Ranked Marvel movies

Well, Captain America: The Winter Soldier was released this weekend. I would do a normal review, but I think it will be more fun to see where The Winter Soldier winds up on the ranking of Marvel's films. For the purposes of this list, only Marvel studios films will be included. That means that Spider Man and X-men films will not be included, as they belong to other studios. However, all involved in the shared universe will be included so without further ado, here we go.

#9 

Iron Man 2

Well this was a disappointment, wasn't it? Two years after Iron Man redefined the superhero film its sequel was released, and it turned out to be an overlong film with an undercooked villain. The biggest problem, however, was the fact that the film really doesn't stand on its own. It is so tied up in setting up the shared universe that it doesn't really tell a satisfying story in its own right. Also, the final fight with Mickey Rourke's Whiplash is the definition of an anticlimax.

#8

The Incredible Hulk

Marvel sure seems to want to forget that this film ever happened. While it's certainly not great, I do think it gets somewhat of a worse rap than it deserves. Some of the action is quite entertaining, and Edward Norton is always a reliable protagonist. As well, it is certainly a better film than Ang Lee's Hulk. In the end, though, perhaps The Hulk is a character better suited to a supporting role than a lead. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like a solo outing for the green giant will have much more of a story to tell than Hulk running from the military and eventually being forced to fight another giant monster. Perhaps someday someone will be able to give him an interesting story, but until then he should probably keep more to the sidelines.

#7

Thor: The Dark World

I was very excited for this movie when I heard that Alan Taylor, director of some of the best early Game of Thrones episodes, would be helming the film. In the end, I found the extra fantasy elements of the film to be quite entertaining. Unfortunately, the Earth elements wound up being even more grating. Rather than having one comic relief character, they added a second and turned a previously serious character into a third. While this is not bad in its own right, the comedy that these three provide is much more annoying than funny, and does not at all mesh with the rest of the film. The final fight is a disappointment as well, using a cool concept to far less than its full potential. Perhaps I am mostly disappointed because I wanted a mythological epic where Marvel wanted a superhero film. All I can say is thank god for Tom Hiddleston, as he truly saves the film's second act, making sure this was not the weakest Marvel film.

#6

Iron Man 3

Now we're getting to the good ones. Iron Man 3 showed that Marvel has largely figured out how to make a satisfying sequel. Tony Stark's internal struggles were interesting, the film's tone was light enough to be entertaining, but serious enough to feel the stakes, and the visuals have never been better. It is still held back by a few things. Marvel is not known for having great villains, and this film is one of the weaker ones. While the villain does pose a threat, his motivations and plan are very generic. I was excited when I heard that the mandarin was going to be the villain because I hoped the film would use him in a more interesting way than the first two. In the end he was slightly more entertaining than the villains of the first two, but leaves the viewer with a feeling of wasted potential. Nonetheless, Iron Man 3 has more style than either of the first two films and proves to be a solid sequel entry in the Marvel canon, if not the best example.

#5

Iron Man

I know that many of you will not agree with Iron Man being this low. In fact, a large part of the reason it is so high is that I respect the fact that it is responsible for the entire Marvel shared universe being started. However, I think when one steps away from the film the real reason for its success is Robert Downey Jr. His performance is excellent, finding the humor and pathos in the character. When you step away from that, however, Iron Man is a standard origin story with a well below average villain. I feel that it is a touch overrated, as its main strength is its lead star. However, that performance is enough for the film to be one of the stronger films of the Marvel canon.

#4

Thor

And After the most overrated Marvel film comes the one I feel is very underrated. The first Thor may have had less screen time on Asgard, but with Kenneth Branagh's direction it felt even more epic. I was impressed with the Shakespearian aspects of the plot, as the Thor/Loki dynamic was fascinating to watch. As well, though the attempts at humor do bring this film down, they are not quite as annoying as they will become. What makes this film really strong though is that it has easily the strongest villain of any Marvel film. Loki is fascinating, played brilliantly by Tom Hiddleston. Threatening, fun and having more fans than the film's hero, Loki may just be the true star of the Marvel shared universe, and I think many people forget that this is the film where he got started, and where he was at his best.

#3

The Avengers

Ok, hear me out for The Avengers not being number 1. I love The Avengers, and feel as though it is one of the more entertaining blockbusters of recent memory. However, I feel it is much more of a cool film than a good one. While that is not a criticism, as cool is much more of what it was going for when it combined six superheroes together, I does keep it back from being at the same level of the only two great films Marvel has produced. That being said, Joss Whedon's writing and direction are a perfect fit for this film. He balances all the characters very well so they have almost equal parts to play (except Thor and Hawkeye) and he fixes the character of Black Widow, showing the potential Scarlett Johansson had in the role. His dialogue is so great that many people forget that the film doesn't really have a story. Probably the most fun of Marvel's movies, and I very much look forward to the team's next outing.

