Why Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Is Underrated

When Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 came out, it did very well financially, but got a sort of mixed response critically. They liked it, generally, but there was lots of complaint about how the film wasn't as fresh as it's predecessor and how it had too much going on visually. While I think there are merits to these arguments, I feel like it's led to the film being ignored in favor of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok, both of which came out the same year to much more praise. In my mind, Guardians 2 is a bold, moving film, and a recent rewatch confirmed a lot of those feelings for me. 

The biggest factor for me, which was a general turn-off for audiences, was that it's truly James Gunn's films. Every line, every character beat, every scene feels exactly like what he wanted it to be, creating a sense of unity that a lot of the more "by committee" Marvel films tend to have. It feels personal in a way no MCU film ever really is, investing the audience in the characters more. 

In terms of emotional investment, I think this one's hard to top. Traditionally, MCU films always up the stakes, leaving little room for the characters to grow emotionally, but Guardians 2 focuses really heavily on the team as a whole. Sure, Peter's father issues comes first, but there's also Gamora's relationship with Nebula, Drax mourning his wife and child, and Rocket trying to drive everyone away. By the end of the film, these issues are dealt with in a satisfying fashion, and we're left feeling like the Guardians have truly become the family none of them ever got to have. Fittingly, it ends with the funeral of Yondu, who established himself as a surrogate father and lovable antihero just in time to die, leaving a solid chunk of the audience in tears as Cat Stevens plays us out. 

And I know/that I have to go away...

And the death of Yondu flies in the face of a frequent criticism of Marvel films: they don't take risks. By the end of this film, a major supporting character has given his life to save his adopted son, and it has real impact in a way the rest of the MCU didn't. This is on top of not one, but three, entertaining villains and a legitimately important lesson of "No matter how you are, there are always people who will love you." 

At the end of the day, Guardians 2 isn't the best MCU film, but it's arguably the bravest and most uncompromising we've seen from the franchise thus far, meaning it definitely deserves a second look from a lot of skeptics.