GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 2 Review Roundup: Find Out What The Critics Thought Of James Gunn's Sequel
The reviews for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 are in, and the general critical consensus seems to be that James Gunn has delivered a very good follow-up that doesn't quite match up to the first.
We shared our review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 earlier on, and now you get to find out how the rest of the internet felt about the Marvel sequel.
For the most part, critics enjoyed the movie quite a bit - but the general consensus definitely seems to be that James Gunn failed to recapture a lot of the magic of the first. In fact, a handful of reviews actually lean towards the negative, citing clumsy plotting and an over-reliance on humor as the main issues. That said, there is pretty much universal praise for the cast and the film's emotional core.
Check out some excerpts below along with a few video reviews (including one from our own Mr. Sunday Movies), and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section. You can keep an eye on the movie's RT score, here.
Empire:
Even when the pixels threaten to overwhelm, Gunn finds refuge in his main characters. There’s plenty to enjoy here, whether it’s the perfectly deployed Baby Groot moments, or a general strain of anarchic weirdness that runs all the way through the credits and which still feels unique to this franchise, not just within the MCU, but blockbusters in general.
Radio Times:
Overall, there’s more visual creativity in this film than in any of Marvel’s recent efforts (even including the mind-bending world of Doctor Strange), combined with a compelling story that contains some genuinely gasp-inducing twists, bucketloads of exciting cameos and an effective villain that becomes creepier the more time you spend with them.
EW:
It's still a good Marvel movie (at times, a very good one), but it's a come down from the dizzying highs of the first installment. The laughs are still there, but they're less involuntary.
Total Film:
This sequel turns up the volume on the action and spectacle for a fun and frequently thrilling ride, but can't help but feel like a disappointment in comparison to its predecessor.
We Live Entertainment:
Even the things people liked about the first movie get exaggerated until it's not cute anymore. Since everyone loved the blacklight joke, there are now constant sex jokes. Everyone loved Baby Groot in one scene, so now he's in the whole movie.
IGN:
The second film is far denser and has a few more pacing and story problems than the first. Still, it's a very good movie with one of the most emotionally impactful endings of any Marvel Cinematic Universe story yet.