Last week I went to the premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I thoroughly enjoyed the original film and in fact, see it as one of the better Marvel adaptations. However my expectations were low. I doubted volume 2 could surpass the original. Would it rely on variations of the same jokes, would the movie confuse itself with the litany of characters that seemed to be included? I thought it would be ok, but suffer the fate of most sequels. I was so, utterly wrong. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 stands alongside the likes of Terminator 2 and Aliens. A sequel that takes what worked from the original, and refines it into the best outcome thinkable. I’d go as far as saying, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the best marvel film so far. Standing just ahead of Deadpool, Logan and Captain America: Civil War.
Guardians 2 takes the tone of the original and turns it up to 10. Guardians of the Galaxy was a great action movie with a few well thought out jokes, here and there. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 on the other hand, is a hilarious comedy with phenomenal action sequences. Sure many of the jokes were in the same vein as the previous film, with a heavy reliance on Drax’s blunt remarks and the adorable antics of baby Groot. However I found myself laughing for the majority of the film. Another big worry of mine was the seemingly over packed cast this time around. However unlike Suicide Squad and Batman Vs Superman, Vol. 2 gives each character an appropriate amount of screen time and development. I ended up caring just as fiercely about newcomers Nebula and Yondu as I did the original cast. And I haven’t even mentioned how Guardian’s opening sequence is possibly one of the greatest in all of filmmaking (you’ve got to see it for yourself.) It’s clear to see I was smitten. However I wondered what everyone else had thought about this riveting comedy. So let’s go over reviews from some other publications.
IGN gave the film a 7.9 (good), stating ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a fun go-around with characters we love to spend time with, but the second film is far denser and has a few more pacing and story problems than the first. Still, it’s a very good movie with one of the most emotionally impactful endings of any Marvel Cinematic Universe story yet.’
Vol.2 has garnered an 86% on Rotten Tomato’s with the critics consensus being, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s action-packed plot, dazzling visuals, and irreverent humor add up to a sequel that’s almost as fun — if not quite as thrillingly fresh — as its predecessor.’
The Guardian gave the film 3/5 stars saying, ‘Two episodes in and the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is already starting to feel like an ironic, pop-cultural reference bingo card. And while I’m as much a sucker for ELO’s Mr Blue Sky on a soundtrack as the next guy, I’m beginning to wonder whether chucking in a namecheck for Pac-Man or Knight Rider whenever there’s a lull in the banter is really enough to distinguish this series from the rest of the Marvel mulch.’
So the general consensus seems to be that the film is pretty good, but not great, and definitely not superior to its predecessor. It’s interesting reading into the opinions of others. Where they find fault, I found admirable film making. Where they found yawn inducing jokes, I found laugh out loud comedy. I guess that’s the problem with comedies, and even films in general. You’ll always find those who disagree with you. But hopefully there is someone out there, wondering whether they should watch this film, and have been swayed by my words of praise. If you’re interesting in delving deeper into the Guardians of the Galaxy universe, make sure you check out our review for Telltale’s first foray into the series.
