MCU vs Pixar Showdown
During the summer of 2021 both Marvel and Pixar dropped their 24th movies, Black Widow and Luca. Since both studios now have 24 movies, I wanted to do a showdown where I compare each of the movies. Meaning Round 1 will be Iron Man vs Toy Story, Round 2 is The Incredible Hulk vs A Bug’s Life, etc. Let’s get started!
ROUND 1: Iron Man vs Toy Story: This is a very difficult one because both movies are pretty fantastic. And in a lot of ways changed the future of their genres, and had big impacts on them. So it is really difficult choosing which one is better because I love both of them, both of them are top tier movies within their studios. But at the end of the day, which one would I go with, I’m going with...IRON MAN. The MCU has been such a big part of my life, and without Iron Man the MCU wouldn’t have happened. Like I said, I love Toy Story but I can only choose one.
ROUND 2: The Incredible Hulk vs A Bug’s Life: Both of these movies are lower tier movies within the two studios, but one of them is my least favorite, and the other one is a good solid movie. I’m going with A BUG’S LIFE, I find A Bug’s Life to be a good and fun Pixar movie but it’s not a top tier movie for me. It’s a movie that doesn’t make any big mistakes but also doesn’t do much to make it a top tier Pixar movie. With The Incredible Hulk, that would be my least favorite movie of the MCU, it’s fine but it feels off and the pieces just don’t come together for me in the end.
ROUND 3: Iron Man 2 vs Toy Story 2: The battle of the sequels, and this is an easy one for me I’m going with TOY STORY 2, Toy Story 2 would be my least favorite of the Toy Story movies but if that’s the worst one...that’s a pretty incredible set of movies. It introduces Jessie and Bullseye, who are iconic Pixar characters, and I like a number of the character's moments , especially what they do with Buzz in the second half of the movie. With Iron Man 2 I think it’s a watchable but deeply flawed movie. I have fun with it everytime I watch it, but also acknowledge a number of issues that the movie has. One of these movies is great, another one is fun but flawed.
ROUND 4: Thor vs Monsters Inc.: This is another super duper easy one for me, I’m going to go with MONSTER’S INC on this one. Mike and Sully are one of the best Pixar duos out there, they are so charming and fun and so quotable. Billy Crystal and John Goodman have amazing chemistry with one another. With Thor it’s a good movie, but most of phase 1 of the MCU was very shaky and just hadn’t quite found its footing yet, and I think Thor is a good example of this. The cast here is great, whether it’s newcomers Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddelston, or getting the legendary Sir Anthony Hopkins as Odin it’s all great. But one of these movies is far more beloved than the other one...I bet you can figure out which one it is.
ROUND 5: Captain America the First Avenger vs Finding Nemo: This is an interesting one because one of these movies is beloved and some people think it’s the best of the studio, the other one is widely regarded is a very good movie. But for this one I’m going with Pixar once again with FINDING NEMO, I understand why people think this is the best movie that Pixar has done. It has big emotions, big laughs, and lively characters. I’ve called this movie a masterpiece like some others, but it’s still a great movie. Captain America the First Avenger I think it’s a movie that needs more praise, more people need to adknowledge how many things this movie gets right. I love the origin story side of things, the cast, and the characters.
ROUND 6: The Avengers vs The Incredibles: Two movies about superpowered superheroes defeating an enemy that has connections to one of the characters. Both of these movies are fantastic. I love both of these movies. Both of them are widely normally in people’s top 5 favorites. But I gotta go with THE INCREDIBLES, The Incredibles is my favorite of the Pixar movies. I just love superhero movies. They have great action, great humor, great characters, and great quotable lines that I love to say. The Avengers is a super fun movie that is so comic booky, and you love seeing all of these heroes come together to stop Loki and the Chitauri. Both of these movies are fantastic, but I can only pick one. I picked The Incredibles.
