Elizabeth Banks Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Elizabeth Banks-whose latest project "Call Jane" releases in theaters tonight. 

Elizabeth Banks' Filmography Ranked:

32.Swept Away (F)

31.Movie 43 (D)

30.Brightburn (C-)

29.Meet Dave (C)

28.Love & Mercy (C)

27.Spider-Man 3 (C+)

26.Pitch Perfect 3 (B-)

25.Definitely, Maybe (B-)

24.The Happytime Murders (B)

23.Charlie's Angels (B)

22.People Like Us (B)

21.Our Idiot Brother (B)

20.Man on a Ledge (B)

19.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 (B)

18.The Hunger Games (B)

17.Invincible (B)

16.The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (B)

15.The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (B)

14.Magic Mike XXL (B)

13.Pitch Perfect (B)

12.Slither (B)

11.Power Rangers (B+)

10.Pitch Perfect 2 (B+)

9.Spider-Man (B+)

8.Role Models (B+)

7.Catch Me If You Can (B+)

6.The Lego Movie (B+)

5.Zach and Miri Make a Porno (A)

4.The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (A)

3.Spider-Man 2 (A)

2.Wet Hot American Summer (A)

1.The 40-Year-Old Virgin (A+)

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

The 40-Year-Old-Virgin is a movie that has everything. Veteran comedy writer Judd Apatow making his directorial debut! Steve Carrell in his 1st leading movie role! Paul Rudd before the world grew to love him! Young Seth Rogen holding his own with comedy heavyweights! A winning mix of raunchy sex comedy and sweet, heartfelt romance! Drunk Leslie Mann violently demanding French toast! The single funniest Michael McDonald joke ever told! It's simply perfection and I'm pretty confident that I'll always feel that way.     

Bottom Feeder: Swept Away (2002)

Somebody should've stepped in and prevented Madonna and then-husband Guy Ritchie from making Swept Away. Not only is Ritchie asleep at the wheel as a director (the lack of urgency or energy in this film is alarming) and Madonna unbelievably awful in the lead role, but its central love story is built on a foundation of abuse and predatory behavior-which adds a nice layer of moral decay to this overwhelmingly inept "romantic" dramedy.  

Most Underrated: Zach and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Kevin Smith's last great comedy* occupies a similar space as The 40-Year-Old Virgin as it combines silly, vulgar sex comedy with a shockingly sweet romantic undercurrent. The biggest difference between the two is that Seth Rogen and Banks have a nuanced, deeply felt chemistry that makes their transition from longtime friends to love interest effortlessly convincing. I'd also be remiss if I didn't give Craig Robinson's scene-stealing supporting performance as Rogen's best friend/co-worker and Tyler Labine's all-time great single scene performance as a drunk, oblivious Pittsburgh Steelers fan who accidentally walks onto the set of the titular porno shoot their proper due. 

*I haven't seen Clerks III yet 

Most Overrated: Love & Mercy (2016)

While it's an undeniably unique take on the music biopic that is driven by thoughtful, sensitive performances from both John Cusack and Paul Dano as Beach Boys frontman Brian Wilson, some sluggish pacing and flat direction from Bill Pohlad prevent Love & Mercy from hitting the raw emotional targets its aiming for.    

A Completely Fine Movie That I Feel Deserves Some Nice Things Said About It: Charlie's Angels (2019)

The 2019 reboot of Charlie's Angels is a pretty entertaining, completely competent action movie. The titular Angels (Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Ballinska) have a good rapport that only gets stronger as their characters get to know each other better as the movie progresses, the fight scenes are well-choreographed and Banks' direction is energetic enough to match the lighthearted tone of the material. 

Best Pre-Superhero Savant James Gunn Movie: Slither (2006)

Well before James Gunn became the 1st filmmaker to make great movies for both major superhero brands, he was Lloyd Kaufman's understudy at the iconic grindhouse studio Troma and a screenwriter-for-hire that bounced around the major studio circuit in the early 2000's- with notable credits that include Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake and both live action Scooby-Doo movies. After Dawn of the Dead became a huge hit for Universal in 2004, the studio gave him his 1st opportunity to direct with Slither. By combining elements of the body horror, zombie and alien invasion genres with his now-signature irreverent sense of humor, Gunn made Slither a uniquely fun B-movie smorgasbord that is equally funny, gross and thrilling.