Lurker > Inviso

HanOfTheNekos
I love Spider-Man. I have loved him as long as I can remember. So lets talk.

Being a post-Endgame movie, we got to see all the nonsense they have to deal with on account of the blip, or whatever they call it. This was fun, fascinating, and cool to see them deal with. Of interest - all of Spideys friends and family blipped with him.

MJ got more of a chance to shine in this movie, which was great. The stuff between Tony and Peter was heartwrenching just as well, for everything they meant to each other. I just feel connected to Peter in a way no other character earns.

What was the best part of this movie? Mysterio. Like, the action sequences with the fake elemental dudes were solid, but Mysterio, a villain as we ALL knew he would be, really sold it at first. They teased us with the multiverse stuff, and for a minute, I believed it. Then it all came out.

The SINGLE best moment, however, was the Mysterio sequence where he took Spidey on a trip. Im not sure you could improve on that. That is the single best scene in ANY MCU film, bar none. Write that one down. Its my favorite. This film is so high partially because of that alone.

JJJ reappearance at the end and Mysterio fucking it all up for Peter Im excited to see what happens next.

VengefulKaelee
Probably the most pure fun of any movie in the MCU, for me. After all the pomp and circumstance surrounding Infinity War and Endgame being the biggest movie crossover event of the ever, Far From Home managed to scale everything back in such a satisfying way. It's funny, it's engaging, and I think it's one that tends to get unfairly overlooked due to a combination of (completely understandable) Marvel fatigue that was setting in for most people around the time of its release, and its intentional scaling-back of the overall stakes of the franchise.

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Illuminatusbubu
A perfect blend between a teen romantic comedy and a superhero movie. A chemistry and interaction between main characters are perfect. Unpredictable throughout. Show the aftermath of the war in the previous movie. A perfect conclusion for the saga.

Johnbobb
So, after 2 lackluster Amazing Spider-Man movies, and then a 3RD Spider-Man revival that everyone else went wild for but I personally thought was just ok, my hopes weren't crazy high. That is, until, I saw Jake Gyllenhaal cast as Mysterio, and my hype hit an all-time high. I love Jake Gyllenhaal (both the Gyllenhaals, really) and he just nails it here. His Mysterio is easily my favorite villain of the MCU (not that that's a high bar, because villains aren't exactly the MCU's specialty). As a character, he's bold and confident and darkly evil. As a supervillain, he's terrifying, with his surreal mind-bending sequences being some of my favorites in the entire franchise. Even the post-credit scene is probably the best of the franchise. This movie is a blast.

StifledSilence
This was the perfect send off to the first story arc of the MCU. Peter is established as the new Tony of sorts, but he resists this change as the audience does. Both Peter and the viewers want Tony back and are still having a hard time accepting the events of Endgame. Peter attempts to discard his responsibilities and be a normal kid. Sadly, try as he might, his duties and his enemies cant leave him alone. Add in an expert con artist villain, and generous doses of Happy and Nickuel L. Fury and we have a guaranteed good time.

Inviso
Far From Home had a LOT working against it, coming out as the very next film after the epic grandeur that was Avengers: Endgame. But honestly? Far From Home managed to do a DAMN good job standing up to the high standard set by its predecessor. Tom Holland has already established himself as the best of the three live-action, cinematic Spider-Men, but this movie really made him feel on top of his game. This is a kid dealing with the same kind of PTSD that Tony had to deal with throughout the Iron-Man trilogy, but with the added issues of teenaged hormones and the stress of trying to deal with a normal life. It all adds up to a unique feel to every scene. Additionally, Ive gotta say that I love Mysterio as a villain. Whether its Jake Gyllenhalls performance or the character himself, its just great to have a guy feel slighted by Iron Man (giving us one last This is your fault, Tony to cap off the Iron Man saga of the MCU) and put together a team of scientific geniuses, just to earn the respect he never got while Tony was still alive. Oh! And of course, the J.K. Simmons stinger at the end was one of the best credits scenes in the franchise thus far, so overall, the film was just great.

TomNook
There are a bunch of things this movie has going for it. It has Tom Holland as an excellent Peter Parker again of course, it has the fascinating idea of people dealing with a post-UNsnapped world, Peter dealing with the Tony Stark legacy being passed on, And it has one of the best Marvel villains. Everyone knows Mysterio is one of the most iconic Spider-Man villains, so seeing him introduced and developed was fun to see how it played out. And nobody is going to complain about Jon Favreau getting more screen time.

BetrayedTangy
To me Homecoming was such a mediocre film that I had some pretty negative expectations going in. Thankfully FFH managed to surprise me not only did it fix most of the prior movies flaws, but it improved on what it did well and you really dont get that often! The main thing that really makes me love this movie however is really just Mysterio. Not only does Jake Gyllenhal put in one hell of a performance, but I think he was the first on screen villain to actually give Peter psychological damage, while still tormenting him from beyond the grave. Not to mention all the crazy things they do with his powers. Overall its a really fun movie that I love rewatching.

ScepterOfLove
(No write-up.)

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11. Spider-Man: Far From Home
Total Score: 313

Illuminatusbubu - 1
Johnbobb - 2
StifledSilence - 2
Inviso 3
TomNook - 3
BetrayedTangy - 4
ScepterOfLove 4
HanOfTheNekos 5
VengefulKaelee - 5
GavsEvans123 6
Raka Putra - 7
ZenOfThunder 8
Cybat - 9
MetalmindStats 9
CoolCly - 10
Maniac64 10
Sheep007 10
Lopen - 11
Mega Mana 11
Snake5555555555 - 11
Jesse Custer 12
Red13n - 12
Whiskey Nick - 12
MetalDK 14
NBIceman 15
Paratroopa - 15
XIII Rocks 15
Anagram 16
Mr Crispy - 16
Corrik7 17
Eddv - 18
PrinceKaro 20

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Dancedreamer posted...

Cue conservative outrage that Biden isn't working 24/7 during a pandemic.

...I just imagined a WWE storyline where Joe Biden becomes the 24/7 champion.

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OUTLIERS:

Eddv - 92
PrinceKaro - 67
Johnbobb - 61
BetrayedTangy - 55
Jesse Custer - 52
VengefulKaelee - 52
Lopen - 50
Mr Crispy - 48
Paratroopa1 - 46
Snake5555555555 - 44
ScepterOfLove - 43
TomNook - 43
GavsEvans123 - 41
MetalmindStats - 41
StifledSilence - 38
XIII Rocks - 38
Raka Putra - 37
Cybat - 36
Corrik7 - 34
HanOfTheNekos - 34
Anagram - 33
Illuminatusbubu - 33
Maniac64 - 33
Whiskey Nick - 33
Inviso - 32
CoolCly - 30
Mega Mana - 29
Red13n - 29
MetalDK - 25
NBIceman - 24
Sheep007 - 23
ZenOfThunder 8

Zen scores another perfect placement to maintain a solid lead, while Sheep, MetalDK, and NBIceman duke it out for second place (and Mana has comparably fallen out of contention, despite still being within striking distance, due to just how close the scores are at this point.) Meanwhile, Eddv makes another big jump as his number 23 is finally eliminated from the ranking, and the trio of Karo, Johnbobb and Tangy continue to separate from one another.

Spoiler for Number 11: We still have two multi-film franchises left that have yet to take a hit in this ranking, but only one of them will make the top ten intact.

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Paratroopa1
This is the point on the list where I really like every film left and I have to put something at 18, so here's the first Iron Man film. Behind Robert Downey Jr's character-defining performance, it's really easy to see how this film completely breathed new life into the genre, since the only good lighthearted popcorn-muncher superhero flicks recently had been the Raimi Spider-Man films (the Nolan Batmans also existed, but very different vibe there). For an origin story, it's really well crafted - going from Tony Stark breaking out of an encampment with a hastily thrown together metal suit to eventually testing out and completing his Iron Man suit works really well, and the movie does a good job of pacing and ratcheting up the stakes until the final showdown. What complicates this film for me is that it's very much a Bush-era Iraq war film, and that makes it feel outdated to me in a way that's tough to grapple with - the movie IS critical of the military industrial complex, but it's not particularly critical of patriotism in general and it's certainly not critical of billionaire cult worship. It tries to imagine and lay out a way in which a billionaire war profiteer can redeem himself and walk a moral path, but at the end of the day it's still a movie in which we need the billionaire to save us and even after what Tony Stark goes through in this movie I feel like he gets let off the hook for being, well, a billionaire war profiteer. I'm able to forget about this in future movies, but not this one; this movie makes it feel too real, whereas the sheer surrealism of future MCU movies make it easier to gloss over, especially as Stark comes into his own as a character. This, plus the fact that the movie doesn't have much of the fun MCU connectivity for being the first one (especially with Terrence Howard as Rhodey) and the fact that it's a little older makes it feel rougher around the edges. Also I hate the dad rock score.

StifledSilence
I feel this is the weakest of the three Tony flicks, but it had the best villain. Is that weird? Whatever. No such thing as a bad Iron Tony Man movie.

VengefulKaelee
I have never been particularly fond of this movie, possibly because I didn't see it back when it came out in 2008. It's very of-its-time, between the blatant jingoism of its portrayal of Afghanistan and Middle-Eastern terrorism, and even the way that Tony Stark is portrayed as such a lovable asshole billionaire. It just kind of rings hollow in a lot of ways for me. I realize Tony Stark's portrayal in these movies is probably quite accurate to the comics (which I have never read), but all in all, of the primary Avengers cast, he's the one I care for the least, and this movie showcases a lot of the reasons why.

