Marco: Worst To Best

Since its debut in 2005, the Marco franchise has become the most successful in the world of animation (both in terms of critical reception and box office) and it's no wonder this beloved franchise has become a worldwide phenomenon. With Joaquin & Emiliano: The Rise of Marco coming to theaters summer 2021, let's take a look back at the other Marco films, from the classic 2005 film to the modern spin-off, and rank them from worst (or in this case, lowest-rated) to best.

And the worst Marco movie is...

Marco 2 (2013)

Marco 2 is unfortunately the weakest of the Marco movies. It's not a shameless cashgrab like that year's atrocious Buzz and The Galaxians 2, but it's not as great as its predecessor either, it's just fine. Despite doing great at the box office, it was deemed by critics as inferior to the original. Now don't get me wrong, the animation, comedy, soundtrack (especially "Happy" and "Walkin' At The Museum") and almost everything else was amazing, but the film suffers from a kinda dumbed-down plot (Marco gets kidnapped and has to save a diamond from world domination, really?), unnecessary characters, and it also lacks the huge emotional depth of its predecessor. What could be worse? It's been 8 years since the original, and this...kinda failed? No way, this could've been done better.

Joaquin & Emiliano: The Movie (2018)

Oh yeah sure...when it comes to Marco, what's the first thing (besides Marco) that pops out of your mind? Joaquin & Emiliano. Yes, these semi-gibberish, wacky, candy-obsessed icons of Marcanese culture, and guess what? They even have their own movie. After the mediocre mess that was Los Beibis, A3D made this: a spin-off that...actually worked (and yes, we all knew this was gonna be a massive box office hit).The film puts its soul on its gut-busting comedy, but everything else (and the kids' silly but cute performance of "Sweet Caroline") is really worth it, this film also has heartwarming moments and a sweet message about parents & friendship. The only truly bad thing about this is Bryan (who's weaker as the main villain compared to Edgar). It's no cashgrab like Los Beibis, rather it's a nice and hilarious addition to your home video collection. Even though this lost to Ay, Dingo!: The Movie at the Academy Awards, I got bigger laughs from this one (sorry, Dingo).

Marco 4 (2017)

After the success of Josh Samuel 3, Actors 3D returned to the House of Marco to produce yet another Marco sequel: Marco 4. This film was...brilliant from start to finish. The animation is top-notch, the humor still works, there's more lovable characters, the action scenes are awesome...what else can I say? Everything about this sequel is great, and I really enjoyed it. Marco & his friends are still lovable, Edgar always steals the show, and Joaquin & Emiliano are still making me laugh. What's more stunning about this film is its addicting soundtrack (with songs like "Believer" and "Let The Good Times Roll"), its emotional depth and also "overcoming the bad things in life with the good things" and speaking of that...Ian (voiced by comedian David Spade) is probably the most entertaining character in this film, as he has catchphrases like "woohoo yeah!" and he's amusing, too. This film has lots of surprises, especially Aileene's return to the big screen after 12 years...and it's cute to see her lovely relationship with Marco. Trust me, this one's gonna get you at the edge of your seat and say "awww" throughout the film (just watch out for that scary mansion part)

Marco (2005)

The movie that started it all. It's still Actors 3D's best (with a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes) and remains one of the best animated movies of all time. The very photo-realistic animation still looks good (note: this was made in 2005), the characters are lovable (Marco & his friends are kind and sympathetic protagonists, Joaquin & Emiliano are very funny, Joe is an hilarious bad guy, etc.), the songs are catchy, the comedy's gold, the voice acting is superb (from Bill Hader, Will Smith, Robin Williams, etc.), the action scenes are fun...I can't say more of how fantastic this film is. It's not just a kids' film, it's a computer-animated masterpiece that's a must-see for all ages. Why? Because it's full of surprisingly remarkable humor & heart and has great morals like the importance of family and friends, never giving up, showing kindness to others, and the list goes on. For Actors 3D's first film (and also the first computer-animated film from Sony), it's definitely one you and your "buddies" would want to see again and again.

And now...the best Marco movie is...

Marco 3 (2015)

Oh, so you thought it was gonna be the first movie, eh? That one was great, but this threequel was really great. Marco 3 is the pure example of cinematic achievement, blending in lots of action, humor, and heart along the way. The action scenes were a huge blast, the humor's hysterically funny, and the emotional moments were so touching (both heartwarming and heartbreaking, too). The animation is top-notch (Houston looks fantastic in this film) and there are morals about following your dreams, the consequences of greed, and more. This also dealt with serious issues like the death of a loved one, homelessness, divorce, corporate greed, people with disablilties, religion, etc. The idea of Marco being an inventor is brilliant, his relationship with Marlene is very sweet, and the new characters are a great addition (most notably John and Erick). Not only that, but the ethnic diversity in this film is well represented, too (no stereotypes included). For both Sony and Universal, this Oscar-worthy film really did hit the mark.

So, that's my ranking of the Marco movies from worst to best, I hope you enjoyed it.

Which one of these did you like best?