Favorite TV Dads

Father’s Day is Sunday, in case you needed a reminder to get out there and find your dad a tie, a dumb card, or some other form of give-up, half thought-out gift that your dad probably doesn’t care about. This will be my fourth Father’s Day as an actual father and let me tell you, it’s not too shabby. Sleep in, brunch at a greasy spoon, some kind of low-key activity that requires no energy, nap, etc. In the past I’ve written very serious parenting advice for Father’s Day (http://briandgill.com/parenting/ if you care though seriously I don’t know why you would) but all of that pales in comparison to the question I intend to answer here: Who are the best TV dads? This is very serious stuff, you guys. Studies (probably) show we tend to model the parenting behavior we personally witness and since we all watch too much TV, it stands to reason that TV dads will have some impact on the way we (read: “I”) parent. So which TV dads should we be looking to for parental guidance? I polled our listeners on Twitter and got hundreds of suggestions to help me sort through the plethora of options.

NOTE: The best TV dad of all-time is Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable. This should go without saying. Unfortunately, the legacy of Dr. Huxtable has been irreparably damaged thanks to Bill Cosby’s alleged crimes. Maybe you can watch The Cosby Show without feeling uncomfortable but I can’t so, Dr. Huxtable is out.

Let’s start with a few TV dads who are actually the worst.

Al Bundy, Married with Children
As a (potentially?) good father, I believe there is never been a “stronger” personification of awful fathering, and all the stereotypes that go with it, than Al Bundy. In the words of MacGruber, “I learned a lot from you. Mostly what not to do but that’s important, too.” You suck, Al.

Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
I’m of the opinion that you can learn a lot from The Simpsons; it’s always been a deceptively deep show. What you cannot learn from The Simpsons, however, is proper parenting. In Homer’s defense, he tries, sometimes harder than others, to be a good dad and perhaps he’s doing the best he can. But his track record is sketchy and he’s almost murdered his son hundreds of times. Also, he doesn’t seem to realize his children never age. Neglectful.

Jax Teller, Sons of Anarchy
I think Jax Teller would tell you he IS a good father. He writes journals to his kids on the regular, he tries to get them away from the life he leads, etc. But in reality, Jax perpetually makes decisions that put his kids directly in the line of fire and one of them literally gets abducted by the Catholic church. Not great, Jax.

Ross Geller, Friends
Ross illustrates the difference between loving your child and actually being a good parent. I have no doubt that Ross loves Ben (and I assume Emma, too, though that’s never really established if we’re being honest) but if you catch Ross when he’s had a few margaritas, he definitely admits he’s basically an absentee father. Ben’s therapy bills are going to be substantial.

Ted Mosby, How I Met Your Mother
Let me tell you something, Ted Mosby. Giving your kids a longwinded story about how great their now-deceased mother was only to pull the rug out from under them by admitting she was trash compared to your best friend’s ex-wife is about the most egregiously bad parenting I have ever seen on screen. You’re the worst, Ted Mosby, and you didn’t deserve Tracy McConnell.

Now, on to the better TV dads. It should be noted that since this is my list, it is beholden to shows I have actually seen. So, if you’re a TV dad from a show I haven’t seen most or all of (Bob’s Burgers, The Wonder Years, Malcolm in the Middle, etc.), you’re out of the running by default with my apologies. You can pick up your ceremonial tie on the way out.

20. Tony Soprano, The Sopranos
Whoa, we’re right out the gate with a controversial father choice! Can a mob boss be a good father? Turns out, yeah, he can, as long as your name is Meadow and not AJ. Tony botched it with AJ, no question, (in his defense, AJ was a beating and I might not try too hard with him, either) but he tries hard with Meadow to mostly positive results (though we’ll choose to ignore the time he strangled a man while on a college visitation).

19. Jack Bauer, 24
Few TV dads go to the lengths to protect his children like Jack did. Were the results always positive? Uhhhhh, no, not at all. Would the show have been better if Kim Bauer would’ve been eaten by a cougar in season two? Absolutely, without question. But it doesn’t change Jack’s efforts.

18. Lawrence Fletcher, Phineas and Ferb
Pro-tip for new or future dads: Phineas and Ferb is the greatest kid’s show of all-time. I would watch it even if I didn’t have a kid. Total lifesaver in the kid’s TV world. Lawrence is relatively oblivious but on the occasions that he is in on his son’s shenanigans, he’s incredibly supportive and encouraging.

