Line #130 YMMV/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2


1	%% Aside from his callous murder of Meredith, each spoiler involving Ego will stay unmarked.
2
3	----
4	* {{Adorkable}}:
5	** Groot Jr. falls into this trope pretty frequently, such as when he's dancing happily to "Mr. Blue Sky" in the opening scene of the film... only to freeze when Drax turns and sees him. And then starting to dance again as soon as Drax looks away.
6	** Mantis also falls into this for many viewers. Her {{Squee}}ing [[CutenessProximity over Rocket]] during the film's climax is both absolutely adorable and gut-bustingly hilarious.
7	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
8	** The opening sequence sees Drax jumping into the mouth of the monster they are fighting to "cut it from the inside". The other Guardians see this as a particularly stupid act because it's the same skin from both sides. However, it's very likely that Drax didn't mean "cut it Chestburster style" but rather "cause massive damage to its internal organs". When we see him inside the monster, he is happily stabbing at the inside rather than try and make any effort to get out. Taking credit for killing the monster may have been him being a {{Cloudcuckoolander}}, but for all he knew, Gamora might have sliced the beast open ''after'' it died to get him out.
9	** Ego: [[spoiler:Did he truly love Peter and his mother? Did he truly want to get to know his son as a father? Did he kill Meredith because he was scared of his love for her causing him to lose what made him special? ''Or'' did he simply see them as a means to an end? Did he only see Meredith as an Earthling incubator for his progeny to dispose of once he got what he needed? Did he just manipulate Peter to get him to achieve his goals while feeling nothing for him?]] There's enough ambiguity between his actions and his words to give credence to any one of these interpretations. Perhaps one of the biggest is [[spoiler:the moment Ego crushes Peter's Walkman, the last memory he has of his mother, while quietly singing the refrain to "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl" one last time. Was it a KickTheDog moment that firmly booted Ego over the MoralEventHorizon as a showcase of his utter lack of morality, or was it (in his own [[LackOfEmpathy twisted]] way) a genuine effort to try and make Peter let go of his attachments to his mortal life and join him in godhood, as the only other being in existence who could eventually understand him? Or maybe both?]]
10	** Come ''Film/{{Eternals}}'', we are introduced to the other Celestials. Unlike Ego, they are more-or-less comic-accurate and contradict Ego's statement of being alone in the universe, throwing some doubt into whether Ego actually is a Celestial. Him assuming he was simply because he was powerful and heard Celestials were powerful is in character for a megalomaniac like him.
11	** Drax's interactions with Mantis; does he see her as a friend, a daughter figure to be protected, or a love interest? WordOfGod is that it ''isn't'' a romantic relationship, but the subtext is still there. Additionally, does he call her ugly because he wants to put distance between them and not allow himself to care about her (romantic or otherwise), because he really does find her ugly and is just being direct about it as usual, or is it his way of trying to be funny?
12	** Mantis' comment that she "[doesn't] even like the type of thing" Drax is; some fans take it as a sign that she doesn't find members of his species attractive, while others have taken it as a sign that she's AmbiguouslyGay or even asexual.
13	* AwardSnub:
14	** Despite being the first Hollywood production to be filmed entirely using 8K cinematography (ie, a resolution with four times the pixels of high definition), paving the way for further films to be shot with this resolution, the film received no UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations for Best Cinematography.
15	** Creator/MichaelRooker's fantastic portrayal of Yondu led fans, critics and even Creator/JamesGunn to feel he deserved an Oscar nod (i.e., as Best Supporting Actor or another similar role). [[spoiler:Rooker and Gunn's refusal to bring Yondu back solidifies their respect for his HeroicSacrifice, but also means Rooker will sadly never have another chance to get this character his award]].
16	** Tyler Bates (the film's composer) was allegedly considered for more awards and missed out due to the soundtrack having too many unoriginal tracks. Nonetheless many fans were outraged, believing this to be one of the MCU's more powerful scores. Gunn himself prefers vol.2's soundtrack.
17	* BaseBreakingCharacter:
18	** Well, less "character" and more concept here, but the point still stands with regard to Baby Groot. He's either a refreshing way of handling the character after the first movie or a cynical move by Marvel [[MerchandiseDriven to sell merchandise of the character]]. [[spoiler:Teen Groot gets this same treatment.]]
19	** Either you like the inclusion of Mantis as a funny, endearing, PragmaticAdaptation for a new TokenGoodTeammate who bucks stereotypes by avoiding the AsianAndNerdy trope and being [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower a surprisingly effective]] NonActionGuy, or she's yet another demure female Asian-coded stereotype that doesn't get a shred of her comic counterpart's badassery.
20	** Drax being DenserAndWackier as opposed to being TheComicallySerious either made him more iconic or more obnoxious.
