Chris Hemsworth Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted relevant superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Chris Hemsworth, whose latest project "Thor: Love and Thunder" is in theaters now. 

Chris Hemsworth's Filmography Ranked:

19.Avengers: Age of Ultron (D+)

18.Snow White and the Huntsman (C)

17.Men in Black: International (B-)

16.Red Dawn (B-)

15.Thor: The Dark World (B)

14.Vacation (B)

13.Ghostbusters (B)

12.In the Heart of the Sea (B)

11.Thor (B)

10.Spiderhead (B+)

9.The Avengers (B+)

8.Extraction (B+)

7.Bad Times at the El Royale (B+)

6.Avengers: Endgame (A-)

5.Rush (A-)

4.The Cabin in the Woods (A-)

3.Avengers: Infinity War (A)

2.Thor: Ragnarok (A)

1.Star Trek (A)

Top Dog: Star Trek (2009)

A full decade before he became an enemy of the sci-fi community following the release of the misguided at best and stunning lazy and shamelessly pandering at worst Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, J.J. Abrams released what remains the high watermark for genre reboots. With a charismatic, well-matched cast (Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin) that sells the team camaraderie of the Enterprise crew with ease and writing that found a way to cut through the franchise's notoriously dense lore and tell a digestible, gripping story, Abrams breathed new life into Star Trek and made one of the most immensely entertaining blockbusters of the past 15 years. 

Bottom Feeder: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

There's a base level of filmmaking and storytelling competency that can typically be found in even the most forgettable pieces of mediocrity the MCU (Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2) has ever churned out. The lone exception to this rule to date came with the sneaky terrible Avengers: Age of Ultron. Repeating his worst signature as an artist that doesn't involve aggressively bullying his cast and crew, Joss Whedon got a bit too overconfident on his second Avengers movie and churned out a scattershot mess of a movie that is stunningly boring and almost completely incoherent.   

Most Underrated: Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

An original noir mystery thriller that was backed by a studio that was on the cusp of being acquired by Disney and played in theaters at the exact same time as A Star is Born, Venom and Halloween never really had a chance of being a hit.  Clearly, that doesn't explain why Bad Times at the El Royale still hasn't found an audience, but its doomed theatrical run has certainly made it harder to find a path to cultural relevancy. Hopefully at some point down the line Drew Goddard's hidden gem that features brilliant turns by Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo (in her first major film role), Hemsworth, Dakota Johnson and Lewis Pullman and has some clever twists and turns that lead to an explosive final act that's full of high-wire suspense will find success on some streaming service and become the cult classic it deserves to be.   

Most Overrated: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015):

While it's not considered to be one of the best MCU movies by the majority of people, Age of Ultron does boast a pretty good overall reputation and has a vocal band of supporters behind it that view it as one of the most underrated movies in the mega franchise. Vehemently disagreeing with this not overly notable positive consensus is the only reason I need to declare that this movie is wildly overrated.    

Best Early Non-Thor Project: The Cabin in the Woods (2012):

While it ended up being released just shy of a year after Hemsworth became the first actor to have their stardom launched by the MCU, The Cabin in the Woods was actually shot before Thor and in my eyes at least, does just as good of a job of selling as Hemsworth's acting skills as his now-signature role does. Hemsworth shines as a satirical version of the cocky horror movie jock archetype in Drew Goodard's hilarious, brilliant deconstruction of the entire genre. Outside of Fran Kranz's scene-stealing work as the stoner archetype, he gives the most consistently endearing, amusing performance in a film that needed subtly great acting to gracefully hit its intended meta notes.    

A Hollow Excuse to Post a Small Part of the Incredible Simulated One Take Fight Scene/Car Chasse from Extraction:

An action sequence with fluid camerawork/editing, slick choreography and an actor that is game to handle the bulk of the stuntwork themselves. This is cinema folks.

