After I watch any marvel movie, the first thing my wife and I always do is compare it to the last one we saw. What I forget though is how many Marvel movies there truly are so I decided make a little list of some of my favorite ones. There will be some obvious ones and some… not so much. So I hope you enjoy the read and feel free to leave a comment or two.
Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance
Okay, Okay settle down people. I know what you guys are thinking “ how in the world is ghost rider on any top Marvel movie list” and all I have to answer to that is three words. Nic “mothereffin” Cage. There is something you have to understand about me, there was a point in my life where I thought Nic Cage was the best actor of all time so when I found out he was going to play Ghost Rider I was done. The first Ghost Rider took itself way too seriously and had some of the most boring action imaginable but Spirit of Vengeance just focused on fun and over the top action. The directors, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (Crank) did a great job focusing on the ridiculous and wacky nature of the Ghost Rider and allowed Nic Cage to really flex his crazy muscle. What II really loved was that it sort of gave the Ghost Rider himself a personality, he wasn’t just a stoic demon but a wise ass who laughed as he burned his victims alive. This was a pretty small movie in scope so the action didn’t have too much spectacle but it was still very satisfying and silly fun. I’m not crazy, I know this isn’t a great movie, or even a good one but it is a hell of a fun time (no pun intended). I have always felt it never got the attention it deserved and it’s a shame, so if your looking for a marvel movie that has absolutely no real reason to exist other then to entertain you, give Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance a watch, if you hate it at least you got to see Ghost Rider piss fire.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy might have been the first MCU movie that had the media a little worried. At the time no one had any idea who the Guardians were (fans excluded) and Chris Pratt was known for little more than Parks and Recreations. Fortunately, James Gunn crafted such an amazing world and did a stellar job bring these unknown characters to life in a way that was so relatable and fun. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and the rest of the team were like this super dysfunctional family that reminded me so much of my own, I couldn’t help but fall in love with them. No matter how much they yell at each other and be at each other's throats the love was always there. And that was my main draw to the movie, don’t get me wrong the action was awesome and the story was interesting and funny but the true draw was seeing each member of the team interact with one another and create some hysterical and heartfelt moments.
Ant Man and the Wasp
I’m not going to lie; I have a thing for Paul Rudd. It’s not sexual in nature but I can’t help but love everything the man plays in especially Ant Man. He brings this amazing energy to the character with his buffoonish and heartfelt portrayal making Scott Lang probably the most relatable hero in the Marvel cinematic initiative. Scott Lang’s all around positive attitude and natural sense of always being lost makes an excellent conduit for us normies to really be enveloped by this world. Ant Man and The Wasp took an already solid foundation and beloved characters and gave them way more dimension and agency. Hope Van Dyne is no longer a bystander but instead really develops into a full fledged super hero and even takes the lead in the movies most creative action moments. There was a great balance between the two heroes making it so that there is always a focus on someone important pushing the plot forward in a steady pace while staying consistently hysterical. While Avengers Infinity War depressed the hell out of me, Ant Man and the Wasp did a great job slapping a stupid smile on my face.
Thor Ragnarok
Let me just get this out of the way, Thor was my least favorite Avenger, before I even saw him in his first movie. Even in the comics he always felt so dull and uninteresting and this feeling was only solidified by the first 2 Thor movies and the Avengers. Out of the whole team he was the least interesting one to follow and that’s a real shame because he is the God of freaking thunder. But then Thor Ragnarok happened. Not only was it a great movie that was hysterical and filled with incredible action but most importantly it completely changed my perception of Thor. No longer was he this annoying, self righteous god, now he was this loveable guy with a happy helping of sass. It was also an excellent choice to have Hulk as his companion throughout the film, always throwing jabs (literally and figuratively) at each other, help create this almost brotherly bond between the two. What this film also did well was it finally made Thor into a bad ass God of Thunder. Never before have we seen him kick so much as as we do in this movie, it was exhilarating. The movie was also filled with an excellent villain and really fun and quirky side characters that added so much flavor and color to the world.
The Punisher 2004
I will be very honest here, I barely knew what The Punisher was before this movie. I never grew up reading comic books and I only had a basic understanding of what that culture was, but that didn’t stop me from absolutely loving this movie. Surprisingly this is the second movie based on the character, the first being the 1980 film staring Dolph Lundgred (yes, its as bad ass as it sounds), but this one stared Thomas Jane as Frank and the story is pretty much more of the same. But what made this movie special to me was its focus on realism (more or less) and a great focus on the pain and struggle that Frank goes through after the death of his family. Tom Jane does an absolutely stellar job as Frank and brings a really bad ass and sympathetic dimension to the character that was completely lost to comic book movies at the time. This was further realized by the addition of Frank’s neighbors who act as sort of a surrogate family to him that leads to some really charming and heartwarming interactions. Ultimately though, this is a movie based on Marvel’s most violent anti-hero and this movie delivers. The action is brutal and intense but never felt silly or too over the top, it was always grounded in reality and I always felt like everything Frank did was completely possible… not probable, yet possible.
Avengers Infinity War
What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this movie? Avengers Infinity War was a movie that was literally 10 years in the making, with every movie before it placing a tiny breadcrumb that resulted in this masterpiece. Every aspect of this movie was so meticulous and thoughtful that nothing ever really felt out of place or boring. Each character had their moments in the spotlight that was meaningful and integral to the story so every scene pushed the plot forward in an excellent pace. Also, for the first time ever in a marvel movie (besides Black Panther maybe) the villain was so well done that I was almost rooting for him to win. But the most absolutely magical aspect of this movie was the glory of seeing all the heroes we fell in love with fight side by side against a nearly unstoppable and terrifying force. The battles were so epic, so heart stopping, that it was almost difficult to comprehend. Avengers Infinity War is epic in every sense of the world and is absolutely worth the 10-year investment
Logan
Logan is not only my favorite comic book movie but there is a very good chance that it is my favorite movie. Wolverine was always a character I admired and felt a close connection to he was gruff, rough around the edges and always wore his heart on his sleeve. I always admired how no matter how broken he got or how miserable he was, he always stood up for the little guy and fought for justice. Wolverine always put others before himself even when it would cost him everything. What made Logan such a special movie was that it gave us a Wolverine that gave up on everything, he didn’t care about saving anyone, he was shattered, old and defeated. But then rebuilt into the unbelievable and even greater hero. Knowing that this was Hugh Jackman’s final Wolverine movie every step and misstep had tremendous weight, constantly surprising and shocking me. The action was also way more brutal, even hard to watch at times, resulting in some of the most amazing and intense action set pieces in recent history. The relationship between Laura, Logan, and Charles was also done spectacularly with every interaction feeling heartfelt, heartbreaking, and always challenged the characters in interesting and new ways. This whole movie felt so focused and personal it resulted in such a stronger connection to Logan causing a very emotional reaction for me, so much so that I’m a little scared to watch the movie again. Logan was not a happy movie by any means but it did end an era on a very high note and although it closed the book on a beloved character, it filled my heart with hope and happiness that Logan left his world a better place.
Congratulations! you made it to the end of the list and there you have, the list of my favorite marvel movies. Obviously there are really great ones but these are the ones that mean something to me for one reason or another. Thanks for reading.