17. Louis Huang, Fresh Off the Boat
Louis is the personification of the Dorky Dad, a classic TV dad trope. Is he a bit lame? Sure. Does he understand his son’s obsession with hip hop and Shaquille O’neal? Nah, not really. But that doesn’t keep him from trying his hardest to connect and carve out a great life for his family.

16. Ray Barone, Everybody Loves Raymond
I didn’t truly appreciate Ray until my son started walking. Suddenly, I understood why he was so beaten down all the time. Dude is just trying to get some work done in his home office and he’s constantly being interrupted by his lovely family. Let the man get some work done, Debra and Kids!!!

15. Terry Jeffords, Brooklyn 9-9
When Brooklyn 9-9 is inevitably cancelled because too many idiots didn’t watch it, I hope Mike Schur just spins off Terry Jeffords into his own show. No “Girl Dad” goes to the comedic lengths to keep his girls happy like Terry does. You’re an inspiration to us all, Terry.

14. Red Forman, That 70’s Show
Red is the classic “There When You Need Him Dad.” Super gruff and rough around the edges, constantly calls you a mean name I can’t type here, doesn’t understand your weird fashion choices, etc. But when the stuff hits the fan, Red is there, man. And on top of that, he’s gonna be there for your ne’er-do-well buddies.

13. Ron Swanson, Parks and Recreation
The only reason Ron doesn’t rank out in the top five is the infrequency with which we got to see him parent. A later-in-life parent, Ron’s no-nonsense style served him incredibly well both with his stepdaughters and his newborn son. How many TV dads have ever shot down a drone on their front yard in the interest of protecting their child’s privacy? Only Ron (bleeping) Swanson.

12. Ned Stark, Game of Thrones
Ned is a tough love kind of dad but he’s a bang-up father to all of his legitimate kids and his (fake) bastard, teaching them the ways of the world while still doting on them appropriately. But then he dies because he’s too stubbornly attached to his principles and his entire family gets thrown to the lions, as it were. Good dad in life but pretty miserable dad in death if we’re being honest.

11. Walter White, Breaking Bad
Okay, now hear me out. Was Walter White a good person? Absolutely not. A drug dealer, a murder, a child poisoner, a purveyor of Pontiac Aztecs…these are all major flaws in Walter White’s character and by the end of the show, he was irredeemable. All of these things are factually true. But…was he a good father? I would make the case that while his measures were jumbled and twisted, his motive was pure. At the end of the day, he was a terminally ill man who just wanted provide support for his family. Best of intentions and what not.

10. Joe West, The Flash
There is literally no flaw in Joe’s dad game. Raised a successful daughter all by himself: Check. Raised a surrogate son when his parents abandoned him: Check. Had an unknown-and-fully-grown son dropped on his plate out of nowhere and immediately stepped in to parent: Check. Joe West is a dad hero.

9. Steve Keaton, Family Ties
With apologies to Jason Seaver and Jack Arnold, Steve Keaton is THE dad of the 80’s. He worked hard at a job that made a difference in the world, he raised three very successful children and Andy (who probably wound up in jail, I think we can all agree), and he supported Alex in spite of his utter betrayal of the family’s lifestyle and commitment to the Raegan administration. He even helped Uncle Ned get clean. Flawless.

8. Murray Goldberg, The Goldbergs
I didn’t have a single listener suggest Murray Goldberg which suggests that either no one watches the Goldbergs (likely) or none of you can see through Murray’s shouting and general crankiness to the heart of gold within. Much like Red Forman, Murray is a “There When You Need Him Most” kind of dad. Unlike Red, Murray is quicker to rise to the occasion and fills his role more out of love and less out of a sense of responsibility. Repeatedly mocking your kids and spending most of your time in your recliner can’t hide your gentle spirit forever, Murray.

7. Phil Dunphy, Modern Family
Modern Family has always been a bit overrated but somehow Phil Dunphy has remained underrated despite two Emmy’s and five nominations. He is earnest, he is hilarious (usually unintentionally, but still), and he loves his kids with zero qualifications. In a perfect (very dark) world, Claire would’ve died (tragically but with dignity) after, like, season three and Phil would’ve be spun off into his own show called Phil’s-o-sophy with just him and the kids before Ariel Winter and Nolan Gould got annoying. I would watch that for ten seasons.

