‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2’ Review Roundup: Why Critics Say Marvel’s Latest Hits A Snag

We’re still a few days away from the release of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” but the reviews are starting to pour in. Following the surprise commercial and critical success of 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” fans and critics alike thought it would be difficult for director James Gunn to follow the film with another hit.

Fortunately for moviegoers, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is proving to be a great flick, but it may not live up to the first movie. In his review of the film, Owen Gleiberman of Variety calls the film “an adventure worth taking” but said it “doesn’t so much deepen the first ‘Guardians’ as offer a more strenuous dose of fun to achieve a lesser high.”

It seems that “Vol. 2” having to follow the success of the first “Guardians” film is what makes it difficult for the new movie to be a success on its own. In a review for iO9, Germain Lussier says, “The biggest problem with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ is the first ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movie. Vol. 1, if you will, was such a huge, surprise hit that most of the massive audiences who will flock to see ‘Vol. 2’ will all want to relive watching the first film.”

Like other reviewers, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said the film “can’t match the sneak-attack surprise of its predecessor,” but that doesn’t make it a bad film. In his four-star review, Travers says the movie “hasn’t lost its love for inspired lunacy” and went on to write that “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” still has “everything you’d want in wild summer ride.”

Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter also sees “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” as a fun ride, comparing the movie to a roller coaster ride, but unfortunately for moviegoers, McCarthy sees it as a second ride “that was a real kick the first time around but feels very been-there/done-that now.”

In a review that wasn’t as accepting of the movie’s faults, Bryan Bishop of The Verge called the plot “clumsy” and claimed the film “doesn’t have any real purpose, even as a bridge to other chapters in the Marvel story.” According to Bishop, multiple storylines lead to a “painfully awkward” film.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” hits theaters on May 5.