ROUND 7: Iron Man 3 vs Cars: This is another interesting one because both of these movies are normally in the middle to low tier within their studios. This is a tricky one because Iron Man 3 is probably the better movie but...I have so much nostalgia for Cars. For years it was my favorite movie, and it’s really tricky picking which one is better but I would go with...IRON MAN 3. I have always really enjoyed this movie more than most people. I love the writing for Tony in this movie. I think RDJ is on point, The Mandairan twist is better left unmentioned, and there are some story issues. And with Cars it’s just a fun movie with likeable characters and memorable moments. At the end of the day, I think Iron Man 3 just edges out Cars by a little bit.
ROUND 8: Thor the Dark World vs Ratatouille: This is another very easy one for me, I’m going to go with RATATOUILLE, it’s a very good Pixar movie that has a bonkers and weird concept but the movie works. The pieces come together in the end to create a fun and heartwarming adventure likable character. With Thor the Dark World, these are the bottom 2 MCU movies for me. It’s bland and forgettable, Malkieth isn’t a good villain and the pieces don’t come together. But I still find the movie watchable, the moments between Thor and Loki are great especially when they are escaping Asgard, it’s really funny stuff. But like I said, this was a very easy choice because one movie is a B+, and the other one is like a C+.
ROUND 9: Captain America the Winter Soldier vs Wall-E: Both of these movies are great, and both of them bring out some of the best aspects of Marvel and Pixar. With The Winter Soldier, it’s a great political thriller with edge of your seat emotions and actions, and I think Captain America is the perfect character to put in the center of this story. With Wall-E you have a great story about a robot on Earth by himself surrounded by trash (Forky would fit perfectly in this movie), and the first 30-45 minutes is a silent movie basically. But it moves into a space movie and the movie still works. But if I had to pick one I’m going with CAPTAIN AMERICA THE WINTER SOLDIER, this movie is more my thing a thriller mixed with great action mixed with a great villain and Captain America in the lead, this is movie targeted for me. Wall-E is fantastic, but it’s not necessarily my thing. The Winter Soldier is 100% my type of movie.
ROUND 10: Guardians of the Galaxy vs Up: If I had to pick one, I’m going with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, I’ve just always found this movie to be refreshing Marvel adventure in space likable characters, a great sense of humor, and one of the best soundtracks in movie history. James Gunn’s humor mixed with these characters really works for me. I love Chirs Pratt in this movie. With Up you get one of the best opening scenes in any movie, where it doesn’t have to say any words but you connect and fall in love with these two people and their love story. It’s truly one of the best things that Pixar has done, but the rest of the movie is still great but not up to par with that opening. But still both fantastic movies, and I love them...but for different reasons.
ROUND 11: Avengers Age of Ultron vs Toy Story 3: Another battle of the sequels. But for this one, easily I’m going with TOY STORY 3. Like I said, this would be my favorite of the Toy Story movies. All 4 are fantastic, but I just love the story of this movie and all of it’s themes and characters. Lotso might be the greatest Pixar villain, and I love the ending to this movie. It's such an emotional way to close out the Andy Toy Story trilogy. With Avengers Age of Ultron, I think it’s easily the weakest of the Avengers franchise. But it’s still a very good movie that has big action, big humor, and big emotions. But the movie has way too much going on, where it can be very hard to follow all what is going on. But at the end of the day, Toy Story 3 is the better movie.
ROUND 12: Ant-Man vs Cars 2: This is another super easy choice for me, I’m going with CARS 2...just kidding I’m going with ANT-MAN. Ant-Man is one of the biggest surprises of the MCU, but this movie has always worked for me. I love the cast for this movie. It's fun seeing Paul Rudd as a superhero. Michael Pena is a great scene stealer that is one of the funniest characters inside of the MCU. And they got legendary actor Michael Douglas to be Hank Pym in this movie. With Cars 2, it’s an entertaining mediocre movie. I know a lot of people hate Cars 2, but I have a lot of nostalgia for it. So when I watch it, I get a lot of entertainment. But at the end of the day, Ant-Man is the far better movie.
