Marvel Cinematic Universe: Ranking all 18 movies after Black Panther

Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios; poster for Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017)

6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Comic book movies aren’t subtle when in comes to their themes.  Yet because the way they convey those themes are obvious doesn’t necessarily make them hackneyed.  If those themes are consistent, they can actually elevate such a film into a work of art. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with its themes of family and father-son relationships, comes awfully close to being such as work of art.

As with the first Guardians of the Galaxy, the returning cast is excellent. In the case of Michael Rooker, who reprises his role as Yondu, he’s the movie’s most valuable performer. He also undergoes the film’s best character arc, although Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill comes in a very close second. Pom Klementieff makes a great addition as Mantis, and Kurt Russell couldn’t have been a better choice as Peter’s dad, the living planet, Ego. Well, except for David Hasselhoff, of course.

Just like the first Guardians of the Galaxy, writer-director James Gunn blends an ideal mix of action, comedy, and drama, along with its own unique style. The pacing during the second act, however, does get slow at times. And even though the subplots involving the Sovereign and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Nebula’s (Karen Gillan) continual sibling rivalry are essential, they also feel disconnected from everything else that’s happening.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 makes a great companion piece alongside the first “volume.” It also cements this rag-tag group of space adventurers as the top entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And if anyone claims they didn’t cry during the final moments of the movie, then they’re flat-out lying.