21	* BrokenBase: The Taserface gag. For some it is '''the''' funniest joke in the entire movie, with many loving it for Bradley Cooper's infectious delivery and the rest of the cast's hysterical reaction to it. For others, it is a forced, unfunny joke that gets dragged out and overplayed.
22	* CatharsisFactor:
23	** Watching Yondu, Rocket and Groot kill every last one of the mutinous Ravagers, who previously killed everybody loyal to Yondu in a needlessly sadistic and cruel way.
24	** Similarly, [[spoiler:Ego's [[KarmicDeath ultimate demise]] is nothing but pure satisfaction once we learn he killed Meredith in the most heinous way possible]] and killed millions worth of his own children without a second thought; not to mention the other things he did throughout the film. The fact that he eventually shows ''[[BreakTheHaughty complete fear]]'' to his demise just gives this bonus points.
25	** Extra bonus points go to the earlier scene where Peter [[spoiler: learns Ego [[YouKilledMyFather killed Merideth]] and his first reaction after asking "What?" is to ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill shoot holes in him repeatedly with his laser guns,]]'']] which is what any viewer would've done in his position.
26	* CompleteMonster:
27	** [[spoiler:[[Characters/MCUEgo Ego]], [[Characters/MCUPeterQuill Peter "Star-Lord" Quill]]'s [[ArchnemesisDad father]], is an immortal Celestial, who once traveled the universe seeking companionship, but found that other life utterly disappointed him and lost any interest in them. Ego instead decided upon a plan of [[AssimilationPlot assimilating all creation into himself]] in what he termed "The Expansion". Lacking the power to do so on his own, he sired countless children--[[Film/TheGuardiansOfTheGalaxyHolidaySpecial including Mantis]], whom [[AbusiveParents he treated as no better than a pet]]--hoping they would inherit his Celestial powers, [[OffingTheOffspring killing them]] out of disappointment when they didn't. Traveling to Earth, Ego met Meredith Quill, whom he developed genuine feelings for. Unwilling to deviate from The Expansion, Ego [[KickTheMoralityPet gave her the brain tumor that killed her]] to ensure nothing held him back from his self-appointed purpose. After learning Peter might carry the Celestial gene, Ego tracked him down, playing the good father to him before revealing the true purpose of The Expansion, revealing his true nature when he believed Peter wouldn't care. When Peter turns on Ego, Ego enslaves him to his own power to use Peter [[LivingBattery as a battery]] for the next thousand years before kicking off The Expansion to consume every living thing in the universe, while spitefully [[CrushTheKeepsake destroying Peter's Walkman]] which was a gift from Meredith and his last link to his mother. When Peter attempts to stop Ego, Ego without care also tries to murder Peter's friends.]]
28	** Alexander Irvine's {{novelization}}: [[spoiler:[[Characters/MCUEgo Ego the Living Planet]] is a self-obsessed Celestial who spent millions of years pondering his purpose, and came to the conclusion that it was nothing less than [[AssimilationPlot the total absorption of all life in the universe]], until the only thing that exists is himself. Unable to achieve his "Expansion" with his power alone, Ego set about seducing and impregnating countless women on countless worlds, hoping that one of his spawn would be gifted with his Celestial capabilities. All of his children, numbering in the millions, who have failed to have this power [[OffingTheOffspring are quickly killed by Ego]]. When Ego discovers his son [[Characters/MCUPeterQuill Peter Quill]] has Celestial potential, Ego tries to convince him to betray his friends and help the Expansion come to pass, revealing in the process that Ego was the one who [[KickTheMoralityPet killed Peter's mother Meredith with a brain tumor]]; Ego did it simply because his love for Meredith was too much of a distraction. [[ArchnemesisDad Ego]] then [[CrushTheKeepsake breaks Peter's beloved Walkman]] and tries to forcefully convert Peter into a "[[LivingBattery battery]]" for thousands of years, willing to abuse and kill yet another of his children to satisfy his own twisted desires.]]
29	* CrackPairing:
30	** A lot of fans started shipping Drax and Mantis, despite the fact that he spends pretty much the whole movie calling her ugly. Or possibly [[BelligerentSexualTension because of it.]]
31	** Kraglin and Nebula, of all people, became unexpectedly popular thanks to a one-on-one scene between them where she explains her [[DarkAndTroubledPast backstory]] to him and Kraglin looks simultaneously terrified and turned on.
32	** Nebula and Mantis is also well-liked, with many fans enjoying the potential of a rare female/female version of the BroodingBoyGentleGirl trope.
33	* CreepyCute: Mantis. Her antennae may seem a little jarring, and she does have literal [[FishEyes bug eyes]], but her NoSocialSkills antics and her dynamic with Drax are wholesomely endearing.
34	* CrossesTheLineTwice:
35	** Yondu (with Rocket and Baby Groot's help) massacring his treacherous crew with his psychic arrow -- extremely violent. Doing the aforementioned massacring [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhc3CinJHYY&lc=Ugxx1PY5E9VX-ijJHPx4AaABAg&ab_channel=MarvelUniverseEntertainment while set to]] "Come a Little Bit Closer"? Extremely violent and utterly ''glorious''.
