Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

The Guardians are back. Bigger, badder, crazier and funnier than ever. However, how does this one size up the original? A film that surprised filmgoers everywhere and took the Marvel empire by storm as an August sleeper hit, three years ago. You can only capture that sense of discovery once, I suppose, but does that really matter in the end? Isn't the whole idea of this franchise to be a goofy, popcorn action flick that gives you more bang for your buck than most multiplexes serve up in a month? Guardians Vol. 2 does that in spades. It's unbelievable fun.

All the returning characters have a real sense of longevity as to how likable and hilarious they all are. Like a family reunion, you're amazed by how much you missed them and how much they've grown. The story may seem choppy, but you're having too much fun to notice. The non-stop action made me cackle with glee. The jokes are timed perfectly. The emotional aspect of the dramatic scenes hit you out of nowhere, and surprisingly, moved me even more than the opening scene in the first one.

Let's not forget all the little things that tie the whole thing together. Like the adorable Baby Groot's kiddy antics, cameos by Marvel legends and another blast from the past from Peter's mixtape. Chances are, if you're a millennial, you've never heard of the songs featured here. Let this be the eye opening moment, where you realize that today's music is total garbage.