It’s time to pop in the second greatest mix tape in the world with Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Following the release of the first Marvel comic sleeper hit, fans were eager to see what direct James Gunn had in store for a sequel. Not only would he have to follow up his last act, Gunn was tasked with making all the characters work in this ensemble film – and make it possible to unite a bigger cast in the next Avengers flick. Let’s face it, Guardians of the Galaxy was a little unexpected. It managed to hold the balance of comedic timing, a good story, a killer soundtrack and it knew how to hit you right in the feels. Did Vol. 2 capture the essence of the first? Well, maybe.
Guarding the Galaxy
We join our galaxy misfits in the midst of a job protecting valuable batteries for Ayesha, the leader of the Sovereign race, in exchange for Gamora’s sister, Nebula. Following some crazy shenanigans, the guardians find themselves on the wrong side of the Sovereign’s weapons. Amidst their daring escape, the team is outmatched when they are rescued by an unlikely ally: a man named Ego, claiming to be Peter’s father. With this new information, the group must split up, but danger awaits. Ayesha is not about to give up. She hires Yondu and the Ravagers to hunt down Quill and crew. With so many twists and turns, will the Guardians of The Galaxy manage to escape their enemies, and is Ego who he claims to be?
Flip Over To Side B
I’m going to get this part out of the way – Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is not as good as the first. It’s really hard to make the sequel better than the first, especially when most of the story centers on one of the ensemble. I mean, there are intertwining stories that keep everyone involved. While that works, it still makes the story on a whole suffer a little bit. Another thing that suffered was the jokes. While most of jokes did hit, when they missed- they missed hard. Also, a main pain point for me was the soundtrack. The first one was so epic, but this one was a little lacking.
Now, with that all out of the way, let’s talk about what’s awesome about this movie! The cast works very well together, and that is a must for an ensemble piece. The additional characters added new flair and each actor played their part very well. Baby Groot was equal parts hilarious and adorable, as expected. I loved Rocket – but I’m biased, since he is my favorite. And while the story did have it’s weak points, it was still a lot of fun and it will draw you in.
I really enjoyed the addition of Ego, Mantis, Nebula and Yondu. It was interesting to see how other characters fit into the original group and how they handled a new issue. The story wasn’t so much about them being hired to save the day. The focus was a personal quest for all of them in the end, and it was really enjoyable. Though not as good as the first, I really enjoyed where the story went.