6. Sandy Cohen, The OC
I had Sandy off my list originally because I quit on The OC after season two. But so many of our listeners suggested him that I had to revisit my appreciation for this man and by golly, this is a good dad. So here he is. Sandy works hard at his job, he supports his son’s weird quirks, he surfs (!!!), and he took in Ryan Atwood and his myriad facial expressions when no one else would. AND!!! He eats a nutritious breakfast with his family EVERY SINGLE MORNING like a champ. Most mornings I just give my kid a cold Pop-Tart and drink my coffee on the way to the office. I’m in awe of Sandy Cohen.

5. Eric Taylor, Friday Night Lights
Okay, exclusively as a father, Coach Taylor’s track record is a little spotty. Julie Taylor lives a sketchy life in Dillon, Texas and Eric is at least partially responsible for Gracie Belle’s forehead, genetically speaking. But I’m a sucker for and a big proponent of the Surrogate Father and Coach Taylor is one of the all-time greats in this category. Coach Taylor will give my beloved Tim Riggins a room to crash in, he’ll console Matt Seracen when his father dies, and he will absolutely fight JT McCoy’s dad in an Applebee’s parking lot. If you’re a mildly talented high school football player in West Texas in need of a father figure, you can do no better than Eric Taylor.

4. Uncle Phil Banks, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Here’s my big question for Philip Banks pre-Fresh Prince: At what point did he become an involved father? Because he clearly punted on Hilary and Carlton, right? Hilary is just a slightly scaled down version of Mona Lisa Saperstein and Carlton…honestly, it’s a miracle Carlton didn’t die of a wedgie. But Uncle Phil seems to have gotten it right with Ashley and he NAILS the Surrogate Father stuff with Will. He gave Will a place to live and moreover, treated him as one of his own despite all of Will’s endless shenanigans. Phil didn’t even seem to notice when his wife got a face lift midrun. A true class act, that Uncle Phil.

3. Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, Home Improvement
*Extended grunt that I can’t figure out how to spell appropriately* Who doesn’t love the Toolman? Probably Al. Al probably doesn’t love the Toolman. But you know what, Al, back off! No one wants to watch Tool Time with Al Borland. More like “Bore Time” with Al Borland. (Very bad dad joke, I’m sorry.) In all seriousness: Tim Taylor is very important to the advancement of better fathering. Tim Taylor is the first TV dad I can remember who was both a “man’s man” AND a consistently loving, caring father with his sons. Before Tim Taylor, most good TV dads were “manly” men who softened in times of need (Red Forman types), gentler men whose everyday persona was more passive (Steve Keaton), or guys who were softer with their daughters but harder on their sons (Heathcliff Huxtable). Nothing wrong with ANY of those characters or their tropes. But Tim Taylor got his hands dirty doing manly work then came home and hugged his sons. He was a very progressive character on this front and I think that played a part in changing the expectations for good dads. *Grunt grunt grunt*

2. Michael Scott, The Office
I’m playing the Surrogate Father card big time here but make no mistake, Michael Scott is the father of Dunder Mifflin Scranton and he deserves all the accolades we can give him. He led his family bravely even when he didn’t know what he was doing (the Scranton branch always outperformed other branches/families), he handled squabbles and infighting (Jim and Dwight prank wars only got out of hand after he’d left the show), he made jokes his “kids” hated (a major part of being a dad), he even walked one of his “daughters” down the aisle at her wedding (even if he did get shown up by Albert Lapin, that attention whore in a wheelchair *pfft*). More to the point, even if (at times) the Dunder Mifflin crew didn’t think of Michael as their father, Michael ALWAYS believed he was just that, even stating so (in the most awkward, Michael Scott fashion imaginable) at Dwight and Angela’s wedding. So…he’s a father in my book.

1. Alan Matthews, Boy Meets World
I’ve made some jokes here today but truthfully, if you suddenly became a father and had no other fatherly influence from which to draw on, if you just copied Alan Matthews, you’d do all right. My dude works HARD at a job he hates because it’s what he has to do to put food the table. He wakes his kid up in the middle of the night to watch a no hitter on the West Coast. He gives his kids responsibility and expects them to do as they’re told but he’ll go to bat for them if he feels their teacher is being too hard on them. He gives advice but still leaves room for his kids to make their own decisions. He stands in as the Surrogate Father for a kid who DESPERATELY needs it. There is no flaw to be found in Alan Matthews. Get Alan Matthews some Father of the Year awards, a cold drink, and a nap. He’s earned some time off.