ROUND 13: Captain America Civil War vs Brave: These two movies are like on the polar opposite of their rankings. But this is another super duper easy one for me, I don’t even have to think about this, I’m going with CAPTAIN AMERICA CIVIL WAR. It’s one of the most well rounded MCU movies, it has big action, big emotions, and some nice touches of humor. The conflict between Steve and Tony makes sense, because of the previous MCU movies. With Brave it’s a mediocre and off brand Pixar movie. That works best in the first act and gets worse as it goes along. The animation and Merida are also quite good.
ROUND 14: Doctor Strange vs Monsters University: This is a hard one because neither one of these movies are top tier MCU movies, and neither one of them are bottom tier. But at the end of the day, I’m going with DOCTOR STRANGE, I think the world of magic that they introduced and the visuals are the stand-out. Benedict Cumberbatch is great as this character, he can play all sides of it. But I think the villain of the movie, and the humor hold the movie back. Also, Monsters University is a good and fun Pixar movie. But with Pixar you want a great or fantastic Pixar movie. So both movies are good but not great.
ROUND 15: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 vs Inside Out: I’m going to cut to the chase, I’m going with INSIDE OUT on this one. What Pixar was able to do with balancing complex themes about puberty and growing up but targeting kids and crafting a movie that kids can enjoy. They created a great set of fun and different characters. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a fun movie that is never boring but has a number of tone and story issues. But it has some great character moments, especially with Yondu and Gamora and their story arcs in this movie. But like some of the previous rounds, this was a super easy one for me to pick.
ROUND 16: Spider-Man Homecoming vs The Good Dinosaur: If you have seen my MCU and Pixar movie ranking, then you know which one I’m going with. But for this one, I’m going with SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING, one of the most fun movies inside of the MCU. It has a great cast and a great villain. Vulture is a great villain because his stakes and goals are personal and he’s not trying to destroy the city, but doing something for his family. Michael Keaton is great as the character. On the The Good Dinosaur side, it’s a very mediocre, bland, and boring Pixar movie. It is my least favorite Pixar movie, and I don’t think it works on any of the levels. So in this round, Spider-Man beats out the dinosaur.
ROUND 17: Thor Ragnarok vs Finding Dory: We are on a streak of super easy choices because this is another super easy choice for me. One of these movies is a top tier movie, and the other one is a good enough movie. But for this one I’m going with THOR RAGNAROK, the third adventure with Thor as the lead is easily the best movie of the franchise. Taika Waititi injected this franchise with a fresh dose of energy that just works. It has great action and some really really funny moments, this is probably the funniest movie inside of the MCU. Finding Dory is a good enough Pixar movie, it feels too much like a beat by beat sequel of the original movie. One of them is super original, and the other one isn’t original.
ROUND 18: Black Panther vs Cars 3: I think this is an interesting one because one of these movies I think is one of the more overrated movies of the franchise, and the other one I think is underrated. But for me I’m going with BLACK PANTHER, it’s one of the more mature movies inside of the MCU. It’s basically a Marvelified version of The Lion King, and I think for the most part it works. Killmonger is one of the best villains inside of the MCU, and I think Michael B. Jordan is great as the character. Ryan Coogler’s direction and world building are very good. The action and the CGI held the movie back. I think Cars 3 is the best of the trilogy, I think it’s the movie that is most focused on racing, it is predictable and the story isn’t original. But at the end of the day, I think Black Panther is the better movie.
ROUND 19: Avengers Infinity War vs Coco: One of these movies I think is a near perfect movie, and the other is a very solid movie. If you have seen my favorites lists, you know I’m going with AVENGERS INFINITY WAR, this is the runner-up as my favorite MCU movie. It’s this big epic story with massive stakes, actions, emotions, and humor all of it works. And they crafted Thanos to be one of the great MCU villains, where his plan is something horrific but you understand what he is doing. Coco is a very good Pixar movie, it has a great animation style and a great set of characters. I think the movie shines in the middle act, and the third act isn’t the best. It’s not bad, but it’s not good either. Ernesto de la Cruz iz a good enough villain.
