Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is very different from the first, so you kind of have to adjust yourself to the story and the overall thematic content. The movie is more or less about family, whether it's about Peter Quilll meeting with his dad Ego and learning about his special heritage or Gamora having to confront her sister Nebula. Betrayed by the Ravagers, Yondu allies himself with Rocket Racoon and Groot, and they take back their ship in the most awesome way possible with Yondu, who with that flying arrow is truly a force to be reckoned with. All parties come together and eventually Peter learns his father Ego's intentions are... less than benevolent. So the Guardians have to save the Galaxy yet again. There are some great moments but everybody gets to have a chance to really shine and the wrap up is... well, it's pretty emotional. At the end of this movie, I've come to really feel something for these characters, maybe even more than the last Guardians of the Galaxy film. I highly recommend it.

I liked the first Guardians of the Galaxy, watched it several times, and was excited for the next installment in the series. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is such a departure from everything good about the first movie that it was jarring, more than anything else, to watch. The film feels like it was written by a thirteen-year-old, and one that struggled with the Creative Writing section of their English tests at that. This causes the romantic sub-plot to feel awkward and almost superfluous to the story. Not only is the dialogue atrociously written but the line delivery is way off the mark as well, which really makes no sense considering that it wasn't an issue with the *same* actors in the first movie. Either the actors were terribly directed or lacked any form of passion for this movie that would have caused them to try harder to deliver a convincing performance. Most of the jokes are either poorly executed, hilariously overexplained, not funny to begin with, or ruined by the atrocious writing and line delivery. On top of all of these glaring execution issues, almost all of the characters, species, and plot concepts developed come off only as cheesy or cliché. Don't watch this.

As with any sequel, this movie needed to outdo its predecessor, which it does in spades, maybe going a little too far though, at least plot-wise. The focus here is on character development, and it'll keep you riveted, if you care at all about these star-travellers. In some ways, Front Man Peter Quill takes a backseat to the other characters, and I think this was an excellent decision on the directors part, although the story is ultimately about Starlord. The comedic relief, Groot and Drax, do a decent job of keeping the movie lighthearted, but it's clear that James Gunn (the director) wanted to make this movie a "Rollercoaster of emotions", and it definitely tugs (read: yanks hard) on your heartstrings towards the end. Some of the comedy did seem forced at first, especially with Drax, whose over-the-top laugher made a funny situation awkward, and Groots overt cuteness pushed the envelope of what I could stomach. But after a while, I realized Drax was perfectly acted for a character where every feeling is intended to be absolute. Not to mention, after the world's positive reaction to the cuteness overload of dancing baby Groot in volume 1, did anyone expect they wouldn't give us more of what we loved in the first place? With that said, I did feel the one-liners were sometimes forced, but you know what? I laughed anyways, because they were funny. Oh, and... move over Black Widow, because Mantis is my new love. A woman/bug that can ask me how my day was, and actually be interested? Yes, please! Sadly, I just wish she were as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside. I'm rule 34-ing hard.