Worst Marvel Studios Film through 2013

[J.Howlett]

Oh yeah, there's a definite jump in feel from TIH to Iron Man 2.

And that's when the cinematic universe started to go south for this viewer, even while acknowledging that the Thor franchise/story arc is my favorite of the MCU by miles.

 

[Blind_Lawyer]

I'd say they did a good job with thor, considered he's the most ungrounded character in the mcu. it could have been bad, or worse in your case, but imo it was great

Oh, I agree. I like what they did with Thor the character. I liked how they wrote him and I liked Chris Hemsworth in the role. It was the story that was kind of slow and boring--especially in the middle.

I didn't hate Thor, mind you, just didn't think it was great.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

Oh, I agree. I like what they did with Thor the character. I liked how they wrote him and I liked Chris Hemsworth in the role. It was the story that was kind of slow and boring--especially in the middle.

I didn't hate Thor, mind you, just didn't think it was great.

I see. so your least favorite part was when thor is exiled with his superpowers & hammer taken away?

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Oh yeah, there's a definite jump in feel from TIH to Iron Man 2.

For the the jump in feel came from Avengers onwards. Phase 1 i enjoyed mostly, Avengers and Phase 2 has come off more kiddie and hollow, imo.

I don't expect Guaridans to be at the height of serious storytelling and it's naturally kinda kooky and just fun, but Cap 2 looks like a proper film so i hope that is that and it's not another jokefest with little substance.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

For the the jump in feel came from Avengers onwards. Phase 1 i enjoyed mostly, Avengers and Phase 2 has come off more kiddie and hollow, imo.

I don't expect Guaridans to be at the height of serious storytelling and it's naturally kinda kooky and just fun, but Cap 2 looks like a proper film so i hope that is that and it's not another jokefest with little substance.

you thought im3 was more kiddie?

and i agree about cap 2, looks very promising

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

On second viewing i found that to be alot better, not kiddie and the humour wasn't iverdone but there was something off about it for me. I think it was things happening and then being undone shortly after, like Pepper getting powers and having them taken away, dying then coming back, war machine becoming iron patriot and not doing much, saving the people in the sky only to be revealed he wasn't in the suit.

There were just too many of those moments for my taste. If somethings gonna happen i like it to stick and be truthful not a subversion, having one twist is enough but constant twists is just messing with my perceptions

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

On second viewing i found that to be alot better, not kiddie and the humour wasn't iverdone but there was something off about it for me. I think it was things happening and then being undone shortly after, like Pepper getting powers and having them taken away, dying then coming back, war machine becoming iron patriot and not doing much, saving the people in the sky only to be revealed he wasn't in the suit.

There were just too many of those moments for my taste. If somethings gonna happen i like it to stick and be truthful not a subversion, having one twist is enough but constant twists is just messing with my perceptions

pepper didn't die because she was powered by the extremis and everything about it outdid stark tech. that's why iron man couldn't beat him. it had to be another extremis - pepper.

and war machine becoming iron patriot in the film pissed me off for very separate reasons nevertheless it did piss me off.

and are you sure your feelings for the film has nothing to do with the twist?

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

And that's when the cinematic universe started to go south for this viewer, even while acknowledging that the Thor franchise/story arc is my favorite of the MCU by miles.

Same here, but I still find Thor to be the best non-Avengers movie anyway, but phase 2 especially has become too kiddy for me and you can tell there is a big difference between IM1, TIH and IM3 and TDW. The 1st 2 had a good bit of grittiness and violence about them that has been lacking in the last few movies.

Its why I am currently preferring DC's take which is a bit more adult.

 

[Visualiza]

Same here, but I still find Thor to be the best non-Avengers movie anyway, but phase 2 especially has become too kiddy for me and you can tell there is a big difference between IM1, TIH and IM3 and TDW. The 1st 2 had a good bit of grittiness and violence about them that has been lacking in the last few movies.

Its why I am currently preferring DC's take which is a bit more adult.