PrinceKaro
A spoiled billionaire ends up captured by the most incompetent terrorists ever who run in terror from a nerd who is wielding a gun like a grandma, and don't seem to notice Tony is building a suit of death armor instead of an advanced missile system.
So in a very awkward and forced manner Stark suddenly becomes woke because he only just now realized that weapons kill people and he shouldnt build them. He instead decides to build an advanced flying battlesuit that is armed to the teeth because clearly he should be the only person allowed to blow shit up.
Like most of the early MCU films, the movie's supporting cast is filled with largely forgettable characters and a generic 'evil corporate guy' villain.
You can see the beginnings of the sense of humor that would become the trademark of the MCU, albeit in a somewhat unrefined form. But at this point things just hadn't gelled yet and it is trying way too hard to be cool in a manner a MCU movie shouldnt need to. The music in particular is godawful compared to the rest of the MCU.
Is it a bad movie? No. But it is one that is a product of its time to an uncomfortable degree, and is lacking in any umph other than a message about weapon proliferation that ends up so fangless that it needs a pair of dentures.

Eddv
I fucking hate this movie mainly because I hate Robert Downey Jr's smug ass performance Setting the stage for my dislike of this franchise. There are worse movies in this franchise, probably, but this one holds a special place for because without it a lot of other mediocre and overhyped movies would have never been made.

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Inviso
There is a reason that the MCU was able to become a long-running franchise and has basically been able to print money for Marvel and Disney, and it all starts with Iron Man. Going into this watch/rewatch, Id seen about half of the MCU, and Iron Man was one of the ones Id seen before. And its great. Everything about it is great, and coming out in 2008, is does SO MUCH to distinguish itself from its DC counterpart in The Dark Knight. Tony Starks characterization is great, because hes just SUCH a cocky dickhead, but hes also fighting for the right cause all along. The whole film is a great show, dont tell origin story, explaining Tonys recklessness in making himself into a superhero (and while they do tell that hes a genius, we get to witness it firsthand through the process of him designing his suit or escaping captivity at the beginning. Its just a really interesting story, and he FEELS like a unique individual to star as a character, which in turn makes Iron Man an interesting hero to follow. Its just a great film to kick off the franchise.

ZenOfThunder
Still a very strong movie to launch a very strong franchise. A lot of it still screams "I was shot in 2007" though. Have you seen Robert Downey Jr's hair in this? Yikes.

BetrayedTangy
So the first Iron Man is a hard one to rank. It was great at the time and incredibly influential, but man does it have issues holding up. Just about everything in this movie is just kinda standard. The plot is pretty simple, the side characters are just kinda there and the special effects were great for the time, but simply outclassed now. Id say the saving grace though is definitely RDJ and Jeff Bridges. RDJ literally carries the film and really makes Tony Stark an incredibly endearing character. Jeff Bridges on the other hand is a nice hammy villain, he delivers some great corny lines and is the highlight of any rewatch.

Sheep007
I really dont know where to put this movie in my ranking. Tony Stark is probably the best MCU protagonist, and I dont think a ton of people would disagree with me here. I like the start of the movie, Tonys arc, the humour, and some anti-war themes! So basically, it does well in all of the things that I dislike about my number 15, which I imagine will have come up way before this point. However, it just doesnt grab my attention like a lot of the others. I didnt have all that much fun when I compare it to others on this list (and I watched some of those AFTER another twenty, rather than before), and its pretty much just carried by Tony being a great character. Overall, its a solid film which can be a tad dull, at times.

Whiskey Nick
(No write-up.)

HanOfTheNekos
The one that started it all. RDJs casting and Favreaus work with him is truly to blame for the success of the MCU. This movie is better than I remember it being - from the beginning, Im laughing at the humor. Obadiah Stane is a typical villain. He looks like Thanos though, right? Such foreshadowing.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelmovies/images/d/da/Obadiah_Stane.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20080410015733
https://www.sideshowtoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/marvel-avengers-infinity-war-thanos-sixth-scale-figure-hot-toys-feature-903429-1.jpg

Right? Anyway, climax wasnt great. But theres enough charm in this movie to push it above the previous ones.

Best moment of the film?

"Actually... I am Iron Man."

Johnbobb
My experience with the MCU started in high school, watching Iron Man on a VLC media player I had installed on a school computer. At the time, I remember thinking... yeah, this is pretty cool. Not like X-Men cool but it's alright. Now, 12 years and 22 films later: that's still true. X-Men was and is better.

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CoolCly
Iron Man. This is it. This is the bar.
Everything below this movie is a good movie at best. Everything above it is a great movie at worst. It was a perfect origin story, great charisma, cool action, and set up a cast of characters. Its a bit rough around the edges, and the third act falls off a bit, but its a great movie. Every movie below it in this list is there because it may have done some great things in a few spots, but had too many flaws or fell in a few too many places to reach this bar.
I love this movie and appreciate it so much.
RDJs performance is so tone setting for the whole movie, and despite a lot of people being frustrated by it, theres a very strong reason why Tony Stark is so influential on so many the films, and why he steals the show in every movie hes a part of. Its funny, its charming, its confident, its douchebaggy, its clever, and most importantly, its one of a kind. This is phenomenal acting and I really side eye people who act like its not.
The premise of putting Tony in that cave and coming to grips with the fruits of his arms trading, and engineering his way out and choosing to change the way he lives when he returns to civilization. Yinsen fulfills his part in the movie beautifully.
When Tony returns to society, his mix of interacting with the public, his friends, and workshopping the Iron Man suits is a lot of fun. Pepper and Tonys relationship is maybe the best it ever is here, and I love the proof Tony Stark has a heart memento.
Rhodie is good here, and Im honestly not sure if I like Terrence Howard or Don Cheadle more.
Obie is awesome, but unfortunately he kind of stops being a character in the third act. Its generally a problem even in MCU movies that the climax just becomes a fuckfest of action and CGI, and this movie doesnt go too off the rails, but Obie just mindlessly becomes a bad guy in an Iron Man Suit that needs putting down.
The weakness of the climax is honestly what brings this movie down. It introduces Tony and his cast of supporting characters so well, and instills an impetus into him to change perfectly, which sets the bar on how high other MCU movies need to be to be great so high. But the fairly weak climax is what keeps Iron Man from being above the other truly great movies of the MCU.
Overall, this movie is on the cusp of greatness, but its perhaps a bit too rough of a movie due to the frantic nature it was made to make it all the way there. I have a huge appreciation for this movie and what it accomplished.

Illuminatusbubu
The first movie that started this whole thing. If this movie wasnt as successful as it was we might never have what we have now. RDJs charming persona really shines through all this exciting and funny film.

NBIceman
The one that started it all. I remember how resistant I was to even seeing this movie despite how good the trailers looked. Yeah, whatever, I thought. Ive been fooled before. Another comic book movie, this time with Iron Man of all characters? No way this doesnt end up sucking like almost all the others. Even my friends telling me it was actually good didnt convince me for another year or two afterward. Well, jokes on me. 13 years later and its still an upper-half entry in the series. Its not perfect, by any means. Stanes plan makes no sense and it leaves him as a really underwhelming first villain, and Gwyneth Paltrow is very clearly uncomfortable with how heavily improvisational a lot of the dialogue apparently was. But the story is super solid and I obviously dont need to tell anyone how awesome RDJ is in the leading role. Ending with I am Iron Man as the song kicks in was perfect, too. Couldnt really ask for a better launching point for the franchise.

ScepterOfLove
(No write-up.)

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Mega Mana
First Scene That Comes to Mind: Tony Stark built this in a cave with a box of scraps!

When looking at the modern history of superhero films, discussions often talk about how both Iron Man and The Dark Knight came out in the same year, two movies about genius billionaire playboy philanthropists donning suits of gadget wizardry to fight against terror. Perhaps more important is discussing the movies surrounding these two movies at the time: X-Men: The Last Stand, Spider-Man 3, Superman Returns, Hancock, Ghost Rider. Superhero movies were on the downswing, and with X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Green Lantern bombing soon and Kick-Ass and Watchmen going for 'adults-only,' the late 2000s seemed to be heralding the end of the superhero blockbuster.

It's absolutely a wonder how Iron Man managed to work so well. Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, Punisher, Hulk, and other high-profile Marvel properties were good at best, but weren't able to sustain any momentum going forward. Costumes looked goofy, casting was awkward, stories didn't work well. They were popcorn flicks, vehicles designed less to feature the comic book character, but the hot Hollywood actors and music industry soundtracks of the time, at least in the case of Daredevil, a movie which I actually enjoy despite all its many flaws. Perhaps, it's Daredevil's faults that led to director Jon Favreau's tighter work on Iron Man, able to see what went wrong with production and corporate heads and bring a tighter rein of focus and control at making a solid effort. From the lesser-valued casting, the focus on character and story driving the action rather than action for the sake of action, and just a great feel of care.

Robert Downey Jr. is incredible. He brings to life a character who had been stagnant on paper for decades and turns Tony Stark into a living, breathing person with ambitions, flaws, motives, relationships, cares, worries, a past, a future, and most importantly a voice. You learn very quickly who the man is and how he operates. He's an engineer of war and proud of it until he's subjected to the horrors of what he's wrought and spends the rest of not only the movie, but the rest of the MCU atoning for his mistakes (whilst making more mistakes to atone for). He thinks he alone can change everything for the better, one man in a suit of armor and an artificial heart and unlimited wealth with a dream for a brighter future. It works in this movie.

