Filmology Rating: 3.13 out of 4

When Guardians of the Galaxy came out in 2014 it took the world by storm; becoming the second highest grossing film of the year and going on to make $130.5 million on home video sales.  Marvel continued to defy all odds and made a film that most considered on paper to be a ludicrous concept and seemed doomed to fail.  Now three years later everyone is wondering if James Gunn can recapture the magic of the first film and make everyone hooked on a feeling again.

Two months after The Guardians stopped Ronan from destroying Xandar, they are hired by High Priestess Ayesha, played by Elizabeth Debicki, to stop an interdimensional creature from stealing super-powerful batteries.  While they easily defeat the creature, Rocket, once again voiced by Bradley Cooper, steals the batteries because he can.  This selfish act by Rocket makes The Guardians one of the most wanted groups in the galaxy.  The Guardians briefly escape the Sovereign with the help of Ego, played by Kurt Russell, who might hold the secret as to who Peter Quill’s, once again played by Chris Pratt, father is.

After loving the first film I thought this film would be a slam dunk and I would walk out screaming the praises of this film but that sadly is not the case.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is a film that sacrifices plot for a quick laugh.  The first film was a superhero film with comedy in it and this film is a comedy that just happens to be a superhero film.  The closest film series that I can think of that resembles these two films would be the Kick-Ass films.  The first film was a satire of the superhero genre, while the second film seemed to lose the satire elements and decided to just be a superhero film.  What made the first film so spectacular was that it felt most of the jokes had a depth of character development or at least advanced the plot while this film forgoes character development jokes and goes for more of a Looney Tune sense of joke.  This shouldn’t be a surprise as James Gunn wrote Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, and if you enjoyed some of the pointless humor in those films, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 might be the film for you.

While I wasn’t on board with most of the jokes in this film I cannot deny that the film is a visual wonder.  The first scene with the Guardians has one of the most memorable shots of the year, and while 99% of the scene is created in the computer, the shot itself is still well constructed and rather entertaining to watch.  The effects team at Legacy Effects, Henry Braham; the cinematographer, and James Gunn deserve more credit than I can possibly give them for making this film look out of this world.  Even during the third act of the film when it turns into normal blockbuster blowup time, the film still looks fantastic and I am always impressed by the visuals on the screen.

One aspect of this film surprised me and I found it to be a rather unique aspect for a Marvel film; and that’s the aspect of family.  After The Fate of the Furious I was ready to say that no ensemble of actors would ever be allowed to be called a family again; not because they were the best ensemble more that they were the worst.  Yet the cast of characters in this film mainly consisting of Peter Quill, Gamora; played once again by Zoe Saldana, Rocket, Drax, again played by Dave Bautista, baby Groot, once again voiced by Vin Diesel, and Yondu, played once again by Michael Rooker, gel together perfectly and have perfect chemistry that you feel that they have all known each other for years and truly are a family.  Since the chemistry that the actors all have together is perfect it would only make sense that the script would play off of that chemistry and give the audience one of the most compelling and emotional stories in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far.  It’s basically the Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes story blown up to a cosmic proportion.      

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 is a film that is completely inoffensive and will easily appeal to the teenager in all of us.  If you have ever had a smile on your face while watching the first film then I suggest that you check the sequel out, while it is nowhere close to being as great as the first film it is still worth a watch.

Rating: See It

-Jonny G

Since the Guardians saved the galaxy, they have made somewhat of a name for themselves. They are hired by a powerful alien race called (the Sovereign) to protect their precious batteries from invaders. They do protect them but the deal goes south when Rocket decides to steal a few of them…. While making their escape, they are met by a mysterious man named Ego who turns out to be Peter Quill/Star Lords father!

The gang is back and ready to save the galaxy once again! I have been so excited for this movie ever since the first one ended. The first Guardians film was one of the best Marvel movies to date. It had everything you wanted and so much more. One of the best aspects that the film had going for it was that these weren’t typical “heroes”. In fact, they weren’t heroes at all. They were outlaws, thieves, or trained fighters. Think Suicide Squad except actually entertaining, fun, and great characters. They came together for either revenge or money but worked as a team in the galaxy’s time of need and saved the day and had a lot of fun while doing so. Enough of the first though; you all know how great the first film was (hopefully at least) and want to know if the second was any good….

It was everything a sequel should be and once again, it was also more. The biggest thing that I wanted was for this film to retain its fun factor. These characters, the actors and the characters they play, have some of the best chemistry on screen that I’ve ever seen. They are so well written and played that it is nearly impossible not to love them. This was the case once again. From the very first scene, you are reminded of what made you love the first film so much. Oh, something needs to be said…. Baby Groot!!! He was probably the cutest and most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. Every single time he is on screen I couldn’t help but smile and laugh! This wasn’t only for baby Groot but for the rest of the cast because the jokes and the humor were none stop and so well written. (According to my girlfriend, I was laughing so much it almost became annoying….) I couldn’t help it though because the humor was that good!

Speaking of the characters, this movie did something that I didn’t think that it would and that is that it focused heavily on the backstories of its main characters while the action took a backseat. The most obvious backstory being who Star Lords father is and why can he hold an infinity stone and not die? This father figure dilemma was a great story and one that offers a lot of heart but not in the way that you would see coming. I was pleasantly surprised with it and really moved. On top of that is the sisterhood battle between Gamora and Nebula. Again we have a very emotional story that was really dark. Growing up with Thanos was not easy to say the least. We then explore Rocket and why he feels the need to push people away and steal things and with Drax, we get more information about his family that past. Altogether, this movie focused heavily on its characters and I loved it! It gave the audience even more of an emotional connection to its characters which will only further the future strength of this franchise.

Now this being a Marvel movie, we have come to expect some great action sequences and great special effects and this was no exception. The middle is a little bit slower than the first but when the action does come, it brought a lot of fun and awesome visuals with it. The villains however weren’t as good as the first. The shiny gold Sovereigns weren’t as intimidating as Ronan was in the first. They serve their purpose in the film but nothing more.

These really were my own little nitpicks but they are completely outdone by everything “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2” had to offer. This movie really was awesome and was just as good as the first. It was everything a sequel should be and I am looking forward to seeing Volume 3 and wherever else they fit in the Marvel universe!

Rating: See It

-Nick