Ranking the Movies Directed by Jon Favreau

With the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, I thought it would be fun to watch through all of the films directed by Jon Favreau. Jon Favreau has been essential to Disney for almost 20 years now. He was the man who directed the original Iron Man, which launched the MCU into what it is today. You may also know him as Happy Hogan in the MCU. He has also directed several Disney live-action remakes and has been involved in both the Mandalorian TV show and movie. He has also made a few films outside of the IP space, so it was fun to see that side of his filmmaking as well.

10. Cowboys and Aliens

Cowboys and Aliens is another that was quite disappointing given its potential. If someone were to tell me that there was a movie where James Bond and Han Solo were cowboys fighting a bunch of aliens, I would think that would be an awesome movie. Sadly, this movie is not that. I am always up for a good cowboy movie, but this movie is just kind of boring. There isn't very much cowboy stuff, nor enough with the aliens. I also felt that Harrison Ford was a bit underutilized. While I am a bit negative, there is still some fun to be had with this movie. There is a sense of novelty to seeing a bunch of famous actors, Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Walton Goggins, and Clancy Brown, running around as cowboys. It also gives a little bit of that classic Western feel, just not as much as I would like. In the end, this is a watchable, just very disappointing film that should have done more considering its cast and premise.

Score: 5.5/10 Grade: C

9. Zathura: A Space Adventure

Zathura is one of Jon Favreau's pre-MCU films, but it is also his weakest. This movie is a bit of a sibling to the Jumanji movies, as it follows two brothers who find an old board game that transports them into space until they finish. The premise seems pretty interesting, and the whole space setting is pretty fun. The movie also features a young Josh Hutchinson and Kristen Stewart which is kind of fun. This is also an entirely watchable family movie. However, the execution is not great. The storytelling is extremely clunky. The movie flows with the kids taking a turn on the game, then something happens, then they take another turn, and then movie stuff happens. This goes on and on until the movie ends. There isn't really a strong through line to the story. The movie also kind of wasted its premise. They have all the space to work with, yet the whole movie consists of the character being trapped in the house, making everything seem smaller-scale than it should be. Overall, this had a great premise on paper, but didn't really pan out with the execution.

Score:6/10 Grade: C+

8. Iron Man 2

Jon Favreau's second MCU film is unfortunately one of his weaker ones. That being said, the film is not all bad. Some of the story elements are compelling, and the end action sequence is good. We get an introduction to Black Widow with some fun moments with Scarlet Johansson. The movie also gives Rhodey some solid moments and allows him to take up the War Machine mantle. The main issue with Iron Man 2 is that it was a victim of having too many storylines while also trying to set up The Avengers. The movie tries to balance Iron Man's drinking problem, his coping with death, the government trying to take away his suits, introducing Black Widow and Nick Fury, as well as trying to develop Tony's relationship with his dad. While it has so much involved in the story, the story itself is quite unexciting, with only about 15 minutes of Iron Man action. The villain is also entirely forgettable. It just needed to take a step back and not try to tackle too much. The movie also only had a 2-year turnaround, which did not give production much time to make a quality film. In the end, this movie is an example of early MCU growing pains as it tries to set up a larger universe.

Grade: B- Score: 6.5/10

7. The Lion King

The Lion King is technically still an animated movie, but it makes the animals look real, so it still falls into the live-action remake category. The movie does a great job of capturing the fun of the original story. It is great to see one of my favorite Disney stories retold as live-action. Of course, the songs and characters are still a lot of fun. It is enjoyable to see some famous actors voice iconic characters. Finally, the visuals of this film are very well done. All of the animals look so real, and all of the scenery and CGI look really good. It is crazy to think that the animals in this film are still all just CGI. However, this movie does have some struggles that keep it from being higher. The biggest issue is that because the animals look so real, they are unable to show any emotion. Real animals can't show facial expressions like the ones in the cartoon can, so that causes the story to ring a bit hollow. The movie also doesn't add a whole lot new to the story and just remakes the original shot-for-shot. Overall, while this does capture some of the charm of the original, it feels more like a cover of your favorite song. Not as good but still enjoyable.

Grade: B- Score: 6.5/10

6. The Mandalorian and Grogu

The Mandalorian and Grogu is the newest Star Wars movie and a Jon Favreau film. I thought that this was a perfectly passable Star Wars movie. It doesn't do anything terrible and upset people, but it doesn't do anything to go big or stand out either. This is just another classic adventure with Mando and Grogu in the same vein as the TV show. We get to see more development of the father-son relationship between Mando and Grogu. Of course, Grogu steals every scene he is in and is just so adorable. The movie also gives him a few moments on his own, with Mando coaching him. The movie also expands on the criminal underworld of Star Wars, giving us more knowledge of the Hutts as well as showing us what a buff Jabba the Hutt would look like. However, what holds this movie back is that it just isn't big enough to be a film. The entire time I was watching this, I kept asking why this wasn't just the 4th season of the show. It was originally supposed to be the 4th season of the show, and you can feel that at times, but the movie just lacks the scope and scale that justifies making the jump from TV to movie. In the end, while this is a perfectly fine Star Wars story, it doesn't justify being a movie instead of just a new season of The Mandalorian.