ROUND 20: Ant-Man and the Wasp vs Incredibles 2: Marvel has been winning the last couple of rounds, but their streak ends here because I’m going with INCREDIBLES 2. The original Incredibles movie is my favorite Pixar movie, and this was a great follow-up. It changed the dynamic of everything where now Elastigirl is the lead, and Mr. Incredible is the stay at home parent. The action is great, Jack-Jack is the stand-out character. Screensaver is a very good villain, a predictable but very good villain. Ant-Man and the Wasp is a solid MCU movie, it’s not great but it’s good and fun. It’s a nice palate cleanser after Infinity War, it doesn’t have high highs or low lows, it’s just a good enough MCU movie.
ROUND 21: Captain Marvel vs Toy Story 4: Both of these movies seem to have their critics on the internet, but I like one movie and love the other movie. But I’m easily going with TOY STORY 4, this closed out the Toy Story franchise so well and in a nice satisfying way that I’m happy if this is it, the final Toy Story movie. I also think this is Woody’s best movie, where it’s the most that we get to spend with him. The new characters with Forky, Duke Kaboom, Ducky, and Bunny are great and really funny characters. Captain Marvel is a good movie, and the best part about it is the dynamic between Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, they have great chemistry. Ben Mendelsohn is great as Talos. The movie does have it’s issues with it’s tone and storytelling. But it is the battle of the 2019 movies, and I’m easy going with Toy Story 4.
ROUND 22: Avengers Endgame vs Onward: Yet again another super duper easy one for me, it’s AVENGERS ENDGAME this is my favorite movie of all time, I love so many things about it to the epicness in the story, the tone, the emotions, and the final battle all of it is done pretty perfectly. It’s also the greatest theater experience that I’ve ever had, so this movie will always have a special place in my heart. Onward is a great movie, I think it’s a top 10 Pixar movie. A lot of people disagree, because Soul also came out in 2020. But Onward is a fun adventure in a magical world with likeable lead characters voiced by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland. Onward is an A- movie for me but Avengers Endgame is an A+ movie, I love and I always will love it.
ROUND 23: Spider-Man Far From Home vs Soul: This is one of the more trickier ones to choose, because it seems like a lot of people on the internet praise both of these movies a lot more than I do, but I don’t love either of these movies. But if I had to go with one, I would go with SPIDER-MAN FAR FROM HOME, I think this is a good but not great movie. I think it has some great emotional moments inside of it, but also has some really funny moments. And it balances the tone out really well. Mysterio is a frustrating villain, elements of it I really enjoy but I think the movie ruins the character in the second half of it. Soul is a greatly made Pixar movie, but not a great family movie. It felt like Pixar was trying to make a movie to win a bunch of Oscars (which it did), but they forgot to make a great family movie. But Spider-Man is the one that I’m far more likely to watch.
ROUND 24: Black Widow vs Luca: We have made it to the final round, and it’s the battle of the summer 2021 movies. I didn’t have to think about this one I’m going with BLACK WIDOW, I really dug this movie and dug a number of things about it. I like that the big theme of it was family, and it made a very personal movie tied to Natasha Romanoff. The action and the side characters are great. Yelena is the stand-out of the movie. It feels 5 years too late, but it’s still a very good movie. Luca is a good movie, it’s a solid Pixar movie. It didn’t make any big mistakes, but also didn’t do anything that made it pop as being a top tier Pixar movie. I think the animation style is very good, I like the characters. But it doesn’t have big emotions or big laughs, all of the emotions and laughs are good enough.
Wow...that was a long post to write, took me a while. How does the best MCU movie compare to the best Pixar movie? And how does the worst MCU movie compare to the worst Pixar movie? Thanks for reading!
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