Board 8 > Board 8 Ranks: The Marvel Cinematic Universe (PHASE TWO!)

(+) Yeah! (+)

"I am Iron Man."

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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10. Captain Marvel
11.
12.
13. Ant-Man And The Wasp
14.
15. Ant-Man
16. Avengers: Age of Ultron
17. Captain America: The First Avenger
18. Thor
19.
20. Thor: The Dark World
21. Iron Man 2
22. Iron Man 3
23. The Incredible Hulk

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fuck

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Ya basic, Zen :P

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Under/over Zen's outlier score: 10


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i've got a pretty wild #1 pick that will probably fuck my score up but im worried that the gap is too large now for me to not finish in first/last

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I kind of wonder if many of the lower rankings for Ant-Man were people who just saw it once, since that was a movie that really didnt click for me the first time and probably would have been at or near the bottom of the list for me that first time.

We have reached the point in this ranking where all remaining movies are straight bangers.

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Jesse_Custer posted...

I kind of wonder if many of the lower rankings for Ant-Man were people who just saw it once, since that was a movie that really didnt click for me the first time and probably would have been at or near the bottom of the list for me that first time.

I've seen it quite a few times and I love it. My low-ish ranking for it is kind of misleading; I really, really enjoy everything at and above #16 on my list.

Also, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpPx7E27Bc8.

Rough hint on the next one - I could see quite a few movies left fitting that description. Guess this seems to be about the right spot for Strange and it would make sense for me as the kind of movie no one really hates, so I'll go with that.

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Ant Man is a solid film with a funny cast. Also Ant Man is fairly popular among kids I think. It probably helps he has a cool costume kids can actually wear on Halloween while Hulk and Thor dont really offer anything there. I saw tons of kids in my town dressed as Ant Man for Halloween before the pandemic.

I think I need to rewatch Ant Man.

I obviously really enjoyed it but if I might enjoy it even more on rewatch? Great!

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Aww man

RIP ANTony

I keep underestimating Dr. Strange, but I think hes next.
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swordz9 posted...

Also Ant Man is fairly popular among kids I think.

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

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wanted to take a second to highlight one of the weirder side-stories surrounding ant-man for those who aren't aware of it: Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington have (had?) a movie review satire show on the Adult Swim YouTube called On Cinema at the Cinema. Gregg Turkington got the role of the Dairy Queen manager in Ant-Man and in the show, Tim Heidecker was so jealous he gave Ant-Man the only 1/5 rating ever (the show's gimmick is that they give 5/5 to literally every movie).

Peyton Reed came on as a guest star and got involved in the joke at this point; Tim went on to pay his own money to get a role as the abusive dad in the shitty Fantastic Four reboot, and a running subplot in the show became FF vs Ant-Man. when it became obvious that FF was shit Tim backpedaled his stance on ant-man and asked peyton Peyton Reed to give him a cameo in Ant-Man and the Wasp as the Ferry Driver just so that Gregg wouldn't have exclusivity in being in actual good superhero movies

I know this might sound boring but I think it's fucking hilarious that there's this entire weird meta side-story involving two actors in throwaway roles in the MCU that most people probably forgot about

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I mean it's a good movie I rated a bit higher but I can't really be upset Ant-Man is 14th. I think we might finally start hitting some points where I can make a run at #2 on outlier though. My take on what is the consensus top half is probably a lot more weird than my bottom half.

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My guess is either Doctor Strange or... hmmm... maybe Guardians of the Galaxy 2?

Also, Paul Rudd love:
https://youtu.be/H9fqZlo60_8

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11. Iron Man 3
12. Age of Ultron
13.
14.
15.
16. Iron Man 2
17. Captain Marvel
18. Thor
19. Captain America
20. Ant-Man
21. Ant-Man and the Wasp
22.Thor: The Dark World
23.The Incredible Hulk

Cool? Predicting Strange next.
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I guess Doctor Strange next. I have a feeling I'm gonna be around #2 for least outlier for a while unless my 2nd rank goes early and I double my score

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Doctor Strange is the sort of film I see no one particularly liking or hating to a large degree so that sounds like it's the most plausible - Guardians 2 probably has at least one person hating it.

I think my biggest outlier is my number one, but I was actually expecting it to go out by now. At this rate it would probably end up being in the top ten, or fall just outside of it. Most of my top ten remaining is probably pretty orthodox for the most part, though I'll probably get some outlier points for the order it's in.

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Jesse_Custer posted...

I kind of wonder if many of the lower rankings for Ant-Man were people who just saw it once, since that was a movie that really didnt click for me the first time and probably would have been at or near the bottom of the list for me that first time.

I've seen it three times and it still does not really work for me too well.

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ZenOfThunder posted...

wanted to take a second to highlight one of the weirder side-stories surrounding ant-man for those who aren't aware of it: Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington have (had?) a movie review satire show on the Adult Swim YouTube called On Cinema at the Cinema. Gregg Turkington got the role of the Dairy Queen manager in Ant-Man and in the show, Tim Heidecker was so jealous he gave Ant-Man the only 1/5 rating ever (the show's gimmick is that they give 5/5 to literally every movie).