36	--->'''Jelle ([=YouTube=] Commenter):''' [[ItMakesSenseInContext Ahh, the Marvel Feelgood Mass Murder Scenes]].
37	** Rocket and Peter's extremely juvenile argument while flying the ''Milano'', culminating in Rocket threatening to [[VulgarHumor put a turd in Quill's bed]], is crude and sophomoric in the extreme. Rocket claiming that he won't use one of his own, he'll use one of ''Drax's,'' and Drax taking ''pride'' in this, ("I have famously huge turds") turns it from merely crass to screamingly hilarious.
38	** Drax asking Ego about the mechanics of having sex with Peter's mom when Ego [[HotSkittyOnWailordAction is a planet]]. If Ego responding in completely professional SincerityMode isn't making you laugh, then Drax explaining how his father told him the story of his ''conception'' '''every winter solstice''' certainly will.
39	** [[RuleOfThree Drax]] ([[RunningGag sensing a pattern here?]]) telling Mantis that she's hideously disgusting once is rather [[KickTheDog cruel]] the ''first'' time he says it. It stops feeling so wrong when he's telling her this ''every time they talk''.
40	* EnsembleDarkHorse:
41	** While Yondu retains this trait from the previous movie, [[NumberTwo Kraglin]] didn't previously have this trope. A combination of his AscendedExtra status, [[UndyingLoyalty many]] [[HiddenDepths likable]] [[AcePilot qualities]], and emotional role in Yondu's storyline made him very popular among audiences, with many hoping he joins the Guardians [[spoiler:as Yondu's successor]]. Yondu himself is even more popular than prior, with his many badass [[OneManArmy feats]] and {{memetic\|Mutation}} lines, to the point where many people have called [[spoiler:his death and funeral [[TearJerker/MarvelCinematicUniverse one of the saddest moments in the entire MCU.]]]]
42	** Gef became unexpectedly liked by people in the executive department, and his death was made slightly less explicit for it.
43	* EpilepticTrees: [[spoiler: After it was confirmed that Kraglin survived the ending of ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Infinity War]]'', many fans expect to see him join the Guardians (or more accurately, join ''[[SoleSurvivor Rocket]]'') as Yondu's successor, possibly even with his own Ravager clan.]]
44	* EvenBetterSequel: A number of fans feel that this movie takes everything that made the last movie good and improves on it with better storytelling and characters.
45	* EvilIsCool: Ego was very well received as a rather unique villain in terms of powers, motivation, and mentality, and he's considered an exception to the MCU's usual run of having weak villains. Creator/KurtRussell's performance as Ego, [[FauxAffablyEvil maintaining an affability that becomes a mask for coldness]], especially in his [[TheSociopath nonchalance at the horrible brutality and violence of his actions]], was considered quite compelling and disturbing.
46	* FanficFuel: [[spoiler:The original Guardians now exist in the MCU, as a bunch of over-the-hill space pirates.]]
47	* {{Fanon}}: A small one, but the notion that Ego started [[spoiler:Meredith's tumor]] with a kiss to the temple is a rather common one in fanworks, and turns the innocent one he plants on her in the car into a chilling bit of foreshadowing.
48	* GeniusBonus:
49	** Ego begins his existence essentially as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boltzmann_brain Boltzmann Brain]]. From a biology standpoint, the bubble layer [[spoiler:that Groot sticks the bomb onto]] corresponds to the meninges, an actual tissue layer separating the brain from the skull.
50	** Another is the red and white ribbon [[spoiler:on Yondu's face during the funeral]]. It's an American Army Good Conduct medal.
51	** When the Guardians first land on Ego's planet, the song "My Sweet Lord" by Music/GeorgeHarrison starts playing. While at first it may simply seem like an appropriate song choice (a song praising God as a theme for a PhysicalGod), if you know anything about its history, you'd know that "My Sweet Lord" was accused of being a SuspiciouslySimilarSong to The Chiffon's "He's So Fine", and that Harrison was successfully sued by the band for "subconscious plagiarism". [[spoiler:This hints that Ego's story with Peter and Meredith may not be as original as it seems]].
52	* HarsherInHindsight:
53	** Drax's comments on how Mantis is basically Ego's "pet". At first, this is played for laughs until it's revealed Ego doesn't give a damn about mortal life forms and the sole reason he doesn't just kill Mantis is because she can help him sleep. It gets even more horrible if you consider that ''Film/TheGuardiansOfTheGalaxyHolidaySpecial'' reveals that [[spoiler:Mantis is in fact Ego's ''daughter''. He killed all his children except for Mantis and Peter after they turned out useful for his goals.]]
