Board 8 > Board 8 Ranks: The Marvel Cinematic Universe (Phase III!)

(+) Yeah! (+)

The MCU has generally not been so great at using its heroines anyway.

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Cybat posted...

Guardians Inferno

what

how do i not know about this

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TomNook posted...

Always thought top 2 would be Infinity War and End Game. Surprised that Winter Soldier is still around...I didnt even think that would make top 10.

That's just an indictment on you

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CoolCly posted...

what

how do i not know about this

First of all, everyone should watch this if you havent seen it yet (or even if you have):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MMMe1drnZY

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VeryInsane posted...

Anagram
BetrayedTangy
Corrik7
Cybat
Eddv
GavsEvans123
HanOfTheNekos
Metal DK
Raka Putra
ScepterOfLove
Sheep007
Snake5555555555
StifledSilence
VengefulKaelee

These are all the people with 1s still in play right

Somehow yes

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I have my 1 and 18 left.

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2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Total Score: 183 (TB21)

Anagram 1
Eddv - 1
MetalDK 1
StifledSilence 1
VengefulKaelee - 1
GavsEvans123 2
HanOfTheNekos 2
Lopen - 2
Mega Mana 2
Mr Crispy - 2
NBIceman 2
Red13n - 2
BetrayedTangy 3
Corrik7 4
Cybat - 4
Snake5555555555 4
CoolCly - 5
Maniac64 - 5
Inviso 6
Jesse Custer 6
Paratroopa1 - 6
PrinceKaro - 7
ScepterOfLove 7
Sheep007 - 7
XIII Rocks - 7
Johnbobb - 9
ZenOfThunder 9
Whiskey Nick - 10
MetalmindStats 12
TomNook 15
Raka Putra - 18
Illuminatusbubu - 20

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Anagram
Not to get too political, but CA2s theme of distrusting the government and omnipresent governmental spying with little oversight is still relevant. Its also to the movies enormous credit that this is basically not a superhero movie? Its a spy movie starring Captain America. It even shakes things up with permanent consequences in the destruction of SHIELD. Captain America gets his moments with Bucky so that they have some kind of human connection, the fight scenes dont last forever, and its got weird silly ideas like the guy whos now an AI thats written on old computer documents, but doesnt go too far with them. As far as Im concerned, this is definitely the MCU movie that works the best.

Eddv
Adapting one of my favorite captain America stories of all time, I wias always going to have a soft spot for this one. The tragic return of Bucky to the fold after being brainwashed and Steve's heroic charge to save him rules. There is some really silly stuff ( multiple giant helicopters just HAPPEN to land safely in pools of water for example) but the overall very human tale of a man and his friend who has gone astray is the most powerful story they have told in this universe.

MetalDK
Solid spy thriller with discussions of surveillance and trust

StifledSilence
So what youre telling me is we have a superhero movie that goes completely off the rails and turns into an action packed spy flick? God yes. Give me more of this. Until Black Widows movie comes out, Winter Soldier is likely to be in a league of its own as far as defying genre expectations is concerned. Between the iconic elevator scene, the ridiculous car chases and gun fights, and mothafuckin Nick Fury, Winter Soldier is a wild ride every time I watch it.

VengefulKaelee
The only movie on this list that truly goes beyond being a Marvel movie and actually works as a really engaging thriller on its own terms. It has a few goofy moments, sure, but this is one of the only MCU movies that I actually feel is worth revisiting with any regularity. Beautifully plotted, with stakes that feel as high and important as anywhere else in the series, and great performances from all involved, it's just a great, paranoid spy thriller that gives the Marvel universe more gravitas and dramatic weight than it had before or since (while miraculously never becoming a dour affair).

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GavsEvans123
Ive mentioned my old rankings before, and after my previous number 2 film, The Avengers didnt hold up as well as I would have liked this time, I was worried about this one, which was number 1 on the old list. Those feelings increased after a trailer on the Thor: The Dark World DVD that emphasised the jokes. Was this really as good as I remembered it being? I breathed a sigh of relief once I watched it and found that I neednt have worried. Winter Soldier is a first for the Marvel Cinematic Universe; a sequel thats better than the original.

Once again, Winter Soldier offers something different for the franchise. This time around, were getting a political conspiracy. Because of this, this film has a darker tone than is usual for Marvel. Like Iron Man 3 before it, the film examines serious issues; in this case, the ethical issues behind peace and issues of privacy and trust. How far can you go to fight an enemy before you become as bad as them, or worse? Captain America is the perfect character for such a plot as the paragon of the MCU. The first half of the film presents a moral conflict between two shades of grey with no clear right answer. Admittedly, the second halfs revelation that the people pushing for more surveillance are all Nazis is a bit of a cop-out for invoking Godwins Law, but Ill allow it. Headcanon: Galaga Guy is a Hydra agent, and slacking off when he should be working is his way of sabotaging SHIELDs day-to-day operations.