The suit is still some of the most incredible CG put to film, holding up better than a lot of special effects done since. Downey, Howard, Paltrow, Bettany, Favreau, and Bridges all make wonderfully real characters. The surprise appearance of Ultimate Nick Fury at the very end, a character deliberately modeled after Samuel L. Jackson, being played by Samuel L. Jackson was a jaw-dropping moment. And we had the introduction of the ever-wonderful Agent Coulson. I'm certain there's so much more that needs to be said, but as a foundation for the MCU, it is incredibly strong. As a standalone movie, it's almost even better.

Raka Putra
Ah yes, the original. It was no wonder it was successful enough to kickstart the whole MCU. RDJ's Tony Stark is an instant classic. Suave, witty, and just a bit arrogant for some delicious character development. It also doesn't have the baggage of having to one-up itself so the conflict can stay relatively simple but well-executed. Still one of the best even to this day.

Red13n
Tony Stark builds the MCU in a cave. But really, I have a soft spot in this movie because of all that it led to. All that came after it, no one could have seen that coming. Just getting to The Avengers seemed like a longshot at the time. We had one movie. But Tony Stark was a character, he was something comic book movies had been missing. He was a larger than life character, bigger than the world around him. But it also had just the right amount of grounding to our reality. The movie wasn't just putting us in Tony Starks universe, it was taking our universe and then letting Tony Stark build in it. While many movies after would feel a bit stale by following some of the formula laid out in Iron Man, coming first awards it a good bit of forgiveness in my mind.

MetalDK
Started it all. Not Disney yet so it definitely watches a lot differently. Holds up ok with the occasional dated reference (myspace in the first scene lol)

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GavsEvans123
This film has a great opening scene. Tonys personality is established immediately, and the atmosphere immediately turns when the convoy is attacked. Thats how you start a film. Come to think of it, its also the first scene of the entire franchise, so its even better in that respect. It could be argued that featuring the War on Terror in this way dates the film, but I dont mind, as I think it grounds the film in a way that many other MCU films arent.

Watching this now, its weird to think of how stand-alone it is. Even the post-credits scene with Nick Fury could have been just a sequel and not the build-up to a shared universe. Granted, thats because this is the first film in the franchise and theres no universe to share with yet, but if there was no MCU, it could still sit alongside the likes of Spider-Man, X-Men and the other early-to-mid 2000s superhero movies without feeling out of place. Speaking of other superhero films, I appreciate how Tony has fun as Iron Man, and isnt suffering from or conflicted with the responsibilities of living a double life, like a lot of other heroes were at the time. It helps to set him apart.

Stane is a fun villain (you cant go wrong with Jeff Bridges), although I do think there could have been more development for him. What was his motive, really? Maybe he had gotten used to running Stark Industries and resented having to hand over the reins to Tony after he came of age? Maybe he could have mixed feelings from selling his former colleagues son to terrorists? Its a bit of a missed opportunity not to delve into this.

One last thing: Would that one unnamed scientist have been brought back later as an actual character if In a cave, with a box of scraps! hadnt become a meme?

Maniac64
The one that started it all, and set the standard for the MCU. RDJ is of course perfect as Tony and this movie was just amazing to watch. All the actors did great, the script was funny but also knew when to be serious. Overall this is a just a very good movie and the fact that it still holds up is a real testament to it. If not for the success of this movie the whole crazy plan may have fallen apart.

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XIII Rocks
This came out in the same summer as The Dark Knight; for a few weeks I thought it might be my favourite superhero movie. RDJ is just so, so fucking good and carries the whole movie (and the entire franchise), and the writers/directors seem to be aware of this as he's given plenty of opportunities to shine.

This is probably the MCU's best origin story, too, at least in terms of showing the actual creation and development of the hero. The scenes where Tony constructs and tests his suit are very satisfying, and probably still unmatched. Like compare the scenes where Tony creates his suit to say Dr. Strange's training scene or whatever the fuck else. There's really no contest - the way the movie takes time to show the scientific process of what he's doing, the trial and error, all the wihle sprinkling it with humour and fun and a kind of...unstoppable *momentum*, is really an exercise in how to do it right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNu6fRo_7fg

Like the score here is terrific, and at about 35s it changes to a scene of just Tony Stark with a screwdriver playing around with the leg of the suit. This goes on for 40s. If the movie wasn't directed and scored so well and, most importantly, if RDJ didn't have such effortless charisma in the role, I think that would seem overlong. But my eyes are glued to the screen.

I was in stitches at the cardiac arrest scene, too, which is played with such brilliant nonchalance in contrast with Pepper's totally justifiable sheer panic. There's also all the early scenes right up until he gets kidnapped - they showcase the arrogant side of the character in the best way but still manage to keep him likeable; even though he's a huge prick, you totally still wish you were Tony Stark just from watching the first 10m of this movie.

It's not perfect by any means. It suffers from the issue some origin stories suffer from, where the final big fight with the villain feels obligatory - I totally bought Stane's greed and desire to have a bigger, stronger suit for him to sell. In that regard, it does well to weave the rise of the villain in with the rise of the hero (whereas in say Spider-Man 1, Peter becoming Spidey and the creation of the Goblin are separate incidents that happen conveniently at like the same time). That feels totally organic, but the ultimate climax between the two when Stane actually gets into the suit himself is a little silly. But the actual ending - the epilogue, I guess - is outstanding. "I am Iron Man". Fuck yeah you are

Corrik7
Iron Man basically sets the tone for the rest of the series. Robert Downey Jr. could singlehandedly be given the credit for making the MCU happen. If he isn't so damn charismatic in this movie, the universe is probably dead here. However, he carries this movie and blasts the universe off. It's a pretty good movie regardless, but he takes it to universe launching.

Jesse Custer
The movie that started it all has held up remarkably well over time. Robert Downey Jr. has a magnetic charisma as Tony Stark where you cant look away from him for even a second whenever hes on screen. The writing and direction are near flawless, with hardly a single dull moment. And its a joy watching Tony build his armor from scraps in a cave, as well as designing and testing the Iron Man suit when he makes it back home. In the wrong hands, this could have easily been yet another boring superhero origin story, but they got it just right. Nothing more to say really, its a fantastic movie.

Snake5555555555
Ah the simple times. The film that started it all, and still one of the best ones at that. Having a connected universe is awesome; having a simple story about one man in a suit can be even better. I feel like this film avoids a lot of the pratfalls of future movies, having much stronger character development, humor that fits in more naturally, an extremely satisfying and compelling origin story, and a memorable villain even though his template is duplictated ad infinitum later on. I have to say the CGI here holds up extremely well and obviously this well would be a little worse if not for the terrific work of Downey. Moreso than The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Spider-Man, X-Men, or Blade, Iron Man for better or worse revolutionized what a superhero film could be and what ambitions it could try to accomplish, and with that said, the Nick Fury stinger is perhaps the most iconic and influential scene in the last two decades of film. The interconnectivity had officially begun, and there was no going back.

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MetalmindStats
After all these years, I dare say its still the very first MCU movie that did it best. Perhaps the secret is that the MCU isnt the most creative or generally exciting action franchise, so I dont find myself coming down too hard on Iron Man for its shortfalls in that department. However, where it does excel by blockbuster standards is in its writing, particularly with Tony Stark pulling off a perfect charismatic bastard act in an effective character study successfully molded into the shape of a superhero movie.

TomNook
This is pure soul. Back in the innocent days when it didn't feel like each movie was being made for a cross-over purpose. Yes, they WERE, but it didn't feel like it quite yet. Instead of constant overlap in a world that felt like everyone knew of superheroes, you have this rich lovable weapons dealer who changes his ways and becomes a hero. The actual plot of this movie is one of the most memorable and entertaining. Tony Stark is at his best here, between being his most arrogant, and having significant character changes. The villain isn't among the best of superhero villains, but he plays his role well for the film, and I always love Jeff Bridges; I don't need to type his famous quote that 10+ other people will have in their write-up. But this is the Tony Stark show, and that's what matters. Pure fun. Pure soul.

Anagram
Its comical how different in tone this is from the other Marvel movies because it predates Disney. Tony Stark just ruthlessly murders normal humans with bullets, its great.

Lopen
This is where it all started, and it starts with a bang. It honestly hardly even feels like a superhero movie, and is all surprisingly grounded. Like the core conflict after Tony escapes terrorists is Obidiah Staine (best villain name even if I murdered the spelling) wanting to turn Stark Industries into a weapons dealer for all the scum and villainy. It feels very un-marvel and in a good way. Not that I don't love Marvel but I do find this movie a well written change of pace (or rather, setting the pace in a way that later movies didn't really replicate) that almost feels like it's closer to Nolan Batman stuff than MCU in HOW it's good.

Cybat
It is mind-boggling how much this one movie being good has changed movie history. Kevin Feiges plans were already in motion when it was being constructed, but back then he was working for an indie studio, not just a wing of Disneys media empire. Feige, Jon Favreau, Sarah Finn (the casting director for most of the MCU including choosing Robert Downey Jr.), and of course RDJ himself deserve a huge amount of credit for the risks they took in making what is basically a very successful pilot episode.
Even discounting its staggering legacy, this movie is also quite good in and of itself. RDJ obviously does most of the work himself, but Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, and of course Clark Gregg provide memorable contributions. The fight with Iron Monger at the end is a little anticlimactic, but other than that the action and effects still hold up pretty well. And its hard for me to even describe the excitement I felt after the post-credits scene confirmed the speculation about an eventual Avengers movie. Still easily one of the best stingers.

