Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Scores Again With Critics

Now that the review embargo has been lifted on James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we can get a sense of how the sequel stacks up against 2014’s juggernaut first film—and it looks as if there’s very good news in the galaxy. Considering Star-lord, Gamora and the gang aren’t hitting your local multiplex until next week, May 5, we’ll tread lightly here as we roundup some of the reviews and avoid any spoilers. The most important thing for you to know is that the advanced test screening scores revealed audience rankings that were higher than any previous Marvel film, while the critics are more or less writing that Gunn and his team have done it again. We’re going to share some of the broad strokes from the reviews, but click the links at your own discretion, as they’ll likely include more plot information than you’d like.  

Variety’s Owen Gleiberman writes: “Shot for shot, line and line, it's an extravagant and witty follow-up, made with the same friendly virtuosic dazzle.”

indieWire’s Eric Kohn writes: “Gunn remains a wizard of a nearly impossible task. The ex-Troma director is ideally suited to transform what should be a hokey B-movie into one of Marvel's most audacious ongoing storylines.”

USA Today’s Brian Truitt writes: “Just like the first one, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a winning and wonderfully relatable gem of crazy.”

Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger writes that Gunn’s sequel is a visual stunner. “Apart from the pleasure in seeing old characters in new ways, there's also all the eye candy surrounding them. Marvel has never stinted on special effects, but this film is practically psychedelic.”