In Winter Soldier, we finally have another villain as good as Loki. Like Loki did when he was introduced, Winter Soldier sets himself apart from previous villains. Winter Soldier does this by bringing a sense of genuine dread and menace whenever hes on screen. Winter Soldier can do everything Captain America can do, but unlike Cap, he inspires fear rather than adoration and hope. His actions and little dialogue help convey the idea of a merciless assassin who will not show mercy, and will not stop until his target is eliminated. The frightening, ominous music that plays whenever he appears also helps to set the tone and enhance the feeling of dread. Surprisingly, despite his name being in the title, Winter Soldier doesnt get that much screen time, but in this case, less is more, and hes able to make the most of his limited screen time. Considering how great Winter Soldier is, it's pleasantly surprising that Alexander Pierce doesn't suffer in comparison. He's a great villain in his own right.

If you were to change the names, this would be a great Metal Gear Solid film. Cap is Snake, Winter Soldiers Gray Fox, Natashas Meryl, Falcons Raiden, the helicarriers are Metal Gears, SHIELD is Foxhound, and so on. Zolas scene even feels like a climactic Metal Gear cutscene as he explains the pivotal twist. Speaking of Zola, he only has one scene, but what a scene it is! I hope he comes back at some point. Just say that he uploaded his mind to the internet or something.

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HanOfTheNekos
This is special. I feel this movie broke the MCU standard enough, but everything you would want from a good Captain America movie (solid cast of characters, including villains and heroes).

Cap was great - it was a movie about him, where he was the center, but unlike Iron Man 2, it didn't create false character development for the hell of it. Cap is very much established... they spend a way too long movie on securing that, and Avengers did as well. They didn't fuck with his character - they just utilized it in the proper way. He still had his bits of getting used to the new world, but it was more exploration of his character - him seeing Peggy, him kinda asking Sharon out, him meeting Falcon and all that. And at the core, he was still Captain America.

Best Black Widow appearance to date. I like that they DID use this movie to give her development. She was wasted with her intro in Iron Man 2, and was solid in her establishment in Avengers, but this gave her background. It gave her motivation, pitfalls, showed her actually having emotion... her action scenes were worth it. She didn't just kick ass for the sake of it. It was well choreographed, and purposeful.

Sam Wilson was amazing. So glad they introduced him in the very beginning instead of midway through. Hawkeye and Widow's introductions were a little awkward... not done necessarily poorly. War Machine was... I thought done well-enough. One of the few things I liked about Iron Man 2... excluding their fight. Still love how Tony programmed the suit to respond to Rhodey, knowing he would take it some day. But man, Falcon's introduction was so clean. The only thing that was really weird was that, I guess he just happened to have used his suit before and they kinda skipped over getting it, but that was probably a very good choice. The guy was awesome, probably the best non-title character intro in the MCU so far... except for Nick Fury.

Fury was typical good. Obvious he didn't die though. I mean, really. At this point, I'm expecting this near death experience to lead to him creating some Fury-duplicates. Maria Hill was once again used well... I'm glad they chose to implement her and make her a great MCU character, as opposed to her less established comic self. I loved Sharon's introduction, but I'm worried she's not going to get the development I want her to have. I was REALLY hoping that Widow was going to tell Cap her last name when he told her his name, but... didn't. The non-comic reading audience at this point has NO idea that she's Cap's girlfriend's granddaughter. But she was great. Great surprise, made me happy as someone who has read some comics, but kinda jobbed to the Bones.

Not enough side-villains in these movies. Hulk was kinda setting up a villain for the next movie... Loki isn't really a side-villain... he's complex, but that's what makes him great. Mandarin doesn't really count, Avengers really only had Loki... I guess Cap 1 had Zola. That was good. But Cap 2 has Crossbones, and I didn't realize it until they recovered his burned body... that was a great realization. I'm surprised it took me so long. He was great. Just a bad Hydra dude.

The main villain... fell into the pitfall that all MCU movies do. "Here's a powerful man associated with a main character, ignore that he's on the movie poster and you might just not catch that he's the main villain!" I guess it's not that big of a deal because they want you to know he's the villain early-on enough, but man. Anyway, he served his purpose well. He didn't matter as much as him being the head of HYDRA did... at least, seeming head. If you're going to make a massive coup, might as well make the guy at the top the bad guy. Kinda disappointed he killed the councilpeople though. Indian guy was badass. That being said, Alexander Pearce was one of the best-performed villains, and its hard to imagine doing him better, even if what made him great was that he was the head of HYDRA.

Poor Sitwell :(

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ah ok fair enough then

good winner
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I think that takes us to Bucky. For a movie subtitled The Winter Soldier... they sure didn't resolve his story. I guess that's a good thing. Realistically, the movie was "Captain America: The Fall of SHIELD", but that would be a pretty shitty way to give away the plot, and they'd rather use the comic story as a name anyway (like they inevitably do with Civil War). It was good though... his introduction was slight, and unfolded very well. Telegraphed, and obvious for those of us who know the comics, but developed well. It was interesting that Pierce was his handler... I wonder if he was passed down throughout the years.