Mr Crispy
I don't really need to go into details, since Marvel managed to get a lot right out of the gate with Iron Man. It did drop a few places after rewatching it for this project through no fault of its own, since I felt some other more ambitious titles were more deserving than a good origin story one.

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12. Iron Man
Total Score: 335

MetalmindStats 1
TomNook - 1
Anagram 4
Lopen - 5
Cybat 6
Mr Crispy - 6
XIII Rocks - 6
Corrik7 7
Jesse Custer 7
Snake5555555555 - 7
GavsEvans123 8
Maniac64 - 8
Mega Mana 8
Raka Putra 8
Red13n - 8
MetalDK 10
CoolCly - 11
Illuminatusbubu 11
NBIceman - 11
ScepterOfLove 11
Inviso 12
ZenOfThunder 12
BetrayedTangy 13
Sheep007 - 13
Whiskey Nick 13
HanOfTheNekos - 16
Johnbobb 16
Paratroopa1 - 18
StifledSilence 18
VengefulKaelee - 18
PrinceKaro 19
Eddv - 23

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Hurt Soul

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Lightning Strikes posted...

I wont name it for spoiler reasons but there is an excellent Doctor Who episode from about a year before Doctor Strange that does a much, much better job with that concept. I think that worked against me when seeing that scene for the first time.

I thought the same thing, actually. But that's an hour-long episode, while Doctor Strange has only a climactic scene to handle the same sort of issue.

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Hurt KCF

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Hurt Zazi

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Hurt Apollo

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Hurt Tombolo

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Hurt Sultan

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Hurt Crescent

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Kaecilius is theoretically boring, but he's more prominent to the plot than Malekith, so he works a lot better as an antagonist.

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OUTLIERS:

Eddv - 81
PrinceKaro - 60
Johnbobb - 57
BetrayedTangy - 54
Jesse Custer - 47
VengefulKaelee - 46
Lopen - 43
Mr Crispy - 42
ScepterOfLove - 42
Paratroopa1 - 40
Snake5555555555 - 39
GavsEvans123 - 37
Raka Putra - 33
Illuminatusbubu - 32
Inviso - 32
StifledSilence - 32
TomNook - 32
Whiskey Nick - 32
XIII Rocks - 32
Cybat - 30
HanOfTheNekos - 30
MetalmindStats - 30
CoolCly - 29
Corrik7 - 29
Maniac64 - 29
Anagram - 25
Mega Mana - 25
Red13n - 25
MetalDK - 23
NBIceman - 23
Sheep007 - 22
ZenOfThunder 8

Karo, Johnbobb and Tangy continue to battle for second place, with Johnbobb overtaking Tangy in the standings. Meanwhile, Sheep continues his downward trajectory to claim second place at the bottom of the list. However, both Eddv and Zen look rather secure in their placements at this point, building up a sizable lead with only a little over half the list remaining.

Spoiler for Number 12: We hit the exact midpoint of the list, and its time for the first number one ranking to fall.

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StifledSilence
The weird magical portal nonsense adds some variety to the super power pool. But I find Strange himself to be an annoying unlikeable prick through most of the movie. Yeah, character development, whatever, it paid off later. But I found myself desperately clinging to other characters for entertainment as a result. On the bright side, you cant go wrong with Mads.

Eddv
This is a movie that I am assured actually exists. It took no risks. It was bland. It was boring as all hell. Andwith a character as potentially interesting as Dr Strange, that's pretty unforgivable

Mega Mana
First Scene That Comes to Mind: Dormammu loop

One of the stronger pulls I have to different MCU movies over others are the characters. If you've got a great lead, awesome. If you have a strong ensemble cast, even better. Doctor Strange, as good as the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch is, doesn't really have those including Strange himself.

Doctor Strange has similar beats to Iron Man with the arrogant-jerk-with-a-heart-of-gold origin story, but he's even more of a jerk and without a surrounding cast that highlight humanity and empathy. Rachel McAdams is a great character stuck as a poor love interest, Baron Mordo and the Ancient One are expository characters, Caecilius is maybe the most nothing villain in the MCU, and there's no one like Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts, or Rhodey to balance the character. As he is, Stephen Strange is a jerk. He's also the best magic user ever who masters everything in a rather short span of time which feels wrong. There's no sense that time has much passed, and that he's only there a few months before he's already the master of his domain. Maybe it's Batman Begins giving that training time wait, shaolin movies establishing years upon years of training to master, or 80s montages fast-forwarding training up to a set date.

The visuals are spectacular. There's no denying the twisty, gravity-defying, mind-bending, trippy movie magic involved. It's beautiful stuff. But it's stuff. I have no real investment in the movie or what happens so the eye candy moments are just nice little treats. I don't get lost in it like I would with Inception or Speed Racer. I understand why other people are very fond of this movie, but it just doesn't vibe with me.

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GavsEvans123
Doctor Strange is possibly the MCUs most conventional origin story, which is ironic considering the title, and that Strange is a magical mystical hero, whereas most of the others have a scientific background. All the origin story tropes are here, even the mentor dying near the end (you could argue Iron Man had that too, but Tony Stark was already a genius inventor, he wasnt trained into being a genius inventor by Yinsen.) The biggest thing setting this film apart from its contemporaries are the trippy visuals, which certainly look impressive with lots of buildings folding in on each other and some fun with perspectives.

Stephen Strange is an arrogant jerk before his life-changing crash, and even after that it takes a while for him to learn humility, so hes not the most likeable protagonist, although he does earn some sympathy points from his increasing desperation to find a cure for his hand injury. The Ancient One drawing power from the Dark Dimension to gain immortality is meant to give her character some moral ambiguity, but little is done with it as she is killed shortly after the reveal, and she doesnt give an explanation as to why she did it. Offering an explanation or showing her doing some other morally questionable things for the greater good would have helped further Mordos disillusionment and his eventual face heel turn. The Ancient One is lucky nobody thought to use time magic to repair the broken spellbook sooner.

The lame, one-dimensional villain offers another throwback to Phase 1. Kaecilius is the most forgettable villain since Malekith, and is similar to him as a generic evil sorcerer who wants to shroud the world in darkness. He particularly suffers from being sandwiched in between Zemo and Ego, who are both well fleshed out, on account of them being in sequels that dont have to establish their protagonists.

Having said that, the film does break away from the origin story mould with the final battle, or rather the lack of one. The bad guys succeed in bringing the Dark Dimension to our world, and recognising that he poses no match for Dormammu, Strange instead asks Dormammu to leave using the power of his 70 alternative accounts. Even the MCU fancies a change from Upgrade VS Prototype Fights once in a while.

I realised while watching the post-credits scene that Doctor Strange 2 may involve Mordo gunning for Wanda to take her magic away. Im sure he wouldnt take kindly to her having gained her powers from HYDRAs experiments instead of training, and then theres her inadvertently killing innocent people in Civil War using her magic (on top of whatever happens in Wandavision, but I havent seen that as of this writing, so Im assuming magic is used in a way Mordo would deem reckless.) Hopefully he doesnt end up as a cold-open villain dispatched in the first 15 minutes when Tom Hardy Venom appears from the multiverse and glomps him or something.

Mr Crispy
Pretty much a live action version of your typical shonen anime (the hot topic villains, the edgy rival, putting up barriers to fight in imaginary space without hurting people and damaging buildings). Though I don't particularly mind that. I kind of agonized over where to place it, since there isn't anything particularly wrong or offensively bad about it, but it's pretty lacking because it feels more like a phase one movie (particularly since Strange channels MCU Tony quite a bit) than a phase three movie that should show the experience that Marvel has built up in making movies since then. So here's probably fine.

ScepterOfLove
(No write-up.)

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CoolCly
This movie had a lot of potential ways it good have gone. The way it went was good but maybe not as interesting as it good of been, and a bit too generic in some ways.
The romance with Christine is pretty bland.. Its meant to be a tie to Stranges humanity, but shes unfortunately forgettable. Shes just a capable professional who cares about him but stands up to his asshole behaviour in his normal life, which makes her a respectable person I guess but I dont think she added to the movie.
Strange is WAY too much of an asshole at the beginning he doesnt just deserve what happens to him, there doesnt seem to be any redeeming characteristics aside from his genuine skill, which is poor material to make a hero out of. Theres a deleted scene about putting a brace on a wounded dogs paw before he makes it into the Ancient Ones good graces that shows SOME decency. Apparently it was removed because it didnt serve the purpose of showing his total fall from grace, but I think it was some much needed humanizing to show he was worth helping. His smugness just carries into his actual training which feels very strange to me. He just continues being his normal jerk self until. He gets wrapped up in the plot and kills some generic bad guys.
The bad guys are very generic and boring I cant remember the main bad guys name, who plays him, or anything he does except for his weak Doctor Doctor joke.
Brother Mordo is good for most of the movie, and there IS some sense in him turning against Strange at the end but not quite enough. It feels a tad forced when he makes his the bill always comes due line and feels like WAYY too much of an escalation when he kills that dude from earlier in the movie to set up the sequel. They should have left that out.
I dont think Wong is particularly good hes just introduced as some wizard with a job as the librarian, and then the movie (and later, Avengers) tries to drag him into being an important wizard relevant to the plot because Wong in the comics is related to Doctor Strange.
Dormammu, Ive come to bargain is a god tier scene.
The visuals of the magic, such as the mirror universe, are very cool, but it feels like magic overall is a bit undeveloped, and it feels a bit sad that this scientific style of magic the MCU has chosen to go with means that the more mystical and traditional style of magic we might have gotten will probably never appear. Im thinking more along the lines of the phenomenal Constantine TV show, except with a Sorcerer Supreme instead of the low tier bag of tricks Constantine brings to that particular table.
I actually like the scene in the hospital with fist fight in the astral plane, which was a good blend of science and magic. Ive seen people be real upset about the astral plane being used for a literal fist fight but eh.
The Ancient One is good though, I liked her and everything about her a lot, though the plotline of her apparently using the dark dimension or whatever seemed kinda dumb and pointless.
Overall, this is a good movie with a lot of fun concepts, but too many elements are just generic movie nonsense, and I would have liked Doctor Strange to be a bit more steeped in more traditional and mysterious magic. Im not sure what magic Strange can even do at the end of the movie that dont involve the sling rings portals, the time gems shenanigans, or the capes floating!

