Last night I watched Iron Man 3 on Blu Ray and I have to say, it worked better for me the second time around.
I assume knowing what to expect allowed me to enjoy the film for what it is; more of a Tony Stark 80s action story rather than a hardcore Iron Man flick.
It managed to keep me smiling through most of the movie. The climax still doesn't deliver but, again, I was prepared for that this time.
Meanwhile, a recent viewing of Captain America made me want to drop it in the trash can.
So I've adjusted my personal ranking of the Marvel movies after the test of time and repeated viewings have treated some of the films better than others.
These rankings are based on a combination of simple enjoyability and the strength of the movie from a normal critical perspective.
That's why you'll find Incredible Hulk ranked so high.
It holds up to multiple viewings, hits all the right beats, has no glaring weaknesses, a solid story arc and is just fun to watch. So here they are:
- Iron Man
- Incredible Hulk
- Iron Man 3
- The Avengers
- Iron Man 2
- Thor
- Captain America
This may be considered blasphemy.
I know Avengers is hallowed ground for some of you, but every time I watch it, the rough spots get a little more annoying.
At this point, the first Captain America/Loki faceoff literally makes me cringe. I hate to say it, because I like Chris Evans, but he just wasn't the right guy to play Captain America. It feels forced in several ways. Evans was a great match for the Human Torch. That role plays to his strengths. Snarky and brash come much more easily for him and actually make him more likeable than his attempt at the sincere simpleton character that has been painted of Cap. So far Steve Rogers/Captain America couldn't be more dull and that is the fault of the producers and writers, not Chris Evans. Lets all keep our fingers crossed that the Russo brothers will inject some edge and personality into Cap for his sequel.
Thor's sequel hits theaters next month
, so I'm sure I'll shuffle the order around again after seeing that one. I like what I've seen in the trailers and would definitely expect it to surpass the original.