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Angelus on 25 January 2018
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Veknoid_Outcast said:
Angelus said:
It's kind of amazing as I look down this list of movies, realizing that there's very few in there that I actually love. The MCU has gotten so big, and is universally regarded with so much acclaim, you'd think I'd be looking at every other movie on this list thinking "man I can't wait to watch that one again!" Yet here I am, scanning the list, wondering how much longer I gotta wait to get to the good stuff, and it's like "....wait....how much good stuff was there, really?" At least half these movies are mediocre, or forgettable, I'd say. I wonder if it's just the few of them that are great, are so widely loved, that people disregard how much of Marvel's content is ultimately unremarkable.

It's also possible I give them more credit than they deserve, because I think about Marvel Netflix shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Punisher, like ya Marvel are really on top of things.....but in the end that's rather separate from the movie universe they've established, from everything to management, themes, tone, etc. So one can't really view them as being part of a greater whole, no matter how many easter egg references they throw in there.

I think that's fair. Of the 17 movies, I'd probably recommend maybe six? I'd place three of those among the ten best superhero movies made, and another three in the top 20.

I don't think the genius of the MCU comes from movie quality -- although I'd argue nothing among the 17 movies is truly awful and most are in the "decent, watchable" camp -- but rather its pervasiveness. Disney and Marvel are the first ones to take advantage of this new normal where 24-hour news cycles and social media keep ideas, memes, and, yes, cinematic universes, in the public eye longer and more comprehensively. They've capitalized on a market where the cultural buzz before a movie elevates its box office performance and then the buzz after that movie feeds into the next installment. For example, you can enjoy Ant-Man's appearance in Civil War, without ever seeing Ant-Man, because his role (or even existence) is something you've probably gleaned through media consumption. It really is brilliant, if more than a little cynical.

That said, the Justice League Universe also tried this, with arguably more famous and beloved characters, and has failed so far. So the quality of the movies does fuel this MCU dynamo, at least partially.

Ya, I think that's accurate. Disney/Marvel have definitely been trend setters in this regard. Every movie studio now is looking for their own version of the MCU, be it WB with DC, or Universal with their "Dark Universe." I also think what you said about none of the movies being awful, at least from an overall quality perspective - discounting the individual weight anyone may or may not give to any single aspect of a movie - is key here. You're never going to get a whole lot of people walking away from one of the Marvel movies being so put off that they think to themselves "....ok...I'm not watching any more of these." That's not something these other studios can say about their attempts at this so far, and it shows.