Grade: B-
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is that rare sequel that surpasses the original and even makes me want to revisit it. I liked it better than the first film, but that’s not saying much. I found 2014’s GotG to have some fine individual elements, but ultimately nothing came together to amount to anything worthwhile. The whole thing just “sat there” for me. GotGv2 isn’t brilliant, but contains excellent moments, does a better job of inviting me in to a cinematic world which has never been my favorite, and I am optimistic about the direction it is heading. The soundtrack is terrific – some of the greatest folk and classic rock songs ever show up here, and they felt like characters in the movie that help punctuate the story, rather than arbitrarily throwing a bunch of familiar music up there to see what sticks. The screenwriting team has once again given us hip, fun, clever, funny dialogue, and the actors can’t help but step up to the plate and deliver. The ending is beautiful.
On the other hand, in its 2 hours and 16 minutes, GotGv2 often feels tired and tedious. The action scenes can drag. But more than before, I saw a spark of promise. Three years ago, I wrote this about the first film: “All the ingredients are there, and they are fresh. They just need to get cooking. GotG is ultimately nothing I need to see a second time. Grade: C”
Doggone it if they aren’t figuring it out.
Grade: B-
Film Reviews by Mark 
Leave a reply to Deadpool 2 – Film Reviews by Mark Cancel reply