Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is set to hit theaters next week and, like most people, we're pretty excited about it. The first Guardians of the Galaxy came out way back in 2014, and anticipation has been building for the sequel ever since.
So far we've found out that Karen Gillan will reprise her role as Nebula, joined by new villain Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) who threatens to “cleanse the universe.” We've also learnt that another new character, played by Kurt Russell, will make a surprise appearance as Peter's long-lost father.
While we have to wait another whole week to immerse ourselves back in the Guardians of the Galaxy universe and get all the answers we need, the critics have already seen the movie — and it's fair to say that they have a lot of thoughts. See what they're saying below.
The Good
Tom Gliatto, People MagazineThe movie will make fans happy, very happy, and it will reduce everyone else to a mass of cooing, goo-goo-ing ninnies, all in the thrall of a character named Baby Groot.
Tom Huddleston, Time OutThe characters are still fun to be around, the one-liners are still sharp and the soundtrack is, of course, terrific.
Mark Daniell, Toronto SunGunn's soundtrack picks also come as a surprise and work exceptionally well -- there's a scene where Star-Lord and Baby Groot cozy up while listening to Cat Stevens' Father and Son that might find you looking for a hanky underneath your popcorn tub.
The Indifferent
Alonso Duralde, TheWrapVol. 2 is filler, to be sure, but if you like the flavor of these movies, you'll enjoy this second bite
Gersh Kuntzman, New York Daily NewsWill everyone enjoy "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2"? Of course. But if this franchise is going to survive, the producers of Vol. 3 better invest a bit more in script development and a bit less on explosions
Charles Bramesco, MetroThe introduction of family bonds as a unifying theme represents Gunn's most decisive break from the original's winning formula. Aside from that, the second verse is same as the first.
The Bad
Mara Reinstein, Us WeeklyFor the sequel, writer-director James Gunn has doubled down on all his once-nifty novelties. Strip them away and what remains is a bloated semi-mess.
Stephanie Zacharek, TIME MagazineGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 comes at us grinning from ear-to-ear for nearly two and a half hours. It's high on its own supply.
Scott Mendelson, ForbesLike a number of Marvel "part 2" entries, it suffers from the push-pull between being a smaller, more character-driven sequel and providing the required mega-bucks action and spectacle.
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Now, brush up on your Guardians knowledge by watching the dark and sometimes bizarre history of the series.