Grade: B Score: 7/10

5. Made

Made is Jon Favreau's first film and is a solid indie movie. The movie follows two friends, played by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, as they get in over their heads in a low-level money-laundering scheme. The dynamic between Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau is a lot of fun as you see the two characters constantly bickering. You get Bobby, who is super serious and just wants to finish the job and make money, and Ricky, who just impulsively talks and gets them into trouble. It is just a fun dynamic and reminds me a bit of Reservoir Dogs. This was the beginning of Vince Vaughn's motor-mouth comedy, which he would go on to be known for in later movies. What keeps this movie down is that, while the main characters are a lot of fun, it lacks any substance, as it doesn't move towards any significant character development. I also found Vince Vaughn's character quite annoying at times, as he is constantly talking. In the end, this was a solid directorial start that highlights strong characters while lacking compelling writing.

Grade: B Score: 7/10

4. The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book is actually the rare Disney remake to improve upon the original. The original film is a very episodic story that is held together by a very thin plot just to move the characters from one song to the next. This movie makes the plot a more cohesive story with a strong central goal in place. The actual story feels more central here than just trying to get from song to song. The movie also gives Mowgli more of an arc and ends his story in a more natural place. Mowgli actually manages to grow as a person and gets more of a hero's story. While there are still animated animals that can't emote, what makes this story work is that we actually get a human to follow and connect with. Mowgli is very much the lead of the story, and having him there gives the audience someone to connect with. Finally, the visuals of this movie look so good. The animals look so real, and it really looks like they are actually in a jungle. My only issue is that the songs in this movie weren't as good. While most of them are still there, they don't have the charm or energy of the original film. In the end, this is a great remake that actually builds on the characters as well as makes for a better movie than the original.

Grade: B+ Score: 8/10

3. Chef

Chef is Jon Favreau's last non-IP film and one of his better films. The film follows a struggling chef and father who journeys to Miami with his son and opens up a food truck. This was a very sweet story about cooking and fatherhood. I liked how Carl has to work through his flaws as he grows into a better Chef and father. The moments between Carl and his son are pretty sweet as they grow to understand each other more, and Carl learns to be less selfish. This movie does a great job of blending ideas about fatherhood with the rediscovery of your passions. The dynamic between these two and Martin is also a lot of fun. The movie reminds me a bit of The Bear with its cooking aspects and main character trying to reignite their passion for cooking. It also does a great job of adding a road trip movie aspect to this. I also just like that this is an original story in a world full of IP and franchises. The food in this movie also looked really good. It made me hungry for a Cuban sandwich. The main thing keeping this below the others on this list is that it just doesn't have that staying power that the others do. But when you are going against Elf and Iron Man, it is hard to compete. Overall, this is a great story about cooking and fatherhood and shows that Jon Favreau can be great at non-IP films.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

2. Elf

Elf is one of those Christmas movies I could watch multiple times a year and not get tired of it. This film is just so hilarious, having so many moments that make me laugh out loud, even to the point where I laugh at them before they happen. Will Ferrell just kills it in the role. His over-the-top performance is just so funny, and his physical comedy just kills me.  His performance in this movie cements Buddy the Elf as an iconic Christmas character and an iconic Will Ferrell character. The joy Buddy brings is just so infectious, not only to the other characters in the movie but also to the audiences at home. This movie is also just a really strong feel-good movie with so many heartwarming moments throughout the entire film. In the end, this film is just so hilarious and really takes its place as a modern Christmas classic.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

1. Iron Man

The original MCU film is still one of the best films by Jon Favreau. Iron Man is a fantastic film that kick-started a juggernaut franchise. Robert Downey Jr. was born to play this role and brought a superhero that hardly anyone has heard of to a big-name character that everyone knows. The movie can balance humor and action very well. It shows that comic book movies can be both exciting and well-made, as well as a lot of fun. The journey Tony takes throughout the film is also really well done and has aspects that carry over throughout the MCU into Avengers: Endgame. This movie is also great because of how simple it is. This was before the MCU was the huge franchise that it is now, so Jon Favreau and the studio were not as concerned about trying to set up a big universe. They just wanted to make a good movie. This is just such a great film, without which we would not have

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-