2022 in Music: Mid-Year Review

Revisiting a number of 2022's first half musical releases over the past few weeks has revealed a disheartening common theme: Nearly every record I've heard has some kind of negative or bittersweet caveat attached to my take on them. Of course, there are some exceptions-particularly among the top 10 releases, but a varying degree of negativity, disappointment, etc. is occupying every nook and cranny of this 54-album list. 

Kendrick Lamar returned after a 5-year absence with a record that is much better than DAMN, but nowhere near as consistent or dynamic as his earlier landmark efforts. Alleageon's Damnum is a damn fine release, but the energy and volume of catchy riffs are only at about 2/3 of the band's typical level. Even some of my absolute favorites (This World is Going to Ruin You by Vein.fm, Dawn FM by The Weeknd, This Bright and Beautiful World by Greyhaven) are somewhat notable step downs from their brilliant predecessors. There are enough heavy hitters with albums tentatively set for release to hold out hope that better things lie ahead in the second half of the year but given how the past 6 months have played out, I'm not overly confident things will change all that much. Below you'll find the rankings of every 2022 album I've heard so far from worst to best, my picks for the top 25 songs of the 1st half of the year and some other random accolades involving the music of the past 6 months. Hope you enjoy.   

54.Banks-Serpentina (C-)

53.Machine Gun Kelly-Mainstream Sellout (C)

52.Maren Morris-Humble Quest (C)

51.Camila Cabello-Familia (C)

50.Black Country, New Road-Ants From Up There (C)

49.Kilo Kish-American Gurl (C)

48.Slowbleed-The Blazing Sun, a Fiery Dawn (C+)

47.Undeath-It's Time to Rise... from the Grave (C+)

46.Monuments-Stasis (C+)

45.State Champs-Kings of the New Age (C+)

44.Post Malone-Twelve Carat Toothache (B-)

43.Korn-Requiem (B-)

42.Drug Church-Hygiene (B-)

41.Charli XCX-Crash (B-)

40.Vince Staples-Ramona Park Broke My Heart (B-)

39.Rosalia-MOTOMAMI (B-)

38.Harry Styles-Harry's House (B-)

37.Mitski-Laurel Hell (B-)

36.FKA twigs-Caprisongs (B-)

35.Worm Shepherd-Ritual Hymns (B-)

34.AURORA-THE GODS WE CAN TOUCH (B-)

33.Rolo Tomassi-Where Myth Becomes Memory (B)

32.p.s.you'redead-Sugar Rot (B)

31.Enterprise Earth-The Chosen (B)

30.Analepsy-Quiescence (B)

29.Foxtails-Fawn (B)

28.Gunna-DS4EVER (B)

27.Soreption-Jord (B)

25.Terror-Pain into Power (B)

24.Florence + the Machine-Dance Fever (B)

23.Meshuggah-Immutable (B)

22.Drake-Honestly, Nevermind (B)

21.Pusha T-It's Almost Dry (B)

20.Northlane-Obsidian (B)

19.Kendrick Lamar-Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (B)

18.Immolation-Acts of God (B)

17.Coheed and Cambria-A Window of the Waking Mind (B)

16.Denzel Curry-Melt My Eyez See Your Future (B)

15.Jack White-Fear of the Dawn (B)

14.Moon Tooth-Phototroph (B)

13.Fit for An Autopsy-Oh What the Future Holds (B)

12.Soul Glo-Diaspora Problems (B)

11.Bad Omens-The Death of Peace of Mind (B)

10.Shadow of Intent-Elegy (B+)

9.Allegaeon-Damnum (B+)

8.Venom Prison-Erebos (B+)

7.Gospel-The Loser (B+)

6.Cave In-Heavy Pendulum (B+)

5.Greyhaven-This Bright and Beautiful World (B+)

4.Animals as Leaders-Parrhesia (B+)

3.The Weeknd-Dawn FM (B+)

2.King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Omnium Gatherum (A-)

