Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the sequel to the quirky, nostalgic 2014 film, and is the latest theatrical instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media mega franchise. The film brings with it new and old characters, more vintage tunes, and is just as delightful as the first while also managing to be a tad heftier than expected.
“The film covers much of the same ground as the first, but does so in a larger way.”
Vol. 2 sees Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) settling into his role as the leader of his band of misfit heroes. The initially stiff and distant Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and the comically literal Drax (Dave Bautista) have each loosened up, while Rocket (Bradley Cooper) the abrasive science racoon has taken to enjoying Peter’s retro Earth music. The ever-adorable Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) continues being super adorable.
The film covers much of the same ground as the first, but does so in a larger way. The explosions are bigger and the space fights are livelier, but it also puts more time towards character development.
Just like the first movie, Vol. 2 centres on ideas of family, whether it is one by blood or one by choice. Throughout the film, each of the characters is given space to work through their tragic backstories in order to grow individually as characters and together as a team.
Even the villain is more fleshed out than the one from the previous movie, or even many other recent Marvel films. While the villain of the first film could be described as a stock angry warlord with a hammer, the villain of Vol. 2 is given a rather specific set of goals and desires and, even more impressively, a personality.
Like its predecessor, Vol. 2 is largely disconnected from the core MCU Avengers storyline. This is true not only of its location, but also from the timeline of the recent films, with Vol. 2 taking place only a few months after the previous Guardians movie. This means that, while it is the fifteenth MCU film overall, for viewers looking for a breather from the densely interwoven franchise plot, Vol. 2 could just as effectively be considered as the second film of a standalone series because of how indirectly it contributes to the larger MCU story.
Also, in a grander sense, this film is not positioned as well as the first. The first Guardians film came after the dark thriller that was Captain America: Winter Soldier which changed the landscape of the MCU. There the first Guardians film brought a contrast that was a welcome bit of levity to cheer people up. Vol. 2, however, arrives on the heels of Doctor Strange, a film which was pretty standard in terms of tone. This less pronounced contrast, combined with the slightly less goofy plot, means that Vol. 2 doesn’t surprise viewers in quite the same way as the first. But that’s fine.
Some films try to reinvent themselves with their sequels, often with little success. Vol. 2, however, gave me exactly what I was looking for when I walked into the theatre. Is it a dark and gritty conspiracy thriller like Winter Soldier? No. Is about evil space elves like Thor 2? Of course not. But it’s a barrel of fun and it’s got a lot of heart. It’s got jokes, ‘70s pop music, and Groot. It’s a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, and a damn good one.
