Following the success of 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel wasted no time putting together a follow-up. Ever since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was announced, the anticipation from fans has been building. Could the sequel live up to the fun and pure entertainment of the original? Or was the original an example of almost impossible to duplicate lightning in a bottle? Read on to find out as I present my spoiler free review of GOTG Vol. 2.
I loved GOTG way more than I thought I would. In fact, when I heard that Marvel was planning on making a Guardians movie, I predicted it would be their first major flop. I figured that the Guardians of the Galaxy were too unfamiliar to mainstream, movie going fans, so it would fail to draw in more than comic book fanboys. I was wrong. I think there were two major factors to the first film. First, the cast was incredible and they had wonderful chemistry. Second, James Gunn was the absolute right choice for director. The good news for GOTG Vol. 2, is that both the cast and the director are back. The result is another fun-filled, non-stop thrill ride well worth your time.
Synopsis
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 picks up a few years after the first film. Quill and company have become galactic heroes for hire. While finishing one of their jobs, Rocket steals something of extreme value to the Sovereign race. The Guardians are chased out of town by the Sovereign fleet, and are shot down over an empty, but inhabitable planet. It is here that they meet Kurt Russell’s character, who is also Peter’s father. He invites them to his planet, where everything seems pretty great, but of course, something is just not right.
The Good
It’s no surprise that one of the highlights of this film is the cast. That was part of what made the first film so magical and memorable. Well, the gang’s all back, and their chemistry has only gotten better on their second film together. What is really great, though, is that these are the same characters, but they aren’t stagnant. Each one has evolved form the first movie, and for the most part, each of those evolutions feels natural and unforced. One example was Drax. We see him being more open and more fun. He laughs a lot, and surprisingly, he is the humor backbone of the film. All of this feels right and natural in the film it fits. Yondu’s character evolution is the one that for me felt forced. In the spirit of avoiding spoilers, that’s all I will say.
Like the first film, GOTG vol. 2 has a killer soundtrack. The way they incorporate the classic music from Awesome Mix Tape 2 throughout the film is perfect. From the opening scene featuring ELO’s iconic Mr. Blue Sky to the way Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass is woven throughout as a theme for the film. It is all perfect.
It’s fun. If I could sum up my review of GOTG Vol. 2 in two words, this would be it. It’s fun. That’s what i wanted it to be, and it delivers. I don’t think it is earth shattering in any way, it’s not trying to make any kind of serious point, it is just pure and simple fun.
The Bad
If there is one area where I feel like this film was lacking, for me, it was in the story department. It’s not horrible, but it’s not that great. There are times where it feels like this was a quick, half-baked sequel. Fortunately, the lack of story gets lost quite a bit in the interactions between characters and the beautiful visual effects, but when you really sit down and think about the story, it wasn’t that good. It did serve to do the one thing it was supposed to do. It answered the question of who Peter’s father is.
Final Verdict
This film delivers on all the hype. It is as fun as the first. It is weird in the ways it should be weird. If I could describe it or compare it to anything, it would be like hanging out with all your best friends in high school or college. It just feels fun in a comfortable, natural way. This film also knows exactly what it is from start to finish and doesn’t try to be anything more or less than that. It has a message, or a moral, but it’s not heavy-handed, so it works. Overall, it is a good film that lives up to the original and makes me excited that Vol. 3 is coming in 2020, supposedly.
What did you think? Let me know what you thought of the film in the comments on this page, or on our Facebook page. Or you can send me feedback directly at [email protected]. I would love to hear from you.
Looking for more? (Possible spoilers- BEWARE!)
Here is a post on bustle.com, speculating on who Ayesha is, and based on the cut scenes, they are right.
This is a look at Yondu’s character in the film from USA Today.
Here is my 10-year-old son’s thoughts on the film.
Our fellow geeks who are also Mormon reviewed GOTG Vol. 2 as well. Check out the Mormon Geeks review here.
