Featured Blu-ray and DVD Review: Avengers: Infinity War - Spoiler / Detail Free Review
August 14, 2018
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Like we did with The Force Awakens, we are going to do a spoiler-free, detail-free review for Avengers: Infinity War. In other words, we are going to rate all of the movies in the MCU to see where Infinity War and the rest fit into place.
While I called this a detail-free review, that’s not entirely accurate. I will be giving pros and cons for each of the movies up to, but not including Avengers: Infinity War, starting with...
- Iron Man (2008)
Pros
- The first and it sets the tone for the series.
- Excellent combination of humor and action.
- Robert Downey Jr is great as the lead.
Cons
- Obadiah Stane is unmemorable as the bad guy.
- Climatic fight isn’t that exciting.
Ranking: 8th Place
I loved watching the film again for the first time in a few years, but the average quality of the MCU films has improved enough that this one is barely above average now.
- The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Pros
- It’s a monster movie, where the monster is the good guy and that’s a cool hook.
Cons
- Takes itself too seriously and doesn’t fit the tone of the rest of the MCU.
- Mark Ruffalo is a better Hulk / Banner.
- Emil Blonsky is unmemorable as the bad guy.
- Climatic fight isn’t that exciting.
Ranking: 19th Place
This is the only installment of the MCU that I wouldn’t be excited to watch with friends.
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
Pros
Cons
- Not as good as the first one.
- Ivan Vanko is unmemorable as the bad guy.
- Climatic fight is better, but still another guy in a suit.
Ranking: 18th Place
It’s better than its reputation and some elements are better than the first Iron Man film, but overall it is a step back.
- Thor (2011)
Pros
- Chris Hemsworth is excellent as Thor. He can make those corny speeches and draw the humor out of them.
- Loki is the first bad guy that is memorable.
- More emotional heart.
- We need more Kat Dennings in the MCU.
Cons
- The fight with The Destroyer isn’t that exciting.
- It’s too dark at times making it hard to see details, especially during the fight with the ice giants.
Ranking: 16th Place
The first comic book I ever owned was The Mighty Thor #337. I mention this because while I do like this film slightly more than Captain America: The First Avenger, I do worry this is due to this bias.
- Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Pros
- Chris Evans is the best casting choice in the MCU.
- We need more Peggy Carter in the MCU.
- World War II setting makes it stand out.
- More emotional heart with the most emotional ending up to this point.
- Red Skull is a good villain.
Cons
Ranking: 17th Place
It is a very close race for 16th place.
- The Avengers (2012)
Pros
- Loki became the best villain in the MCU so far.
- Great chemistry between the leads.
- Excellent action scenes.
- It’s a film that shouldn’t exist, but it works beyond most expectations.
Cons
- It’s a little unwieldy.
- Less a movie with a full plot and more a celebration of the MCU working.
- The ending is too clean.
Ranking: 4th Place
This is a movie that was would have been unimaginable before the MCU came out and it is better than I thought it could possibly be. ... And it’s only in fourth place. It is the new best movie in the MCU, looking at it chronologically.
- Iron Man 3 (2013)
Pros
- The reveal of The Mandarin’s real identity is one of the best parts of the MCU.
- PTSD Elements add dramatic weight.
- Exciting climactic fight.
- The kid sidekick isn’t that annoying.
- I love how Pepper Potts got the final blow on the bad guy.
Cons
- Aldrich Killian is unmemorable as the bad guy.
- Really should have kept Dr. Maya Hansen as the bad guy.
- Iron Man is again fighting an evil version of himself.
Ranking: 12th Place
This movie is a blast. Some people hate the reveal of The Mandarin’s true identity, but I love it. It’s not only the best part of this movie, it is one of the best parts of all comic book movies. On the other hand, the bad guy is again an evil version of Tony Stark and it isn’t new or interesting enough.
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Pros
- Loki and Thor continue to have good chemistry together.
- The portal fight at the end was fun to watch.
- I don’t like that Frigga was killed, but at least she got a fight scene.
- Overall improvement on the first Thor movie
Cons
Ranking: 15th Place
This film is considered by many to be among the weakest installments of the MCU, but I think it is better than its reputation.
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Pros
- I love the political intrigue.
- Some excellent action scenes.
- Falcon is a great addition to the franchise.
Cons
- I don’t like how they made Gary Shandling part of Hydra, because his character had a point trying to take away Iron Man’s suit. Tony Stark is, at best, a functioning alcoholic. So now the person who says, “Don’t let The Drunk use military hardware.” is siding with Hydra.
Ranking: 5th Place
Best non-Avengers movie so far. However, I do really like political intrigue in action movies, more so than the average critic, so keep that in mind. This is also the biggest improvement for a sequel for any of the sub-franchises in the MCU so far.
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Pros
- While the characters start out as jerks, there’s good character growth here.
- Being out in space means it stands out from the rest of the MCU.
- In the end, there’s good comradery from the Guardians.
Cons
- All of the main characters start out as jerks and it takes a while before you can root for them.
- Ronan is unmemorable as the bad guy.
Ranking: 10th Place
This is the best introductory installment in the MCU since the first Iron Man. Also, just as Iron Man set the tone for the first phase, Guardians of the Galaxy sets the tone for the third phase.
- Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Pros
- Chemistry between the leads is even better this time.
- Ultron is a very good bad guy.
- Excellent mix of action, comedy, and drama.
- Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver work both as bad guys and good guys.
Cons
- Except for the chemistry between the leads, almost every element is just a little bit weaker this time around.