Still weird that Zola took a missile to take out Cap.

I didn't feel that there were any down moments in the movie. Pacing-wise, each progressive scene served a real purpose in driving everything forward. The writing was great too. There were a few jokes throughout.. maybe one or two was a little cringey and out of place (or in place, for an MCU movie), but the humor mostly didn't detract. Every character was utilized well... even computer nerd who refused to launch the carriers. I hope that guy turned out fine.

What this movie had that some others didn't... and maybe this is the criticism of these movies I see happening the most... is stakes. It had stakes... because shield DID fall. It was a little cheap to not kill Fury, but I don't count that because it was obvious. Obviously, they would save the day, but in the process, SHIELD had to come down. Too bad AoU forgets about that...

I want to watch the movie again already. That's as good of praise as a movie can get, so it's placement is a no-brainer. The Winter Soldier was a tremendous tale of being chased, all the while trying to securely find out who is chasing you and who you can trust.

And the best change between Cap 1 and this? They took out all the stupid slo-mo.

Lopen
The Winter Soldier is such a badass and super intimidating. I feel like I could just end the review there. It's basically just a solid spy flick combined with the Terminator and doesn't have a lot of the marvel bloat or tendency to be super jokey and whatnot. The action here is tit for tat best in the MCU and while it has almost no downtime in terms of action and stuff going on it just doesn't really feel like it's moving too fast.

Mega Mana
First Moment That Comes to Mind: Elevator fight

Oscar Isaac may have just been cast as Solid Snake, but until that movie comes out, this will be the closest thing to a Metal Gear Solid movie. We have the super soldier fighting against his long-haired brother. We've got terrorists looking to take over some of the most advanced military vehicles. There's a literal scene of a codec infodump with a green-tinted Arnim Zola flashing the history of the Winter Soldier project through newsreel images and narration. The helicarriers need three keys to override!

Winter Soldier is just an amazing film in the vein of '70s political thrillers, feeling closer in relation to All the President's Men than Iron Man 3. It's a huge look at who Captain America is, what he stands for, what he'll fight for, what he won't back down from, and how far he'll go for a moral cause. First Avenger was a neato look into the star-spangled man, and Avengers showed him as a good soldier with leadership, but Winter Soldier fully struck with how incredible and resolute Mr. Rogers is. His character is truly what makes him a hero.
Also, the way this movie interacted with Agents of SHIELD... *chef's kiss*

Mr Crispy
One of the best action movies in the MCU. It's the best example of evolving and raising the stakes in the sequel in the MCU (since most of the other attempts just fall flat on their face). The contrast between the first two Captain America movies in terms of tone/plot is great, and Cap struggling to find a place to belong and do what's right when the country and political climate has changed so much from what he was familiar with. Hydra's reveal was great at the time and seemed like it could turn the MCU on its head... even though it ended up fizzling out as soon as it started (at least in the movies). Bucky grabbing Cap's shield out of the air is one of the images that comes to mind when I think about the MCU. The only reason the Winter Soldier falls short of being my number one, is because my actual number one is the MCU movie that I've rewatched the most on a casual basis. I wouldn't have any issue with someone saying that the Winter Soldier is objectively better.

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NBIceman
Despite it technically being #2 on my ranking, I think Id be inclined to call this the best movie of the bunch. People go a little too far sometimes with the whole Its a spy movie and political thriller WITH CAPTAIN AMERICA thing - its still fundamentally a superhero vs the bad guys flick even if it obviously has some elements of timely social commentary and high-tech gadgetry etc. to add a little extra intrigue. But theres nothing wrong with that. Steve Rogers is, at his core, a man of deep convictions who inspires others to stand by theirs as well, and that characterization functions better when we can have absolute certainty that hes leading people in the right direction. And thats undoubtedly the case in Winter Soldier. Even beyond that, though, its really just a well-made film. Its got the best action in the series, it brings the best Black Widow performance (from an acting perspective, a character perspective, and a perspective that the straight red hair looks really good on ScarJo), and it also feels like a bit of a fulcrum where every MCU entry that followed it seemed to start feeling free to carve out its own identity within the franchise. Honestly, though, everything Ive said here is just gravy; it wouldve been my #2 on the elevator scene alone.

Red13n
The Winter Soldier will always feel like the biggest turning point in the MCU to me. While we've had interconnectivity, one big team up, this is the first movie where it felt like the repercussions extended beyond the confines of that individual franchises scope. We'd seen SHIELD have their hand in a few movies, and now we see them broken. The world it felt like we had was broken. While we don't necessarily have a bad end, we're left with a world with far reaching repercussions. And yes, Hydra would become a recurring villain group, though maybe not used to great success. But we get our first taste of how dangerous the universe has become, and left with a world that looks significant less safe than any movie has ever left off. We have a few characters join up here, but unlike some other future ventures, this movie never feels like anything but a Captain America movie. The action is fast, the plot and characters are good enough to keep you glued to the screen, and I've always considered this to be one of the best MCU films.