Powers Boothe: The Character Actor's Character Actor

Last month, on a short road trip to literally anywhere else, I drove through Snyder, Texas. If you’re not familiar (and truly, why would you be?), Snyder, Texas is known for three things. One, and least important, it is the waypoint between Abilene and Lubbock. So if you’ve left the depression-inducing flatness of Abilene and you need a quick snack before you head on to the depression-inducing flatness of Lubbock, you stop in Snyder. Two, and slightly more important, it was the sight of a locally-famous feud in the 1910’s. Think Hatfields and McCoys-lite, partly because the feud only escalated to one death and partly because “Johnson and Sim” doesn’t have the same ring to it as “Hatfield and McCoy.” A catchy name that rolls of the tongue is very important if you want your familial feud to go viral. Third, and most important, at least for the purpose of this writing, it is the birthplace of Powers Boothe. 

I fell in love with Powers Boothe at a young age thanks to his performance in Tombstone, one of my ten favorite movies of all-time. My best friend, Kyle, and his family had one of those awesome mini-vans that came equipped with a seven-inch TV and VCR (the envy of every soccer mom in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex) and on a road trip to camp in probably 1995, we watched Tombstone. And it. was. so. cool. Tombstone is a perfect movie (yeah, I said, it, come and fight me, Huckleberry) but it is especially perfect when you are 12 or 13 years old. Guns, gambling, sweet moustaches, quippy lines from a drunken gunfighter…obviously these are the things you aspire to as a middle class white kid from the suburbs. That night, in the cupboards of his grandparent’s house, we found shot glasses and proceeded to pour ourselves shots of grape juice, throw them back, and slam them down upside down on the counter, just like Doc Holliday. No one in the world was cooler than we were in that moment. (Whoa, how did these two bros stay single into the mid-twenties, amirite?!)

Powers Boothe is not the star of Tombstone but Curly Bill Brocius is such a magnetic presence that even as a pre-teen I found myself a bit mesmerized by him. This became a trend anytime I spotted Boothe on screen. He was a prolific actor but went through peaks and valleys in the cultural zeitgeist. He was a character actor’s character actor, a guy who would pop up here and there to delight you, usually while reveling in the amorality of the character he played, only to move (slither?) back out of the spotlight a moment later. His distinctive voice, caked in West Texas dust, was as much a part of his act as his face was and oh but how his face fit the characters he frequently played! Boothe was a man out of his time, in some ways, who might’ve been a bonified movie star had he come up in an era that catered to his strengths And yet, I always got the impression that he loved playing the parts he received and enjoyed being the intimidating presence you brought in when you needed a dangerous antagonist with a devil’s grin to challenge your lead. He was his own man, the like of which doesn’t come along often, and I, among many I’m quite sure, will truly miss his presence on screen.

To finish this off, here are five of my favorite Powers Boothe roles. 

24 – Vice President Noah Daniels
I was incredibly pumped when Boothe showed up in season 6 of 24 and his run was quite eventful, even if he was only an adversary to Jack Bauer rather than a full-on villain. This seems like a missed opportunity in hindsight.

Frailty – FBI Agent Wesley Doyle
Boothe put his trademark slick villainy on full display here, spending most of his screen time as a seemingly innocent federal agent escorting someone (Matthew McConaughey) to safety. Except that it’s Powers Boothe so you knew something terrifying was hiding in his closet.

Deadwood – Cy Tolliver
No other film or TV show used Boothe to his full potential like Deadwood did. There are no “good” people in Deadwood as good people get chewed up and spit out in this profane version of the Old West. But even in the midst of black-souled characters, Cy Tolliver stood out as perhaps the blackest and his rivalry with Al Swearengen is the stuff of TV legend.

MacGruber – Colonel Faith
In a rare turn as a good guy (I fully expected him to come out as a secret villain right up until the final credits), Boothe leans in HARD to the utter absurdity of MacGruber and as a result he gives the movie exactly what it needs opposite Will Forte. 

