{🚨SEMI-SPOILERS🚨}: Directed by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 follows Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his fellow Guardians as they continue their adventures across the cosmos. In their most recent mission they were hired by a powerful alien race, the Sovereign, to protect their precious batteries from invaders. When it is discovered that Rocket has stolen the items they were sent to guard, the Sovereign dispatch their armada to search for vengeance. As the Guardians try to escape, the mystery of Peter’s parentage is revealed when they encounter a celestial being named Ego (Kurt Russell), which soon leads the team into another mission to save the galaxy.
After the surprise success of the first Guardians of the Galaxy film this was probably everyone’s most anticipated sequel in the MCU as it expands on the lovable characters we were introduced to in the first film while also introducing us to new characters and giving us a new and more emotional story. This is not only one of the best sequels in the MCU but I think this is a truly top-tier film in the entire MCU. It improves upon so much from the first film, ranging from the directing, acting, writing, visuals, and of course, kick-ass music.
James Gunn delivered a film that has so much heart and beauty that it is impossible not to love everything about it. The characters are the real driving force of this film, each being expanded on in huge ways to make us more connected to them than we were before.
Peter Quill, having lost his mother on Earth, still carries that pain with him as well as the fact that he believes was never really able to have a true father until now. He has an emotional journey in this film as learns valuable life lessons, like who his real family is, how lucky he is to have it, and how he has to be cautious of who he trusts even if it’s a parent. Chris Pratt delivers such a fantastic performance both comedically and emotionally, having honestly a far superior performance compared to Volume 1, which is probably due to his more personal connection with the narrative.
Gamora (Zoe Saldana) was more fleshed out in this film, along with her sister Nebula (Karen Gillian) as they both have had a traumatic past with Thanos and are trying to sort out their personal issues with each other and themselves. They have a lot of incredible moments thanks to dedicated performances by their respective actresses and the fantastic writing by James Gunn. Both of them had such great development in this film and by far the most emotional moment was when both finally reconcile after going through a fierce fight. I also love how Gamora and Peter have a great relationship that develops over the course of the film.
Drax (Dave Bautista) was much more fleshed out as a character but was also more hilarious this time around, delivering some of the best jokes in the film. After having achieved some peace with the death of Ronan, Drax was able to come more out of his shell in this story and be able to show the real person he was underneath that we only had glimpses of in the first film. He considers all the members of the guardians to be his new family even when they don’t always get along on things and end up having frequent fights. Dave Bautista was able to show much more of his acting range in this film especially when it comes to comedy and I was all for it all the way through.
Rocket (Bradley Cooper) was once again my favorite character in this film as we get to see him come out of his more selfish side and show how he is a more caring individual than he appears to be, especially with Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) as well as his interactions with other characters. He is still funny as hell like he was in the last film but here we get to see him more fleshed out and hit people’s hearts.
And speaking of hearts there is also the fantastically adorable Baby Groot that has captured everyone’s hearts even before Baby Yoda came along. Everything he does, from the very funny dance sequence he has at the beginning of the film to everything else that happens throughout, is brilliant in every way possible.
Seeing how all the Guardians grow closer to become a family was such a great way to improve upon the team dynamics from the first film.
Yondu (Michael Rooker) returns and we get to have his backstory, including his struggling relationships with his Ravager crew and then the revealed main Ravager fleet, which surprisingly turns out to be lead by Stakar, played by Sylvester Stallone. Michael Rooker brings to life a tragic character that has more heart than we knew and ends up having some of the best scenes in the entire film, including the beautifully crafted arrow scene and his final act of redemption.
We have some new characters enter the story that all stood out in their own way, including the villains. The Sovereign led by Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), and the Ravagers led by Taserface (Chris Sullivan) lead a mutiny against Yondu and act as really fun secondary villain groups in this story, both having their own personalities and an impact on the story that feels natural and not added on for the sake of increasing the runtime. They get their own comedic moments as well that fit with the overall tone of this wacky space adventure.
But they end up getting overshadowed by the surprise main villain of this film, Ego played by the absolutely stellar Kurt Russell. When we first meet Ego we get tricked into believing he is a great guy who has a lot of great charm and charisma. He also ends up really bonding with Peter in several scenes that make us further believe he can be a great father to Peter, giving him what he believed was the father he never had (even though he already had one, which was Yondu.)
It is only until later in the film that we learn the truth about Ego and how he is in reality an unhinged being that seeks to terraform the galaxy until everything becomes him, and he has committed various atrocities in an attempt to complete his quest. One of these atrocities that is revealed is that he gave Quill’s mother the tumor that killed her, due to the distraction she posed to his plans. It’s a shockingly dark twist that no one saw coming and really makes Ego turn out to be one of the first great surprise villains of the MCU. The twist was built up really well and hits you very hard, just like it does for the characters who all kick into action to stop Ego’s nefarious plot.
James Gunn wrote such a great story for this sequel, making it a fun and hilarious cosmic adventure but one that is also driven by real emotion and soft characters moments that give this story so much heart. And thanks to the unrestricted freedom Gunn had with this film he was able to create the impactful story he wanted, with characters that he really understands and gives so much life to.
Being able to see what James Gunn does with this film is what ends up helping other MCU projects going forward, improving upon their characters, stories, and most especially allowing more creative freedom to their chosen creators.
And it isn’t just the narrative and characters that are huge improvements from the last film, there is also everything else. The action is way more fun and intense this time around, from the start of the film all the way through to the end. It’s full of excitement and great laughs but also a lot of tension given the high stakes established. The visuals and cinematography are absolutely insane in this film, even more so than the previous installment. The effects, both practical and CGI, are truly outstanding and ooze with perfection in every frame.
This is by far the most beautiful of the MCU films, with a wide range of gorgeous cosmic environments and incredible shots that make you feel absorbed in this wonderful universe.
Tyler Bates’ score for the film is uplifting but also manages to make the emotional moments even more impactful than they already are, similar to the first film. And then of course we have our awesome soundtrack, featuring new songs that are all perfect picks and used at the best possible times. By far though the best pick of all the songs for me personally was Father and Son by Cat Stevens, which is used for the truly emotional and visually gorgeous conclusion of the film. Gunn couldn’t have picked a better song for a truly hard-hitting scene and it gets me emotional every time I watch it, similar to how emotional I get at the beginning of the first film.
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 is the perfect example of a sequel done right and for me will always remain as one of the top-tier MCU films and one of my favorite films ever. I’m going to give Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 an A+.
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