terms of the actor and the character he’s playing) is the stuff of legend. Also, who knew Jeff Bridges would make such a great villain?!
LOGAN (2017)
Finally, after 1 supremely awful origins film, and 1 more middle chapter that’s actually not too bad, we get a proper Wolverine film that is also, SPOILER ALERT, a great send-off for a great character. Logan, at its core, is essentially a western; A story of an outlaw trying to protect a kid from the bad guys — only said kid has virtually the same powers as our outlaw. The acting is great, the action is violent (eek), and the finale is immensely satisfying, if a little sad. Hugh Jackman will always be the king of claws.
SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)
Admittedly, I like the first Spider-Man film a little more, but this one is heads and tails above its predecessor in terms of sheer craftsmanship. Spider-Man 2 is still widely considered the best Spider-Man film, and it has held up extremely well as the years have gone by. Sam Raimi’s distinctive directorial style shines through and hits just about every note. Plus, Alfred Molina is given a really great arc as primary villain, Doc Ock, and he has a sympathetic quality that a certain former California governor could have used more of in an unmentionable DC-related film. (Batman v. Mr. Freeze: Dawn of Bat Nipples.)
THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)
It took constant bugging at the hands of my husband and about 5 other people to finally get me to watch this. Why did I ever doubt Taika Waititi? Thor: Ragnarok is just about the best thing to ever happen to Thor and his arc. Additionally, this movie features JEFF “FREAKING” GOLDBLUM at his Jeff “Freaking” Goldblum-iest! But that’s not all. Ragnorok also has excellent humor and amazing visuals. Furthermore, this film offers viewers a chance to see the Hulk as a gladiator, and that certainly doesn’t hurt! And finally, any time a Led Zeppelin song is featured on a soundtrack, it should be considered a huge win. In short, Thor: Ragnarok did not disappoint.
And for the ultimate dishonorable mention, check out Fant4stic … or not. If you value your time and life at all, you won’t.
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