The Guardians are back and protecting the universe when they meet Ego, a Celestial and Peter's father. Peter becomes fascinated with the powers his father has and wants to learn more, although his father has ulterior, more evil motives. The Guardians must fight him alongside old companions and new before Ego can take over other planets with his power.
The first Guardians of the Galaxy was so good because the Guardians themselves were such interesting, diverse, and hilarious characters. But what the sequel does is not only make you love those main characters more but fall in love with side characters that were just alright in the first movie. Two characters who fit this description are Yondu, the Ravager who abducted Peter and raised him, and Nebula, the cybernetic sister of Gamora who is still bent on revenge. These were two characters that I cared a lot more about and found more interesting in the sequel as opposed to the first film. If you didn't get teary-eyed learning more about Yondu, especially towards the end, I can't connect with you. Nebula is also given more backstory as we learn more about how Thanos treated her and her relationship with Gamora. It actually turned into a sweet sister story towards the end of this film (not quite Little Women, but still). We also get introduced to some new characters that really added to the movie and I can't wait to see more of them the future. First, of course, there's Ego. Casting Kurt Russell was such a smart choice; he really fits the character and makes sense as Peter Quill's dad. He also turned out to be a fascinating villain. His servant Mantis practically stole the show, however. A humanoid alien with insect-like features, Mantis is an empath, someone who can feel other people's feelings. She was raised by Ego on his planet and, with having little to no social skills, is mesmerized by the Guardians and wants to learn more from them about the universe. Pom Klementieff played the role wonderfully; Mantis was funny and likable and a great addition to the Guardians. We are also introduced to a race of people called Sovereigns, spray-painted gold and obsessed with perfection, who are just one of the many groups that are after the Guardians. Their High Priestess Ayesha, was very funny and reminded me of a Disney villain. There are also cameos by Sylvester Stallone and David Hasselhoff that are just the cherry on top of this movie sundae.
Guardians of the Galaxy is famous for its off-brand-for-a-superhero-movie humor and I was excited to see how funny the sequel would be. Dare I say, I laughed harder at Vol. 2. I watched the first film right before seeing the second so I could really compare and I think the sequel was even funnier, which is quite a feat. Drax and Rocket were especially hilarious this time around and there are a ton of one-liners that are already resonating with fans and taking over social media. Vol. 2 was impressive because it had darker moments and themes compared to the first one but it was also really funny. James Gunn achieved a great balancing act with the script in terms of storytelling and character development. One element of the film I was a bit worried about before I went and saw it was Baby Groot. I loved Groot in the first film and when I saw Baby Groot in the trailers I was a tad concerned that this could be a Disney sort of annoying small sidekick kind of situation. I'm happy to say that wasn't the case at all. Baby Groot had just the right amount of screen time and he was funny and cute without being overbearing or obnoxious. Again, Gunn shows that he really knows and cares about these characters and can position them perfectly within the film.
Guardians is also known for its excellent soundtracks. For the sequel we get to experience the Awesome Mix Volume Two which has some great tunes on it, including songs by Fleetwood Mac, Sweet, Cat Stevens, and George Harrison, just to name a few. One of my favorite moments was the opening credits scene where we see the first battle of the movie with the Guardians versus a horrific tentacled alien creature. Except we don't really see the battle. The battle plays out in the background to Baby Groot dancing to one of my favorite songs "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra. It's such a cleverly shot sequence that almost compares to the airport battle in Civil War as far as being a superhero fight done in a way we haven't really seen before - we barely see the fight! It's such a great part. During the ending credits we also get to hear an amazing song called "Guardians Inferno," which features David Hasselhoff.
It's really difficult to say, at least for me, if this one is better than the first. The first Guardians of the Galaxy was so weird and so different for the genre that I think it just blew everybody's minds and we're still having trouble getting over it. But looking at both films through a wider lens I think that the sequel may be better than the first, just by a hair. In fact, I would even compare it to The Empire Strikes Back in terms of the quality of writing and character development in a sequel. Especially now that a Vol. 3 has been announced it may very well be the Empire of this trilogy! Stylistically it's also more fun and retro, especially the end credits with the characters dancing and posing for yearbook-esque photos (by the way there are, like, five end credit scenes which might be a Marvel record and I doubt I'm the only one now super excited for Teen Groot). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is going to be one of the better summer blockbusters coming out this year and it really does match its predecessor in terms of writing, humor, and music. And now I'm even more pumped for Infinity War because we desperately need to see these weirdos with the Avengers. It's going to be something else.
