Colorful, Loud, and Fun

Rating: 8/10 (14 May 2017)

It's almost impossible for a sequel to out-preform it's predecessor, although it has been accomplished more than once in recent years (The Winter Soldier, The Dark Knight, etc.). The first Guardians of the Galaxy was, and still is, one of my favorite movies of 2014. Knowing this, I went into GOTG2 with lowered expectations, yet eager to see what fun eye candy the director, James Gunn, had in store this second time around. Needless to say I came out pleased and satisfied with what I had gotten. Is it as good as the first? No. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 does not quite capture the magic of the first film, but it delivers the same laughs and action that we know and love. The very opening scene with Baby Groot dancing to ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" while a huge inter- dimensional space monster battle rages behind him delivers the tone of the movie perfectly: it's fun. The main reason so many fell in love with the first Guardians was how fun and joyful it all was. This sequel certainly captures that same feel, while delivering more on the humor as well. You notice an attempted effort to include lots more jokes and laughter into this second movie, and while some jokes don't hit as they intended, most do. So why isn't Guardians of the Galaxy 2 as good as the first? The plot. The first 30 to 45 minutes are spent without a real purpose, and it isn't until around halfway through the movie when an actual goal comes to fruition. Star Lord, played magnificently once again by Chris Pratt, finds his long lost father, Ego. While this seems compelling, many scenes in the beginning parts of the movie don't flow very well. Contrast this to the first film where every scene flawlessly fit into place one cut after another. Some scenes between the first and second act feel a little disjointed and choppy, but the movie soon picks up for a spectacular third act. Overall, this movie is a fun escape (with an excellent soundtrack) that will please most, despite not quite capturing the extraordinary feel of the original.