Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 REVIEW (NO Spoilers)

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 finally came out this weekend, and of course I went to see it on opening day!  I’ve been looking forward to this movie ever since the first one came out, and I was not disappointed.  It is definitely different from the original Guardians movie, but it is absolutely a must-see.

Also, when you see it, be sure to stay after the credits because there is not 1, not 2, but five (and no, it’s not “three, sir!”) mid- and end-credits scenes, ranging from silly and amusing to serious and (presumably) significant-for-the-future.

Thematically, this movie is very strong and consistent with its twin messages of family and redemption.  Every character’s arc drives one or both themes home. However, all of the characters have their own unique arc, which brings them to a new place by the end of the movie.  In terms of character development, there are eight Guardians in addition to three further villains and important supporting characters, so they do not all receive equal treatment.  This movie focuses primarily on about half those characters, with the rest getting substantially less development.  That is certainly not a bad thing since the main focus is on different characters than were focused on in the first movie.

The action is pretty awesome, though there is much more focus on character than straight-up action.  Consequently, the movie may move a little too slowly for younger audiences.  However, the use of Baby Groot more than makes up for the slow movement of the plot, as he is absolutely adorable.

There are a lot of really cool cameos and surprise appearances, including the ever-present Stan Lee cameo.  The original Guardians of the Galaxy team from the comics does make an appearance (as was reported this week), but it isn’t that big.  We can talk about what it could mean going forward, but it doesn’t necessarily have to mean anything.  There are also some major indications of what is next for the Guardians of the Galaxy series as well as their potential role in Avengers: Infinity War, all of which we will talk about at some point in the next week or two.

I really enjoyed this movie, and I will probably go to see it against before it is out of theaters.

There isn’t too much room for a tie-in on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but there is at least one bit from the movie that could be referenced in this week’s episode (if there’s room for it).  If you don’t get a chance to watch the movie before Tuesday and are concerned about spoilers, check my review on Wednesday and I will let you know if there are any spoilers in the episode.

If you’ve seen the movie already, what did you think of it?  Let me know in the comments! 

Just remember to avoid spoilers!