Back in 2014, not many people considered Guardians of the Galaxy a success — after all, it was difficult to take seriously a superhero movie featuring a raccoon and a speaking tree. However, Guardians turned out to be one of the best and definitely most original movies of the Marvel Universe. In fact, the movie was so successful that producers gave a green light for the sequel’s production right after the release.
The second part’s story revolves around the same charming Guardians; Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot unite again. Following the first movie’s events, the Guardians start protecting the universe from a variety of threats — eventually, one of those adventures causes an enormous conflict between the Guardians and one very powerful galactic nation. That is not the whole story; Peter Quill meets his father and now he has to discover the tempting secret of his origin. These and some other problems make up a serious challenge for the Guardians.
The storyline is thoroughly elaborate. It seems like it has a typical starting point for a sequel; in fact, it is much deeper than expected. The movie features several profound storylines that eventually join into one so that the viewer watches it in one breath. The film is so intense that there’s no chance to get bored, not even for a moment. Movie trailers showed less than one percent of the events going on in the movie, thus avoiding the common mistake of showing everything at once.
If we had to summarize the movie in three words, “It is fun” would be the best choice possible. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 features not a calculated set of jokes, developed line by line, but rather sincere joy and fun, just like the childish games between the characters: awkward yet lovely. For example, Drax and his literal straightforwardness make the audience laugh out loud. Mockery, sarcasm, irony, parody — the comedic methods were firing on all cylinders. Yet, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is not a comedy at all.
Behind the circus of aliens, there is complex drama for every character. Star-Lord finds out more about his identity; Gamora shows herself from a different perspective. Drax finally starts appreciating humor thanks to his new relationships. Even Rocket, a comic relief character for the franchise, has a moment of seriousness where he reveals his weaknesses. Everyone has some wounds; however, they all act as one in order to save a newly formed family.
The variety of fights never stops to amaze: Yondu kills swarms of enemies by using a whistle-controlled arrow; Gamora slaughters everyone with a machine gun on her shoulder; and of course Rocket kills mobs as if he is playing a videogame. However, the greatest weapon used in the movie is Baby Groot. The appearance of such a character is an ingenious decision. Every time Baby Groot enters the scene, it creates a massive cuteness overload. It is worth to note that the music selection for the movie is perfect not only in the soundtrack itself, but in relevance too — songs are played only when they had to be played.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, just like the second part of John Wick, is a clear example of sequels that are better than the originals. It features every good point of a superhero movie: a detailed script, progressing characters, beautiful visual effects, and a great soundtrack — there are so many details that make it very enjoyable. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is perfect. Missing this masterpiece would be a pity.