1.Vein.fm-This World is Going to Ruin You (A-)

Biggest Surprises:

1.Cave In-Heavy Pendulum 

2.Bad Omens-The Death of Peace of Mind 

3.Northlane-Obsidian 

Biggest Letdowns:

1.Banks-Serpentina 

2.Undeath-It's Time to Rise... from the Grave

3.Vince Staples-Ramona Park Broke My Heart

Most Underrated:

1.Animals as Leaders-Parrhesia 

2.Bad Omens-The Death of Peace of Mind

3.Drake-Honestly, Nevermind

Most Overrated:

1.Undeath-It's Time to Rise... from the Grave

2.Drug Church-Hygiene

3.Rosalia-MOTOMAMI 

Top Discoveries:

1.Gospel

2.Soul Glo

3.Foxtails

Top Albums I'm Looking Forward to from July-December:

1.Tallah-The Generation of Danger

2.SZA-TBD

3.Revocation-Netherheaven 

Top 25 Songs (in alphabetical order by artist):

Animals as Leaders-Conflict Cartography

Animals as Leaders-Red Miso

Bad Omens-Like a Villain

Bad Omens-The Grey

Cave In-Floating Skulls

Cave In-New Reality

Greyhaven-In a Room Where Everything Dies

Greyhaven-Of Snakes and Swans

Jack White-Fear of the Dawn

Kendrick Lamar-Mother I Sober (feat. Beth Gibbons)

Kendrick Lamar-United in Grief 

King Gizzard and the Lizard-Ambergris

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-Presumptous

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard-The Dripping Tap

Shadow of Intent-Saurian King

Tallah-The Impressionist

Tallah-Telescope

Tove Lo-No One Dies from Love

The Mars Volta-Blacklight Shine

The Weeknd-How Do I Make You Love Me?

The Weeknd-Less Than Zero

The Weeknd-Sacrifice

Vein.fm-Hellnight (feat. Jeff Smith)

Vein.fm-Inside Design

Vein.fm-The Killing Womb

2022 in Movies: Mid-Year Review

2022's early film slate has offered many blessings and curses. The Batman delivered a vivid, immersive portrayal of Gotham and Bruce Wayne's long journey to becoming a hero that was unlike any previous live action portrayal of the character. Michael Bay discovered drones and did some wild, inventive shit with them that could fundamentally change how action movies are made over the next decade or so. Roland Emmerich confirmed he longer knows how to make dumb fun disaster movies with the bafflingly dull dud Moonfall. And perhaps most importantly, Gru rose again. Here's a full ranking of every film I saw from January-June from worst to best along with a slew of mid-year accolades and awards.

53.Moonfall (D-)

52.Elvis (D)

51.Morbius (D+)

50.Dog (C-)

49.Texas Chainsaw Massacre (C-)

48.Blacklight (C)

47.Home Team (C)

46.The Bubble (C+)

45.The Man from Toronto (C+)

44.Studio 666 (B-)

43.Deep Water (B-)

42.Crush (B-)

41.Marry Me (B-)

40.Turning Red (B-)

39.The Adam Project (B-)

38.Uncharted (B-)

37.Crimes of the Future (B-)

36.Senior Year (B-)

35.Lightyear (B)

34.The Lost City (B)

33.Fire Island (B)

32.I Want You Back (B)

31.Jurassic World Dominion (B)

30.Metal Lords (B)

29.The 355 (B)

28.The Fallout (B)

27.The Bad Guys (B)

26.Fresh (B)

25.The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (B)

24.Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (B)

23.Dual (B)

22.The Outfit (B)

21.Chip'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (B)

20.Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (B)

19.Top Gun: Maverick (B)

18.No Exit (B)

17.KIMI (B)

16.The Worst Person in the World (B)

15.Hustle (B)

14.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (B+)

13.Spiderhead (B+)

12.On the Count of Three (B+)