Tombstone – Curly Bill Brocius
When I think of Powers Boothe, I will always go back to where it all began for me. Curly Bill is slick, mischievous, and downright evil and yet he’s also cool. You hate him but you LOVE to hate him. His numerous matchups with Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer gives the movie a healthy amount of its grit and left me perpetually wanting more.

Well...bye.
 

The Collected Works: The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Tomorrow night, theaters will be packed with viewers ready to absorb another chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the form of Star Lord, Baby Groot, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2. In preparation for the event, I thought it might be time to look back at my MCU list, originally published here in May of 2015, and add in the newbies while evaluating my previous rankings, as my feelings toward most films (most good ones, anyway) change and evolve over time and further viewings. Here’s what I came up with this time around. 

14. Thor: The Dark World (2013) ORIGINAL RANK: 10/10
THEN: The only MCU movie that doesn’t reside in my massive Blu-Ray/DVD collection and the only entry I didn’t rewatch for the purpose of making this list. Thor is, perhaps, the toughest of the core Avenger crew to pull off on his own (more on this in a moment) but having seen it done correctly in the first film, I came out of Dark World incredibly disappointed and thoroughly unimpressed. This was the first (and to this point, only) time that the Marvel formula felt tired to me. The term “cash grab” doesn’t quite fit but Dark World is a relatively ugly film that feels flat and uninspired.
NOW: Dark World actually gets worse with age. This is still the massive outlier in the MCU. 

13. The Incredible Hulk (2008) ORIGINAL RANK: 9/10
THEN: Words/phrases I would use to describe The Incredible Hulk would include: “Not bad.” “Entertaining.” “Consistently good enough.” “Solid.” There’s really nothing especially good about this movie but there’s nothing wrong with it, either. In fact, there are several movies ranked about The Incredible Hulk that have significantly lower lows than this film does; it’s just that the highs never amount to all that much. Norton is good as Banner/Hulk but not irreplaceable (obviously) and the rest of the movie hums along at about the same level of quality. The Incredible Hulk is a perfectly reasonable, acceptable summer blockbuster.
NOW: I continue to enjoy this one for what it is but rarely do I think, “I’m really hankering for some Incredible Hulk action.” 

12. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) ORIGINAL RANK: N/A
Age of Ultron gets my vote as the most uneven film in the MCU. I love the introduction and the downtimes during which the characters simply exist in each other’s strange orbits, outside of the action. I enjoy James Spader’s embodiment of Ultron. And the action set pieces are grandiose. But the studio meddling is evident at times (this is the only film that exhibits a clash between director and studio) and the story gets convoluted as a result. Thor spends the entire movie being confused for reasons that are never completely evident on screen, Ultron’s motives are defined but not in any sort of interesting way, and of course, it all ends in yet another round of Iron Man Suit Overload. I was high on Age of Ultron after my initial viewing, less so on subsequent viewings. In fact, I had this movie higher on the list when I started working on it but talked myself down a couple notches. 

11. Ant-Man (2015) ORIGINAL RANK: N/A
I pine for what Ant-Man would’ve been in the hands of Edgar Wright. There are traces of it that bleed through the screen from time to time but ultimately, I think the film suffers from the change in direction. With respect to Peyton Reed, Wright has such a singular style, almost any director would’ve struggled to fit into his shoes. What I love about Ant-Man are the three principles: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, and Evangeline Lilly. Each of them latches on to their respective roles and brings the characters to life in highly enjoyable ways. To be clear, I like Ant-Man quite a bit; it’s a solid, B+ kind of movie. But I’m much more excited about its potential than anything within the movie itself. 

10. Iron Man 2 (2010) ORIGINAL RANK: 8/10
THEN: I find it very easy to get sucked into Iron Man 2 and ignore its flaws. More than anything else, I just enjoy watching Robert Downey, Jr. be Robert Down--- er, I mean Tony Snark. This is Tony at his cockiest and that’s just a lot of fun to sit back and enjoy. The narrative is weak, however, and Favreau (whom I quite like as both a director and performer) misuses Sam Rockwell badly, leaving Iron Man 2 feeling a little thin. The movie could have fattened up on a more compelling villain but Mickey Rourke’s Ivan Vanko doesn’t quite fit the bill. On the whole, I think Iron Man 2 is a great “TNT on a Sunday afternoon” sort of movie but inferior to the rest of the Stark entries.
NOW: Seven years out from IM2’s debut, I think the most damning thing about it is it’s forgettability. Most of the plotting and happenings around Tony Stark are fine but altogether forgettable. 

