Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is out now, folks, and that means it’s time to take a look back on James Gunn’s epic series and see the Guardians of the Galaxy movies ranked from worst to best (although they were all pretty darn good to great).
Saying goodbye to this motley crew was rough. Their Marvel Cinematic Universe journey wasn’t always the smoothest, but each Guardians entry gave us a lot of action-packed quirky fun. If this is our last hurrah with this incredible team, they can head off into the sunset, knowing they made a lot of people happy over the years. Job well done, Gunn.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
I can’t believe six years have passed since our last solo Guardians adventure. We got plenty of action from the crew in Infinity War, Endgame, and the opening scenes of Thor: Love and Thunder, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen them interact on the big screen without side characters overshadowing the fun.
In 2017, these guys were still a big deal after the surprising box-office success of the 2014 original. Chris Pratt was a star on the rise, having appeared in Jurassic World and lent his voice to The Lego Movie, and Gunn’s brand of outlandish comedy was fresh. The long-awaited sequel packs a lot into its 2-hour and 17-minute run time and works more often than it fails, but an uneven tone and an overemphasis on humor keep this chapter from achieving the same heights as its predecessor.
Even so, Vol. 2 has a lot going for it. Kurt Russell rocks as Ego, Star-Lord’s villainous father, Baby Groot is adorable, and the furious dynamic between Gamora and Nebula remains fascinating. While the endless gags grow wearisome, those that hit — “I’m Mary Poppins, y’all!” — hit hard. Throw in Peter and Yondu’s father/son relationship, and you have a solid, albeit not relatively as fresh, Guardians adventure, which puts it at the end of our list of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies ranked.
3. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
The original Guardians ranks among the upper tier of MCU movies for me, at least until that goofy dance-off bit takes the wackiness one step too far. Until that point, Gunn’s vision is as bold and ambitious as anything in the Marvel universe, both in action and laughs. Pratt is perfectly cast as Star-Lord/Peter Quill. At the same time, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel are endlessly watchable, capturing the perfect amount of charm and kick-ass fury.
Moreover, if memory serves, this was the first MCU film that explored Thanos and set up the Infinity Saga, and also the chapter that broke from the established Marvel style and gave us something different. Throw in a fantastic soundtrack, some genuinely remarkable action sequences, eye-popping special effects, and an abundance of heart, and you have one helluva good time. Guardians of the Galaxy is a fun, exhilarating piece of pop entertainment.
2. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022)
Maybe it was the long wait between films, or perhaps the MCU’s diminishing quality lowered my expectations … for whatever reason, I love the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Packed with heart — are you noticing a trend here? — and Gunn’s irreverent humor, this splashy Christmas adventure gets bonus points for including the great Kevin Bacon (as himself), poking fun at the Star Wars Holiday Special, and making great use of Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff.
Sure, it’s little more than a breezy, standalone 45-minute chapter, but The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is also the best thing to come from Marvel in a long time. As such, it feels like a refreshing breath of fresh air.
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a rip-roaring, relentlessly entertaining spectacle. It’s the first recent Marvel entry I’ve wanted to see again on the big screen, and that’s really saying something.
To start, Vol. 3 feels like it was made by a competent director who knows his way around action and computer effects. While Gunn’s creative camerawork can occasionally grow dizzying, particularly during some of the action beats, he’s savvy enough to blend the various elements to work in unison — unlike Ant-Man, which is just Green Screen, the movie. Gunn also writes his characters well and gives each of them — and there are a lot of characters in this one — a satisfying arc, which raises the stakes in the third act. It doesn’t always work (Adam Warlock, for example), and Gunn occasionally stumbles in his bid to balance goofy comedy with heavy drama, but Vol. 3 feels like a complete picture. This joyous standalone adventure gives us one last sojourn with our goofy pals and hits hard despite its tonal inconsistencies.
Peter, Gamora, Rocket, Nebula, Mantis, Drax, and Groot return to battle the evil High Evolutionary (brilliantly played by Chukwudi Iwuji), a maniacal scientist hell-bent on creating a Utopian society. The main plot revolves around our heroes trying to save Rocket from certain death. Still, this is mostly a multi-character study that explores how past deeds/mistakes deeply affected (and united) our crew and the paths they must take to overcome their demons.
There’s action and spectacle, but Gunn tucks the wild shenanigans in a warm blanket of loving nostalgia. You see how much he loves these characters by how he wraps up their journey. Vol. 3 is spectacular fun that restores my faith in Marvel, at least for now. That’s why it tops our list of the best Guardians of the Galaxy movies ranked.