11.The Northman (B+)

10.Men (B+)

9.The Black Phone (B+)

8.Watcher (B+)

7.Everything Everywhere All at Once (B+)

6.X (B+)

5.Scream (A-)

4.Emergency (A-)

3.Ambulance (A-)

2.Jackass Forever (A)

1.The Batman (A)

Awards and Accolades:

Top Movie: The Batman

Top Director: Matt Reeves (The Batman)

Top Lead Performance (Male): Donald Elise Watkins, Emergency 

Top Lead Performance (Female): Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Top Supporting Performance (Male): Paul Dano, The Batman

Top Supporting Performance (Female): Brittany Snow, X 

Top Breakthrough Performance: Donald Elise Watkins, Emergency 

Top Script: Guy Busick and James Vanderbilt, Scream

Top Cinematography: Greig Fraser, The Batman

Top Score: Michael Giacchino, The Batman

Top Editing: David Kashevaroff and Ti West, X

Top Visual Effects: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 

Top Villain: The Riddler (Paul Dano), The Batman

Worst Villain: The Moon, Moonfall

Top Action Sequence: The 100+ minute chase scene through LA, Ambulance 

Top Piece of Overacting: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ambulance

Best Performance in a Bad Movie: Austin Butler (Elvis)

Worst Performance in a Good Movie: Claes Bang (The Northman)

Biggest Waste of Legitimate Acting Talent: Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson and Michael Pena, Moonfall 

Movie I'm Most Excited to See in the Second Half of 2022: Bullet Train 

Top Performances:

1.Paul Dano (The Batman)

2.Donald Elise Watkins (Emergency)

3.Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

4.Robert Pattinson (The Batman)

5.Brittany Snow (X)

6.Kristen Stewart (Crimes of the Future)

7.Christopher Abbott (On the Count of Three)

8.Maika Monroe (Watcher)

9.Emma Thompson (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande)

10.Elizabeth Olsen (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

Most Underrated: 

1.Watcher

2.On the Count of Three 

3.Spiderhead

Most Overrated:

1.Elvis 

2.Turning Red 

3.The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Biggest Surprises:

1.Scream

2.KIMI

3.No Exit

Biggest Letdowns:

1.The Bubble

2.The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

3.Turning Red

Top Acting Ensembles:

1.The Batman

2.Emergency 

3.X

4.Scream

5.Hustle 

Top Miscellaneous Things I Didn't Gave Props to Above:

1.The suffocating, slowly escalating suspense of Watcher.

2.The editing, score, cinematography and design of The Grabber's mask in The Black Phone.

3.The brilliant absurdist comedy elements of Everything Everywhere All at Once.

4.The pitch-perfect final moments of X, Dual, Watcher, Emergency and The Black Phone.

5.The underappreciated performances of Zoe Kravitz, Colin Farrell and Andy Serkis in The Batman

6.The sincere effort by Matt Smith to give Morbius a pulse 

7.The gnarly gore and shockingly strong cinematography of Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

8.The unmistakable fingerprints of Sam Raimi all over Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

9.The lengths Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas went to make Deep Water relatively compelling.

10.The kickass final major fight scene in The Man from Toronto that comes out of nowhere and is 100x better than anything else about the movie.  

2022 NFL Position Rankings: Top 20 Punters

()=2021 ranking

+=Unranked or not eligible in 2021

20.(12) Mitch Wishnowsky (49ers)

19.(11) Sam Martin (Broncos)

18.(1) Johnny Hekker (Panthers)

17.(8) Brett Kern (Titans)

16.(18) Pat O'Donnell (Packers)

15.(10) Kevin Huber (Bengals)

14.(6) Corey Bojorquez (Browns)

13.(14) Jordan Berry (Vikings)

12.(+) Tommy Townsend (Chiefs)

11.(15) Cameron Johnston (Texans)

10.(+) Thomas Morstead (Dolphins)

