Review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) by Michael M — 02 Aug 2017

I love the first Guardians movie, it's one of my favorites from the MCU, and I actually think I like this one more. This is really how you do a proper sequel. You've already introduced all the characters, now you can play around with them. They know each other, their chemistry is set, and now they're off on an adventure. And this is a really fun adventure. Without getting too much into spoiler territory, Star-Lord's search for his dad and the ultimate reveal of who/what his dad is really worked for me. It's kind of silly, but never feels absurd. With each strange new detail, I wanted to know even more.

It's primarily Star-Lord's story with the other Guardians along for the ride, but they aren't pushed to the side. They have a role to play in this thing, and their family dynamic really works. All their personalities from the first movie are intact, but usually developed a bit. Namely Drax, who is much less dour, but this is not only more fun but fits with his character now having a family of sorts. The only major change is Groot, but Baby Groot is so adorable and so much fun it just works. Even some characters who didn't get much attention from the first movie now get major arcs. Yondu now has one of the most heart-wrenching story arcs in the whole movie. The evolution of these characters from the first one to this one adds a lot of heart and depth to the whole thing.

The action is also some of the best of any of the MCU films. The opening scene really sets the tone for the whole thing. Baby Groot is dancing to Star-Lord's Awesome Mix while the team is fighting a giant tentacle monster in the background. The fight itself is mostly shown in the background, with the focus decidedly on Groot. That's the attitude of a lot of the action scenes. James Gunn seems to know that there's not much in the realm of sci-fi action for him to show us that we haven't already seen, so he twists it in some way or shows it from a different perspective that gives it a fresh and entertaining perspective. Oh and did I mention the movie is hilarious? Do I even need to mention that the movie is hilarious?

What more do I need to say? I loved this movie. It's a great sequel, and a great film on its own. Once it was over I wanted to watch it all over again. It's just a ton of fun. A great adventure with a great batch of characters with great chemistry. A summer blockbuster in its purest form, Guardians 2 is just great.