Peyton Reed came on as a guest star and got involved in the joke at this point; Tim went on to pay his own money to get a role as the abusive dad in the shitty Fantastic Four reboot, and a running subplot in the show became FF vs Ant-Man. when it became obvious that FF was shit Tim backpedaled his stance on ant-man and asked peyton Peyton Reed to give him a cameo in Ant-Man and the Wasp as the Ferry Driver just so that Gregg wouldn't have exclusivity in being in actual good superhero movies

I know this might sound boring but I think it's fucking hilarious that there's this entire weird meta side-story involving two actors in throwaway roles in the MCU that most people probably forgot about

This is all great!

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ed and i have been giving the same scores to movies lately and i dont like it

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I'd be ashamed to be in the company of a write-up that says "A star vehicle for the aging husk of the once funny Paul Rudd" too. You might get edge-poisoning being too close to that take.

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Tag

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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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Lopen posted...

I'd be ashamed to be in the company of a write-up that says "A star vehicle for the aging husk of the once funny Paul Rudd" too. You might get edge-poisoning being too close to that take.

psssh...nothing personal...kid...

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If its Doctor Strange next, then GOTG2 is going to be the big mystery of this list to me. I liked it, but above all these other films? Iron Man 1 I get, I think the fact that Im cooler on it than most is a product of not watching it for a good while after it came out. GOTG2 being high would be a genuine surprise.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIXTNumrDc4

aging

husk

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I know there's a couple people here who really REALLY hate GOTG2 so I don't think it's that. Dr. Strange seems possible, but we're at the point where several movies could drop and I wouldnt be surprised.

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Ant-Man's a great superhero. I'm not sure why AM1 failed to resonate with me while AMaTW did during my Marvel rewatch, but that's how it is.

Most of the films that dropped are origin stories. The only other ones are iffy sequels. Out of the remaining origin stories, Dr. Strange and maybe Black Panther are the only ones I'd say are OK. Dr. Strange should definitely go out next.

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I'm sad I somehow overlooked the voting on this; here's how my own list is ranking in comparison:
23 - Thor: The Dark World
22 - Iron Man 2
21 - The Incredible Hulk
20 - Thor
19 - Avengers: Age of Ultron
18 - Captain Marvel
17 - Iron Man 3
16 - Ant-Man
15 - ???
14 - ???
13 - Captain America: The First Avenger
12 - Ant-Man and the Wasp

I'm not sure why I'm so low on one of the two yet to rank (I feel like I just wasn't in the mood for it when I watched) considering what I have higher, though I also don't get why others care for the other one

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Also, it's weird that I've invested so much time in this series when only two have ever ranked in my top 1000 films. I guess I feel like the MCU is something greater than the sum of its parts.

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I wouldnt really call Black Panther an origin story also. The only true origin stories left are Doctor Strange and Iron Man (kind of GotG but also not really). Doctor Strange is the better of the two! But that probably isnt too popular of an opinion.

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Uh what. How is Black Panther not an origin story other than Black Panther appearing in Civil War first?

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I mean guardians is an origin story for the group.

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Lopen posted...

Uh what. How is Black Panther not an origin story other than Black Panther appearing in Civil War first?

Because Black Panther was already Black Panther before the movie started. It's like calling Homecoming an origin story.

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Homecoming isn't an origin story because it isn't an origin story. It takes place after Civil War and doesn't tell you anything about Spider-Man you didn't already know from Civil War unless it's stuff that hadn't happened yet-- it's just a story of stuff that's happening to him.

Black Panther does tell you his childhood, how he got his powers, all about Wakanda. It's basically just a bunch of information on Black Panther with a story wrapping around it and isn't "that movie after Civil War"

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Black Panther includes part of the origin but it's not the basis of the story. If anything Civil War's as much of an origin story.

GotG is a bit more technical as it's an origin for the group but not the characters.

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The only way Civil War is an origin story is due to release order. There's no real origin or background given on Black Panther he's just a force that exists to help drive the story.

Black Panther actually explains a ton about him, more than a lot of actual origin stories due to there being more information to unpack, and literally the only reason you'd doubt it's an origin story is because Civil War came first.

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Nah its not the only reason at all, it just helps. Its just not a focus of the film, the focus is on the story as it affects established characters. The status quo of the hero is already in place, we do not see him come to be.

Also for what its worth, the writer of Black Panther says its not an origin story.

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We actually do see him come to be in a way. He doesn't start as literally a powerless dweeb but between the flashbacks and him becoming King of Wakanda over the course of a movie (him being King of Wakanda is a pretty important part of his character really) and the exposition given on how he's such a badass between the Wakandan tech and drinking the sacred concoction or whatever, that it's an origin story by any sort of reasonable definition.

I don't think the writer's opinion means a lot here because I have a mind and don't need them to explain what I'm seeing. Half the time they're going to say whatever sounds more progressive or daring or whatever and not really give an honest answer anyway. If it's not an origin story it's a failure at not being one and can learn from Spider-Man Homecoming.

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For the record, my origin clue last time was intended to include Homecoming and Black Panther as the first this is a solo movie for this character movies.

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This is what I predicted for the next four:

312 - Spider-Man: Far From Home
313 - Doctor Strange
335 - Iron Man
392 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

I could see GotG 2 getting a bottom 3 placement though - so maybe Doctor Strange or IM1? Maybe I'm underrating IM1, I have no idea.