9. Doctor Strange (2016) ORIGINAL RANK: N/A
This one has a chance to move up with future viewings. I’m high on Cumberbatch’s performance, I’m always happy to see Rachel McAdams (though I’m assuming they had to convince her that teleporting was the same thing as time travel in order for her to sign on), and it is easily the most visually compelling film in the MCU. In fact, I think Scott Derrickson’s directorial work here stands with the Russo’s on Winter Soldier and Whedon’s on Avengers as the best in the best in the franchise. Most of my complaints with Doctor Strange come down to the presence of yet another weak villain and the Doctor himself, who is somewhat dull and uninteresting, at least in his first MCU foray. 

8. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) ORIGINAL RANK: 7/10
THEN: The old-school sentimentality and the sense of nostalgia within First Avenger work for me where others found it corny or pandering. You could argue that the degree of difficulty is lower on Captain America than it is on most of these other films and even I would agree that Chris Evans, while talented and incredibly well-cast, is the most replaceable actor in the MCU (again, besides Norton). But I would counter your argument by pointing out the list of Superman properties that have come and gone as an indicator of just how difficult it is, after all, to successfully convey the sort of old fashioned, deep-rooted American values that both characters espouse. Captain America does it incredibly well and also manages to bring along one of the better villains this franchise has to offer.
NOW: The only real downside to First Avenger for me is the strength of its descendants. This movie sets the tone for the Cap series beautifully. So beautifully, in fact, that the Russo brothers could come in and build upon the foundation to create the strongest standalone Avenger franchise in the MCU. As a result, I think First Avenger feels lesser than it would if the movies that followed were only “good” instead of “great.”

7. Thor (2011) ORIGINAL RANK: 5/10
THEN: Thor should not work. The protagonist isn’t relatable, the Asgardian setting is too galactic, and the earth-bound story is too cliché. But through it all, Thor not only works, it’s also the only Marvel film that gets better with age and multiple viewings. It might not be my first choice for a rewatch but every time I do, I come away with a greater appreciation. Thor succeeds for two reasons: One, Chris Hemsworth is a bona fide movie star. And two, Kenneth Branagh is a fantastic director (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit aside). Branagh deserves unending credit for making Thor even a remotely enjoyable film, let alone a very good one, and if you need proof of that, look no further than Thor: The Dark World.
NOW: I might be looking for an exit from the “Chris Hemsworth is a Movie Star” train but the remarkability of Thor being even decent if not full-on good is still key here. I grow more excited for Thor: Ragnarok by the day and a big part of that is knowing how well Thor can be used in the right hands. 

6. Iron Man 3 (2013) ORIGINAL RANK: 6/10
THEN: I found this one to be the toughest in the series to place. I think the highs of Iron Man 3 are better than almost any other in the MCU. The movie is a blast, Robert Downey, Jr. is tremendous, Shane Black working in a franchise setting is a riot, and I think pound for pound, the airborne passenger rescue is probably the best sequence in the entire series of films. But then there’s that final act. “Bombastic” is a word I used to describe the third act after my first viewing but now I prefer, “Iron Man suit vomit.” It’s just too much and the battle between Stark and Guy Pearce’s villain, capped off by a semi-absurd ascension to power by Gwyneth Paltrow, is an enormous let down compared to the first two-thirds of the movie. I’ll watch Iron Man 3 a thousand more times in my lifetime and I think I’ll always be a little disappointed in its finish.
NOW: For comic nerds, it seems placing IM3 this high on the list is heresy and I admit to being less sure of this placement than I would like given my propensity for hardened opinions. The last 20 minutes is still a major issue but I so enjoy the first two acts, even the reveal of the villain that so many people seem to hate. 

5. Captain America: Civil War (2016) ORIGINAL RANK: N/A
I have a tough time slotting Civil War. There are vast chunks of the film that I love and I give the Russos immense credit for pulling off the feat of bringing together such a large and complicated story. Civil War’s central themes and the A-story work very well for me on repeat viewings. Stretches of the movie, however, play simultaneously as too long and too rushed, which leads me to the idea that there are just too many characters contained herein to pace the movie properly. (This doesn’t bode especially well for next year’s Infinity War.) When Civil War is moving and the action is flowing, it’s very good. It is in the moments of rest and lead up that the movie struggles a bit for me. 