BetrayedTangy
I think my favorite thing about the Russo movies is how good their action is. The choreography is very well crafted and flows together nicely. We also get a lot of those really cool shots that feel like theyre directly lifted from comic panels. It's honestly amazing. While Winter Soldier isnt the peak of that it definitely raised the standard. Before this the Battle of New York was the only sequence that really felt awesome, but I think that had more to do with the hype build up rather than delicately crafted choreography and tension. Here theres so many times you feel the heavy stakes and what the characters are going through via the fights, giving them way more purpose than just a flashy sequence to keep the audience entertained. Oh yeah and its a really cool genre film that breaks away from the typical Marvel mold you see for a lot of other films.

Corrik7
The twist was amazing, especially it's effect on the Agents of Shield show too. Felt like for once it wasn't a movie about a generic villain being beat by a superhero. It had more substance than a lot of the other films.

Cybat
This felt like a bit of a turning point in the MCU. All of the movies up to this point that didnt have Robert Downey Jr. in it (and two of the ones that did) were enjoyable but pretty forgettable, so there was a question as to how much the MCU could sustain itself with other properties. But then, some guys named the Russo brothers came along and delivered one of the best standalone and most unpredictable movies in the franchise. While still having some good humor and banter, this movie felt quite different from its predecessors, and changed the conversation going forward (GotG coming out a few months later helped too.)
Neither Caps solo movie nor The Avengers really did that much with the actual character or skillset of Captain America, making him just the resident Boy Scout of the team who is just a bit better than average at strength and combat. But this movie tackles both of these aspects beautifully. Right from the opening action scene, when Cap kicks a guy all the way across and off the ship, I could tell that this was going to be a more memorable Steve Rogers. And the way the plot reveals his real personality is masterfully handled, leading to a pivotal decision that I absolutely did not see coming. (And it also finally started to make Agents of SHIELD good, so, thanks for that, too.)

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Snake5555555555
Often considered the best of the MCU, and for good reason. I mean, did you see my main man Crossbones in this? Friggin sick dude. In all seriousness, Winter Soldier is excellent, and really just falls ever so short of the spectacle of the Avengers films. Its conspiratorial plot and intimate dynamic between Cap and Bucky crafts this push-and-pull that makes the film unlike any other in the MCU. I love its sneaky nods and easter eggs that feel perfectly in line with its themes and the film is just a great, well-crafted action film through and through.

CoolCly
This movie somehow feels more real than anything else in the MCU.
Cap is such a pillar of the MCU. Ive talked a lot about RDJs greatness in my writeups, but Cap deserves just as much credit. People often say blockbusters like the MCU movies are just turn your brain off and enjoy type movies and that character development is pretty base level. But I just dont agree. Captain America is a phenomenally written and acted character. Throughout the entire MCU, it always feels like we know exactly what hes going to do. But thats not because hes just a boy scout and generic. Its because hes so consistently portrayed on the screen that we are intimately familiar with who this guy is. I feel like I can always feel what Cap is thinking by looking at Chris Evans face, and its a gigantic credit to him.
In this movie, hes trying to find his place in the modern world, and along the way he uncovers a massive conspiracy and has a very short list of people he can trust. In some ways, Caps actions are all really predetermined before he ever comes time to make those choices but thats because of who Cap chooses to be and we constantly see him tested on these convictions. No matter how hard Cap is pushed, he still pushes through with who he is. I love to see it.
Fury is awesome in this. Hes a lot more stained than Cap is, but hes just as committed to his view of the right thing to do as Cap is.
Black Widow adds a lot to the movie. She toys with Cap a few times but thankfully they veer away from pushing them as a romantic relationship just because we have a male lead and a female lead. Im looking forward to seeing her in her own movie big time.
Falcon is alright. To be honest, I dont really like Anthony Mackie, he seems like kind of a dick, and it really taints this image of Sam Wilson being such a good dude. Im a little concerned about this going into his new show, and the idea that hell be the next Captain America, but well see I guess. The Winter Soldier is fine hes great as a dragon to be taken down and hes important to Cap but I dont really see him as that key to the movie.
Alexander Pierce is awesome. People often point at this as yet another white business guy villain but I think thats a pretty basic take. He slides so effortlessly into the charismatic politician role so well, I dont think Ive ever seen it done as well as he does it here. I want to believe him at so many points in the story. When he talks to Cap about what happened Fury, and that hes going to find out what happened to his friend. And when hes talking to the security council and says you guys want a resignation? Ill get a pen and paper right now. Hes so good at knowing when to push and when to give. I love watching it.
Its not really a surprise when he turns out bad, but thats okay. He plays his role perfectly.
I love Rumlow as a goon. He seems so serious and dangerous but is never used too much to the point that that it feels overused or that hes overcrowding the movie. Hes used exactly when needed. Its too bad that he doesnt feel as well used in Civil War.
My absolute favourite part of the movie is Caps speech about Hydra to everyone as the climax is about to begin. Its very powerful, and it leads to a REALLY great scene where a nerd that looks like Zachary Levi in Chuck refuses to send up the helicarriers, despite Rumlow looming over him. Captains orders. I get chills just thinking about that scene.
This is a GREAT movie and I love it.