Ranking: 14th Place
While the gap in ranking between the first Avengers movie and this one is huge, that’s misleading, as the quality difference isn’t that great. There are many movies in the MCU that are very close in quality. It is weaker, but still a great movie.
- Ant-Man (2015)
Pros
- It’s a Super Hero Heist film and I love that idea.
- The three leads have great chemistry together.
- The reveal of why Hank Pym recruited Scott Lang has emotional impact.
- Excellent use of the shrinking in action scenes.
- Hope seeing the Wasp suit in the end is great.
- Michael Peña’s stories are so much fun.
Cons
- Darren Cross is unmemorable as the bad guy. (That’s the last time I had to type out that phrase, thankfully.)
Ranking: 9th Place
I love heist movies, so a super hero heist movie set in the MCU is just perfect for me. I do like it more than the average fan, on the other hand.
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Pros
- Almost like Avengers 3 in scope.
- Very emotional core.
- Good introductions for both Black Panther and Spider-Man.
- Excellent action scenes. There were so many characters that this could have been a real problem making sure each character had some impact in the action scenes.
- Baron Zemo is a good bad guy, but the real villain is the character conflicts.
Cons
- Almost like Avengers 3, which means too many characters who do not have enough screen time.
Ranking: 2nd Place
It was a close call, but if you go chronologically, we have a new number one, as this movie is just a little bit better than the first Avengers movie.
- Doctor Strange (2016)
Pros
- Benedict Cumberbatch is great as Doctor Strange.
- The introduction of magic helps the MCU and the visuals are amazing.
- Tilda Swinton works as The Ancient One, which is a serious problem in the comics.
- Making Kamar-Taj a multicultural place is a wise choice.
- Great supporting cast.
- Both the final fight in backwards time and the final confrontation with Dormammu are amazing.
Cons
- Stephen Strange is a little too much of a jerk when at his lowest. Cocky Stephen Strange is fine, cruel Stephen Strange is not.
- Kaecilius is only okay as the bad guy.
- Rachel McAdams doesn’t have enough screen time.
Ranking: 11th Place
I can’t believe this film didn’t make the top ten. That’s a testament to how strong the MCU has been so far. I really want a sequel for this movie.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (2017)
Pros
- Very deep meaning about childhood abuse and survivor’s guilt.
- Baby Groot was amazing.
- I liked how some of the bad guys from the first film became good guys in this one. It feeds into the theme of how people are not limited by their pasts. ... Got that Disney? People are not limited by their pasts.
- Another film with an amazing visual style.
- The ending is way more emotional than I thought it would be.
- Several really good action scenes and plenty of laughs to offset the heavy drama.
Cons
- Mantris was treated very poorly and that hurt the themes of the film.
Ranking: 6th Place
An improvement on the first film and proof that this franchise is the one leading the way in the MCU right now.
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Pros
Cons
- The total is not as good as the sum of its parts.
Ranking: 13th Place
I’m so glad that Spider-Man is in the MCU, but I’m a little worried about what Sony is going to do with the Spider-Verse, or whatever it is going to be called.
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Pros
- Best humor in the franchise. Taika Waititi and the writers did an amazing job with this film.
- Thor and Hulk have great chemistry together.
- Thor won the fight, as he should.
- Valkyrie is a great addition to the MCU.
- Has a message under the action.
- Some of the best fights in the franchise.
- Extended cast is excellent.
- Cate Blanchett is amazing as Hela.
Cons
- Hela doesn’t get enough screen time.
- The Warriors Three are killed off too quickly.
Ranking: 3rd Place
This is the biggest increase in quality in a franchise in the MCU. It came close to being the best installment in the entire MCU up to this point.
- Black Panther (2018)
Pros
- Afro-Futurism style helps set it apart.
- Shuri is a fun supporting character and her chemistry with T’Challa is excellent.
- Killmonger and Klaue are great villains.
- Great action scenes.
- Strong plot with a message to tell.
Cons
- Potentially over-hyped and that hurt my opinion of the film.
- Plot only works because the Black Panther doesn’t tell W’Kabi about Killmonger. “Hey W’Kabi, Killmonger’s dad worked with Klaue and that’s why your parents are dead. Also, Killmonger was working with Klaue and helped him escape.” Okay, better dialogue is important, but it is a pet peeve when plots only move forward because of things like this.
Ranking: 7th Place
The biggest box office hit in the MCU and considered by many to be the best. I’m not among those who think it is the best, but I do agree that it is outstanding.
And that takes us to Avengers: Infinity War. If you’ve been paying attention, you will notice one ranking is missing, and that’s first place. Infinity War is, in my opinion, the best movie in the MCU so far. If you want to know why, you can read the full review here.
C.S.Strowbridge
Filed under: Video Review, Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, Sony’s Marvel Universe, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim Roth, Hayley Atwell, Jeff Bridges, Daniel Brühl, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kat Dennings, Vin Diesel, Michael Douglas, Robert Downey, Jr., Christopher Eccleston, Chris Evans, Rebecca Hall, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Scarlett Johansson, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Keaton, Ben Kingsley, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, Lee Pace, Guy Pearce, Michael Peña, Sam Rockwell, Mickey Rourke, Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, Rene Russo, Andy Serkis, Garry Shandling, Ty Simpkins, James Spader, Corey Stoll, Tilda Swinton, Marisa Tomei, Tom Holland, Tessa Thompson, Elizabeth Olsen, Taika Waititi, Daniel Kaluuya, Chadwick Boseman, Pom Klementieff, Letitia Wright, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jacob Batalon
