Michelle Yeoh 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 Michelle Yeoh-whose latest project "Wicked" is in theaters now. 

Michelle Yeoh's Filmography Ranked:

17.Sunshine (D+)

16.Babylon A.D. (C-)

15.Minions: The Rise of Gru (C+)

14.Mechanic: Resurrection (C+)

13.Last Christmas (C+)

12.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 (C+)

11.Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (B-)

10.Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (B-)

9.A Haunting in Venice (B-)

8.Crazy Rich Asians (B-)

7.Tomorrow Never Dies (B-)

6.Kung Fu Panda 2 (B)

5.Gunpowder Milkshake (B)

4.Fearless (B)

3.Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (B)

2.Everything Everywhere All at Once (B+)

1.Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (A-)

Top Dog: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Excluding its awful standard issue CGI clusterfuck finale, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a triumph that ranks among the MCU's finest hours. The mix of traditional superhero origin story with Hong Kong martial arts influences and Chinese mythology is seamless and exciting, Tony Leung's The Mandarin is a commanding villain that boasts real emotional depth and the character development for Shang-Chi is easily the strongest of any post-Endgame MCU movie. Hopefully the previously announced sequel will actually materialize at some point over the next few years.            

Bottom Feeder: Sunshine (2007)

Sunshine is once again getting some pop in the terminally online cinephile community in the wake of Chris Evans'-who is a frequent target of said community given his inclination to prioritize money over quality in his role selection since hitting the big time with his role as Steve Rodgers/Captain America in the MCU-recent red carpet comments about the quality of the movies he's making not mattering to him. While I don't necessarily disagree with the premise that Evans has ventured into "sellout" territory over the past decade or so, I vehemently disagree with the take that Sunshine is an example of a shining moment in his career. I actually think the ensemble psychological sci-fi thriller that also stars Cillian Murphy, Rose Byrne, Cliff Curtis, Hiroyuki Sanada and Yeoh is a deeply silly snoozefest that is probably the worst Danny Boyle joint that I've seen (Note: The Boyle films I haven't seen are Yesterday, The Beach, Millions and A Life Less Ordinary).     

Most Underrated: Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

While not among the best noir-inspired assassin action flicks that have emerged in the wake of John Wick's success, Gunpowder Milkshake remains a fun little movie. The action sequences are full of quirky little choices that make them standout (Hammer fights! Karen Gillan fighting people in an office chair with paralyzed arms! A bowling alley setpiece that makes incredible use of its setting!), Michael Seresin's cinematography radiates a slick neon aura that matches the colorful grimy sheen that drives the film's criminal underworld, and it honors the rugged spirit of the genre by making great use of performers (Carla Gugino, Angela Bassett, Yeoh, Paul Giamatti, Ralph Ineson) whose gifts aren't always properly displayed in more "serious" projects.  

Most Overrated: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 (2017)

It does need to be noted that I haven't seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 in a long time and that the film could grow on me with a rewatch. But for now, I view it as a disjointed, overly melodramatic affair that only rarely conjures up the magic of the other two films in the trilogy.