9.(+) Blake Gillikin (Saints)

8.(5) Michael Dickson (Seahawks)

7.(7) Logan Cooke (Jaguars)

6.(3) Jake Bailey (Patriots)

5.(19) Andy Lee (Cardinals)

4.(+) A.J. Cole (Raiders)

3.(13) Bryan Anger (Cowboys)

2.(4) Jack Fox (Lions)

1.(2) Tress Way (Commanders)

2022 NBA Free Agency: 10 Best Players Available

If there are any substantial fireworks to be had once the new NBA league year officially launches Friday at Midnight EST, they are not likely to come from the free agency pool. With Zach Lavine being the only established star of note, Jalen Brunson believed to be the most coveted prize on the UFA market (Lavine is a near lock to return to the Bulls) and DeAndre Ayton being the only splashy young player on the RFA market that seems to have a legitimate chance of leaving their current, the 2022 class is easily the least exciting in recent memory. Still, contending teams and desperate tweeners will be looking to add veteran role players and/or hoping that one of the higher-upside RFA's (Miles Bridges, Ayton, Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton) can be signed away from the team that drafted them. Here are the 10 players from this class that I believe to be the best.

(Note: Since they're expecting to either exercise their player option or re-sign with their current teams, James Harden, Bradley Beal and Bobby Portis were excluded from this list.)

10.Collin Sexton, shooting guard (2021-22 team: Cleveland Cavaliers)

Even with the damning combination of a checkered history of playing hero ball/pissing off teammates with his selfish behavior and the Cavs going onto play better team basketball after he suffered a season-ending meniscus tear last November sitting on his resume, Sexton is a 23-year-old who can be relied onto score 20-25 every night and that skill set alone will be enough for plenty of offer sheets to make their way to him. 

Possible Destinations: Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings

9.Malik Monk, shooting guard (2021-22 team: Los Angeles Lakers):

About the only thing that went right for the Lakers last season was the signing of Malik Monk. Bouncing between the bench and starting lineup all season long, Monk-who signed for the vet minimum after a so-so start to his career with the Hornets-showed steady improvement as an overall shooter (a career-high 47.3%-up just under 4% from 2019-20/2020-21), shot 3's at an excellent clip for a 2nd straight season (39.1%, down exactly 1% from 2020-21) and averaged roughly 14 points per game on a team that largely consisted of ball-dominant players. If Monk enters the right situation where his scoring ability can be properly utilized, he could be a very productive 6th/7th man.

Possible Destinations: Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers   

8.P.J. Tucker, small/power forward (2021-22 team: Miami Heat):

At the ripe age of 37, Tucker continues to be one of the toughest, most consistent perimeter defenders in the league and as long as he can stay on the floor and make life difficult for star wings for 22-30 minutes a game, he'll have a strong market among contending teams.

Possible Destinations: Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks

7.Jusuf Nurkic, center (2021-22 team: Portland Trail Blazers)

Injuries continue to be a big concern for Nurkic and his erratic availability could end up costing him money on what is likely to be the final semi-big payday of his NBA career. That being said, he's a consistent double double producer when healthy and his floor-stretching potential gives his game an extra layer that separates him from the other traditional centers on the market outside of Ayton 

Possible Destinations: Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons

6.Bruce Brown, small forward (2021-22 team: Brooklyn Nets)

Last season was an impressive showcase for Brown's growth as a 3 and D player and the heart and hustle he showed during the Nets rough playoff series against the Celtics was a refreshing sight to see on a team that didn't have a whole lot of that outside of their leader Kevin Durant. Every single contending team would benefit from having a guy like Brown on their roster and at 25 going on 26, he should only continue to get better in his role.