MetalDK
thought it had maybe the most creative ending in the MCU though. I know the fairly big controversy around Swinton as the Ancient One, but I also loved her in it.

MetalmindStats
After watching Doctor Strange for the first time, I remember saying that it was in between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Avatar (guess which one of those is among my favorites) as far as visual spectacles go. I still stand by that, as a few great individual moments on their own do not a great movie make.

Whiskey Nick
(No write-up.)

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Snake5555555555
A forgettable script bolstered by a strong performance just as good as RDJ is as Tony Stark and seriously inventive sequences that are visually compelling. DS has one of the most forgettable villains of the series, an especially interesting feat since he is played by Mads Mikkelsen. The villain probably shouldve just been Dormammu. Speaking of Dormammu, is that not one of the most inventive scenes in the entire MCU? I think it is. Of all MCU films, DS is easily the most guilty of its set-ups being more interesting than the actual content of the film. I want to see more Karl Mordo, I want to see more Dormammu, the Astral Plain is spectacular, I even like the little sidequest with Pangborn. What I dont care about is Rachel McGeneric love interest and Mads Im everything wrong with MCU villains Mikkelsen, but theres still some good stuff here to be found if you dig deep enough.

XIII Rocks
I saw one reviewer compare this to "your morning commute after having dropped acid" and that's about right. It's a superhero origin story and it's fine, but it also contains some awesome special effects and does its best to get as weird as possible while still being a big, PG-rated, MCU studio deal. It could obviously have gotten weirder but it was still plenty bizarre enough, especially the sequence early on when TAO screws with Strange and when they start folding matter onto itself, which looked fantastic. A shame they got Rachel McAdams, who was left behind by the plot, and Mads as the villain when he was a relative nonentity (trivia: Cumberbatch has now killed both the Mikkelsen brothers on screen), but I love the cast overall even though I acknowledge the issues with Swinton. Structurally the movie is *weird* - the action seems to be back-loaded into the end of the movie and there isn't a lot of time between each action sequence for any of it to breathe. That could have been handled better. Oh, and I'm obviously a fan of the way Strange was able to beat Dormammu even though it requires Dormammu to keep his word, which is...a stretch.

NBIceman
I feel like I may have this one up a little too high considering the fact that I have trouble articulating exactly why I like it so much, but I cant talk myself into moving it down, either. I think a lot of my affinity for it just has to do with how big a Strange fan I am and how cool it was to see him realized on the big screen alongside Dormammu and such. This is probably the most visually impressive film in the MCU, and taken alongside the sheer charisma from Cumberbatch and Swinton and, to a lesser extent, Eijofors Mordo, its just a pleasure to watch. The writings pretty good throughout, Stranges character arc is satisfying, and his outsmarting of Dormammu at the end is cleverly done. Plus, the post-credits scene sees Mordo channeling the Operative a bit, and I cant wait to see how that works out with all the weirdness thats sure to be ramping up in Multiverse of Madness.

ZenOfThunder
I don't know why everone is crazy about this one. It's fine. I like it. A lot of my friends have this in their top 10 and I'm like... really? They have a few scenes with cool visuals but it's just a nice tidy little origin, much like Ant-Man. I like ensemble and team films a lot more and I can't even remember who plays Doctor Strange's girlfriend. All the ancillary characters are super boring except Wong who carries this film. Put Wong on the Avengers plz

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TomNook
While many might call Dr. Stephen Strange a Tony Stark knockoff, I don't think that's exactly a bad thing. Yeah, he feels like a less interesting version most times, but he's still good in his own right, and since the plot of the story is way different, it makes up for it. This is the most fantasy of all the MCU films, but I think it works out. It adds important elements to future storylines, and is entertaining while doing so. The duel against Dormammu is probably one of the cooler moments in the MCU series.

Cybat
To be honest, I was skeptical when they announced the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch. Not because I thought he was a bad actor, but because I was worried he was too much of an A-list star for the franchise to be able to keep him long-term. I know hes not on the level of Tom Hanks or anything but I think that hes the highest-profile star they have cast, at the time of their casting. Rationally I know Disney probably has ironclad contracts, especially after Terrence Howard and Ed Norton, but still.
Of course, he is great in this movie, although the character hes playing does admittedly feel a little familiar. The special effects are really treated as the star of the show, and they dont disappoint, although they do get a little Inception-y sometimes. My favorite thing about the movie, though, and the main reason it got this high, is the creativity of the ending sequence. First, the battle throughout a setting moving backwards through time is really unique and fun to watch (and here they do beat Nolan to an idea and do it much better to boot. Man, what happened with Tenet?). Then, the final confrontation with Dormammu is another big highlight, subverting expectations of a big action set piece, showcasing Stranges intelligence and resourcefulness, and also being funny and memeable.

Maniac64
Benedict is a great Dr Strange and Benedict is a great sidekick as Wong. Sorry, I couldn't resist. This movie was trippy in the best way. The action was so different from the rest of the MCU and really brought a new element into it. I'm not big on time stuff but the way of beating Dormamu by trapping him in a loop was really clever, a great way of beating an unbeatable enemy.

Raka Putra
I can't believe it's been about 5 years since the movie. At first the character of Strange felt like a retread of Tony Stark - an arrogant rich genius, but his powers (and thus, the movie) are so strange and clad in mysticism and the bald, very talented, and very white Tilda Swinton that they set the movie apart. Also I'm most looking forward to this movie sequel.

Sheep007
I think this is a really interesting branch of the MCU, and one I would love to see more of, but as a movie its just pretty good with some unique elements. First of all, I adore time shenanigans of any sort, I think the ending is such a good way of dealing with a villain, I think the visuals in the trippy sequences are gorgeous and I like the settings and the aesthetic all around: pretty much every movie at this point or above has a clear, non-bland look to it, and a likeable one. Im a sucker for the whole jerk with a heart of gold trope, so I like Stephen Strange, and Benedict Cumberbatch is an incredibly talented actor. Tilda Swinton is also amazing, and I really like both her performance and character Im a sucker for that sort of incredibly wise but still fallible mentor, too (blame Yoda for that one). The side characters are all fine, the humour is clever enough without being too silly, and the concept of the mystic arts is just interesting to me (and creates some of the best set-pieces possible. They can do a lot more here, and this sort of superpower is just cooler than most other MCU ones). Unfortunately, the villain is still fairly weak, the character arc is brushed over, and it ends up mostly being a character origin story. Its a very good origin story, but the emotional resonance, themes and characters just arent there to push it from being an interesting and enjoyable movie into a very good one.

Illuminatusbubu
The story might not be as mind-bending as they would like but the visual spectacle is there. Benedict Cumberbatch really carries this film as he owns the character.

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Inviso
The only thing that really holds Doctor Strange back is the first quarter, when it feels like the first portion of the original Iron Man, helmed by a less charismatic protagonist. And yeah, Steven Strange is not quite a compelling character in his own right. Hes arrogant, as the movie repeats quite a few times, but he lacks any of the wit to offset that. That being said, this is one of those movies where I feel like the film overpowers the detrimental aspects of the characters. In a franchise that is largely about scientific advancements and technological war machines, the use of the mystical elements of the world made Doctor Strange feel highly unique. This is a very effects-driven movie due to the flight and the Inception-esque warping of reality involved in almost every action set piece. Those two ending scenes though, holy crap those are what manage to secure this movie a top tier spot from me. Having an active fight in the midst of a time-reversing war zone is an AMAZING concept, and I also love the fact that Doctor Strange saves the day through cunning, rather than beating up the bad guy enough to succeed. Its just a really fun movie and I look forward to the future of the character.

Lopen
Dormammu I've come to bargain! Super memorable scene and probably the best "end boss battle" in one of these solo MCU movies, but that aside, this one is pretty good throughout-- this one is more about just fleshing out Doctor Strange and his world and not so much about any conflict he faces and I think it's better for it. It also gets the unfair advantage of being a more obscure hero so it's not obvious to a dirty casual like me. I will say more of The Ancient One in the movie would have been nice-- aside from Dr Strange (and his adorable cape) the rest of the cast falls flat once she's out of the picture.