54	** Rocket watching [[spoiler:Yondu sacrifice himself for his surrogate son]] was already tragic enough as is, but it's even '''more''' depressing with the knowledge that Baby Groot is actually the ''son'' of the previous Groot, not the same character, and Rocket [[spoiler:has to watch Groot, his own surrogate son, [[ForcedToWatch disintegrate before his eyes]] in ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Infinity War]]'' and Creator/JamesGunn confirmed that the translation of Teen Groot's last line is him desperately calling to Rocket, ''"Dad!"'' [[TearJerker Yeesh.]]]]
55	** Another one for the film. Ego warns Peter that [[spoiler:killing him will make Peter an ordinary mortal.]] Peter's ArmorPiercingResponse is pretty cool at the time, but it ends up TemptingFate come ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Infinity War]]'', [[spoiler:Peter's one of the first casualties of the Gauntlet]], that bit falls here fast. As a bonus, look at how [[spoiler:Ego goes down. His physical body crumbles to dust. In ''Avengers: Infinity War'', Peter dies this exact same way. In a way, Ego got the last laugh. LikeFatherLikeSon, we guess]].
56	** On top of that, Peter's HairTriggerTemper moment where [[spoiler:he immediately turns on Ego and attacks him after the living planet admits to murdering his mother is a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome here.]] In ''Infinity War'' he has the ''exact same reaction'' when [[spoiler:it becomes clear that Thanos killed Gamora. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Not so awesome in that case.]]]]
57	** The characterization of Ego is that of [[spoiler:a godlike powerful being hurting people out of his own twisted sense of love, unable to comprehend the harm he's causing. This exact same kind of person would kill Gamora soon after.]]
58	** Kraglin is [[spoiler:the only currently serving Yondu clan Ravager left by the end of the movie, other than Star-Lord, who's long since left the Ravagers behind.]] Come ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' [[spoiler:and Star-Lord's death in that movie, Kraglin's the only Ravager left '''period''']].
59	** The last shot of the movie is a close-up on Rocket Raccoon's grieving face. This is even more poignant considering that [[spoiler:by the end of ''Infinity War'', he's the last Guardian left alive.]]
60	** Continuing the ''Infinity War'' train, Gamora and Nebula in this movie grapple with how Thanos's abusive practices turned them against each other, and ultimately [[Heartwarming/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 learn to get along as sisters in the end.]] Fast forward to ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and [[spoiler:Thanos uses this renewed bond between the two to force Gamora into coughing up the Soul Stone's location by torturing Nebula until she did, ultimately leading to the death of Gamora and half the universe, with Nebula left in the surviving half to wallow in guilt and despair.]]
61	*** It's chilling to see the moment when Nebula leaves, right after hugging Gamora, [[spoiler: knowing that her exact decision is likely what kicks off Thanos finally making the move to start the Infinity War. When she goes to assassinate Thanos, and he captures her instead, Thanos watches her memories with Gamora and confirms that the elusive Soul Stone - the only Infinity Stone he didn't know the whereabouts of - is within his grasp...]]
62	*** Gamora begs Nebula not to go after Thanos, but Nebula ignores her warning, being so consumed with revenge against her kidnapper/adoptive father. [[spoiler: In the future, Nebula will have to live with the knowledge that this one decision of hers leads directly to Gamora's death, in spite of Gamora warning her not to do it.]]
63	** Early in the film, Star-Lord offhandedly comments that Nebula is a BadLiar, but it never comes up again. [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar A few films later]], this becomes a much harsher thing to watch, as it's revealed that Thanos deliberately raised both Nebula and Gamora to never lie to him as part of his abusive parenting.
64	** Nebula at one point loudly complains about being left behind with "that fox" (Rocket). Also, when Drax makes a rousing speech to the Guardians about how they are not friends, they're family, and no one gets left behind... except maybe Nebula. [[spoiler:Rocket and Nebula are the only two characters from this film to survive ''Infinity War'' and silently mourn the loss of their comrades together in ''Endgame''.]]
65	** Read this line from TheStinger knowing that Stan Lee passed away before Marvel Studios wrapped up the Infinity Saga, and consequently doesn't appear in [[Film/SpiderManFarFromHome its last movie]]:
66	--->'''Creator/StanLee:''' Ah, geez... I've got so many more stories to tell.
67	** Gamora questioning how "a little one-inch man" saved the Guardians from the Sovereign. Fast forward to ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' and [[spoiler: [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar in the wake of half the universe -- including Gamora and the rest of the Guardians barring Rocket and Nebula -- being killed by Thanos]], an actual one-inch man is now joining the surviving heroes to possibly bring back those who fell.]] This becomes even worse by ''Endgame'', in which [[spoiler: the main timeline's Gamora is still dead by the end, with the Gamora from 2014 who never even met the Guardians taking her place in the present.]]