I have to call your judgment into question when you consider either of the phase 2 movies to be kiddie. The themes and subject matter of IM3 alone were anything but tailored towards children, and if it's the humor you're referring to, then I also disagree. Most children and teens simply wouldn't be familiar with the references. How many kids do you honestly know that are familiar with Downton Abbey, Westworld, or Laurence Olivier? Let's get serious here, that silly designation doesn't ring true as much you'd like to think it does. Humor /= childlike, nor does it equate to lesser quality as so many here insinuate. On a similar note, 'more adult', whatever that means, isn't a ticket to quality either. You praise Man of Steel unconditionally, yet that movie is riddled with flaws, and no amount of melodrama, so-called emotion, and 'adult' tone' can whisk them away. If you ask me, preferring a movie primarily because of its tone is exceedingly closed-minded. The way some of you talk about these movies, you'd think we were all watching Lilo & Stitch.

 

[Thoix]

Iron Man - 9/10

The Incredible Hulk - 7/10

Iron Man 2 - 6/10

Thor - 7/10

Captain America: The First Avenger - 7/10

The Avengers - 8/10

Iron Man 3 - 7/10

Thor: The Dark World - 6/10

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Tone is kinda like genre. It can be the difference between Tropic Thunder and Saving Private Ryan.

Movies can be about serious subjects and be silly and off he wall, Scary Movie & Shallow Hal for example, yet they aren't serious movies.

Iron Man 3 had serious subject matter and comedy as did Iron Man 1 yet for some and not for others the balance wasn't as good, thus it can venture into too much comedy or too much drama, in this case many found too much comedy.

 

[Visualiza]

Tone is kinda like genre. It can be the difference between Tropic Thunder and Saving Private Ryan.

Movies can be about serious subjects and be silly and off he wall, Scary Movie & Shallow Hal for example, yet they aren't serious movies.

Iron Man 3 had serious subject matter and comedy as did Iron Man 1 yet for some and not for others the balance wasn't as good, thus it can venture into too much comedy or too much drama, in this case many found too much comedy.

No. It can contribute to the difference between the two, but it can never be the deciding factor. Suggesting as much is being far too dismissive of the myriad of other aspects that matter, while overstating the importance of tone. Fans have been doing just that for years. When we get to the point where tone is above any and all other criteria, we'll fall right into lockstep with fanbases like Twilight, in that we'll sacrifice substance for tone(and presume that they go hand in hand), and quality for the superficial. 2013 has shown me that we're coming awfully close.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

The reason tone is such a big subject is because DC and Fox go for a more serious, darker or bleaker colour palette tone across their movies while Disney Marvel (and Sony to an extent) go for a lighter, more colourful tone across theirs.

The movies therefore look and feel different and people have preference for one or the other even if they enjoy both.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Like I said in the last thread, Captain America is not bad, it's just my least favorite of the bunch

For the next poll, are we going to see one for Guardians and another for Cap, or one after the release of both movies?

 

[Visualiza]

^That's why threads like this may as well forgo polls.

Speaking of GotG, I can't wait to hear from the usual suspects about how childish, shallow, and humorous that movie is.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Well Guardians is supposed to be humourous.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Daniel Way's Deadpool kind of humorous?

 

[Lantern Venom]

I finally saw Thor:TDW and I still haven't seen a MS movie that isn't in the 8 out of 10 range or better. I can't pick a "worst" until I see something that is at least mediocre.

 

[Visualiza]

Well Guardians is supposed to be humourous.

Exactly my point. That surely won't stop people from denouncing it for having not been a grounded, gritty, and...ahem 'realistic' space epic. I'm not gonna be surprised when someone is left clamoring for it to have been more like Gravity.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Well Marvel aren't the only ones subject to being the "wrong tone". Man of Steel was blasted for being all gritty and dark when it should've been lighter.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

The reason tone is such a big subject is because DC and Fox go for a more serious, darker or bleaker colour palette tone across their movies while Disney Marvel (and Sony to an extent) go for a lighter, more colourful tone across theirs.

The movies therefore look and feel different and people have preference for one or the other even if they enjoy both.