Red13n
To this point the Earth-based MCU had pretty much relied on advanced technology and science for all its explanation. Doctor Strange takes the usual and throws it all out the window. Now we got a bunch of wizards, and while we're going full origin story here, the magic elements come with a much different feel than anything in the past. It makes it work as a standalone movie in a universe where origin stories had long grown tiresome. We don't necessarily have the strongest plot or strongest characters here, but what we do end up with is probably the most memorable ending in the MCU until half the cast went up in smoke. The ending alone definitely earned this movie 4-5 spots on my list. Moments that good don't come along all that often.

Anagram
Now that we have the magical stone of time travel, we can stop our beloved mentor from dying. This movies main good moment is just that Doctor Strange defeats the villain without a big stupid battle at the end, but thats good enough to propel it over a lot of dreck.

Paratroopa1
I honestly thought that this would be one of the films I would hate, because all of the eastern mysticism stuff is just way too hokey for me and I'm not really all that concerned with the Inception-like visual spectacle. And while the visuals did end up being cool enough to be worth my time, the eastern mysticism stuff really IS kind of annoyingly silly, and yet they somehow gave me one of my favorite MCU films by giving me one of the most interesting protagonists. Stephen Strange is probably the only protagonist in the MCU who is just downright a shitty person, like a meaner Tony Stark without the charisma, and the arc of him learning to be less of an egomanical douchebag makes this one of the more gripping origin stories. But what makes him even more interesting to me is that despite being a douchebag, he's also probably the only MCU protagonist who's really bothered by killing people, even bad guys, and who prefers to solve problems without violence, and the fact that this is the only movie in the entire MCU (count 'em!) where the final encounter is solved without throwing a single punch makes it compelling to me. The scene where he's astral-fighting the other guy while he's being operated on in the hospital is great, the Inception scene after that where they're running through the city is great, and "Dormammu, I've come to bargain" is one of the most iconic scenes in the MCU. All of the mysticism exposition stuff early on in the movie is a little slow, but the second half of the movie moves quick, and I felt more invested in Strange's origin story than most of the characters.

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Jesse Custer
I went into Doctor Strange with high expectations because Benedict Cumberbatch is a great actor. But to my surprise, I was still blown away by this movie. Cumberbatch was perfect for this role, his transition from egotistical doctor to humble sorcerer was believable, and the visual effects and direction at times seemed like something out of a Christopher Nolan movie (high praise). I think my favorite sequence might be the fight near the end when time around the central characters was moving in reverse, but the movie was filled with imaginative concepts like that.

While I will say the main villain, Kaecilius, was a bit lacking, the movie more than made up for that with the Dormammu sequence. I anticipated some kind of magical combat in which Strange masters his powers to become powerful enough to defeat Dormammu, but thankfully they avoided the predictable and went with something much better. Anyway, this is a fantastic movie and Im eager to see what they do with the sequel.

Johnbobb
I'm so glad I got the chance to see this in theaters, because goddamn is it a visual marvel. Is it the most original story in the MCU? Not particularly, but 90% of what makes this film so enjoyable to watch is its incredible presentation. The other 10% is Cumberpatch just being a magnificent cheeky bastard in a way only RDJ has been able to match.

PrinceKaro
The story of how Gregory House became a superhero. By the Voracious Veneer of Vicodin!
When his magic surgeon hands get irreparably damaged in a car accident, he goes to hogwarts to get some magic wizard hands.
Benedict Cumberbatch is perfect in yet again playing the role of a snarky ass, and for the most part he carries the movie solely on his shoulders. All the other characters are pretty much just 'there'.
The film is one of the most visually impressive movies in the MCU, and some of the effects really put the senses in the ol' blender. Do not watch this movie if you have vertigo.
It is different, mystical, and dare I say a bit strange. It boasts one of the greatest endings in this whole project, and a new hero who has the wit of Tony Stark minus all the crazy republican shit that makes his character so uncomfortable. It is a fresh addition to Marvels movie stable, and I think we are just getting started with the doc's role in the MCU.

BetrayedTangy
I remember when this first came out and I was pretty apprehensive towards seeing it. Strange was never that cool of a character for me and I was super worried it would be too similar to Thor 2. Thankfully I was incredibly wrong. Dr. Strange ended up being one of the coolest movies yet. The way they channeled the trippy nature of other dimensions and magic was honestly dope. I also think having Strange quip about the silliness of everything was the right call. It stops it from falling into the traps of Thor 2 and makes it fun for everyone.

VengefulKaelee
I like Doctor Strange a lot as a character, and I appreciate that this isn't just the same old origin story template that every other character in the MCU seems to get. The overall creativity and unusual aesthetic of Doctor Strange compared to all of the rest of the origin stories really does manage to win me over, especially once it comes to that delightful climax with Strange confronting Dormammu over and over again.

Corrik7
This movies use of effects was great. The story was a bit weaker here, but the character development and the ride was worth it. It introduced the Time Stone in a satisfying way and had some of the coolest powers we had yet to see in the MCU. Just a cool movie.

HanOfTheNekos
One thought before going - Giacchino fucking nailed it with this score.

Strange, as a movie, was a sprint.

I'm not sure what else to say. The first half of the movie was very stereotypical origin story. It was whatever. Good. Nothing special.

From the moment Doctor Strange makes his first portal, it went 0-60 and I was completely enthralled for the rest of the movie. Even moreso than the kaleidoscopic sequence he first went through.

The humor was top notch. Cumberbatch was amazing. "I have come to bargain" was a great finish to the climax. The villain wasn't anything special, so minus points there. The supporting cast was alright. But really, Strange and his cloak were the entirety of the movie anyway. Well, them and Wong.

Note - post Thor 2, Thor might be the best character in all of the MCU. He makes everything better. Only good part of AoU, great here, Thor 3 is amazing hes just the man.

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13. Doctor Strange
Total Score: 392

Jesse Custer 4
Johnbobb 4
PrinceKaro 6
BetrayedTangy 7
VengefulKaelee - 7
Corrik7 9
HanOfTheNekos - 9
Inviso 9
Lopen 9
Red13n - 9
Anagram 10
Paratroopa1 - 10
TomNook - 10
Cybat - 11
Maniac64 11
Raka Putra - 11
Sheep007 11
Illuminatusbubu - 12
Snake5555555555 - 13
XIII Rocks 13
NBIceman - 14
ZenOfThunder 15
CoolCly - 16
MetalDK 16
MetalmindStats 16
Whiskey Nick 16
GavsEvans123 18
Mr Crispy - 18
ScepterOfLove - 19
StifledSilence 19
Eddv - 20
Mega Mana - 20

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Honestly, Scott Lang might not be my personal favorite Marvel hero, but he's gotta be the most likable. Tony, Thor, Danvers and Strange are all kinda arrogant dicks. Peter's awkward as fuck. Cap is too much of a goody-two-shoes. T'Challa's too serious. Bruce is half-Hulk. And the Guardians are mostly jackasses.

Scott is just nice, somewhat witty without being a complete quip machine, and he's just earnest. He's got the best traits of a bunch of heroes without any of their worst ones.

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ZenOfThunder posted...

When I went to see Civil War I was two seats away from a girl who was maybe 8-9 and when the van slid open to reveal Ant-Man she very audibly said "YES!!!"

I was also in a job where I interacted with kids a lot and they all seemed to really love Ant-Man. Not as much as Spider-Man or Iron Man but Paul Rudd definitely has big fun dad energy

Of the MCU, I would say the Ant-Man films are some of the most kid-friendly. They're much goofier and more light-hearted, and neither of them have some world-ending disaster that Ant-Man needs to save the planet from. Plus Ant-Man himself just comes across as a nice, dorky guy, rather than the witty quip-master that a lot of the other MCU leads are. It makes sense that Ant-Man would appeal more to children as a result.

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Ya basic, Zen :P

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OUTLIERS:

Eddv - 74
PrinceKaro - 53
BetrayedTangy - 48
Johnbobb - 48
VengefulKaelee - 40
Lopen - 39
Snake5555555555 - 39
Jesse Custer - 38
Mr Crispy - 37
Paratroopa1 - 37
ScepterOfLove - 36
GavsEvans123 - 32
XIII Rocks - 32
Illuminatusbubu - 31
Raka Putra - 31
TomNook - 29
Whiskey Nick - 29
Cybat - 28
Inviso - 28
Maniac64 - 27
MetalmindStats - 27
CoolCly - 26
HanOfTheNekos - 26
StifledSilence - 26
Corrik7 - 25
Anagram - 22
NBIceman - 22
Red13n - 21
MetalDK - 20
Sheep007 - 20
Mega Mana - 18
ZenOfThunder 6

Zen gets another spot-on ranking and now has reached a ten point lead on his current position. Meanwhile, Mana secures second place, while Sheep moves into the running for that coveted second spot as well. At the top of the list, Eddvs score is surprisingly low for someone who hates RDJ as much as he does, but he retains a commanding lead. The battle for second place heats up as Karo overtakes Johnbobb, and Tangys 23rd place ranking moves him up into an outlier tie with the former second-placer.

Spoiler for Number 13: This is the first film on the list to receive NO bottom 3 placements.

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HanOfTheNekos
Alright, so... the movie was a little rough to start. It felt pretty clear throughout that it was a film where the directing didn't always match with the writing. But it wasn't done that poorly. Most of the bad moments were paced out far enough with good inbetween, so it didn't ruin the movie like Iron Man 2's bad moments did.