Possible Destinations: Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat 

5.Anfernee Simons, point/shooting guard (2021-22 team: Portland Trail Blazers):

Simons absolutely exploded in a Damian Lillard-less Blazers backcourt, especially after C.J. McCollum was traded to the Pelicans, finishing the season with 17.3 PPG on 44.3% shooting from the field and 40.5% from deep. Those numbers will obviously dip a bit with Lillard back in the lineup, but Simons' shooting touch and range should make him a worthy heir to McCollum's role as the Blazers highly productive 2 guard.

Possible Destinations: Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings. San Antonio Spurs 

4.Jalen Brunson, point/shooting guard (2021-22 team: Dallas Mavericks):

Getting the opportunity to earn major minutes alongside Luka Doncic in the Mavs backcourt turned Brunson into a solid #2 scorer (a career-best 16.3 points per game) during their improbable run to the Western Conference Finals this season. Whether Brunson can keep that up elsewhere remains to be seen, but I'd be willing to bet that his odds of doing so will be at least twice as low if he ends up following his expected path and signs with the soul-sucking Knicks. He's yet to prove that he's a legitimate facilitator in the pros and some combo of Julius Randle, Evan Fournier, R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin, Derrick Rose, Cam Reddish and Immanuel Quickley isn't going to help him get the wide array of open looks that helped him thrive in Dallas. The money might be real nice Jalen, but you'd be wise to go pretty much anywhere else besides the Knicks.     

Possible Destinations: New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks

3.DeAndre Ayton, center (2021-22 team: Phoenix Suns):

Ayton going from being a perceived long-term franchise cornerstone in Phoenix to being benched by Monty Willliams in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Mavericks in just a year's time has been pretty shocking to witness. While his departure from Phoenix isn't guaranteed at this point, it's hard to believe the coaching staff and front office is going to want him back after he dogged it so hard in a playoff series that the Suns had absolutely no business losing. Despite his questionable effort at times, the 23-year old has still produced at a high enough level and has enough upside to secure a contract that's at least in the ballpark of the max deal he was seeking last offseason.

Possible Destinations: Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors  

2.Miles Bridges, small/power forward (2021-22 team: Charlotte Hornets):

Whatever fire got lit under the ass of Bridges last season is going to yield him one of the more active markets for a restricted free agent in recent memory and a big payday when he signs his name on the dotted line. While there's some justifiable apprehension to be had when a team is considering paying a guy who wasn't overly great prior to last season, Bridges' explosive athleticism, efficient scoring from all over the floor and terrific rebounding ability for a 6'7 wing (7.0 per game last season as a starter and 6.0 per game in 2020-21 as a bench player) makes him more likely to be a long-term high-level performer than a bag-chasing, contract-year wonder.   

Possible Destinations: Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz  

1.Zach Lavine, shooting guard (2021-22 team: Chicago Bulls):

Lavine is a dynamic scorer whose improved efficiency and passing has turned him into a legit star over the past couple seasons. Considering how well the Bulls were playing before Lonzo Ball and LaVine got hurt in the second half of the season, they would be silly to not re-sign him to the max deal he'll command as the consensus top player in this free agency class and see what they're capable of achieving when healthy.

Possible Destinations: Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks

Other Notable Free Agents:

Aaron Holiday, point guard (2021-22 teams: Washington Wizards/Phoenix Suns)

Andre Drummond, center (2021-22 team: Brooklyn Nets)

Austin Rivers, point/shooting guard (2021-22 team: Denver Nuggets)

Bismack Biyombo, center (2021-22 team: Phoenix Suns)

Blake Griffin, power forward (2021-22 team: Brooklyn Nets)

Bryn Forbes, shooting guard (2021-22 teams: San Antonio Spurs/Denver Nuggets)

Caleb Martin, shooting guard (2021-22 team: Miami Heat)

Chris Boucher, power forward (2021-22 team: Toronto Raptors)

Cody Martin, shooting guard (2021-22 team: Charlotte Hornets)

Danuel House Jr., shooting guard (2021-22 team: Houston Rockets)

