2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – 2014
“Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?”
By this point it had become clear that each Marvel film would have humour and cool action, and then take on a different genre to throw into the mix. A quasi political thriller fits Captain America perfectly, forcing him to look at his past whilst completely changing the world that he and The Avengers operate in.
Drama and intrigue mix in with action that really shows Cap at his best; with great control over his shield and some new moves he’s picked up.
But best of all? His relationships with both the brilliant newcomer Falcon and Black Widow. One an open and honest guy who immediately forms a bond and the other a spy who has her motives and doesn’t always let him in on them. Both serve to show the different sides of our hero.
We also get to see how Rogers deals with the present and how being displaced has affected him. In all honesty it doesn’t seem to be sitting with him all that well. Before Falcon he doesn’t seem to have any friends outside of work and is constantly monitored. To see him come to terms with present day and just how grey it is makes for a moving experience you rarely see in these films.
1. Guardians of the Galaxy – 2014
“NOTHING goes over my head!… My reflexes are too fast, I would catch it.”
Fights. Spaceships. Humour. Charm. Villainy. Heroism. Great music.
It’s all going on in Guardians of the Galaxy! Each time I’ve seen it I’ve been wowed. All the strongest parts of Marvel films tied up with an irreverent verve by director James Gunn.
With Jurassic World under his belt now Chris Pratt can be considered a leading man, but it’s Guardians that showed he was up to the task, with a swagger that never annoys and constantly surprises.
Everyone gets a chance to shine with quotable lines and action scenes, but for me Groot is my favourite. An innocent seemingly along for the ride with his pal Rocket (also amazing), he provides the heart of the story, and I wasn’t surprised to find online folk already offering merchandise based on him. Vin Diesel takes fuve words and makes them work.
From the way the ships handbrake turn like speeding cars to impromptu dance-offs, GotG may be full of losers but fully deserves it place as #1.
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So there you go! As I said before, this is subject to change as more films come in to play and I get to see them more on Blu-ray/TV. Who can resist watching a film you already own on TV? Ads make it better or something.
What order would you put them in? Let us know in the comments!
Chris Cooper is a Flickering Myth Staff Writer, and owner of the blog Super Duper Stuff. Follow him on Twitter @SDCCooper or visit the blog’s Facebook page.
https://youtu.be/IWWtOQOZSTI?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published July 22, 2015. Updated November 7, 2019.
