Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (SPOILERS)

You will never break the chain...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been killing it in terms of making a big-budget, highly successful franchise. In 2014, they shocked many by bringing us a film that shouldn't have worked, but not only did it work, but it was, in my opinion, the absolute best they've come along with. That film in question is none other than Guardians of the Galaxy. In this post, I will be reviewing the highly anticipated sequel and answer the following question: did it live up to the hype, and in doing so, did it exceed expectations? My answer is yes and no, and here's why:

UPS

1. The main group and their dynamics are as great ever, and here a conscious effort is made to make it better. The chemistry between them all is so strong that you really get the sense that they really are one big, happy, yet absolutely dysfunctional family. Not only is their group dynamic better, but they each get their own moments to shine, with Peter "Star-Lord" Quill getting an extremely personal and emotional character arc, Gamora developing her bonds with Peter and Nebuala, Drax and Rocket being absolutely hysterical while also forming touching bonds with Yondu and Mantis, and Baby Groot being...well, Baby Groot :) All in all, these are a great band of heroes to follow and I will always enjoy the wacky adventures they have together. However, they weren't the only ones who made this ride as fun as it was...
2. As we have three new additions in the forms of Yondu, Mantis, and Nebula. In the case of Mantis, you have a character who is so sweet, lovable, and innocent that you can't help but adore her, and as mentioned above, her bond with Drax is extremely touching and hilarious at the same time. Meanwhile, Yondu and Nebula go through great lengths of character development that turn them into better people than the ones they were before. Add in the relationships they have with the other characters, and you have two former enemies whose roads to redemption have felt the greatest bit earned, with Yondu proving to be a better dad to Quill than his own father could ever dream of being. Speaking of which...
3. Ego. The MCU has the infamous problem of being unable to craft a villain who has left a truly lasting impact, and while the first Guardians film had an imposing antagonist in the form of Ronan the Accuser, he still suffered from that exact problem. The sequel changes all that and brings quite possibly one of the MCU's best villains ever in Ego the Living Planet. Not only does his story have extremely high and grand stakes for our heroes and the world, but he is also incredibly personal in the relationship he shares with his son, Star-Lord, providing an intriguing balance that works quite well. Combine this balance with a terrific performance by Kurt Russell, and you've got a great antagonist who's as charismatic and charming as he is evil...and boy is he ever!
4. The humor in this movie is great. Like the first one, there is a great sense of fun to be had in this movie, and part of that is because it's so damn funny! While the main sources of comedy can be found in Drax, Rocket, Baby Groot, and Yondu, it's just a hilarious movie all around and one that the entire family could enjoy...until they hear the adult jokes at least ;)
5. Finally, it must be taken into account that this movie has something that the MCU really never brought to the table up until this point: a major character death that stuck and would leave a huge impact. In this case, we have the death of Yondu, who gives up his life to save the one he considers his son. It is a truly emotional moment, and one that greatly affects everyone in the story, especially Quill. And since he was cremated at the end, the chances of him returning are slim to none. With that, R.I.P. Yondu. You may not have been Peter's father, but in the end, you were definitely the daddy he deserved. Now say it with me: "I'M MARY POPPINS, Y'ALL!"

DOWNS

1. The soundtrack, while still great, is nowhere near as memorable as the original. While this is not too detrimental to the movie as a whole, it's just a bit disappointing considering the music was one of the key elements that made the original as fantastic as it was. 

OVERALL

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 does everything a sequel should do. It builds upon what made the original great while adding things to make it even better. That being said, it wasn't great enough to surpass the original, but fortunately, it can stand by it with pride in my book.

That's it for this blog, guys. Next up is Wonder Woman!