Batman Begins vs Captain America: The First Avenger:
Script:
Both of these suffer of the same problem: They start of great, but then collapse when they actually become Captain America and Batman. I loved following their journey to becoming their alter egos, but when they finally do that, the films dont know what to do with them, and they turn into generic action movies. Batman Begins also has quite a bit of bad dialogue. They are the weakest in their respective trilogies.
Acting:
Both movies have good acting, and Chris Evans and Christian Bale is really good in their parts. Even though I have some problems with Bale's portrayal of Batman, he's really good as Bruce Wayne. Katie Holmes has nothing on Hayley Atwell though, and where Evans and Atwell have great chemistry, Holmes and Bale have none.
Action:
Neither have impressive action sequences, so I guess it's a tie.
Villain:
Even though Ra's al Ghul is only alright, he's still better than Red Skull. It meant more when Bruce had to fight his old mentor, than when Steve had to do his end battle.
Overall:
Batman Begins 7/10, and Captain America: The First Avenger 7/10, so a tie.
The Dark Knight vs Captain America: The Winter Soldier:
Script:
Both movies have great scripts, but TDK has the better one. The plot and characterization is simply better in TDK, it cuts deeper into the characters and it's dark and meaningful. TDK also has better dialogue.
Acting:
Cap has some great acting, but TDK is on another level. Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart are brilliant as the Joker and Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Watching the tragic journey and fall of Dent is fantastic, and Eckhart, together with the script, truly makes you feel for Dent. For me, this was Dent's movie, more than it was Bruce Wayne's. Dent had the more interesting journey, and I also found Bale to be a little bit bland in this one. And the bat voice ...
Action:
Yeah ... no comparison. Even though TDK has a great car chase and a thrilling set piece near the end when Batman has to save some hostages, The Winter Soldier is simply on another level. The fight scenes are spectacular, and are, together with Civil War, the best in the genre. Cap looks like a complete badass when he fights. Batman looks ... the opposite.
Villain:
I liked Alexander Pierce, and Winter Soldier was a beast, but the Joker is one of the best villains ever. Totally mesmerizing. And while maybe not strictly a villain, when Dent finally transforms into Two-Face, it's truly compelling.
Overall:
This is a hard one. I love the Winter Soldier, but I have to give the edge to TDK. TDK is a masterful film, and the greatest comic book movie ever. The Dark Knight 9.5/10, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier 9/10.
The Dark Knight Rises vs Captain America: Civil War:
Script:
It's been a while since I watched TDKR, but from what I remember, I will say that I found the script to be quite good, with an interesting journey for Bruce Wayne. But if the "romance" with Talia had to be in it, then it should've had a bigger meaning. And ending the trilogy with spending so much time with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's boring John Blake is a mind-boggling mistake. That time should have been spent on Bruce and his journey and relationships, or on the villain.
Civil War's script is hugely ambitious, with so many different moving pieces. I remember watching it and thinking that this could collapse at any moment. But it didn't, which is a huge achievement. I'm a script writer and I can say that I wouldn't have been able to write this script. The script also thankfully avoids the generic final fight with the villain where explosions take center stage.
Where the script suffers though, is the characterization of the protagonist, Steve Rogers. It feels like the people making the movie thought that people would think Tony Stark was automatically wrong because he's the antagonist in a Captain America movie, so they made sure that Tony had some great reasons, reasons we could empathize with, to why he acts the way he does. Which is not a mistake, but while doing that, it's like they forgot to do the same for their protagonist. Tony was struggling more with his decisions than Steve, and it felt like Steve had less of a problem to turn to violence towards his friend, than it was the other way around. This made me side with Tony during the movie, even when he didn't make rational decisions. The script made me care more about Tony than Steve, and I don't think that was the intent.
Acting:
TKDR has good acting, but I find the acting in Civil War to be more compelling. Robert Downey Jr. has always been great as Tony Stark, but Civil War brings out his best performance yet, and it might be the best super hero performance ever. I found Tom Hardy to be alright as Bane, but he didn't have that much to work with. And Anne Hathaway was miscast as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. It felt like she was acting as Selina/Catwoman, not being her. I didn't buy her in the part.
Action:
There's no contest, Civil War thrumps TDKR in every single way, action-wise. The first fight against Bane is fine, but lacks the power and brutality is should've had, and the final fight against Bane is disappointing, to say the least. The action in Civil War is spectacular, both the more grounded and brutal fights, and the more elaborate fights. The final fight is hardhitting, in every single way.
Villain:
Bane is alright as the villain, but nothing special. He's just not that interesting or compelling. And for the villain in Civil War ... well, while not a villain, Tony is an antagonist, and what an antagonist he is. Flawed, interesting and you can't take your eyes of him. Daniel Brul's Zemo is more strictly the villain, and while he's not the greatest villain(but hopefully in the future, coughpurplemaskThunderboltscough), he's interesting with a good, human motivation to why he acts the way he does. You understand why he does it, and I love that he does not want to take over the world, or is after money or other boring things. He also fits perfectly with the themes of the movie.
Overall:
The Dark Knight Rises 7/10, and Civil War 9/10.
Final:
While The Dark Knight is the best movie out of both trilogies, overall, Captain America's trilogy is better.