#2

Captain America: The First Avenger

I guess you can tell by now that Captain America is my favorite of the Marvel superheroes. I feel as though he is the most interesting character as a person, and Chris Evans gives the most layered performance of the shared universe. His first film is easily the most heartfelt of the entire Marvel universe, and very nearly at the number one spot. What really sets this film apart, though, are the setting and the director. The WWII setting gives the filmmakers a lot to work with, and is very cool to see a superhero period piece. As well, this film is one of the only ones that truly feels like a standalone, with S.H.I.E.L.D not coming in till the last scene. As such, Joe Johnston's style really shines through in a way the other Marvel directors haven't been able to do. It feels very retro, and that's very cool to see, and makes for quite an interesting setup, and one of the best superhero films of all time.

#1

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

By far the smartest film Marvel has ever made, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a true, exciting action thriller. The storyline, retaining the feel of 70s spy films, is as strong as anything Marvel has produced yet. As well, the entire cast is on point in this film, which truly makes S.H.I.E.L.D. important. Packed with several cool twists and great performances, Winter Soldier is easily the best film on this list when taken on its own terms. It is also notable for having by far the best action of the entire Marvel Universe. I don't know where they came from, but the Russo brothers have shown that they know how to do action very well. Containing some hard hitting intensity, actually intimidating villains and employing good use of shaky cam, Winter Soldier is the most exciting film of the entire series. Perhaps it is just the most in my head, but I truly feel as though Marvel has outdone itself with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and have created their best film yet. I am now very much looking forward to what James Gunn will do with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Brooklyn 99 Season 1 Review

Created by Daniel J. Goor and Michael Schur

First seasons are hard, especially for comedies. Dramas can win an audience over quickly with strong story turns or a unique and engrossing atmosphere, but comedies, sitcoms especially, are based mostly around the way the ensemble interacts with one another. This often takes time, and as such a lot of these shows seem to require a degree of patience before the audience can become truly invested. It is to Brooklyn 99's great credit, then, that it does not at all feel like a show in its first season.

From two of the head writers of Parks and Recreation, this show depicts an incredibly dysfunctional police station which is thrown for a loop when a new no-nonsense captain is brought in to whip them into shape and get them acting like a team. Most thrown by this change is Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), an immature and conceited officer with an authority problem who also happens to be a very gifted officer.

From the getgo Brooklyn 99 felt much more confident than most shows in their first season could even hope for. Featuring a talented, ethnically diverse cast, which includes an excellent and unique depiction of a homosexual character, and not shying away from the darker aspects of police work the show managed to elevate itself merely by giving it their best shot rather than following the cookie-cutter. It helps that a lot of the comedy comes more from social commentary than from easy, sophomoric humor. While it does occasionally have those moments, they are aided by the fact that most of the comedy is more thought out and comes about more genuinely.

What also helps is that most of the shows characters are played somewhat straight. While they do all have their own quirks, they show the capacity to change as the season goes on, and reveal new layers which fit with the character despite being not instantly noticeable. Andre Braugher, playing the strict Captain Holt, is an excellent lampoon of his type of character. Braugher perfectly portrays the stereotyped no-nonsense persona, but he has just as much fun with the character reveals that go against that. Beatriz instantly becomes the rough Diaz, playing off her dark tendencies with glee while infusing her with more heart than one otherwise would. Melissa Fumero's Amy Santiago is also notable as a great representation of a "normal" character who is still able to provide comedy. Joe Lo Truglio and Chelsea Peretti bring the show's silliest moments with their broader characters, and while they are far less complex than those around them, they still consistently earn laughs. Terry Crews might just be the MVP, though. He's always been the best part about whatever he's in, and one can instantly tell that this role was written specifically for him, as it fits him like a glove and makes the greatest use out of all of his talents.

Andy Samberg, however, started the show as the weak link. His character's immaturity didn't quite fit in with the smarter humor that was surrounding him, and his character was too simple to be the lead, especially compared to the complex characters surrounding him. As the season wore on, however, something changed. Jake Peralta is still recognizably the same character, but he has been allowed to grow and learn. This is weird for television and unheard of in sitcoms, where characters do not change as to keep their humor consistent, but the character is able to gradually grow and, as he does, fit in better with the rest of the ensemble.

This is not a perfect show. While the episodes do maintain a high laugh-per-minute ratio and are very consistent, there isn't really any episode that stands out. While I can't say I would give any individual episode less than a B, I also couldn't give out any As. They mostly wind up in the A-/B+ range, great and funny but not quite a classic. While its true this is a minor quibble, it also means that its a show that is never truly amazing, but is rather constantly very good. Perhaps next year it will manage to achieve that next level, but until then I can say that if you enjoy sitcoms, Brooklyn 99 is one of the better recent ones, but if you do not have time to devote to catching up on a tv show, it's not necessarily at the level where you need to make time.

Season Grade: B+

Strongest Episode: Unsolvable (Episode 21)
This was really hard to pick as the show kept a very consistent level of quality, and it is difficult to say any one episode is better than another. However, I feel that the second half of the season featured stronger interactions with the cast and it seemed as though the writers truly figured out each character, and got better at integrating the police work into the comedy. This episode, featuring Terry and Jake taking on a cold case, made the most of the character interactions, as well as featuring Terry Crews very strongly, instantly elevating the episode.

Weakest Episode: The Slump (Episode 3)
Again, very hard to pick. However strong the idea of hotshot Jake Peralta having a slump might be, perhaps episode three was a little too early to use this particular idea, and it could have been used more effectively later in the season.