Starz has developed one of the best streaming experiences for getting to the movies and television shows you crave. So good, in fact, that they just moved their original programming to Sunday night to compete with HBO and Showtime. Competition is good, streamers – it means great shows and awesome movies and you are the benefactor of all of it!
Starz has worked to bulk up their movie catalog too and features some of the best action flicks we’ve seen in a long time. You know what I’m talking about – movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Now, on May 24, Netflix announced that they earned the exclusive streaming rights to Disney and its subsidiaries (LucasFilm, Pixar, and yes, Marvel), but that only applies to movies moving forward. That means that every Marvel movie before this summer’s blockbuster Captain America: Civil War is already available with your Starz subscription! Sick!
So here’s a few of our recommendations. They’re all incredible movies, but we went ahead and ranked them for you, juuuuust in case you care about what we think.
4 Ant-Man
“Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.”
So says the official description and this one doesn’t disappoint. Despite the description, however, the world itself isn’t necessarily at stake in this flick, and that’s pretty refreshing after the type of damage the Avengers, Thor and Iron Man do. Paul Rudd (Scott Lang, aka. Ant-Man) and Michael Douglas (Dr. Hank Pym) give an amazing performance throughout as they attempt to stop Yellowjacket (played by Corey Stoll of FX’s The League fame).
Though it only makes four on our list, check this one out on Starz, as it plays an important part in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
3 Captain America
American as apple pie and the Fourth of July, Captain America is the very embodiment of liberty, freedom and the American way! And the movie doesn’t disappoint.In the first movie, we find Steve Rogers, a rejected military soldier transforming into The First Avenger after taking a dose of a “Super-Soldier serum”. He fights an evil terrorist organization and generally kicks tail throughout World War II, where the movie is set.
The second edition in the franchise, called Captain America: The Winter Soldier, is better than the first Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) teams up with other Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D to defeat…you guessed it, The Winter Soldier.
No more spoilers, go see the movies, available on Starz!
2 The Avengers
The first Avengers movies was nearly a decade in the making when it debuted in 2012. Marvel had begun the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008 with Iron Man, but the planning for the to-be 22 movies started way back in the mid-2000’s. Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Tony Stark as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson team up to defeat Loki and his army of aliens.
The movie was the first to garner $1 billion in ticket sales for Marvel and deservedly so. The ensemble cast made the characters come to life and Alan Sylvestri’s soundtrack brought the movie to life. Metacritic gave the film a very rare A+ rating and Rotten Tomatoes certified it fresh at 92%. Long story short, you should see it, and Starz has it.
1 Guardians of the Galaxy
It’s number one because it’s incredible – hands down. Peter Quill is Star Lord (played by Chris Pratt of Parks and Rec fame) and is hilarious as he and a group of intergalactic criminals are forced to work together to stop a fanatical warrior from taking control of the universe. This is number one because it is so well done – from soundtrack to cinematography to post-production – that if you don’t catch it on Starz you will feel bad about it. And you should.
It’s funny and it’s smart. Director James Gunn knows when to use CGI and computer generated models and when to make things real. The standout performance here is Rocket and Groot, a genetically modified raccoon and tree-type being respectively. Sarcastic and a little bit raunchy, these two – despite Groot only saying the word “groot” – make the movie fun and provide the comic relief.
Check it out on Starz today!
And there you go! Be sure to check out these movies on Starz – they’re all amazing. You can start a free trial of Starz TODAY. Subscribe to Starz via iTunes on your iOS devices or Apple TV.
