Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: May 5, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 48 Critic Reviews
Positive:
33
Mixed:
14
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanMay 4, 2017
The new film is more expansive, more beautiful, funnier, nuttier and — this is the most difficult trick for any comic-book movie to pull off — more touching than the first film. Read full review
91
ConsequenceDominick Suzanne-MayerMay 2, 2017
It’s the rare Marvel sequel that manages to expand on what came before in new and rewarding ways, while also striking its own distinct tone even as some of its narrative devices skew familiar. Read full review
91
The PlaylistGregory EllwoodApr 25, 2017
How many times have you read that it’s really hard to duplicate the success of the first film in a sequel? Probably more than you can remember. Well, here’s a newsflash: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 pulls that feat off with only a little strain and a belly of genuine emotion. Read full review
88
ObserverThelma AdamsMay 10, 2017
While Marvel metastasizes as a movie brand, the irreverent Guardians of the Galaxy franchise has become a healthy off-shoot. There’s something loose-limbed and unexpected about this series. Read full review
88
St. Louis Post-DispatchCalvin WilsonMay 4, 2017
Pratt is engagingly rascally as Quill, and Saldana brings a sassy charisma to the no-nonsense Gamora. But as might be expected, Baby Groot steals the film. Read full review
88
USA TodayBrian TruittApr 24, 2017
Just like the first one, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a winning and wonderfully relatable gem of crazy. Read full review
86
Paste MagazineMichael BurginJun 15, 2018
By the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the audience is unlikely to feel they’ve seen anything that different from Vol. 1, but it’s clear that Gunn and company knew exactly what qualities made the first film so enjoyable, and what they needed to do to make sure this particular sequel was worth the wait. Read full review
80
SlateJonathan L. FischerMay 5, 2017
Its unthwartable tempo of quips, gags, cameos (Sly Stallone!), and loud noises rarely feels grating if only because of how loving it feels toward its characters and soundtrack, and how respectful it is toward the limits of its audience’s appetite for superheroic universe-building. Read full review
80
We Got This CoveredMatt DonatoApr 28, 2017
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 is the deranged Marvel disco you’d expect from a filmmaker who wants to push the limits of an otherwise rigid and structured system. Read full review
80
Screen DailyTim GriersonApr 24, 2017
Underneath Vol. 2’s sarcastic exterior, Gunn’s script has a big, bleeding heart, pinpointing the characters’ insecurities and emotional scars. Read full review
80
Total FilmLauren O'CallaghanApr 24, 2017
The Guardians get a welcome return to the big screen, which despite many positives, fails to match the dizzying heights of the original. Read full review
80
The TelegraphRobbie CollinApr 24, 2017
That sense of gooey euphoria runs through everything that’s good in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. Read full review
80
EmpireChris Hewitt (1)Apr 24, 2017
Even when the pixels threaten to overwhelm, Gunn finds refuge in his main characters. There’s plenty to enjoy here. Read full review
75
New York PostSara StewartMay 4, 2017
If it’s overstuffed in the way of most sequels, well, at least it’s stuffed with good cheer. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliMay 3, 2017
Volume 2 can claim to be bigger and better than its predecessor, although it still suffers from some of the narrative sleight-of-hand issues that kept Guardians of Galaxy from achieving greatness. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleMay 3, 2017
It’s a sci-fi action movie that spoofs the form to strong comic effect, and yet it profits from every good thing about the genre it’s mocking. It tries to have it both ways, and it succeeds. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyMay 2, 2017
To some degree, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 is a more offbeat film than the original, with better gags, better (and more cartoonish) action, and more visual variety. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineJake ColeMay 2, 2017
The film at one point offers the finest sustained act of emotional storytelling to grace a Marvel Studios production. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoMay 2, 2017
“Vol. 2” avoids many of the flaws of the first movie, and does several things notably better. It’s fun, clever and a great kick-off to the summer movie season. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperMay 2, 2017
Like many a sequel to a slam-bang, much-liked mega-hit, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 isn’t quite as much fun, not quite as clever, not quite as fresh as the original — but it still packs a bright and shiny and sweet punch. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter TraversApr 27, 2017
Hanging with Quill and his mercenary space misfits is still everything you'd want in a wild summer ride. Read full review
75
TheWrapAlonso DuraldeApr 24, 2017
There is wit and there are explosions, and while none of them represent a step above “Guardians of the Galaxy,” neither do they impugn the memory of one of the freshest and most fun of the Marvel movies. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzMay 3, 2017
It’s the classic example of the sequel to a really imaginative original: If the first one didn’t exist, this one would seem revolutionary. But the first one does, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, for all its charms, will live in its shadow. Read full review
70
ScreenCrushMatt SingerApr 24, 2017
The characters and their relationships are strong and the dialogue is sharp, but the whole thing feels like a minor installment in an ongoing series. Read full review
70
VarietyOwen GleibermanApr 24, 2017
Shot for shot, line and line, it’s an extravagant and witty follow-up, made with the same friendly virtuosic dazzle. Yet this time you can sense just how hard the series’ wizard of a director, James Gunn (now taking off from a script he wrote solo), is working to entertain you. Maybe a little too hard. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovMay 10, 2017
Director and writer Gunn is a dab hand with space opera quippery and most of the set-pieces land bang on target, with collateral emotional damage to boot. Read full review
67
Tampa Bay TimesSteve PersallMay 3, 2017
James Gunn's second spin with Marvel's interplanetary misfits still entertains but this time the fun feels forced. Gone is the original's scrappy underdog spirit and a director operating like it's his only chance to make a movie. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyApr 24, 2017
It’s smarter than most films, but not as smart as the first one. It’s funnier than most films, but not as funny as the first one. And it still probably belongs in the upper tier of Marvel movies but nowhere near as high up as the first one. Read full review
67
IndieWireEric KohnApr 24, 2017
Much of the material gets rehashed with slight variations...and many of the space battles have a redundant quality. Read full review
65
The VergeBryan BishopApr 25, 2017
Thankfully, Vol. 2 does come together in the end with a powerful emotional payoff, but that’s only after it becomes a computer-generated action-fest with the fate of the universe hanging in the balance again. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy BurrMay 3, 2017
The sharp comic timing and devil-may-care breeziness of the original only return intermittently, and the new film’s emphasis is on family feuds and forgiveness. It’s heavy on the feels. There are hugs. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreMay 3, 2017
What flipped by as a funny, big-budget whimsy before takes on gravitas — daddy issues, intimacy issues, trust issues. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsMay 2, 2017
This one's a step down from the original. Read full review
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