Hey everyone welcome back to Silver Screen Spectacle! We’re continuing our MCU Flashback with 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. When this movie came out, I wasn’t sure what to make of it on first viewing as it felt different from what I expected. It did however grow on me quickly, though I did still prefer the first film. Critics and Audiences also preferred the first film overall, but this was still a massive critical and commercial hit. Baby Groot became an instant internet phenomenon. Going into this rewatch I got concerned as I always preferred the first Guardians film and it plummeted for me. While still being a film, I like a lot of it went from top-level MCU to bottom-level MCU. So how does this movie fare for me now?
I adore this movie so much. This takes the parts of the first Guardians that I thought worked great still and threw everything else away. The entire cast is phenomenal. Chris Pratt still has excellent comedic timing but also gets to flex his acting chops, this time with some incredibly emotional moments. Zoe Saldana and Karen Gillan are both leagues better than they were in the first film. This film set up their dynamic as one of the best in the whole MCU. Dave Bautista also gets to do some emotional acting while still nailing his comedic moments. Vin Diesel’s Baby Groot is a hilarious and iconic character. Bradley Cooper’s voice work for Rocket also is an improvement. He gets some of the best moments in the film. Michael Rooker is phenomenal as Yondu this time with again some excellent acting and nailing his comedic beats. Pom Klementieff was a delightful addition as Mantis, who fit in with this group perfectly. Elizabeth Debicki is a fun side villain who I expect to play a bigger role in Guardians 3. Special mention as to go out to Kurt Russell’s Ego as one of the best villains in the entire MCU. The way they make us love this character and then in one sentence turns him into a villain we want to die was incredible.
James Gunn returns to write and direct and vastly improves both. The directing is outstanding. This film has such a unique style and his action went from okay to genuinely exciting. The script also is fantastic, though I have one flaw. As hilarious as I find this movie, there are a few moments the jokes hurt the emotion of a moment. Otherwise, though all the characters have excellent story arcs, almost all the jokes land, and the film has many strong emotional beats. I want to call out special attention to the cinematography and musical score, which are both outstanding and beautiful. They do so much to build the atmosphere of this movie.
I could go on forever about all the moments in this film I adore but to name a few...
Yondu and Rocket trying to escape from their cell
Yondu killing everyone on his ship
“I’m gonna make some weird shit”
Mantis feeling the emotion of Drax remembering his family
“It broke my heart to put that tumor in her head”
Ego vs Starlord
Rocket trying to teach Baby Groot about the bomb.
“I’m Mary Poppins Y’all”
“Mantis look out”
Yondu’s Funeral
That’s only a handful of them. This is easily top-level MCU for me and a film I intended to revisit more frequently. So guys, that’s it for this Flashback: MCU Edition. Next time we’ll be talking about Spider-Man Homecoming. As always, if you enjoyed this, give it a share and I’ll see you next time.
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