Maniac64
This is a great movie, super well made, well written, etc. The elavator fight is the stand out for me, such a great scene. The fight scenes in general in this movie are amazing. This is just a great movie but I just don't find myself wanting to rewatch it the way I do the movies I ranked above it..

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Inviso
Its crazy to call a movie about defending the whole world from threat of indiscriminate extermination a small scale film, but in comparison to the MCU as a whole, Winter Soldiers plot is just another day at the office for Captain America. And what a glorious day it was. There are so many action scenes in this movie that all manage to serve a purpose and give some excellent tension time and time again. The elevator scene is one of the most memorable in the MCU, and the covert battle against all odds is great throughout the film. Whether Nick Fury is fending off a wave of attackers, or the trio of Cap, Widow and Falcon are escaping a highway attack from the Winter Soldier himself, the pacing is always high, and at no point did the movie ever feel like it was dragging in its plot. Bringing back Bucky to serve as Caps adversary this time was a great twist as well, because it really highlighted the good and evil of their respective organizations, rather than the ideologies of the two individuals. Oh, and giving Cap a relationship with Widow (who should be a strong opposite to him in the Avengers) was great for developing both characters. The film just nailed everything it was going for, and Im more than pleased with it.

Jesse Custer
After The First Avenger, I dont think anyone saw this coming, Captain America as a badass. And it really really works. Every action scene is sublimely choreographed, and that elevator fight in particular is easily one of the best fight scenes in the history of cinema. The Winter Soldier also gave us the best take on Black Widow in any MCU movie (at least thus far), and perfectly introduced Falcon to the MCU. Most important of all, the movie is consistently gripping from start to finish, and its a pleasure to rewatch it over and over.

Paratroopa1
I had to rank this sixth only out of necessity, and on any given day any of the movies in my top six could have been my favorite. This movie's fucking great, and that's in spite of the fact that I don't normally like this sort of Jason Bourne conspiracy thriller type of movie, but they executed it perfectly, maybe the best of any of the MCU films. This movie's just the most exciting damn thing ever. Every action scene is gripping, every plot development keeps the momentum going, the whole thing is just a thrill ride from start to finish. It really blew me away that they could make me like Captain America, as well as one of his movies, this much, which is really a testament to how good it is. Deserves to be considered one of the best superhero films of all time, but I like five other MCU films more anyway, somehow!

PrinceKaro
This is where Cap really develops as a character beyond the 'good little boy' and establishes him as someone who does what's right rather than just following orders. Everything that goes down here leaves him forever changed, unlike with Tony, who keeps having epiphanies and promptly forgetting about them in the next movie and doing more horrible shit.
Anyway, SHIELD has developed these flying fortresses than can instantly murder anyone in the world and surprisingly it isnt Stark's idea, but rather SHIELD is really being run by Nazi scientists.
Though this might seem silly on the surface, this is a grim reminder of how quickly fear can turn noble goals into demented ones.
The conflict between Steve and Bucky is intense and personal and comes with some really great cinematography. Everything just feels bigger than had been done before, and it was often deservedly called the best MCU film ever at the time of its release.

ScepterOfLove
(No write-up.)

Sheep007
In most of these rankings, I prefer the more fantastical, light-hearted and different movies to the more down to earth or gritty ones. This isnt the exception, but its the best of the bunch, and starts off the section of movies which I consider to be beyond just good and enjoyable to being exceptional in some way or another. Its really simple, but I think its the cleanest Marvel movie by far. Theres really not a ton wrong with it, its a great action/spy movie and its shot really well, especially the fights (the elevator scene is brilliant). Every actor is wonderful, particularly Samuel L Jackson, as usual, and its tense, coherent, both large and small scale, and makes complete sense on first viewing with little background knowledge. I do think its a little lacking in fun, creativity, and general ambition, but it sets out to make a very specific film and does it almost perfectly.

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XIII Rocks
So I've seen a few people over the years call this a well-made MGS movie, and I'm really on board with that. It's got a lot of similarities; villain of similar ability that the protagonist fights hand-to-hand, big conspiracies, starting with an excellent tanker section, and the villain's plan involving a large vehicle.

This was the Russo Bros' first MCU movie and they created a Cap movie that actually managed to make him interesting (having been the least interesting of the Avengers in that movie) by throwing him into the murky terrain of present-da. The conspiracy aspect of it, and the nice casting choice of Robert Redford as a nod to that, isn't really delved into as much as it could have been - eventually, almost every MCU movie has to submit to the formula - but it's still a fun way to frame it.

