4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the sequel to the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie that premiered in 2014. The sequel was released three years later. While not quite as good as the first movie, it’s still an excellent addition to the MCU and moves the overall MCU story forward that culminated in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. It’s part of Phase Three of the MCU.
In the film, Peter Quill/Star-Lord learns the identity of his father, Ego (Russell Crowe), which explains part of Peter’s backstory and why he was able to hold the Infinity Stone without it killing him. At first, things seem good, but then, we learn that Ego’s plan, which goes back ages, requires Peter’s help to activate Ego’s extensions of himself on thousands of planets. Peter doesn’t want to help his father, and the Guardians band together to stop Ego.
Overall, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 just doesn’t match the energy and story of the first film. It felt fresh, new, and featured a dynamite soundtrack. While the soundtrack is still awesome in Vol. 2, the story feels a little stale in Vol. 2. I still enjoyed the movie a lot, though!
It will be interesting to see if James Gunn can capture that vibe in the third movie. We’ll find out soon!