Yesterday I watched Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 for the first time, so here are my fresh thoughts! Disclaimer: I did not watch Volume 1 and so this was my introduction to the overall Guardians franchise. I didn't watch it because I saw the dance battle scene between Peter Quill and Ronan online, and rubbed me the wrong way that the movie didn't take itself seriously that much. I'm sure there's many people who would disagree with me, but that told me all I needed to know. Once I heard that Volume 2 had no dance battles, I felt that I would give it a try!
And I'm glad that I did give it a try. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 is a movie that shifts the focus of the superhero genre from the outcome of the hero's actions to the relationship and development between the characters, both good and evil. The movie does not take itself seriously and as such has puts plot in the backseat (overall for the better) to explore signature comedic and visual styles that are halmarks of the Guardian franchise.
The overall tone of the movie is whimsical and relaxed, which is reflected in the movie's fantastic visual style, cinematography, and score. The most memorable scene to me is the title sequence. It progresses with Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra playing, and is shot as one continuous shot with no jumpcuts, always focused on Baby Groot dancing along to the song. I found it entertaining to watch, and the song sets the positive, upbeat tone for the movie. All the while, there are colorful burts in the background, including those erupting from the beast's mouth. The rest of the movie is like this as well, especially Ego planet. This was used to show Quill that a life with Ego would be paradise, and for the audience to recognize that the given situation is most likely too good to be true.
The strongest aspect of the film is its chemistry between the Guardians, which allowed for some incredibly funny moments and one-liners. The characters play well off one another due to their conflicting personalities and quirky features. My favorite duo was Drax and Mantis, as Drax is incredibly blunt and Mantis is socially naive. This combination allowed for them to have banter thats heartwarming at the same time. Rocket and Groot also had great comedic moments together, where multiple times Rocket tries to explain to Groot what he needs to do or get in order to get him out of a sticky situation.
As I mentioned, the film focuses on character relationships. There are many duos in the film (Gamora/Quill, Gamora/Nebula, Quill/Ego, Rocket/Yondu) as well as the dynamic of the entire group. The charcters we follow have always been outcasts and criminals, so they all struggle with abandoment and trust issues. They can't admit that they truly care for anyone, yet all jump at the occassion to save their Guardian family. I found it satisfying to see the characters' feelings and comradery unfold throughout the movie; as tough as the Guardians are on the outside, there's always the unspoken softness in each of their hearts.
Regarding the plot, it revolves around Ego. Ego is the planetary being that impregnated Meredith Quill from Earth and made Peter Quill, is driven by "The Expansion", or activating the seeds of his being on each planet he visited, making all planets become an extension of himself. This master plan is not revealed until the third act of the movie, so it does not drive our heros throughout the movie. Instead, what drives Peter Quill is finding out more about his past once Ego reveals himself. Ego could be trying to take over the universe with an army or with his DNA, it doesn't matter. What matters is that in the end, Peter's relationship with his Guardian peers was more valuable than an arbitrary plan to take over the universe. As such, though the final battle between Ego and Quill is grand both from a visual and consequential scale, it is unimportant in any other measure and ultimately forgettable.
Overall, the movie had a generic plot that is relatively uninteresting and takes a backseat the entire movie. Otherwise, the film had fantastic character chemistry, score, cinematography, color grading, and humor. It is refreshing to watch a superhero film that doesn't take itself too seriously and focuses on the character relationships and flaws