Delon Wright, point/shooting guard (2021-22 team: Atlanta Hawks)

Dennis Schroder, point/shooting guard (2021-22 teams: Boston Celtics/Houston Rockets)

Dewayne Dedmon, center (2021-22 team: Miami Heat)

Donte DiVincenzo, shooting guard (2021-22 teams: Milwaukee Bucks/Sacramento Kings)

Dwight Howard, center (2021-22 team: Los Angeles Lakers)

Gary Harris, shooting guard (2021-22 team: Orlando Magic)

Gary Payton II, shooting guard (2021-22 team: Golden State Warriors)

Goran Dragic, point/shooting guard (2021-22 teams: Toronto Raptors/Brooklyn Nets)

Gorgui Dieng, center (2021-22 team: Atlanta Hawks)

Isaiah Hartenstein, center (2021-22 team: Los Angeles Clippers)

JaVale McGee, center (2021-22 team: Phoenix Suns)

Jevon Carter, shooting guard (2021-22 teams: Brooklyn Nets/Milwaukee Bucks)

Joe Ingles, small forward (2021-22 teams: Utah Jazz/Portland Trail Blazers)

Juan Tuscano-Anderson, small/power forward (2021-22 team: Golden State Warriors)

Kent Bazemore, shooting guard (2021-22 team: Los Angeles Lakers)

Kevon Looney, center (2021-22 team: Golden State Warriors)

Kyle Anderson, small/power forward (2021-22 team: Memphis Grizzlies)

LaMarcus Alridge, power forward (2021-22 team: Brooklyn Nets)

Lonnie Walker IV, shooting guard (2021-22 team: San Antonio Spurs)

Marvin Bagley Jr., power forward (2021-22 teams: Sacramento Kings/Detroit Pistons)

Mitchell Robinson, center (2021-22 team: New York Knicks)

Mo Bamba, center (2021-22 team: Orlando Magic)

Montrezl Harrell, power forward/center (2021-22 teams: Washington Wizards/Charlotte Hornets)

Nemanja Bjelica, small/power forward (2021-22 team: Golden State Warriors)

Nicolas Batum, small/power forward (2021-22 team: Los Angeles Clippers)

Nicolas Claxton, center (2021-22 team: Brooklyn Nets)

Otto Porter Jr., small forward (2021-22 team: Golden State Warriors)

Patty Mills, shooting guard (2021-22 team: Brooklyn Nets)

Ricky Rubio, point guard (2021-22 teams: Cleveland Cavaliers/Indiana Pacers)

Serge Ibaka, power forward/center (2021-22 teams: Los Angeles Clippers/Milwaukee Bucks)

T.J. Warren, small/power forward (2021-22 team: Indiana Pacers)

Thaddeus Young, power forward (2021-22 teams: San Antonio Spurs/Toronto Raptors)

Tristan Thompson, power forward (2021-22 teams: Sacramento Kings/Chicago Bulls)

Tyus Jones, point guard (2021-22 team: Memphis Grizzlies)

Victor Oladipo, shooting guard/small forward (2021-22 team: Miami Heat)

Wesley Matthews, shooting guard (2021-22 team: Milwaukee Bucks)

2022 NFL Position Rankings: Top 20 Kickers

()=2021 ranking

+=Unranked or not eligible in 2021 

20.(+) Matt Prater (Cardinals)

19.(+) Greg Joseph (Vikings)

18.(12) Cairo Santos (Bears)

17.(+) Zane Gonzalez (Panthers)

16.(15) Ryan Succop (Buccaneers)

15.(+) Jake Elliott (Eagles)

14.(10) Graham Gano (Giants)

13.(20) Joey Slye (Commanders)

12.(9) Greg Zuerlein (Jets)

11.(19) Dustin Hopkins (Chargers)

10.(14) Nick Folk (Patriots)

9.(+) Evan McPherson (Bengals)

8.(16) Robbie Gould (49ers)

7.(18) Tyler Bass (Bills)

6.(4) Younghoe Koo (Falcons)

5.(+) Matt Gay (Rams)

4.(13) Daniel Carlson (Raiders)

3.(6) Chris Boswell (Steelers)

2.(2) Harrison Butker (Chiefs)

1.(1) Justin Tucker (Ravens)

Steve Carell Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Steve Carell, whose latest project "Minions: The Rise of Gru" opens in theaters on Thursday. 