Johansson, Jackson and Mackie all really help this movie along, and I kind of like how much of a bastard Crossbones is - something about his snarling unpleasantness really stands out. But two scenes here really make the movie and they're both action - the first is the famous elevator scene, which I don't really need to elaborate on, but I absolutely adore Cap vs. Winter Soldier's fight in the street. The choreography of that fight is a cut above anything else in the MCU; admittedly there aren't many opportunities for hand-to-hand fights between non-magical opponents, but this one is excellent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd3s8Rdw-O0 The sound design is A+ and then there's that KNIFE FLIP at around 37 seconds. Damn.

A fantastic movie that even a non-MCU fan can engage with and enjoy, I think.

Johnbobb
I like this movie but I guarantee one of you shits has a much longer, detailed explanation of why Winter Soldier is good than I can bother to give

ZenOfThunder
Fantastic movie, people are always jerking this one off for being part superhero part spy movie, but I don't particularly care for spy movies so this is just a really good superhero movie to me.

Whiskey Nick
(No write-up.)

MetalmindStats
A consistently well-executed movie I will never love, making it the perfect middle rank in my list and general standard-bearer for the MCU, which I consistently enjoy but very rarely find myself loving.

TomNook
Nice improvement over the first Cap movie. I like Bucky in this film, and it makes me sad how they keep dragging him into future films beyond Captain America without really doing anything with him. Would have been better if they just never used him again after his arc to be honest. But for this film, very good stuff.

Raka Putra
I don't like this movie as much as most people, I feel. I well writen and all that, but I just don't care too much about military stuff with less fantastical powers. Like, what even are the Winter Soldier's powers supposed to be? Elsa is 100 times more of a winter soldier than him. Well, despite my gripes, it's not like I disliked it, but it just didn't do a lot for me.

Illuminatusbubu
I hate Captain America. His holier-than-thou mentality is annoying throughout the movie. His relation with Bucky is intriguing at first but get dragged on until it gets boring. His moral dilemma is getting annoying that I hope the movie ends sooner.

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OUTLIERS:

Eddv - 145
PrinceKaro - 116
BetrayedTangy - 114
Johnbobb - 112
Jesse Custer - 111
VengefulKaelee - 106
TomNook - 103
ScepterOfLove - 92
Raka Putra - 90
GavsEvans123 - 88
Lopen - 87
Paratroopa1 - 84
Illuminatusbubu - 81
Mr Crispy - 81
Inviso - 78
MetalmindStats - 77
StifledSilence - 76
Maniac64 - 75
HanOfTheNekos - 74
XIII Rocks - 73
Cybat - 72
Snake5555555555 - 72
Whiskey Nick - 69
CoolCly - 65
Corrik7 - 64
Mega Mana - 60
MetalDK - 58
Red13n - 57
Sheep007 - 56
Anagram - 54
NBIceman - 54
ZenOfThunder - 40

Zens relatively-large outlier score bumps him up to 40 points, but hes still well out in front. Meanwhile, Anagram has managed to sneak his way into a tie with NBIceman for second place, which is the real battle, dontcha know? At the top of the list, Eddv moves within striking distance of cracking 150 outlier points, while Karo jumps Tangy once again to reclaim his second-place outlier score.

Spoiler for Number 1: I mean, we know what it is, but I wanted to pause between posting the rankings because Ive had a long day and almost didnt feel up to posting this ranking right now.

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Nice to see over half the rankers put it in the top five of the field. My participation would've been inconsequential it seems. Good stuff, B8. I'm proud of you.
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Winter Soldier is a good movie, but damn, never would have expected it to be tied for third.

Infinity War is an excellent winner though, if not very predictable. Predictable for good reason.

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1.
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3. Captain America: Civil War
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming
5. Black Panther
6. Avengers: Endgame
7. Spider-Man: Far From Home
8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
9. Doctor Strange
10. Captain Marvel
11. Marvel's The Avengers
12. Guardians of the Galaxy
13. Ant-Man And The Wasp
14. Thor: Ragnarok
15. Ant-Man
16. Avengers: Age of Ultron
17. Captain America: The First Avenger
18. Thor
19. Iron Man
20. Thor: The Dark World
21. Iron Man 2
22. Iron Man 3
23. The Incredible Hulk

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Really glad Infinity War won, such an epic movie.

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Now it's time for #1 - Daredevil

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ya go my winter soldier

I had a hunch it would make top 5, but I love that it made the final. And Infinity War is a good winner. I think I had it in 3rd.
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I always laugh a little when folks talk about how much they enjoy that Cap and Widow were never pushed as romantic partners at all, because up until Endgame's ending I was always very disappointed by that. I absolutely love the chemistry they have in Winter Soldier and I'm quite sure the Russos were definitely teasing it at points in the movie as something that could be pursued in the future.

What we got was a million times better, but in a different universe where the end of the Infinity Saga doesn't include time travel, I do think it would've made for an interesting relationship for both of their characters.