68	** Mantis breaking down in tears upon feeling Drax's grief for losing his family hits a lot harder after ''Film/TheGuardiansOfTheGalaxyHolidaySpecial'' reveals that [[spoiler:she's actually one of Ego's many children. Mantis likely finally realized that after years of his abusive parenting that her father is a horrific monster who cannot feel empathy for anyone, herself included.]]
69	** Early in the film, Rocket partially justifies stealing from Ayesha and the Sovereign because of how obnoxious and pretentious they are. With ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3'' revealing that the Sovereign were made by the same man that created ''him'', Rocket's disgust with them and their culture is far more understandable.
70	** During Yondu's scathing NotSoDifferentRemark towards Rocket, he offhandedly mentions how he knows "them scientist what made you never gave a rat's ass about you", with Rocket reacting in hostility in response. This was already a pretty tense moment, but it becomes even sadder after ''Vol. 3'' introduces the High Evolutionary, [[EvilutionaryBiologist who]] [[MadScientist establishes]] [[PsychopathicManchild just how right]] Yondu was.
71	** Rocket stuns Gamora to prevent her from getting herself killed trying to save Peter, stating “I can only afford to lose one friend today”. It’s a lot harder to hear when ''Vol. 3'' reveals that Rocket lost ''all'' his friends once.
72	* HeartwarmingInHindsight:
73	** At the end Gamora offers Nebula a chance to stay and fight alongside the Guardians, helping out little girls who've been through the same things they have. Nebula turns her down and leaves to hunt Thanos, but still ends the movie on better terms with her sister than before. Takes [[Film/AvengersEndgame a few years but]] [[spoiler: she then [[HeelFaceTurn well and truly mellows out]] and not only joins the Avengers in their efforts to undo [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar the Snap]] but finally takes Gamora's place among the Guardians (and a loving surrogate family like the Guardians is pretty much all she ever wanted), and even manages to convince an alternate version of Gamora to betray Thanos.]]
74	** Ego allowing Mantis to live on his planet and treating her relatively well means a lot more in retrospect after the Holiday Special revealed that [[spoiler:she's one of his biological children as well, and by extension Peter's half-sister]]. The fact that Ego didn't kill her immediately after she didn't have the Celestial gene suddenly goes beyond him just keeping her around as a way to help his body fall asleep.
75	* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct:
76	** Creator/KurtRussell's acting talents have never really been doubted, but even his most faithful fans were impressed by his performance as Ego, effortlessly wavering between wise, caring CoolOldGuy to psychotic and narcissistic monster with a surprising amount of subtlety.
77	** Creator/ChrisPratt already received this response in buckets after the first film, but his character's emotional moments are turned up to eleven in this film. In particular, his breakdown when [[spoiler:Yondu is dying holding Quill]] is utterly devastating to watch. The latter is quite possibly a case of RealitySubtext: Chris Pratt's dad died from multiple sclerosis in 2014, and Pratt has said that ''Vol. 2'' helped him cope with his grief.
78	** Creator/MichaelRooker's funny yet poignant performance as Yondu is often praised as the biggest, yet most surprising, scene-stealing part of the whole film.
79	** Similarly, for such a relatively [[AscendedExtra minor character]], Creator/SeanGunn wowed many critics and fans alike with his performance as Kraglin, delivering some moments of powerful emotion throughout the movie, especially his cheering, chest-pounding display of mixed grief and adulation at [[spoiler:Yondu's funeral.]]
80	** Creator/DaveBautista is only involved in one fight scene in the entire film (specifically, the opening credits). He spends all his other screen time being the comic relief, displaying surprising and impressive versatility as a thespian. And when the scene requires it, he's fully capable of playing Drax's serious emotional beats with complete sincerity. Special praise should be given to both him and Creator/PomKlementieff in the scene where Drax allows Mantis to feel his grief over his dead family -- Klementieff's broken sobbing contrasted with Bautista's [[StepfordSmiler gently stoic smile]] makes the scene ''amazingly'' effective and heartwrenching.
81	* HilariousInHindsight:
82	** This wouldn't be the last time in 2017 where [[spoiler:Creator/MichelleYeoh]] had a cameo as a [[Series/StarTrekDiscovery starship captain.]]
83	** This wouldn't mark the last time a 2014 Chris Pratt-led blockbuster would gain [[WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie2TheSecondPart a sequel teaching viewers to get along with their sisters]]. Both sequels also [[spoiler:give Pratt a secretly evil mentor]].
84	** At one point during Rocket and Star-Lord's bickering over who's the better pilot, Quill threatens to shave Rocket if he puts a turd in his pillowcase. In a DeletedScene in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', Tony Stark actually ''does this'', in response to Rocket cackling at the revelation of the Avengers fighting the Chitauri for three hours.
