Back in 2014, with months leading up to James
Gunn’s release of Guardians of the Galaxy, it was safe to say no one
knew what to expect. Some movie goers were excited, while others thought it
would be Marvel Studios’ first flop. Fortunately for all fans of
entertainment, it was a solid film that blew every preexisting expectation
away. Now we’re here for volume 2, and the expectations are on the rise. I
thought the first film was a ton of fun, even with the nitpicks I have
throughout its duration. While the studio was taking a leap of faith, to me I
still sensed they were afraid to go full speed ahead with the source material,
rushing to have the Guardians team up. However, with the sequel it feels that
everything has been flipped upside down. While the first film had a more solid
story, with a pop of fresh innovative ideas, volume 2 lacks in that area, but
makes up for it with the comedy and character development.
Comedy is easily the best thing about Guardians of
the Galaxy Vol 2. From the first frame to the last, there are numerous amounts
of funny character moments and jokes that had me and the audience chuckling
repeatedly. None of them felt forced like the film was begging for laughs, rather
it all felt natural and true. Even during the scenes of danger where death is
lurking around the corner, there was still room for a laugh or two; which
speaks volumes about the flow of the film. This wouldn’t have been handled
properly with any other director, and James Gunn has his signature stamped all
over this property. Marvel sometimes makes the mistake of previewing too much
during its marketing campaign, but even with all the supposed spoilers from
trailers, those same moments in the film were still able to surprise you and
make you laugh. All of the characters were being themselves, and because of that
every funny moment was pure.
Something volume 2 didn’t possess like the first
film was the surprise factor that made the first film so well received. While
that was great in the first film, there wasn’t enough room to develop the
characters. That’s not the issue in the slightest in volume 2. Every character
that was underdeveloped before, shined bright as a star this second time
around. All of the characters had an intriguing back story that gave their
characters more depth and meaning, which made you sympathize more when they
were in pain. This is especially true for Nebula (Karen Gillan), who had
horrible makeup and came across as having daddy issues in the first film. This
time I was on her side, wanting to jump in the screen and help her seek
revenge. Why the first film didn’t bother to flesh this out more is a mystery,
but that issue has since been erased by Gunn and the writing team. Something
else that makes the Guardians so fascinating is how well they work together as
a group and individually. Whether apart or separate, they each are sufficient
enough to hold their own movie franchise on the side, and it would be just as
entertaining.
As far as negatives go for the film, they’re hard to
sort out, with there barely being any. It depends on what you’re looking for.
The villains in the film may not be the most threatening, coming off more
comical than sinister, but there’s a surprise revelation that makes up for it.
While the story isn’t as solid and does not connect with the rest of the Marvel
Cinematic Universe, volume 2 focuses more on the development of the heroes than
anything else. Other than that, there isn’t an element of being blown away,
with you rushing out raving to tell your friends, but the adventure the
Guardians embark on for self-discovery is a gem that’s as luxurious as can be.
From a comic book fans perspective, Guardians of the
Galaxy Vol. 2 was a homerun. Without shoe-horning in a barrage of unnecessary
characters, the film took its time in focusing on those who were most
important. There was a large amount of Easter eggs for what’s to come in the
future, which a geek would spot in an instance and a casual fan would accept as
just another great addition to the film. Overall, vol. 2 is superior to its
predecessor, answering unanswered questions from the first film. If you’re not
a fan of this material you will be soon enough due to the entire arc covering
multiple genres of entertainment. It isn’t the best film in the MCU, but it does
deserve recognition for leading the pack as a standalone film that’s hard not
to enjoy.