Steve Carell's Filmography Ranked:

24.The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (D+)

23.Evan Almighty (C)

22.Despicable Me (C)

21.Welcome to Marwen (C)

20.Wake Up, Ron Burgundy (C+)

19.Irresistible (B-)

18.Dan in Real Life (B-)

17.Dinner for Schmucks (B)

16.Cafe Society (B)

15.Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (B)

14.Date Night (B)

13.Bruce Almighty (B)

12.Battle of the Sexes (B)

11.Foxcatcher (B)

10.The Way, Way Back (B)

9.Last Flag Flying (B)

8.Get Smart (B+)

7.Little Miss Sunshine (B+)

6.Crazy, Stupid, Love (B+)

5.Vice (A-)

4.Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (A-)

3.The Big Short (A-)

2.Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (A+)

1.The 40-Year-Old Virgin (A+)

Top Dog: The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Top form Judd Apatow is such a powerful cinematic force. Backed by an extraordinary cast (Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Romany Malco, Jane Lynch, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann) who was largely unknown or underappreciated prior to this project, Apatow made a hilarious juvenile sex comedy that slowly and organically blossoms into a really heartfelt adult love story. This transition would be unthinkable for most filmmakers, but Apatow's unmatched understanding of grown men acting like childish fucking idiots and mature, loving romantic relationships make this daunting, unexpected transition look downright effortless.   

Bottom Feeder: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

It's always disheartening to see talent go to waste on screen and the now long forgotten The Incredible Burt Wonderstone tossed an impressive collection of luxury items into the dumpster without a care in the world. Carell, Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde, James Gandolfini and Alan Arkin all helplessly flounder around in this nearly completely laugh-free dud that struggles to mine quality jokes out of the inherently ridiculous world of Las Vegas magicians.   

Most Underrated: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)

Is Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues on the level of the original? No and personally, I think expecting it to be is unfair. As far as I'm concerned, Anchorman is a singular work of comic genius that couldn't be replicated under any circumstance. However, what Anchorman 2 does do is deliver the best follow-up possible. The returning cast (Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Carell, David Koecher, Fred Willard) slips back into their roles seamlessly and the new additions (Kristen Wiig, James Marsden, Megan Good) easily carve out their spots in the ensemble, the absurd humor is delivered with panache and energy and the volume of great scenes/quotable lines sprinkled throughout this long-awaited reunion affair is high enough to ensure that there's still plenty of big laughs to be had.      

Most Overrated: Despicable Me (2010)

A single Despicable Me/Minions movie was more than enough for me. While it's relatively inoffensive on the whole, there wasn't a strong enough comical or emotional hook present for me to feel compelled to spend any additional time with Gru, the Minions and the rest of the gang. 

Comedy That I Remember Very Fondly, but Have No Idea How Well It Holds Up: Get Smart (2008)

Get Smart was a movie that I had lot fun with when I saw it in theaters back in the summer of 2008. I even excitedly purchased a DVD copy of it for stupid cheap ($2-3) at a Newbury Comics a few years later. Like most films that I saw as a teenager/young adult, but haven't rewatched since, I'm not overly confident that I'd be as high on Get Smart if i watched it today. Comedy has a tendency to age worse than any other genre and it's not exactly being championed or even brought up much currently (its current IMDB score is 6.5 and the reviews it received during its initial release were mixed). Maybe I'll have to break out that DVD in the near future and get some clarity on this Get Smart take.