85	** Ego's entire reason for going through with his expansion plan in this movie is because he believed himself to be the LastOfHisKind, and so decided that assimilating other planets, including Earth was the only reason for his existence. ''Film/{{Eternals}}'' reveals that not only do other Celestials exist, but their ultimate objective is to ''help'' humanity thrive as a species, the exact opposite of what Ego's objective is. [[spoiler:Although like Ego, the Celestial Arishem's ultimate goal for Earth ultimately ends in the destruction of Earth and its inhabitants, albeit for a far more WellIntentionedExtremist cause than Ego's was.]]
86	** Seeing Kraglin eagerly spending time with one of the golden sex robots on Contraxia becomes funnier after watching ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'', where it's shown that Kraglin has a habit of engaging with and getting marrying to alien women on every new planet he touches down on. Guess this has been happening for a long time...
87	** [[spoiler:This wouldn't be the [[WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie last movie starring Chris Pratt]] to use "[[Music/ElectricLightOrchestra Mr. Blue Sky]]".]]
88	* IKnewIt:
89	** Mantis was by far one of the least popular guesses for who the new Guardian would be, but a small group of fans correctly called it.
90	** Fans have speculated for years that [[spoiler:Creator/StanLee was playing Uatu the Watcher in all of his cameo appearances. While the Watchers retain their original look, he is still shown to be affiliated with them and credited as "The Watchers' Informant". Possibly the closest thing to AscendedFanon we'll get.]]
91	** When the first film revealed that Quill's father was an unknown but very powerful alien, some fans speculated that [[spoiler: his father was responsible for Meredith's death, though they hadn't expected it to be ''intentional'' on Ego's part]].
92	** After seeing Yondu as a Ravager, many suspected that the other OG Guardians of the Galaxy might show up as Ravagers, too.
93	** Some viewers, after watching the first movie and noticing how incredibly aggressive Yondu was when his authority was even slightly threatened, couldn't help but wonder if the long-term stability of his Ravager crew was already decaying. Just two months later in-universe, their concerns were proved right.
94	* ItsTheSameNowItSucks: While the overall reviews have been mostly positive, the most frequent criticism that pops up in almost all of them is that the first two acts needlessly retread jokes and story beats from the first film, and it's only in the third act that the film really breaks away and does its own thing.
95	* JerkassWoobie: Rocket and Yondu, in a manner so similar that they are able to bond over it. Both were mistreated and unloved by the people who brought them into the world, and it drove them to chronically push away the people they care about.
96	* LoveToHate: [[spoiler: ''Ego the Living Planet''. Although he's rightfully despised for [[KickTheMoralityPet killing Meredith Quill]] in the most painful way possible, killing thousands of his children [[EvilIsPetty just because they didn't inherit his powers]], causing Yondu's death, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking destroying Peter's walkman]], he's often seen as one of the best villains in the entire MCU thanks to Creator/KurtRussell's [[FauxAffablyEvil charismatic]] yet completely evil performance.]]
97	* MemeticLoser: Taserface is often the subject of mockery -- in universe and out -- due to his ridiculous name and the fact that he's clearly not as cool or threatening as he thinks he is.
98	* MemeticMutation:
99	** Baby Groot trying to push the button on a bomb instantly became a hit.
100	** Drax's line at the end of the second trailer ("She just told everyone your deepest darkest secret! You must be so embarrassed! Do me! Do me, do me!") very quickly took off, frequently being used as a reaction on message boards or simply heavily quoted.
101	*** Similarly, images of Drax and Mantis laughing and pointing at Starlord/the viewer with some mocking text added.
102	** "IT'S METAPHORICAL!!"[[labelnote:Explanation]]Taserface's explanation for his RedBaron name, which functions as little more than a HandWave, but then became a ForcedMeme of sorts when post-release trailers used it as a reaction shot to some of the positive reviews. It still ended up as the go-to reaction to certain comments.[[/labelnote]]
103	** Another one from Drax, courtesy of the Super Bowl spot: "I tried, guys."
104	** "I'm Film/MaryPoppins, y'all!"[[labelnote:Explanation]]Peter compares Yondu to Mary Poppins when the latter uses his arrow to slowly descend down to the gang. Having no knowledge of who she is (or that she's even a she), Yondu takes the comparison with pride when told that it's a great compliment. The fans quickly latched onto the meme because of who was saying it and the delivery of the line.[[/labelnote]]
105	*** When the trailer of ''Film/MaryPoppinsReturns'' came out, people expected Yondu to appear when Poppins did.
106	** It's become common on [=YouTube=] for people to create faux opening credits for large-scale fight/battle scenes from other movies in the style of ''Vol. 2's'' own opening title sequence using "Mr. Blue Sky." Complete with freeze-frame main title!