Anyway, my predictions throughout this ranking have been a little dodgy, but at least I had the top two pegged from the beginning. Have to chuckle now at my GOTG writeup where I said I figured it'd be fighting neck and neck with Winter Soldier as the best Phase 2 movie - crazy they actually ended up tied.

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Snake5555555555 posted...

Now it's time for #1 - Daredevil

Honestly I am kinda curious about how the Netflix shows would've done. Jessica Jones and Daredevil would easily be in my Top 10.

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can I just post my full list now? better spoiler the last movie just in case

1. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
2. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
3. Oogieloves and the Big Balloon Adventure
4. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
6. Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
7. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
8. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
9. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
10. Black Panther (2018)
11. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
12. Iron Man (2008)
13. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
14. Ant-Man (2015)
15. Doctor Strange (2016)
16. Iron Man 3 (2013)
17. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
18. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
19. Captain Marvel (2019)
20. Thor (2011)
21. Iron Man 2 (2010)
22. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
23. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

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Snake5555555555 posted...

Now it's time for #1 - Daredevil

If were counting the shows, thats my #1 and it isnt even close.

BetrayedTangy posted...

Honestly I am kinda curious about how the Netflix shows would've done. Jessica Jones and Daredevil would easily be in my Top 10.

Jesse_Custer posted...

If were counting the shows, thats my #1 and it isnt even close.

It's closer for me but yeah I think Daredevil would be my #1 too. JJ and Punisher would definitely crack my top 10, probably even top 5.

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I'm surprised only one write-up mentioned the music in the movie. I felt bad that I didn't actually give it props in my brief ass review-- this is probably the only MCU movie I feel is lifted by the soundtrack. The Avengers theme is cool and all but yeah, that Winter Soldier theme is just so good and really puts him over as a destroyer.

Anyway not a bad #1, though it's my lowest ranked member of my list (#6) that I'd consider a good winner. Gonna be funny being one of the lowest raters at #6 with those point totals!

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Lopen posted...

this is probably the only MCU movie I feel is lifted by the soundtrack.

if you're just talking about original music, i can see that.

if you're including all music, both guardians movies easily have the best soundtracks, though.

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Also lump me in with the group that's really happy they didn't tease a Cap/Black Widow ship in this movie.

I'm not saying it couldn't work at some point in the MCU (couldn't possibly be worse than Widow/Banner) but I think it'd distract from all the great action and seamless flow this one has.

Mr Lasastryke posted...

if you're just talking about original music, i can see that.

if you're including all music, both guardians movies easily have the best soundtracks, though.

Including GotG. Quill gets some character from his mother's jams but I'd call adding the flair to that bit of his character more expendable than Winter Soldier's ominous shrieking theme whenever he shows up.

Like they're good tunes and all but as far as enhancing the viewing experience? Eh. Rip the soundtrack out of both movies and I'm noticing it a lot more in Winter Soldier.

(And of course the GotG original tracks are completely forgettable but that goes without saying)

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What mine would have been, probably different than my personal rankings since I kinda flip (and I rewatched the three movies at the bottom)

The great
Thor Ragnarok
Black Panther
Winter Soldier

the pretty good
Homecoming
Guardians 1

The Avengers that arent Ultron
Avengers 1
Infinity War
Endgame

the kinda fun (everything here is interchangeable, I know its a lot)
Ant Man and the Wasp
Ant Man
Captain Marvel
Iron Man 3
Cap 1
Iron Man
Far From Home

The disappointing but I guess they had their moments
Civil War
Doctor Strange
Guardians 2

Thor and Hulk
Thor
Hulk

eh
Iron Man 2
Thor Dark World

bleh
Ultron

Honestly AOU just felt kinda like a drag on the rewatch but maybe its just me


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Lopen posted...

Like they're good tunes and all but as far as enhancing the viewing experience? Eh. Rip the soundtrack out of both movies and I'm noticing it a lot more in Winter Soldier.

i notice it a lot in the guardians movies too. for example, the opening credits sequence in the first one just wouldn't be the same without that awesome feel good song (and the callback to it in endgame is one of the funniest scenes in the entire MCU).

btw, i will always love guardians 1 for introducing me to come and get your love. before i saw it, the only redbone song i knew was we were all wounded at wounded knee, which... kinda sucks >_> had this movie not included come and get your love, i might have never discovered it, as i certainly had no desire to check out more redbone songs!

anyway, yeah, winter soldier's music adds a lot to the movie too. but i think the guardians movies should also be in this conversation.

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Oh no, definitely.