4. Iron Man (2008) ORIGINAL RANK: 4/10
THEN: The patriarch of the MCU still stands just as strong as it did when it burst on to the scene in 2008. In retrospect, Iron Man was the perfect feature to kickoff this whole crazy thing and of course Robert Downey, Jr. is the perfect leader for the movement. Iron Man is a completely different kind of superhero movie than anything we had seen previously and it set the tone for films to come. It is a highly enjoyable, quality piece of blockbuster filmmaking. The only thing that holds it back is the ho-hum villain (even by Marvel standards) and the fact that it started the, “Iron Man battles Iron Man suits!” trend. 
NOW: History has been rewritten a bit in the wake of how successful this universe has turned out to be but never forget that Disney/Marvel put a LOT on the line to make Iron Man. That they were able to pump out one of their most iconic, enduring films under such pressure is an achievement in and of itself. 

3. The Avengers (2012) ORIGINAL RANK: 2/10
THEN: Were you nervous about whether or not Joss Whedon could pull this thing together before The Avengers debuted? I was. Not because I didn’t believe in Whedon or because I didn’t see the merits of the property but because the stakes were so stinking high. Marvel had been building toward this moment for so long and if it didn’t work, the previous films would have been cheapened in some way, despite how much I liked them all. I imagine the folks at Marvel/Disney would admit to the same anxiety if they were being honest. But it all worked out thanks to the remarkable talent both on and off the screen. The actors have excellent chemistry together and they’re all (okay, maybe not poor Jeremy Renner) able to work off each other quite well while staying in character, not a totally easy task in an ensemble like this. And Whedon blends the heroes together nearly seamlessly (again, poor Jeremy Renner) by playing up their respective strengths and weaknesses and mixing in an obligatory Whedon-y script that did wonders for this universe. Moreover, I think Avengers has the ONLY compelling villain in the MCU and Whedon deserves a ton of credit for building Loki up appropriately from his tepid run in Thor.
NOW: Whether that’s because of superhero overload or because we’ve seen the familiar notes from this movie played again and again through the subsequent MCU films, it feels like we’ve downgraded our appreciation for The Avengers. This is a shame, as the film holds up beautifully five years out and its degree of difficulty remains off the charts. 

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) ORIGINAL RANK: 3/10
THEN: Because, as mentioned previously, I’m a big fan of the original Captain America, I think I had a higher level of anticipation for The Winter Soldier than most. Even I was blown away. The Russo Brothers took a strong, moralistic character and gave him an edge without betraying his sense of right and wrong. It was, to my mind, a huge leap forward for the whole MCU in terms of tone and look. The action sequences are incredibly strong and the Russos were able to make Cap much more powerful (yet still realistically so) than he’d ever been before. Upon subsequent viewings, I’m not totally in love with the final act and I really wish Robert Redford could be replaced by someone who actually cares even a little. But these are small flaws. 
NOW: If Winter Soldier gets your vote for the best MCU film, I have zero complaints. The realism sets it apart from the rest of the films in this series, even Civil War. 

1. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) ORIGINAL RANK: 1/10
THEN: I considered excluding Guardians from this conversation simply because it is obviously the least connected film within the MCU. It’s almost “MCU adjacent” rather than “MCU proper.” But since Marvel considers it part of the expanded universe, so will I. In my mind, there is almost nothing to quibble over when it comes to Guardians. Sure, a stronger villain would be nice (this is something Marvel seriously needs to work on) but this is not a story that’s begging for a compelling bad guy and the sheer enjoyableness of the mismatched main characters overshadows that shortcoming. I have very rarely had as much fun in a theater as I had with Guardians and it brings a level of freshness to this universe that I think it desperately needed. The beats may be the same as the average Marvel movie but the music is completely different and oh, what a blast it is to behold! 
NOW: Whenever I’m in the mood for a Marvel movie, Guardians remains my starting point. There’s nothing I don’t love about this movie even after what has to be a dozen or more viewings. It is blockbuster filmmaking at its finest, wrapped up in a Marvel-y ribbon.