Exactly, I also like the fact you will get things in the DC and Fox Marvel movies you simply wouldnt in the MCU movies because it would be deemed to violent for kids, like Superman snapping Zods neck or Wolverine doing DIY surgery. I just prefer things this way and Visualiza you just need to accept this rather than calling my judgement into question. I could easily call yours out for liking the humour and more kiddie tone of IM3 but I wont, I will just accept you have a differing opinion.

Exactly my point. That surely won't stop people from denouncing it for having not been a grounded, gritty, and...ahem 'realistic' space epic. I'm not gonna be surprised when someone is left clamoring for it to have been more like Gravity.

Come on, too much humour is a legitimate complaint for these phase 2 Marvel movies, it is hampering their dramatic scenes a lot and effects the movies in a bad way on repeat viewing as well IMO. The amount of dramatic scenes that are ruined by jokes coming mere minutes later really annoys me, and THIS is were the humour effects the movies in a negative way for me.

People who know the GOTG WILL expect humour, I fully do, but not EVERY MCU should be that way yet they are.

 

[Lorus]

The problem with the recent discussions regarding tone is, as has been mentioned already in this thread, that it is a disturbingly shallow, reductive argument that has begun to eclipse any more relevant discussion. It's somewhat surprising to see Marvel Studios' recent output derided as 'kiddie' in comparison to the efforts of other studios when very rarely is there much difference in the content.

It's odd that we should be in a position now that Thor: TDW should receive criticism for surface details rather than its far more crippling flaws, while the equally juvenile and shallow Man of Steel is lauded as 'more adult'. All this, simply due to tone, or rather the preposterous binary conceptions of tone that seem to persist through these discussions.

The truth is that humour and comedy are just writers' tools that can be used to enhance a film or as a crutch to support poor structure/content. Oftentimes it seems fans are quick to point to mere tools as flaws while turning a blind eye to offerings which present the same fundamental flaws but present them 'more seriously'.

 

[Visualiza]

Exactly, I also like the fact you will get things in the DC and Fox Marvel movies you simply wouldnt in the MCU movies because it would be deemed to violent for kids, like Superman snapping Zods neck or Wolverine doing DIY surgery.

So there it is. The line in the sand has been drawn. That's what we see these movies for; Superman killing his nemesis and Wolverine cutting himself open is what separates the little leagues from the big leagues. Cast everything else aside. It doesn't get much more arbitrary than that.

I just prefer things this way and Visualiza you just need to accept this rather than calling my judgement into question.

I can do both, thanks. Have your opinion all you want; nobody is trying to deny you that, but this is a discussion forum and you should expect to be challenged. I'm simply calling it like I see it.

I could easily call yours out for liking the humour and more kiddie tone of IM3 but I wont, I will just accept you have a differing opinion.

Then say so; no need to be coy as I can assure you that you won't hurt my feelings. I will say, however, that if you're prepared to make such a claim...back it up, as I have. You didn't even bother to address what I had said earlier, so I'll say it again and expound a bit - My opinion is that your judgment is questionable if you consider the subject matter of IM3 to be childish, because political insurrection, murder, terrorism, PTSD, kidnapping, wounded veterans, proxy bombing, etc. most certainly aren't tailored towards kids. Again, if the humor is the issue I still disagree, because it was also geared towards adults, which I outlined previously.

Let's also cast aside this nonsense that enjoying humor makes you childish or immature. Humor is made by adults and for adults; it isn't taboo, and it is far from being the lesser art form that some fans make it out to be. What matters is the quality of the humor, and how it integrates with the movie.

Come on, too much humour is a legitimate complaint for these phase 2 Marvel movies

No, it really isn't, because making it into a matter of quantity is far too arbitrary(yet again) to be taken seriously. Too much according to what standard? The way those of you who parrot this tune talk, you'd think we were watching the Scary Movie series. I'm sorry, but I can't get behind such whimsical, ill-conceived criticisms. To insinuate that any of the Marvel films have in any way resembled a banal, slapstick comedy is little more than egregious hyperbole, yet it gets tossed around about these movies all the time. You're a Man of Steel fan, yes? What's your first inclination when someone says that movie has "too much action"? Exactly.

it is hampering their dramatic scenes a lot and effects the movies in a bad way on repeat viewing as well IMO. The amount of dramatic scenes that are ruined by jokes coming mere minutes later really annoys me, and THIS is were the humour effects the movies in a negative way for me.

