“I don’t typically get very psyched for sequels anymore (years of heartbreak have conditioned me over time), but I was excited for Vol 2. I even gave Vol 1 a rewatch the week before (mostly because my guy hadn’t seen it yet, and I’d already gotten him to agree to see 2 with me), and yeah very hyped up to see it.
Did it live up to the hype? Yeah, mostly. I think to some extent, there was an impossible standard to achive. So it was never gonna be as fresh and revelatory as the first, but it could still be a rocking good time, and it was.
One concern I had going in was that they were gonna overdo the Baby Groot stuff, and the opening sequence perpetuated that thought. I say this as someone who loves the character (although I may love adult Groot better, I’m undecided.) Thankfully, not only did that sequence end up being something that will live on as one of the best opening sequences ever, the rest of what followed was appropriate levels of Groot and not Groot overload. Yay!
Everything else delivered as I expected it to. I particularly enjoyed the addition of Mantis to the group. While the music may not have been as recognizable this time, it all fit appropriately. And the humor was everywhere. Certainly far more laugh out loud moments than most straight up comedies manage to get from me.
Something that I really appreicated watching this movie was the idea that this team really is made up of a bunch of misfits. As someone who has often struggled to fit in (before giving up on the concept entirely), I could really appreciate and identify with how they related to their universe, and it does mean a lot to see them widely accepted in the mainstream. But the bottom line is, despite some forgivable flaws that weren’t even going into, this movie was pure joy, and remains a standout in the MCU.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 – \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/”