James Mangoldis one of the best directors working in Hollywood. But, his filmography isn’tjustlittered with winners. However, he’s one of the few directors who has yet to release a film that’s outright turned audiences off. Worst case scenario the film’s fun, forgettable fluff. From romantic comedies and hospital-set dramas (with lighthearted moments strewn about) to racing biopics and two of Wolverine’s solo X-adventures, Mangold’s done it all. And, more often than not, audience’s end up being thankful he was chosen as the captain of the cinematic ship.
12Kate & Leopold (2001)
WhileKate & Leopoldis many Mangold fans' pick for his weakest film, it does have its charms. After all, any movie that has a supporting performance from Natasha Lyonne is not without charm.
Furthermore, this is a film that helped further expose U.S. audiences to Hugh Jackman’s talent (wonderful as a man out of his time). Unfortunately, there’s not a ton of chemistry between himself and Meg Ryan, though he does share a few solid scenes with futureX-Men Origins: Wolverineco-star Liev Schreiber. All in all, there’s nothing particularly wrong withKate & Leopold, but only a select few are going to remember a thing that happened in it once the credits roll.Sleepless in Seattleit is not.
11Knight and Day (2010)
IfKate & Leopoldisn’t Mangold’s weakest film, his other romantic comedy,Knight and Day, is. Even with almost-solid chemistry between Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, it’s a film that will dissipate from audience memory not long after the credits roll.
There are some decent action sequences, but when neither lead character is interesting, the audience won’t care. Not to mention, the way Diaz’s character is written is irritating (and insulting to her range) at best. She’s given absolutely nothing to do besides clumsily fumble around and make action sequences even more deadly for Cruise’s character. Naturally the film tries to give her some more agency in the third act but it rings as totally hollow and a substantial juxtaposition to what’s come before.
10Girl, Interrupted (1999)
With iconic performances from Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie, and the late Brittany Murphy, one would rationally expectGirl, Interruptedto be a much more effective film than it actually is. And, to be fair, it does try to tackle unchecked mental health scares with tact and empathy, but it ends up reading as a movie of the week instead of something one would shell $10 bucks out to see on the big screen.
But for such an early entry in Mangold’s filmography, it’s an impressive one. Nothing about the 1993 memoir is easy to adapt, and while there are plenty of little flourishes that get left by the wayside, the most impactful elements of the novel are translated. Unfortunately, they’re translated in a fairly melodramatic manner, which is more a fault of the script than it is the performers.
9Cop Land (1997)
When people think of Sylvester Stallone they pretty swiftly and naturally settle on ‘Action Star.’ But, with films likeRocky, his monologue inFirst Blood, andCop Land, he' perpetually peppered in excellent layered performances alongside less-so ones like Marion Cobretti inCobra.
Cop Landis Mangold’s most star-studded film, and while only half the big names really get a chance to shine, it’s an impressive cast nonetheless. Save for Stallone,Cop Landis Ray Liotta’s movie. As burnt out but honorable when it counts cop Gary Figgis, the late Liotta is allowed to turn what could have been a bit of a cookie cutter character into a flesh and blood human being. Furthermore, Harvey Keitel shines as a subtly vicious and cold-hearted Lieutenant who covers up more secrets than he digs up.
8Heavy (1995)
As feature film debuts go,Heavyis pretty standard indie drama stuff. But, it does give Liv Tyler one of the meatier roles of her career and, considering she’s been underrated since moment one, that’s nowhere near a bad thing.
The wonderful Pruitt Taylor Vince plays a cook who wouldn’t be deemed attractive by societal standards. This becomes even more apparent to him once a beautiful college drop-out enters the picture, taking up a waitress position at the cook’s mother’s restaurant. It’s an emotional tale, one about acceptance of others, oneself, and one’s own lot in life.
7Identity (2003)
Mangold’s most underrated movie, the star-studdedIdentityis a claustrophobic chiller with a neat twist. And, speaking of the twist, any film that gives Pruitt Taylor Vince an integral role is a film that’s doing life right.
Identityoften verges on rote slasher territory, but it quickly rebounds with something intelligent. Not to mention, even if it were a rote slasher, who better to play the potential victims than John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, the great John Hawkes (unfortunately underutilized here), and Clea DuVall? Not to mention, Mangold and his crew do a phenomenal job of setting uncertain ambiance, and that was extra critical for a narrative where absolutely no one is who they seem.
6Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destinyreceived a more mixed than expected critical reaction when it debuted at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, but most agree it’s a decent addition to the IP. The response has certainly been stronger than it was toIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but only in terms of fan response.
Theaudience simply wasn’t therefor the fifth and final installment, and it underperformed throughout its entire theatrical run. But, hopefully, it will find its deserved audience in time, because Mangold’s addition to the saga is fun more often than not and ends beautifully.
5The Wolverine (2013)
Anunderrated entry in Fox’sX-Mencanon,The Wolverinewas an impressive first foray into superhero cinema for Mangold. But, there are some third act problems. They’re not fatal, but they are present.
On the positive side, the film allows the title character some time to further the underdeveloped death of Jean Grey plot line fromX-Men: The Last Stand. But on the negative side all of this film’s emotional build-up just leads to a robot samurai battle. It’s a jarring shift in tone, but even then it’s still better than anything inX-Men Origins: Wolverine. Regardless, for a debut venture in the superhero subgenre,The Wolverineis impressive and heartfelt.
4Walk the Line (2005)
Featuring a pair of excellent performances from Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix,Walk the Linewas Mangold’s first film to draw significant Academy Award speculation and prognosticating. It felt like both a step forward and a step up for Mangold, as if he were just hitting his stride.
The film is accessible even to those who are not Johnny Cash fans. But, like any biopic, it’s going to hit extra hard for his devotees. And, considering Cash has a ton of devotees, it was important for Mangold’s film to get characters and history right. He did.
33:10 to Yuma (2007)
Frankly, there’s a darn good argument to make that3:10 to Yumais one of the best remakes ever made. It captures the live-hard spirit of the original and even manages to up the tension and further flesh out characters every now and then.
But, the biggest reason the film is so terrific is the duo of lead performances. Russell Crowe is absolutely in his element as a villainous (but not all-the-way-through-rotten) outlaw while Christian Bale brings his standard gravitas to a pseudo-lawman being yanked in multiple directions. It’s a phenomenal film, Western or otherwise, and one of 2007’s absolute best.