It was an interesting take on Pym, but once again, better than having abusive jerkface Pym. I kinda like old, badfather Pym. Hope was solid too... like most things with this movie, the first act really didn't sell me on her, but as things got developed, her character was shown to be well-written and pretty badass. Way better than Iron Man 2's Black Widow.

Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket... was kinda boring. He wasn't bad. The guy was a jerk. Seemed to fittingly be a Hank Pym that DID become an asshole. Seems a little dumb that they said the whole "particles mess with brain chemistry" as a way to explain him turning evil. Why not just have him be evil? He was obsessed with proving himself to be better than Pym... just elaborate on that goal and obsession and show how it forces him to sacrifice his own humanity. I mean, he just flat out killed a guy in the beginning. He was clearly an ass. Particles my ass.

Paul Rudd, as himself, was a pretty good character too. I mean, thief with a heart of gold is a tiring trope, but it's easy to ignore that and just focus on him being himself. My suspension of disbelief was ruined, however, by them featuring Paul Rudd as a featured character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What are they going to do next, have John McCain get to be the Rhino in the next Spiderman movie?

Get it? Because RINO?

Anyway, I enjoyed this movie more than I expected to. It was rough, but at its core it had a lot of great elements. Even if the story and writing wasn't the best, the spectacle of effects, exploring the small world, ants, etc... were all very worth seeing.

CoolCly
Paul Rudd is the bomb and Luis phenomenal. Michael Douglas is really good in the mentor role as the former Ant-Man. Hope is a good love interest, shes no Peggy Carter but above average in the MCU and seemed ready to go to be the hero herself all along.
I actually like Darren Cross his complex of trying to chase the genius and legacy of Hank Pym and prove himself, both as a scientist and as a pupil, is real valid for what hes been doing. Hes done a REAL disservice by the writing though by making some bullshit statements about how the Pym particles will drive someone insane. So he does things like kill people with no remorse I think they should have just kept him to realistic villainy driven by his actual motivations relating to Pym and just not being a very good guy.
The usage of Ant-Mans abilities are real fun and the actual Ants are surprisingly well executed. Naming the ants was great and I felt shocked when Antony was shot.
Langs relationship with his family is great too its clear he loves his daughter and wants to be there. His ex wife and the step dad are cold to Scott but out of genuine concern for his effect on Cassie, not in an unrealistic way. It all feels good.
Overall this is a good movie! Theres not really any major downsides but it feels like it just doesnt go far enough to be a great movie. This is just a good place to be for lower tier entries in the MCU, they cant all be home runs.

Eddv
Another movie that exists. A star vehicle for the aging husk of the once funny Paul Rudd. At least it wasn't an Adam Sandler film.

MetalDK
Meh

XIII Rocks
It's good. It's fine. Paul Rudd does a perfectly good job and it's a nice change of pace in the MCU from the big world-ending disaster stuff. Its release being just a few months after Age of Ultron was a really good idea actually; it's kind of a palate-cleanser or whatever phrase you want to use. Always nice to see Evangeline Lily doing stuff too. The problem here is the wasted potential of it not being an Edgar Wright thing. That would have been so awesome and I couldn't help but feel it became a lot less stylish and individual once he was gone. I wonder if post-Taika they'd reconsider it a bit and let Wright have his way a bit more.

Snake5555555555
The problem with the Ant-Man films is that theyre easy to forget as soon as theyre over. With their exhausted tropes and villains from the Iron Man reject junk-pile, Ant-Man hobbles along on its admittedly charming supporting cast while trying to build serious moments around its man-child protagonist as the film yawns business-like towards invetible conclusions. Ant-Man is forced up against wider MCU characters and it treats quantum mechanics like a checklist youve basically seen in any other character goes small movie ever. Ant-Man has so much more potential than this and I really wish it was capitalized more on.

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ZenOfThunder
It's nice. That's really all I can say here. Michael Pena makes me laugh. This should have been Edgar Wright. Without him this is just... nice.

Illuminatusbubu
The charm of Paul Rudd really lifts the movie for me in an otherwise average movie.

ScepterOfLove
(No write-up.)

Whiskey Nick
(No write-up.)

Cybat
This is a charming movie with a great cast and some cool effects, but I have to admit it is pretty formulaic for being the twelfth MCU movie. It is framed as a heist movie more so than just a regular action movie, but the heist itself is not really impactful or interesting enough. And the villain being yet another copy-paste of the hero is pretty disappointing too.
Still, obviously, its not meant to be taken super seriously, and if you dont you will probably have a good time with it. Cassie is adorable, Luiss storytelling schtick never gets old, and of course Michael Douglas is always great. Also the Thomas the Tank Engine scene is a classic. My favorite thing in the movie though is probably the random scuffle with Falcon at the Avengers base. That really felt like something that would happen in the comics; just a superhero going about his day when he runs into another superhero. It doesnt happen very much in these movies but it feels very natural and entertaining here, and even pays off a movie later.

NBIceman
Its no surprise that the Edgar Wright entry into the MCU is the most off-the-wall ridiculous one. Look, Scott Lang is one of the less compelling main heroes in the franchise, the villain is terrible, Michael Douglas probably chews the scenery a bit too much, and Hopes haircut is horrid. But the third act has a tank driving out of the top floor of a building and a giant Thomas the Tank Engine, so who really cares? Its just hard to fight back a smile while I watch this. The whole movie is funny even beyond the standard Marvel quippiness, even the most minor characters seem like they had a blast on set, and whatever misgivings I have about Lang as a character are minimized by the insane chemistry Paul Rudd has with seemingly everyone else in Hollywood. I dont expect this one to go very far in the ranking, and it probably shouldnt, but as straight fun superhero movies go, its hard to complain about.

Sheep007
I want to love Ant-Man. I really do. Paul Rudd is great, I love just about all the actors (par for the course for Marvel, but still), and its something a bit different and with lower stakes than a lot of Marvel films. It has heists, which are probably my favourite sort of action in films, and some cool scenes like the initial Ant-Man transformation and the fight on the train tracks. But what I really think about this movie is that it missed its potential. Some backstory for those who dont know: Edgar Wright (Director of Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim and the Cornetto Trilogy) was originally the director of this film (along with being my favourite director). I watch it and Im just like its okay, I guess? before imagining how much better it could have been. Theres so many creative set-pieces to be had with this sort of movie, and they dont really do it as well as they couldve. I like the ant training montage, I like the last sequence, and I like the first act, but something just didnt click for me. And this movie has one of the most egregious examples of a mindless superhero movie villain who I just dont care about and doesnt have a lot of depth. This is a Marvel problem in general, but this is worse than plenty of others, and the other characters arent that likeable to make up for it I can forgive a lack of villain depth if the screen time is devoted to other characters. I like Scott, Luis is funny the first time, and thats about it. The action is fine, but its Marvel, its not gonna be terrible. Everything could just be less disappointing, overall.

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Inviso
This movie was just fun. It didnt have the feel of a lot of the mainline MCU films where everything is a potentially world-ending disaster. Instead, it feels like a solid, small scale storyline to introduce a set of new characters who rise to prominence as the MCU advances to phase three. Scott Lang is a comedic character, but hes not a sarcastic character like Tony Stark, and hes not a fish-out-of-water character like Thor, and hes definitely not a comedian like Starlord. Hes just kind of a light-hearted goof who has some growing up to do if he wants to be a good dad to his daughter, and he looks mature by comparison to his comic relief gang of heist buddies. His selection as the new Ant-Man is a little confusing, but Hank Pym is kind of a spiteful dick, so it makes sense that hed take fondly to a guy who screwed with his rivals. And then him growing into the role of Ant-Man is interesting, because hes one of the least-capable heroes in the MCU, just from his basic skill level. The final few action scenes are amazing, and I love the final set-piece involving a childs playroom as a battleground. Its definitely a quirky movie, and its highly unique, and I think it does a really great job, even as more of a filler film in the MCU.

Johnbobb
I will take a Paul Rudd/Michael Pena good father buddy heist comedy any day, superhero-based or not.

Maniac64
The humor in this movie just really works for me. I love the gag where they show big action moments then zoom out to regular size and how how not dramatic it looks. If you are making an Ant-Man movie you mighjt as well embrace the goofiness and they did that. Paul Rudd really surprised me with how well he played the character, and his being a single dad was a dynamic we just don't see often and really made the movie better. Yellowjacket was fine as a villain, I like that he was more connected to Pym than Lang. I also have to give a shout out to Michael Pena who makes every scene he is in better and may be my favoirte human side character. He is so good and entertaining. Lily left me a bit wanting and obviously its not the best movie but I still really enjoyed watching it.

Mega Mana
First Moment That Comes to Mind: Baskin-Robbins always finds out

How can anyone hate Paul Rudd? Look at that man's smile. He is the most likable person. He was perfectly cast as Bobby Newport on Parks & Recreation. His eyes are excited little innocent blue orbs. How can you not root for him? As a dad, as a modern day Robin Hood, as an ex-convict just looking to work an honest living, as a superhero who shrinks in size and talks to ants as his power. Paul Rudd's natural 20 Charisma makes it work.

It's a fun movie. A comedy heist caper. Ant-Man could get a '90s trailer about a down on his luck dad trying something new in his life to be a part of his family's life again and it would work perfectly. The superhero stuff is great, but it's a '90s comedy where the superhero hijinks are like crossdressing as an old English nanny or ...I thought I had another comparison besides Mrs. Doubtfire but I really don't. I'm honestly just rambling because Ant-Man just feels great. Backstory, Evie Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michael Pena, Ant-Thony, the Ants trailer, the poster speck, Michael Pena, Cassie Lang, the train battle, the comedy, the Falcon fight, Michael Pena. The mission and the villain? Mehhh. They're just there to have Paul Rudd run into doors, joke with Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly, and melt your heart with his daughter. Also, I forgot Wood Harris was in this! Avon!

