As good as the first, I suppose it's just not my cup of tea

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2017)

The Marvel Universe on the whole has been great for me. I don't quite get the insane popularity of some of those films (AntMan for instance?) and I expected to really like the first Guardians film. I would never say the first film and this one were not "good" because they have incredible special effect, good performances, good laughs and people love it. Good! But for me, for some reason, the film doesn't resonate with me. It has all the things I love about a good popcorn flick but it just ends up being okay with me and this one was the same as the first. I think it was easily as good as the first and expanded the Universe a little bit and the characters. I loved the Howard The Duck cameo, I LOVED my hero and idol Sylvester Stallone showing up, there were some good laughs....but I see reviewers and even friends saying they cried multiple times and how emotional it was....I didn't get any of them. It was a CGI studded event with Science Fiction roots all through it but it didn't break any grand moulds and no one will say it reshaped the Marvel Universe like Doctor Strange did. It was fun and that's about it. It is an easy watch and good music like the first but what about this movie makes it so unique from any other film in it's genre.
Hollywood's latest superstar Chris Pratt might be part of the reason the film doesn't floor me. I like Pratt but I'm not sold on him as a superstar. He doesn't have the chemistry yet that (say Stallone had 20 years ago) or Dwayne Johnson nowadays. He plays this role well and this definitely builds more for his character and the Peter Quill story but he gives just a good performance in a good movie. Bradley Cooper as Rocket might be my favourite Guardian character but he is actually underused this time around. He has a few good lines and the banter between he and Pratt is good but I feel like he needs more story. Dave Bautista continues to surprise me as a half decent actor and he really nails the role of Drax. He is definitely the most lively character and also gets a ton of comedic moments and also some great action scenes. Zoe Saldana is decent but much like Rocket Raccoon, got downplayed significantly this time around. The romance between her and Quill is hinted at (which is part of the gag) but I think they should have added a touch more to it. I believe I said this in the first movie but why in the hell Vin Diesel was hired and is credited for being Groot makes no sense. I love Groot. He's adorable and funny but he is a 110% CGI character with an indiscernible voice so why do we need a Hollywood star playing him? Michael Rooker returns to get a huge character development as Yondu. It's a great twist to the story and he and Pratt are good together but I'm not sure the development makes a lot of sense given how quickly he makes a change. Still it definitely adds the emotional depth to the film. Karen Gillan is really amazing as Gamora's sister Nebula. She doesn't get enough screen time but her sub-plot was one of the best and I hope to see more of her in the future. And then we have Kurt Russell who is phenomenal in his role as Peter's long lost father. ***SPOILER ALERT*** he is also the villain, the big bad etc. and he is perfect at that. I'm so glad he's been getting a career boost as of late.
James Gunn is probably the only person who can helm this franchise. He cares about it, he co-writes it, produces, directs and he wants to build the Guardians Universe and keep it cohesive and bravo to him for that. I am quite certain that the continuity and feel of this movie was as good as the first because of him. I think once he steps away from the helm of this franchise it won't be nearly as good especially for me who just thinks it's okay to begin with. I know he is crafting a story here and I will gladly see the third and not just because I see all Marvel films. This isn't one of my favourites but it's not because it isn't good. I am in a very very small minority who think Guardians of The Galaxy and Volume 2 were okay and average in every way. Check out the amazing visuals and stay for the characters and story and chances are you'll be as hooked as everyone else. Considering this an anomaly for me.