It's a conversation that involves 3 movies, two of which are Guardians movies

I'd call Winter Soldier the winner by a margin but I definitely at the very least respectfully disagree with people who would go with the Guardians movies instead

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Ultron seems to get trashed way more than it did upon release. I wonder if it's something to do with IW and Endgame being so obviously better, or like how much of a joke Thanos makes Ultron look, that kind of thing. I don't mind AoU at all, but AoU vs. Infinity War and Endgame is a really bad comparison for it.
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also, some people were saying thor: ragnarok is "guardians of the galaxy with thor" but the movie really fails to live up to the guardians movies as far as the music goes.

sure, immigrant song is awesome but that's really the only thing that stands out music-wise. probably would have enjoyed the movie a lot more if they'd used some more great licensed music!

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On first watch I probably wouldn't quite have rated it last, but Age of Ultron is the type of movie that is much worse with rewatches because it's more glaring that nothing of value or weight is actually happening when you've actually digested the film a bit. The first time you see it you just see explosions and banter and stuff and you're distracted.

Honestly I think it was Civil War that soured me on Age of Ultron more than Infinity War. You get passable introductions (in the sense that you can grasp what's up with the two characters to a point and not be lost going forward) to Vision and Scarlet Witch in it which is the only real plot relevant point to AoU.

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Mr Lasastryke posted...

also, some people were saying thor: ragnarok is "guardians of the galaxy with thor" but the movie really fails to live up to the guardians movies as far as the music goes.

sure, immigrant song is awesome but that's really the only thing that stands out music-wise. probably would have enjoyed the movie a lot more if they'd used some more great licensed music!

I thought the weird cheesy 80s music helped it at times and the two Immigrant Song sequences were A+
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Lopen posted...

Oh no, definitely.

It's a conversation that involves 3 movies, two of which are Guardians movies

I'd call Winter Soldier the winner by a margin but I definitely at the very least respectfully disagree with people who would go with the Guardians movies instead

Id also say the shine is pretty definitively off the apple musicwise in gotg2, much as I enjoy Brandi

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Mr. Blue Sky is the best song between the two Awesome Mixes but Vol. 1 is decidedly better overall.

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I did forget to talk about the score in Winter Soldier but the score is really damn good. All of the music cues when the Winter Soldier shows up are just A+

I rewatched the movie a couple days ago actually. Still holds up, though I do think the final act has some kinda iffy pacing - there's one part where the movie holds for nearly an entire minute on just the three weapons platforms shooting each other with nothing else happening and I definitely felt my attention span start to slip there.

I wonder how much more seriously people would take Ultron if they had actually given him a strong body that could beat down the Hulk. Not Thanos level strength but definitely a problem for the Avengers to literally beat up. The worst part of the movie imo is that his strongest form is barely stronger than the other paper robots. Sure, they jacked his Super Perfect Form and gave it to Vision, but his backup was just way too laughably weak.

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Ultron's problem to me is 100% in his dialogue and general demeanor. I don't care if he can beat Hulk 1v1 or not. Loki can't beat Hulk 1v1 either and he was a completely credible enemy in Avengers.

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Well I love Ultron's personality so I can't relate to that!

His first and final scenes with Jarvis are great.

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Yeah to me it was Ultrons role as a villain (hell Scarlet Witch was actually the stronger character IMO), the pacing/plot line felt kinda off for a lot of the film, and well, the Banner/Natasha romance that never had a payoff.

I feel like it had some decent elements (the theme that these heroes dont think on a micro scale what happens to civilians, Renner was good) but it felt messy overall, which I guess is worse than forgettable.

Best soundtrack is Black Panther btw but probably cheating


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LiquidOshawott posted...

Best soundtrack is Black Panther btw but probably cheating

yeah, i was wondering when someone was going to bring up black panther in the music discussion. i didn't love that vince staples song as much as everyone else but perhaps i should give this soundtrack another chance.

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Can I just say...even with WandaVision existing, I still just don't care about the Wanda/Vision relationship. They were both thrown into Ultron and got very little in terms of character development, which is fine...but then they're one of the key plot points in Civil War as they're recruited for opposite sides. And then the next time we see them, they're dating in Europe. Either they have no chemistry, or their relationship is given NO time to develop. Then we get to WandaVision and it's like...what have we actually SEEN to warrant the level of sadness Wanda displays in Endgame and now WandaVision?

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LiquidOshawott posted...

the theme that these heroes dont think on a micro scale what happens to civilians,

Is this supposed to be that they *do* think about that? It's always been a big strength to me of the MCU (and a gigantic lead over DC films....) but I've been a bit frustrated lately where Marvel films take collateral damage a bit too far. Mysterio went too far in FFH, and even in Age of Ultron, the Hulkbuster fight was too much. It's a directing/writing failure when the heroes are the root cause of this much damage.

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Blaziken posted...

Either they have no chemistry, or their relationship is given NO time to develop.

Or both. I agree with you, I couldnt care less about the Wanda/Vision relationship.

I'm really surprised I'm not the lowest ranker for Winter Soldier.

Blaziken posted...

what have we actually SEEN to warrant the level of sadness Wanda displays in Endgame and now WandaVision?

Personally, I just assume that WandaVision was showing us roughly what their life/chemistry was like between the MCU movies and I buy it.


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