1. The Avengers
Is declaring The Avengers Marvel’s best film the most obvious #1 pick of all time, on any ranking, in the entire history of list-making? Probably.
But it is, in the end, the only choice to make for this final spot, as every other film on this countdown was building up to this wondrous superhero epic. In fact, the entire idea behind The Avengers – to combine four different franchises under one bombastic roof – is so ludicrous, so spectacularly absurd and audacious that I still, four months later, find myself struggling to accept that the movie even exists.
But it does, and it is a work of blockbuster art. Fueled by writer/director Joss Whedon’s clear, inspired vision, the film is two hours of non-stop, glorious payoff, filled to burst with genuine surprises that no amount of anticipation could prepare us for. It does not quite reinvent the superhero genre, but does arguably perfect it, adding new dimensions to comic-book filmmaking we never previously thought possible.
The legendary team-up gives Whedon license to stage some tremendous and groundbreaking action, of course – the epic final act is the best blockbuster set-piece I have ever seen – but what makes The Avengers a truly great movie, rather than just a fun one, is how Whedon utilizes this opportunity to create an engaging, in-depth character study. He has a brilliant handle on every inch of this universe, giving each character and their related mythology a unique tone and weight; when the Avengers all walk into a room, it really feels as if they’ve each stepped in from a different movie, and with those distinctions established, Whedon goes to town letting these personalities clash.
The second act is largely a series of beautifully written dialogues between the characters, where Whedon explores how each member of the team plays off the others; through these interactions, we learn volumes about who these people are, so much more than we would if they were each flying solo. That sounds counterintuitive, given the sheer number of larger-than-life characters on display, but no major player is ever cut short, and they each undergo a palpable, effective arc of growth by uniting. Whedon’s writing probably shines brightest through Bruce Banner/Hulk and Black Widow – both of whom he tweaks and refines to perfection – but his handle on Thor, Tony Stark, and especially Steve Rogers is incredibly accomplished.
So long as one considers Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films as crime dramas, instead of actual superhero movies, The Avengers is unquestionably the current pinnacle of the superhero genre. That obviously makes it Marvel’s crowning accomplishment as well, and one cannot commend the studio enough for taking the wild series of risks necessary to pull it off. Revisiting these six films, it seems almost impossible that Marvel made it all the way through Phase One with almost no major hitches to speak of, and The Avengers is the ultimate testament to that effort.
What Marvel movie is YOUR favorite? How would you rank these six films? What would you like to see out of Phase Two? Sound off in the comments!
