Guardians of the Galaxy works best when you don’t think about the whys. It’s another one of those ‘because we can’ Marvel movies with a team composed of a group of comic heroes who weren’t picked by Iron Man and Cap during gym class and created their own Star Wars -themed dodgeball team with an overplayed 70s classic hit for a theme song. For some reason, it just worked, even though it shouldn’t have.
Maybe Guardian of the Galaxy was funnier, but Vol. 2 is still funny. Maybe Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was a bigger, more explosive version of its predecessor, but it was still epic and everything a fan of this ragtag crew could ask for.
So Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 had some problems. So did the original. But who cares? That's what’s great about Guardians. Your memory just subconsciously blocks out the few missteps (especially compared to other comic book movies) because they are both so absurdly awesome. There’s a fucking humanized tree who walks and a racoon who talks and sets Home Alone-style contraptions...in space. So here’s what’s great about Vol. 2 and why it's at least just as good as the first in its own right. Be warned, spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ahead.
The Jokes
That’s why ya’ll went to the theater, right? Groot dying was the best thing that could have happened at the end of Guardians and Vol. 2 is proof of this. Baby Groot is just as cute and just as funny, but his small size also allowed Drax to shine in a way we didn’t see in the first film. There wasn’t as much “I am Groot” and there were more awkward one-liners from the big, unhuggable alien.
Jokes felt forced at times, partially due to James Gunn’s tongue-in cheek style but also because a lot of the comedy the first time around was due to characters’ first introductions. The whole theater rolled their eyes when Peter and his dad played catch with a huge ball of blue energy. It was corny as hell, but you're lying if it didn’t bring a smile to your face. When Peter uses his powers to turn into Pac-Man, you didn’t want to laugh, but you did. The humor stood out in the first one because it caught us off guard. There’s like, never been a Marvel movie that funny.
Thanos Is Scarier Now
Thanos is always looming around in the background and barely addressed, just like the original. However, Nebula tells more details about Thanos torturing and abusing her. The trauma he's caused both his daughters, Nebula in particular, makes the prospect of facing the big bad a thousand times more personal and scary. Nebula managed to quietly chill in the background for a lot of the film, but where her true allegiance lies was a huge part of the storyline. Who does she want to kill? It isn’t until the end that she decides to veer on her own path and go after Thanos herself, even after she makes up with Gamora. Nebula's arc was one of the straightforward ‘let’s talk about our feelings’ moments that really worked, second to Yondu and Peter’s deathbed bonding scene and wonderful performance by Michael Rooker.
Stakes Are Raised
There was so much shallow villain stuff happening everywhere you turned in the first movie. The only reason it worked is because this bunch of randos had no business or experience saving anyone, yet are forced to save the galaxy and somehow pull it off. It was an organized mess of blue aliens (as its Honest Trailer beautifully points out). Even though the villain situation in Vol. 2 is still a little weird, the second film avoided the Marvel villain problem (for a little bit) and proved the Guardians have what it takes to save the world from a threat worthy of even the Avengers. That end battle was insane. But unfortunately, the high point of the film is also the low point.
Ego: Peter… you are a celestial.
Star Lord: Wait, I’m God.
Ego: Yeah, here, let’s play catch with this blue ball of energy you just created in one try.
Star Lord: Oh my god, I’m a God
Ego: And by the way, I want to kill the entire galaxy with my living planet. I’m going to possess you now.
Ego: P.S. you had like 100 brothers and sisters who I killed and piled their skulls in a cave.
Ego: Uhmm, and I gave your mother brain cancer too.
The introduction to Ego, even though Kurt Russell was a pleasure, got weird fast. Taking pressure off the, "How evil is he?" question could have opened up the opportunity to explore a differnet kind of humor. Peter’s reaction to confronting his evil father right off the bat might have made the interactions feel less cliché. It would have avoided the bleh “feelings talk” and the formulaic ditched boy now grown meets dad and wants him to be a good guy thing. If Peter knew his dad was evil ahead of time, he could have pretended to be naive to the situation and that could have been a lot funnier. This would have also prevented Groot, Rocket and Nebula from being separated from the rest of the team, which also felt weird. It would have prevented Mantis from the cliche “should I tell them?” moments and made the movie shorter, which would have helped alleviate the dependence on humor.
Lots Of Lore Sealed The Deal
Vol. 2 had lots of easter eggs (check out our breakdown here) and pushes the MCU forward more than most films. With five post-credits scenes, I’d hope so. Adam Warlock is kind of a big deal and Stan Lee is a Watcher informant. Let’s just say the future looks bright and while maybe Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 didn’t have the same “Wow” factor as the first, if you didn’t thoroughly enjoy the movie, what exactly were you expecting?
Let us know in the comments below!