107	** Meredith Quill has GREAT taste in music.[[labelnote:Explanation]]This is likely a reference to ''Film/TheMartian'', a 2015 science fiction movie with a similar retro-themed InUniverseSoundtrack. In that film, astronaut Mark Watney is stranded alone on Mars after a botched evacuation, and the only music he can find to listen to is a bunch of disco [=MP3=] files stored on a laptop left behind by Commander Lewis. Near the end of the movie, after reuniting with his crew, his first words to Lewis are, [[CasualDangerDialogue "You... have terrible taste... in music!"]][[/labelnote]]
108	** "It broke my heart to [insert evil deed here]." [[FlatWhat "...What?"]] "N-now, alright, I know that ''sounds'' bad-" (BLAST)[[labelnote:Explanation]]Peter Quill's reaction to hearing the true story behind his mom's death, and him shooting Ego as he frantically tries to justify it. It's been a meme since 2020 but [[https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-know-that-sounds-bad especially took off in 2021]], and is usually paired up with a caption indicating that Ego has done some FauxHorrific thing. Had another resurgence in 2021 after Chris Pratt's casting as Mario, usually depicting Ego as Bowser.[[/labelnote]]
109	** "He may have been your father, but he wasn't your daddy."[[labelnote:Explanation]]Yondu's last words to Peter, used often to establish the difference between a parent and parental figure.[[/labelnote]]
110	** "Well of course I have issues, that's my freakin' father!" [[labelnote:Explanation]]This [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e6hpy0IIEc scene]] quickly became memetic with many quotes and memes with Peter and Rocket being replaced by other characters, usually involving characters that have AbusiveParents or an ArchnemesisDad[[/labelnote]]
111	** [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 Drax and Mantis laugh]] at ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder''s log-in bonus.[[labelnote:Explanation]]A photoshop that has other mobile games with generous giveaways as Drax and Mantis laughing at Star-Lord as ''FGO'''s paltry giveaway quickly became viral and gets used in comparison whenever ''FGO'' and other mobile game campaigns coincide.[[/labelnote]]
112	* {{Moe}}:
113	** Mantis quickly gained this reputation from the second trailer alone. Her childlike mannerisms and innocence just make her adorable.
114	** Also Baby Groot was met with {{Squee}} reactions from plenty of female fans.
115	* MoralEventHorizon:
116	** [[spoiler:Ego has multiple points that can qualify as his MEH. He was revealed to have been a monster who murdered all his children who didn't have his powers. He also ''intentionally'' gave Peter's mother, Meredith Quill (whom he actually came to love), a brain tumor so that it wouldn't distract him from his plan. If that wasn't bad enough, he turns Peter into a battery and then destroys his [[TragicKeepsake Walkman]] out of spite. Not to mention everything about the [[AssimilationPlot "The]] [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Expansion"]].]]
117	** [[spoiler:The Ravagers crew cross it when they betray their leader and kill almost everyone loyal to Yondu while making him watch. It makes it easier when Yondu ends up massacring everyone on the ship, except for his loyal crewmate Kraglin]].
118	* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: Drax's hammy laugh, especially when Mantis reveal Quill's interest of Gamora.
119	* NarmCharm: Bet you never thought comparing a living planet to Creator/DavidHasselhoff could evoke so much genuine emotion.
120	* ObviousJudas: [[spoiler:Ego being evil doesn't come as much of a surprise given Yondu called him a "jackass" in the previous film, the lack of screentime of the advertised villains compared to Ego and the fact that his name is well... Ego. In fairness, though, '''how''' evil Ego ultimately turns out to be still comes off as a genuine shock.]]
121	* OlderThanTheyThink: Some fans complained about how Mantis basically looks like an Asian woman with black eyes and a pair of antennae, in contrast to the comics, where she has green skin and looks more bug-like. Mantis's cinematic appearance is actually how she originally looked (sans the black eyes) when she first debuted in ''The Avengers'' back in the '70s, and she only got the green skin much later.
122	* OneSceneWonder: Ego taking on the form of [[spoiler:Creator/DavidHasselhoff]], and Peter using his celestial powers to take the form of [[spoiler:VideoGame/PacMan]].
123	* QuestionableCasting: Music/MileyCyrus having a cameo at ''all'' got this reaction from a bunch of people, but the reactions were even more confused over the fact that her character is traditionally a [[spoiler:masculine android]] in the comics.
124	* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: While certainly not ''hated'', Gamora was considered by many to be the blandest of the Guardians in the first movie because of her somewhat thankless role as the OnlySaneMan and TheHeart in the team. This movie significantly warmed up fan reception toward her by revealing that she is just as flawed as everyone else in the team (most notably her relationship with Nebula) while her role as TheHeart is handled much better and more integrated into the story.
125	* RetroactiveRecognition: Creator/ChrisSullivan plays Taserface. He would later go on to portray Toby on ''Series/ThisIsUs'', which retroactively became a Disney production once they purchased 21st Century Fox.
126	%%* SignatureScene:
127	%%** The [[TheOner dancing Baby Groot]] opening credits sequence.
128	%%** Yondu versus the Ravagers, set to "Come a Little Closer".