Corrik7
This movie is a clever film that lines up well with Paul Rudd's acting ability. Ant-Man simply isn't as interesting as some of the other big hitters in the Marvel lineup, but Paul Rudd does make up care about this character and the character a welcome addition. There is nothing amazing here, but it is another solid entry.

Red13n
One of the things that the MCU has done better than other, mostly lesser competing comic book franchises is that they allow their heroes to have their own type of movie, while they might align on a formula at points, each character very much has their own tone for their own films(With a couple notable exceptions). Not only does Ant-Man fall further from the hero we are used to, its much more of a genre bend than we'd seen up to this point. Til the end, we're in more of a heist film, dealing with a bunch of ants, and things like that. Its meant to be a smaller film, smaller stakes, smaller hero. It doesn't make it the best movie, but it definitely served its purpose by putting out something that felt different.

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Raka Putra
"Dicks out for ANThony.
Another fun movie, I love Ant-Man's powers and the shenanigans they provide. Scott Lang and his crew are top notch. And it being a heist movie of sorts really gives it a unique flavor compared to other movies in the canon. Lang's relationship with Cassie is full of heart and that Luis' summation sequence is still one of the funniest moments in the canon."

StifledSilence
Its like Oceans Eleven with super powers! I liked Oceans Eleven and I like super powers, so yeah. Big win. For all the movies Ive seen about shrinking and/or increasing things to kaiju height, I felt Ant-Man has done it the best so far.

VengefulKaelee
Look, one of the things that bores me most about these movies on the whole is that all their climaxes are the same. The fact that Ant-Man's climax is so different from the rest, just by virtue of having a sense of humor and being creative with its setting and concepts, is a fact I find extremely refreshing. The movie has some problems, sure the entire second act could be essentially excised from the movie and you'd be missing almost nothing but one thing is for certain: Thomas the Tank Engine has never been put to better use in a feature film.

Anagram
Is anyones favorite superhero Antman? Im not judging you if it is, I just want to know why.

Mr Crispy
Ant Man is pretty average overall, but framing more as a heist movie about using shrinking powers to break into a heavily guarded tech facility gives it a bit more personality than an origin movie would ordinarily have. Shrinking can be a pretty fun concept, making you take another look at what's around you and see it from another point of view. A tiny universe in and of itself, where tiny people could have these epic battles without the rest of the world noticing. Scenes like the one where the toy train was about to crash, and the perspective switched back to the actual scale to show this tiny little impact were amusing and charming. Yellowjacket isn't amazing but puts up a competent enough fight (which is more than you could say about many MCU villains).

TomNook
I like Paul Rudd usually, so no surprise that I like Ant-Man. Fun sci-fi plot. I've always found shrinking/growing to be a fun concept when films use it, and with the cast of charming characters, it works for me.

GavsEvans123
Ant Mans abilities allow for some very creative scenes, as regular settings such as a bathroom, the inside of a briefcase or a childs train set become unique and dangerous settings when he is shrunk down, offering a new perspective which sets it apart from the other Marvel films. He also has discs that are used to make things grow, and a lot of fun is had with these as well.

Several plot elements are reminiscent of Iron Man, such as the hero having a new ability granting suit, learning to use their powers, the villain being a corrupt corporate executive, and the climax involving the villain getting his own upgraded suit and duking it out with the heros prototype suit. Surprisingly, it doesnt feel as repetitive as it sounds, despite the MCU loving the Upgrade VS Prototype Fight trope (Iron Man VS Iron Monger, Hulk VS Abomination, Captain America VS Red Skull, Vision VS Ultron, Black Panther VS Killmonger in his own suit)

Alongside the creativity, the film is also very funny. There are lots of laughs to be had from side characters like Scotts friends, plenty of witty lines in the script (The Titanic conversation is the hardest Ive laughed at anything in this viewing so far) and some comedy size shifting towards the end. Theres even a bit of emotion involved, thanks to Scotts bond with an ant he names Anthony and his relationship with his adorable little daughter, desperately wanting to put his time in prison behind him and be a good father to his daughter. Because of this, theres a feelgood factor attached to the film which will leave you with a big smile on your face afterwards.

Ant Man is on a smaller scale than the previous films, which is no bad thing. It feels like a back-to-basics breather before everything kicks off again in Civil War, and after Age of Ultron thats just what was needed. One thing that just occurred to me watching this time, why wasnt Falcon in Sokovia in Age of Ultron? Another pair of wings would have come in real useful for rescuing civilians. I mistakenly thought that this film took place during Age of Ultron, and Falcon drew the short straw to stay behind and hold the fort while everyone else went to Sokovia, but no, it takes place after that film.

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BetrayedTangy
So I love Edgar Wright films. Three of his movies are in my Top 10 alone and man do I wish he stayed on this movie. You can really feel his presence throughout, most notably in the action scenes and its really unfortunate he left, because this would be number 1 if he was really able to make his vision. Honestly though what we got was still really good imo. Scott and his friends are really endearing and genuinely funny for most of the movie and Michael Douglas as Hank is honestly really good and he doesnt get enough credit for his performance here. Sure the rest of the movie falls into the same traps as the rest of the MCU, but whats good is really good and I always enjoy a rewatch.

Jesse Custer
I have a confession. The first time I watched this movie I got bored and wasnt a fan. It wasnt until I saw it a second time that it clicked for me. And with repeat viewings, I like it more each time.

Clearly what makes this movie great is seeing an ordinary guy whos nothing special become a superhero. And I dont think anyone could have filled this role as well as Paul Rudd did. He is inherently likable and relatable in a way no other character in a superhero movie has ever been able to achieve (although Shazam perhaps came close). And hes got ordinary believable problems like having to pay child support while struggling to hold down a job. That makes him a sharp contrast to Tony Stark, who was already a big deal with tons of resources before he ever wore a suit that gives him powers. And its a pleasure to see this ordinary guy have to fight an Avenger, to interact with the ants, and so on. Also, that final battle involving the Thomas train set is one of the best things the MCU has ever come up with, simultaneously thrilling and hilarious. This is a great movie that I can come back to again and again, and enjoy more each time.

PrinceKaro
A bumbling thief breaks into a house that just happens to belong to Ant-Man, and becomes the new Ant-Man after getting a new pair of clothes. The reasons behind this a bit convoluted and it is probably not best to dwell on them.
The story plays out like a heist flick, only microcosmic and with creepy crawlies. For the most part this is a fresh change to both superhero and heist films. There is a certain unabashed cuteness to everything involving the ants, and this movie is richer because of it. I think a lot of people would have handled them differently and I am glad they went that way that they did.
This was a movie that surprised me back when I first saw it, I was not really looking forward to this like I was with Civil War (insert tidus laughing noises) and I almost didn't see it in theaters. I was very glad I did.

Paratroopa1
Maybe I'm the weird one here, but I fucking love Ant-Man. I dunno, I just love that Scott Lang is the most normal-guy superhero out of the whole bunch (even though he's some kind of master-thief Robin Hood but whatever), and his origin story is the most normal-guy-getting-wrapped-up-in-something-big plot ever and I'm just totally here for it. It's fun, it's funny, and the actions scenes are extremely clever and surprisingly fresh, despite the idea of being small and normal-sized stuff being big seeming like a cliche. Sure, the plot's whatever, the villain's boring, but I don't care, I absolutely love this movie, maybe I just stan it especially hard beacuse Ant-Man is nobody's favorite character or film and I'm a contrarian.

Lopen
This setting is sciency without being pretentious about it (I'm looking at you Black Panther), fleshes out a hero that people know relatively much less about than a lot of these other ones, and Scott Lang and his ragtag group of idiots are all really fun. The humor in this one just hits a lot better than most MCU entries-- I think that's largely because of Paul Rudd just being naturally more funny than a lot of the people they have being quip machines in these movies. Also giant ants are just funny and write themselves.

MetalmindStats
If you can forgive Ant-Mans relative lack of stakes and spectacle, and I can (especially in the context of the MCU), youll find a fittingly light and accessible, distinctly worthy watch. For me, Ant-Man stands proudly shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Baby Driver and Oceans Eleven among modern heist films, even boasting more compelling characters than either of the aforementioned examples.

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14. Ant-Man
Total Score: 424

BetrayedTangy - 5
Jesse Custer 5
PrinceKaro 5
Paratroopa1 - 8
Lopen - 10
MetalmindStats 10
Raka Putra - 10
StifledSilence 10
VengefulKaelee - 10
Anagram 11
Mr Crispy - 12
TomNook - 12
GavsEvans123 13
Inviso 13
Johnbobb 13
Maniac64 - 13
Mega Mana - 13
Corrik7 14
Red13n - 14
ZenOfThunder 14
Illuminatusbubu - 15
ScepterOfLove - 15
Whiskey Nick 15
Cybat 16
NBIceman - 16
Sheep007 16
HanOfTheNekos 18
CoolCly - 19
Eddv - 19
MetalDK 19
XIII Rocks 20
Snake5555555555 21

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Hmm...should probably get to a new page before starting to post the next write-up.

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