It’s finally here, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Well, no, it’s not the release of the highly-anticipated Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2. However, it’s the next best thing. The review embargo for the sequel has lifted, so you can finally see what many of the early reviews from critics are saying about the film.
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Overall, the critics have been very positive about the movie. At the time of writing this article – and this will certainly change over the next couple of weeks – Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 has earned a 92% score. 36 reviews had been counted so far, and only three have been negative.
When you start reading into the reviews, there are pretty much two voices that can be heard. One states that Vol. 2 is an incredible film, that easily tops its MCU predecessors. The other voice says that this movie is good, but not amazing. That it was funny, and enjoyable, but didn’t manage to capture the magic of the first film.
If you want to get a consensus for yourself, and don’t want to search around the Internet for all of the various reviews, we’ve got you covered. Check out all of the major Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 reviews here!
ComicBook.com
Our very own Brandon Davis was at the press screening last Monday, as well as the premiere on Wednesday. Having seen the film twice, he’s convinced that there is a lot to celebrate.
The sequel has both the advantage and disadvantage of following up the wholly original hit that was Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. This time around, the joy of meeting these characters for the first time is ruled out but the door is open for more intimate adventures now that audiences have met the bunch. Though Vol. 2 never quite recaptures the magic offered by meeting the cosmic heroes, the sequel makes up for such troubles elsewhere.
Read Brandon’s full review here.
Variety
Like many of the reviews, Variety’s Owen Gleiberman feels like the sequel falls just short of its original.
“Shot for shot, line and line, it’s an extravagant and witty follow-up, made with the same friendly virtuosic dazzle. Yet this time you can sense just how hard the series’ wizard of a director, James Gunn (now taking off from a script he wrote solo), is working to entertain you. Maybe a little too hard. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is an adventure worth taking, and the number of moviegoers around the planet who will want to take it should prove awe-inspiring. But it doesn’t so much deepen the first “Guardians” as offer a more strenuous dose of fun to achieve a lesser high.”
Read Variety’s Full Review Here.
The Hollywood Reporter
Todd McCarthy’s review at The Hollywood Reporter is perhaps the most notable of the negative review. He relates the Guardians franchise to a sports team that upset the big dogs to win the title, only to crash down to expectations the following year.
“When a disarmingly wacky and amusing B-team of Marvel characters parachuted in three summers ago and made off with a worldwide haul of $771 million, the fifth biggest of any Marvel production, Guardians of the Galaxy resembled a makeshift expansion sports franchise that somehow played above its own level all year long and snuck into the World Series. But the second season brings this team back to reality, if not to planet Earth, and while the stadiums will remain packed, the results on the field are not nearly so pretty for this manic and sometimes grating continuation of a scattershot narrative, in which the survival of the universe is treated far more glibly than its knotty superhero daddy issues.”
Entertainment Weekly
Getting back on track with many reviews, Chris Nashawatty of Entertainment Weekly feels that Guardians 2 was a run ride, that fell just short of hitting the high marks set by the original.
“Nothing dooms a comic-book movie quicker than when it takes itself too seriously. Ponderous existential handwringing is a drag. Maybe that’s why Guardians of the Galaxy was such a welcome and delirious blast of laughing gas when it hit theaters nearly three years ago. Here was a movie that not only had Marvel’s usual smattering of giddy punch lines; it seemed to be made up entirelyof them. It was like watching a superhero sit on a whoopee cushion for two hours—and the gag never got tired. Alas, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the gag is starting to feel like it’s getting a bit old. 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.”
Read Entertainman Weekly’s Full Review Here.
MoviePilot
While many of MoviePilot’s articles are written by contributors, or creators as they’re called, the Guardians review was handled by full-time editor Alisha Grauso. It may not be the most popular opinion, but Grauso echoes Brandon Davis’ feelings – it finds a way to potentially top the original.
“While I’m not sure Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 can be crowned the new best Marvel movie ever – the MCU is now too vast and diverse to compare them all so easily – I’m happy to say it just might be better than its predecessor. It still has all the trademark wacky Gunn humor, but comes with even more heart.”
Read MoviePilot’s Full Review Here.
The Wrap
The Wrap’s voice of reviews, Alonso Duralde, said Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 was a lot of fun. However, if you weren’t all in on the first film, this may not be for you.
“As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, it becomes clearer that there are two kinds of films in the series: those that introduce or embellish characters and include events that have ongoing consequences within this on-screen world, and those that merely act as a bridge from one big story point to another, allowing audiences to spend time with beloved characters and to watch some mammoth, special-effects-heavy fight sequences that ultimately don’t add up to much.
“The first “Guardians of the Galaxy” falls firmly into the former category, while “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” fits into the latter. And if you’re a fan of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot from the first movie, then what “Vol. 2″ offers will be enough to keep you entertained with a mix of cranky banter, anti-heroic heroics and some deep dives into the Super Hits of the ’70s.”
Read The Wrap’s Full Review Here.
IGN
Echoing almost every other review out there, IGN’s Terri Schwartz thought that this movie was a blast. However, Vol. 2 doesn’t quite capture the essence of the first film quite like everyone hopes it will.
“It’s difficult to catch lightning in a bottle twice, and that’s exactly what James Gunn tries to do in Guardians Of The Gaxy Vol 2. Ultimately Vol. 2 isn’t as amazing a film as the first and suffers from some pacing issues, but it still proves to be a fun time with a lot of heart.”
MORE: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Does David Hasselhoff Have a Cameo? / Guardians Of The Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 2 Track List Revealed
Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is scheduled to hit theaters on May 5, 2017.
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