129	* SpecialEffectFailure: In the scene where Peter and Ego play catch with the orb, the background behind them is obviously green screened in.
130	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Mantis and Peter have little to no interaction aside from a brief gag involving Mantis exposing his feelings for Gamora. In a film that focuses heavily on family relationships, many consider it a wasted opportunity as Ego raising Mantis makes her and Peter adoptive siblings (and a deleted scene, along with the ''[[Film/TheGuardiansOfTheGalaxyHolidaySpecial Holiday Special]]'', confirm that Mantis is actually one of Ego's children, making her and Quill half-siblings), though no meaningful moments come of this.
131	* TooCoolToLive: [[spoiler:With his [[HomingProjectile special arrow]] and a prototype controller, Yondu was able to [[OneManArmy single-handedly put down about 100 members of his mutinous crew]] with no danger to himself, Kraglin, Rocket, or Groot. With him in the gang, a lot of potential enemies and threats would become far less threatening, so his HeroicSacrifice for Peter, while [[TearJerker/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 genuinely saddening]], did not come as a huge shock to savvy viewers.]]
132	* UnexpectedCharacter:
133	** Among the many theories speculating who the new Guardian would be, Mantis was among the least expected. Much less Mantis with her '70s comic appearance, that she never had while she was with the Guardians.
134	** Among the many theories speculating Peter Quill's father, nobody quite expected Ego the Living Planet.
135	** Creator/SylvesterStallone's character came as a shock to quite a few fans: he's [[spoiler:Stakar/Starhawk]]. Not only that, but a few characters appear in association with the surprise character -- [[spoiler:the ''original'' Guardians of the Galaxy]].
136	** It's safe to say no-one expected The Watchers to show up. Much less in Creator/StanLee's obligatory cameo, where Stan seemingly talks to them about his previous cameos, all of which amounts to a certain form of AscendedFanon.
137	* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: '''OH. YEAH.'''
138	** Building on the deaging effects used in various MCU films, the effect used to make Creator/KurtRussell look nearly forty years younger is almost completely perfect in this film. [[https://www.fxguide.com/featured/guardians-of-kurt/ And it took almost solely 2D elements to pull it off.]]
139	** The Abilisk, which looks especially realistic in the shot where [[http://img.cinemablend.com/filter:scale/quill/6/2/1/a/c/b/621acb3c2bd389580edbb06e34f98f10e9f29df9.jpg?mw=600 Drax lunges into its open maw.]]
140	** Apparently, the "Living Planet" is the biggest effect Creator/MarvelStudios has attempted. And it truly is '''awesome'''. We even get to see Ego's ''planetary form'', and it is just as awesome (and menacing) as the comics depict him.
141	** As in the previous film, Rocket and Groot are entirely CGI yet portrayed with such a tremendous depth of emotion and realism that it's really, really hard to remember that they do not exist in real life. This one's even more awesome considering the fact that ''four different VFX companies'' had to work together to produce the Rocket and Groot visuals, up from just one needed for the first film. Successfully coordinating the work of Framestore[[note]]who did all the work on Vol. 1[[/note]], Method Studios, Weta Digital, and Trixter Film to produce a mostly consistent result is a testament to the commitment of the movie's visual effects directors.
142	** Here's an [[https://www.fxguide.com/featured/the-fractal-nature-of-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2/ interesting article]] on both the fractal designs of Ego's planet as well as Rocket and Groot mentioned above.
143	** Yondu's murder of the mutineers. The falling body shot is beautiful enough, but then he uses his arrow to knock out the lights in a corridor and send the glowing arrow zipping around. It ends with the camera pulling back into an overhead shot of him and Rocket on the bridge, the arrow carving gorgeous geometric patterns of red lines around the whole ship around them.
144	* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: This movie ramps up the sexual, crass humor of the previous film, up to Drax and Ego openly discussing the latter's penis. The movie is still viewable for all ages but some complaints have been had about just how explicit the script gets.
145	* TheWoobie:
146	** Mantis is an orphan who was "rescued" and taken care of by Ego. She has lived her entire life without any meaningful interaction and watching Ego kill his own offspring for who knows how many years. You can feel the poor girl's fear and helplessness as she's basically Ego's slave.
147	** Kraglin. What he intended as a simple WhatTheHellHero speech to his boss snowballed into a mutiny that, by his own admission, killed all his friends on the crew.
148	** By the end of the movie, Peter himself. Not only did he find out his father was an OmnicidalManiac who was also directly responsible for the [[spoiler:death of Meredith Quill]], he tried to use him to basically destroy the ''universe'' and he had to wind up killing him, and moments after that, had to ''watch'' [[spoiler:Yondu]], whom he thought to be a [[spoiler:father figure]], sacrifice himself right in front of him. So, really, Peter lost his mother, biological father, ''and'' adoptive father, the latter two in ''one day''. '''Damn'''.

Context YMMV / GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2