Chadwick Boseman Ranked

In this special edition of "Ranked", I pay tribute to the work and legacy of the brilliant Chadwick Boseman. 

Chadwick Boseman's Filmography Ranked:

11.Message from the King (D-)

10.21 Bridges (C)

9.Gods of Egypt (B-)

8.Da 5 Bloods (B)

7.Captain America: Civil War (B)

6.42 (B+)

5.Get on Up (B+)

4.Avengers: Endgame (A-)

3.Draft Day (A)

2.Avengers: Infinity War (A)

1.Black Panther (A)

Top Dog: Black Panther (2018)

As incredible as Black Panther is as a movie, its cultural impact has been far greater.  The superhero genre had never produced a live action film that featured a majority black cast or had a black protagonist that wasn't strictly for an adult audience (Blade series, Catwoman, Steel), let alone one that happened to be centered around the king of an African nation. Having a superhero in the biggest film franchise on the planet be black meant so much to people of all ages who had never seen somebody that looked liked them be the star of the show, and the joy and inspiration that stemmed from that moment will be bound to everyone that was associated with this project for the rest of time.

Low Light: Message from the King (2017)

This revenge thriller got quietly dumped on Netflix here in the States in August 2017 and rightfully so, it's an unbelievably incompetent film that deserves to rot in the darkest corner of a streaming service's back catalog. Message from the King somehow lured the likes of Boseman, Luke Evans, Alfred Molina and Teresa Palmer to star in a needlessly convoluted take on a traditionally very simple genre that favors dull monologues and bizarre narrative detours over brutal action sequences and tight storytelling.     

Most Underrated: Draft Day (2014)

Draft Day is essentially Field of Dreams or The Natural without the magical fantasy elements. It's a remarkably corny melodrama that paints a thoroughly unrealistic picture of the NFL Draft process where a team can reacquire the 1st round draft picks they got coerced into trading earlier in the day for pennies on the dollar, Rodger Goodell is greeted lovingly by fans when he approaches the podium and the masses gather to celebrate another successful draft for the Cleveland Browns. Despite being a shameless fairy tale, it also happens to be a thoroughly engrossing, well-acted and utterly god damn delightful movie that serves as a much-needed reminder of how great sappy sports movies can be.   

Most Overrated: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Captain America: Civil War did a lot right. The introductions to new characters  (Black Panther, Tom Holland's Spider-Man) were perfect teasers for their future solo projects, the airport fight remains the gold standard for Marvel action scenes and having a film with a storyline that goes to some pretty bleak places was a nice change of pace for the almost always goofy MCU. However, the weak villain (Daniel Bruhl) responsible for the titular title conflict among the Avengers, clunky pacing and refusal to fully commit to the dark tone it teases prevents it from reaching the tremendous potential it had.

Most Memorable Performance: Get on Up (2014)

Where his great turn as Jackie Robinson in 42 teased that he was a rising actor to watch, his work as James Brown in Get on Up showed off the full scope of his talent. By bringing everything from his signature dance moves to his quietly abusive nature to the screen, Boseman was able to gave a raw, commanding performance that embodied the best and worst elements of the funk legend. The fact that he failed to receive any awards attention for this turn is both baffling and frustrating. 

Strongest Performance in a Movie That Probably Didn't Require Quality Acting: Gods of Egypt (2016)

To me,  the definition of a great actor is someone who not only elevates the quality of a project merely with their presence, but fully commits to every role-no matter how silly or serious it is. Boseman helped prove his excellence by showing up to play in the infamous fantasy action bomb Gods of Egypt. As Toth-the Egyptian God of Wisdom, Boseman brought charisma and a much-needed dose of purposeful overacting that tapped into a sense of self-aware silliness that this film needed more of.