Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2

(Image by Marvel/Andy Park)

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 (GOTG2) is packed with explosive action sequences, humour, snark and even romance. The central theme of family makes the film relatable to movie-goers of all ages, including the wife of a comic book geek, who is often begrudgingly dragged along to every superhero movie…. aka me.

It is inevitable that GOTG2 would be compared to its predecessor, seeing how it was such a runaway hit. Reviews have leaned towards saying that it isn’t as good as the original movie but I disagree with this sentiment.

While I will admit that the soundtrack of GOTG2 is not as catchy as the first movie, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of GOTG2, one of the rare superhero movies which I have not fallen asleep during. 

(To be clear, I do not find superhero movies boring, I just seem to have a knack for falling asleep for 5-10 minutes whenever I watch them in the cinema. It usually happens during a scene which is too long for my liking, or too overloaded in jargon or unexciting fight sequences. But I digress.)

GOTG2 should really be renamed Groot of the Galaxy because that little sap steals the show in every scene that he is in. While all the characters in this misfit band of space pirates are interesting in their own right, Groot’s childlike demeanour (tantrums included) makes for some very interesting scenarios. If you liked the teaser trailer featuring him and Rocket raccoon, you will be howling at a particular scene in the middle of the movie.

I will concede that hardcore comic book fans might baulk at changes to the comic book canon, which frankly, is an inherent hazard of trying to translate the written word to the screen. They might also bemoan the lack of connection to the main Marvel cinematic universe that’s been set up by all the Marvel movies thus far.

However, I find the offshoot refreshing. With 15 films spanning 9 years, it takes a lot of grey matter to remember every single plot twist of this massive adventure. In fact, GOTG2’s distance from the main cinematic storyline renders it much more accessible to general audiences, even those who did not watch the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. This is only enhanced by the fact that GOTG2 is not steeped in techno-babble and sci-fi speak.  

Aside from making the movie-viewing experience much more enjoyable for the noob, accessibility matters because it is what keeps comic books mainstream.

Let’s face it, mention comic books and the first image one often comes up with is the reclusive, socially awkward middle aged male who would rather spend nights debating who would win a fight between Batman and Superman.

This is problematic because the comic book subculture has always been about inclusivity. Free Comic Book Day, a global annual event in the first week is May, is the perfect example of that. On Free Comic Book Day, comic book publishers create standalone comics that are handed out for free at participating comic book shops. These include famous characters from the big players in the industry. This year’s characters include Wonder Woman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dragonballz and Archie comics. Comic book shops also offer massive discounts on the day as part of this promotional effort to draw new readers into comic book reading and collecting.

If, like me, you find yourself standing in line for free comics before the shops open for Free Comic Book Day, you will find yourself surrounded by humans of various ages, sizes and backgrounds. You’ll find the little kid wearing the Hulk mask with their dad on your right and the professional cosplayers, decked out in the full regalia on your left. In any normal circumstance, you would be ridiculed for walking around in a full spandex suit but at Free Comic Book day, creative expression is celebrated.    

GOTG2 and its ilk is what the comic book movies need to sustain the larger franchise. If you can’t get an audience interested in what purists might argue is a dumbed down version of a superhero movie, how do you expect them to give the upcoming Infinity War a chance?