The Marvelous Marvel Rewatch (Now Playing: Avengers: Infinity War)

[Veknoid_Outcast]

That went up a little in my estimation.

Guardians is solid all around: acting, characterization, music, sound design, art direction, cinematography. The best parts, though, are the soundtrack -- which meshes perfectly with Gunn's subversive, funky screenplay -- the chemistry among the five leads, and the jokes. Along with The Avengers and Spider-Man: Homecoming, this is the funniest MCU movie.

Yet it's also surprisingly sweet and, sometimes, sad. Friendships are formed along the way, and familial fissures revealed. "We're all losers," says anti-hero Peter Quill toward the end of the film, meaning it literally. Peter lost his mother and his home world. Gamora and Drax, their families. Rocket, a chance at a normal life. Groot...well, four out of five ain't bad.

The thing I appreciated most about Guardians on this rewatch (particularly with the specter of GotG2 hanging over it) is how efficient the storytelling is. In Guardians, the heroes grow while, at the same time, advancing the plot. It happens simultaneously. In GotG 2, the plot stops in its tracks to develop its characters.

Some minor cons: the villains are uninspired, and the connections to the larger MCU tiresome. I wonder if Guardians would have been even better and more nimble had it not been attached to the whole Infinity Stones saga.

Score: 7/10

Updated rankings:

GREAT
1) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2) Iron Man

GOOD
3) Guardians of the Galaxy
4) The Avengers
5) Iron Man 3

DECENT
6) Black Panther
7) Captain America
8) The Incredible Hulk

MEDIOCRE
9) Iron Man 2

POOR
10) Thor
11) Thor: The Dark World