Looking Back at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Some people might be wondering whether this article has been published late or not. No, not really. In fact, it’s an article I’ve considered writing for a while. But it’s only been recently that I’ve been able to re-watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. And honestly? It’s really, really dropped in regards to as how good a movie I think it is.

The thing is, I don’t have a prior article. I swore I wrote a review for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (which I’m shortening to GOTG2 from now on) but it turns out I wrote one for Avengers: Infinity War and only mentioned the Guardians of the Galaxy. But honestly, what happened in Avengers: Infinity War does work towards the point I want to make.

Basically, my point is that the Guardians of the Galaxy are incredibly childish. If it wasn’t for Gamora, they probably would have spaghettified inside a black hole already. Or blown up a moon while still standing on it. Or whatever. Everyone on the team is naive in some way, yes. Everyone on the team has their own little flaws. That’s understandable. But the Guardians of the Galaxy seem to take it to extremes.

In Avengers: Infinity War, it’s not too bad. The story is dark enough that they have to snap out of the humour and childishness a little bit. Star Lord immediately realizes things are going to shit when he loses Gamora, and that at least drives him in a straight line. Sure, everyone who has seen the movie will point out that Star Lord ruined the plan that Doctor Strange came up with, but frankly, I have a theory that Doctor Strange intended for all of that to happen, Thanos winning that fight was just one of a long, long line of steps that Doctor Strange saw in the future where the good guys eventually win.

But in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, you don’t have that serious undertone. There’s not supposed to be that much seriousness. Sure, they end up saving the universe but that’s the reveal at the end. But everyone is still insanely childish. In fact, everyone just seems to act like children. Sure, Baby Groot has an excuse, he’s literally a baby. Mantis has some sort of excuse as well, but everyone else is an idiot too. Draxx in particular seems to have become a complete moron, the perfect trope of the dumb but strong brute.

Really though, it’s as if none of the characters learned anything from the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. The entire family falls apart at the drop of a hat. Mostly because of Rocket being a complete and utter cunt about everything. All the emotional lessons, all the family connections, it all disappears at the start of the second movie. I’d say that the anger between the members is a result of being together for a long time and fractures have built up since the last movie, but it doesn’t feel like very much time as passed.

It feels like the whole first movie was kinda pointless, when it comes to the development of the characters. Rocket is more of a bastard than ever, Draxx has become more stupid, Groot is a baby and can’t do anything, Gamora is still duty-ridden. Star Lord does occasionally think from time to time but the times where he uses his brain are outweighed by all the times he thinks with his guts. Or his pants.

Basically, everyone’s an idiot. An intolerable idiot.

Most of the other things about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 are fine, mainly because they carried on from the first movie. It’s just the characters that all piss me off. And the more I watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the more annoyed I get at everyone.