Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: The Guardians of the Galaxy return as Star-Lord meets his father and discovers his cosmic origin.
Review: Following up the first GotG film was going to be difficult, but part 2 mostly succeeds at being a worthy sequel. It's kind of a toss-up, because some plot elements are done better this time around while others are inferior. To be precise, a significant amount of action is reduced in order to play up the humor even more. As such, the humor doesn't feel the same, stylistically, as part 1. To me, the jokes felt dumber, dragged on longer, and were often so over the top that it's as if they were trying to steal some of "Deadpool's" thunder. On the other hand, part two was more emotional with the characters and their relationships further developing. Then we also have the inclusion of a new team member in the form of the sexy Mantis and, potentially, Nebula joining at some point. I will freely admit, depending on what you prioritize in these movies, you could easily make the argument that this is the better entry.
In regard to the humor...this entry makes part 1 look subtle in comparison. Sure, I found a lot of the gags amusing and was laughing quite a bit throughout, however, I'd rather they blend this in with action. This entry only has a few action sequences, and the only one even worth acknowledging was the final fight which was heavily contrived to boot. The filmmakers have been playing fast and loose with Marvel lore for years which is...okay...I guess, yet, it's still hard to believe a Celestial would struggle to kill the GotG. This is, of course, ignoring that Ego, Star-Lord's dad in the movie, is not really his dad nor a Celestial in the comics. Oh well. This is all beside the point...my main concern is that the filmmakers couldn't go two seconds without a joke--to the point that it felt forced. Yes, the movie as a whole is funny but ease up a little.
On the other hand, plenty of story changes work better than they did originally in the comic. For example, exploring Nebula's character was epic. Understanding how much she has suffered at the hands of Thanos and her resentment for Gamora is palpable. But, of course, they include a joke during this moment that cheapens her story (though, it was a funny joke at that!). I'd definitely like to see Nebula return and join the team for real next time. Speaking of which, the introduction of Mantis was interesting, and she definitely fits into the goofy nature of the team. It was also kind of sweet how Drax fell for her despite his constant reminding of how ugly he finds her. Then we have Star-Lord and Gamora finally hooking up a bit which was nice. Yondu being completely redeemed and having a heartfelt death was surprisingly moving. It was scenes like this that heavily compensated for the lack of action going on. Something extremely impressive was how quick the film went by despite being longer than part 1; that's some tight pacing for sure.
I think my main disappointment was that part 2 should have connected more to the buildup of Thanos, and this story should have been saved for part 3 once Thanos is beaten (presumably) in "The Avengers" movies. Don't get me wrong, this is still a fun and great movie all around that adds more of what you love about the first GotG. The character relationships are expanded, we learn more about everyone, and there is a strong, emotional conclusion. However, the comedy is heavily increased with a slight tonal shift to that humor. In exchange, much of the action is reduced and made equally comedic, taking away from the stakes to a degree. If your tastes align more with the filmmakers than my own, then you will probably enjoy part 2 significantly more than part 1. Overall, this was an admirable sequel that falls short of the original but is still a good film unto itself.
Notable Moment: Although I laughed hard when Yondu said he was Mary Poppins, the coolest and funniest scene is when Star-Lord turns into a giant Pac-Man.
Final Rating: 7/10
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