This seems to be at the crux of these "too much humor" arguments, but in all honesty, I can't see it, so I'd like to ask for examples. Most of the humor in IM3 was either in character, incidental, or referential in nature, and I can't recall a single instance where it was shoehorned into and upstaged a dramatic scene. Thor 2 was, along with Wolverine, the most mediocre and middle-of-the-road genre film of the year, and in all honesty, the least of its myriad of problems was the humor. I would never even attempt to defend that movie from its more glaring issues, but to point to the humor and say "SEE, this is what's so wrong with these films!" is a poorly thought out exaggeration.

Let's hear it though; I'm all ears. Enlighten me on the specific instances where the humor ruined the precious, sacred drama, and ultimately affected any particular movie as a whole.

People who know the GOTG WILL expect humour, I fully do, but not EVERY MCU should be that way yet they are.

Again with the hyperbole. You may as well say that humor in these films is beneath you, because that's all I see when you make such a broad, sweeping statement. In some instances, the humor has indeed been poor, but to shoehorn the rest into that category is just silly and untrue.

I don't see how you can denounce the entire Marvel catalogue while propping up something like Man of Steel as some beacon of exemplary cinema. That movie was about as shallow as shallow gets. Talk up the 'emotion and drama' as much as you want, but then that's my point.

A lot of people wax about these things ad nauseum - drama vs humor, light vs dark, as if they inherently denote quality or the lack thereof. I find it to be profoundly disturbing, and then arbitrary terms like 'mature', 'kiddie', or 'adult' are used to further that nonsense, and by then it all just becomes far too pretentious for me. I've got news for some of you, everything angst isn't art, and all drama isn't good drama. The lens through which people look at some of this stuff is very skewed; it's a different kind of bias from the 'Marvel vs. DC' crap that we're all used, but it's an ill-conceived bias nonetheless.

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

People who know the GOTG WILL expect humour, I fully do, but not EVERY MCU should be that way yet they are.

Thats what concerns me about Cap 2, thing are becoming formulaic

The problem with the recent discussions regarding tone is, as has been mentioned already in this thread, that it is a disturbingly shallow, reductive argument that has begun to eclipse any more relevant discussion.

It's odd that we should be in a position now that Thor: TDW should receive criticism for surface details rather than its far more crippling flaws, while the equally juvenile and shallow Man of Steel is lauded as 'more adult'. All this, simply due to tone, or rather the preposterous binary conceptions of tone that seem to persist through these discussions.

Have to disagree, it's in regards to the content of the movie and the tone and humour is part of the movie therefore a valid discussion.

Let's also cast aside this nonsense that enjoying humor makes you childish or immature. Humor is made by adults and for adults; it isn't taboo, and it is far from being the lesser art form that some fans make it out to be. What matters is the quality of the humor, and how it integrates with the movie.

Humour isn't made strictly for adults, plenty of comedy (all sorts of movies) is manufactured to get a programmed laught out of the kids in the audience.

I agree with your last sentence, however the ampunt of comedy is what matters also, having a joke every five minutes in Shawshank Redemption would undermine the seriousness of the story, having three jokes spread out over the movie wouldn't undermine the seriousness of the story.

I don't see how you can denounce the entire Marvel catalogue.

i don't think he did, he has stated Phase II movies, thats only 2/8.

A lot of people wax about these things ad nauseum - drama vs humor, light vs dark, as if they inherently denote quality or the lack thereof.

That could be true, but tone isn't regarded as bad because it's dark or light, it's only when it doesn't fits the story or isn't for the right character.

MOS is a prime example of people having a problem with the tone because to them it didn't fit the character who is the lightest of light character.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

Its why I am currently preferring DC's take which is a bit more adult.

But...pretty much all of DC's movies suck.