The 8 Best Moments In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has been a hit with critics and audiences alike so far and after a strong overseas opening, the signs are all pointing to this being one of Marvel's biggest movies to date, as it looks ready to take North American theatres by storm this weekend. $1 billion seems like a guarantee at this point and with Vol. 3 already confirmed, it sounds like the franchise will be around for a long time to come. Before we start looking ahead to the future, though, we've decided to delve into what exactly it is that makes Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 so special. The sequel is packed full of great scenes that will please both fans and general moviegoers and though it wasn't easy, we've managed to narrow it down to the 8 best. From specific character moments to action sequences and laugh out loud jokes, these are the scenes which impressed us most. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a movie which is sure to leave fans with much to talk about over the coming weeks, that's for sure, but you can expect to hear a lot about these 8 awesome moments once everyone starts bickering over which specific scenes made this sequel one of the best Marvel films to date. Of course, spoilers for the movie will follow. So, if you haven't yet seen the sequel, be sure to bookmark this page and return once you have. 8) Star-Lord Battles Ego Leaving Star-Lord with superpowers ahead of Avengers: Infinity War would have been a huge mistake, but it sure is fun while it lasts in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Upon learning that Ego's responsible for the death of his mother, Peter Quill taps into his father's Celestial energy and the two go to war in an action-packed sequence not all that different to the fight between Superman and General Zod in Man of Steel. Visually, this is a fantastic sequence, but things take a truly awesome turn when we get to see Star-Lord take down Ego's gigantic rocky avatar with Pac-Man (sound effects and all). Marvel has included a lot of pop culture nods in their movies, but this is one of the first times they probably paid big money to use one in such a way. As such, this is a moment that's sure to be remembered by fans when they reflect on the film's most entertaining scenes. 7) The Soundtrack The soundtrack for Guardians of the Galaxy was downright amazing, so expectations were high for the sequel to provide us with some more great songs. Thankfully, the movie delivers in that respect, and you'll almost certainly be hunting these tracks down for the ride home after visiting the theatre. From ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" to Cat Stevens' "Father and Son" and Silver's catchy "Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang," Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is packed with awesome tunes, which should ensure that the soundtrack is as big a hit as the movie itself. It's also easy to see that Gunn did indeed write these scenes with specific songs in mind, something that gives the follow-up an advantage over the likes of Suicide Squad, which clearly just looked for some decent tunes to add later in the game and edited the scenes around them. 6) Drax And Mantis Dave Bautista recently made it clear that he was initially unhappy with his role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but changed his mind in large part because of the scenes he shares with Pom Klementieff's Mantis. It's easy to see why that is, too, as the characters are great together and share fantastic chemistry. Drax's constant stream of insults (which he doesn't realize are insulting and she doesn't fully understand, anyway) are wildly entertaining and the two play off each other perfectly. Yes, it would have been nice to see this sequel expand more on Drax's desire to kill Thanos, but the father/daughter dynamic between these two is a lot of fun to follow and it's nice that their arc here wraps up on a sweet, but very funny note. Hopefully, Avengers: Infinity War will follow up on this, as it's one dynamic that the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to further explore moving forward. 5) Baby Groot's Opening Number Guardians of the Galaxy wrapped up with Baby Groot dancing to a catchy tune from The Jackson 5, but the sequel kicks off with an extended sequence which sees the adorable sentient tree having a boogie to ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky." The scene is made all the more enjoyable by the fact that the opening credits play over it and the action still takes place in the background with the Guardians battling the massive Abilisk. As Baby Groot dances around the space station, that monster throws the team from one end to the other while they simultaneously try to take it down and stop their childish teammate from coming to any harm. Of course, one of the best moments comes when we get a nod to that original Baby Groot mid-credits scene, when he freezes mid-dance because Drax (who clearly hates dancing) gives him the evil eye. 4) The Living Planet I mentioned earlier how fun it was seeing Ego go to war with Star-Lord, and it's during the third act that we get to see inside the immortal Celestial (the fact that the planet's core is basically his brain is definitely pretty weird/surprising). Now, if you're at all familiar with the comic books, you'll know that Ego is quite literally a Living Planet out in the far reaches of space with a face that does indeed talk. Marvel was clearly reluctant about bringing that to the big screen, as it could have potentially come across as being really silly, hence why Ego was given a humanoid avatar in the form of Kurt Russell. However, in a blink and you'll miss it moment, a look at Ego from far away reveals that the villain does indeed have a face on his surface, a brilliant nod to the source material and surely more than enough to keep the majority of fans happy. 3) The Watchers Stan Lee's cameos have become a staple of not just the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Marvel movies in general. Over the years, fans have come up with a lot of theories about why he keeps popping up (beyond the fact that it's a tradition and a way of paying homage to the man who created most of these characters), but one of the most popular has been that he's one of the Watchers. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 doesn't confirm that, but it does show us those cosmic beings meeting with Lee as it's made clear he's one of their employees. At first, he can briefly be seen telling them about the time he worked for FedEx when Rocket and company blast past, but by the time the final post-credits scene rolls around, they've had enough of hearing his stories and hilarious end up walking away from him. It's a fun and clever scene and one which could have significant ramifications for the MCU if this lot return somewhere down the line. 2) Baby Groot Gets It All Wrong In the months leading up to the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, many fans were concerned that Baby Groot would be pushed down their throats solely due to the fact that the character's cute appearance will inevitably sell a lot of toys. While he does get a lot of screen time, it all counts, and that's particularly the case for the scene which sees the pint-sized hero - decked out in a tiny Ravager uniform - attempting to help Yondu and Rocket escape. Told to go and find the former's fin (which in itself is a superb nod to the character's comic book appearance), Baby Groot returns with everything from a robotic eye to a pair of underpants. However, by far the most hilarious moment comes when Groot holds up a severed toe with a grin on his face. It's so totally unexpected that it's sure to make you belly laugh and is a great bit of visual humour which emphasizes just how great Gunn is and definitely justifies Groot's new appearance in this sequel. 1) Yondu's Sendoff Michael Rooker's Yondu was a fun part of Guardians of the Galaxy, but he didn't exactly steal the show. As a result, you'd be forgiven for going into this sequel thinking that the same would be the case yet again, but by the time all is said and done, the character has become the emotional core of the film. While Star-Lord was looking for his real father, it turns out that he had one all along in the man who took him from Earth and the emotional moments between these two are enough to make you tear up. However, by the time he sacrifices his life to save Peter, you'll be sobbing, and Gunn giving Yondu such a powerful sendoff is a definite bonus. Earlier in the movie, we learn that Yondu was expelled from the actual Ravagers because he worked for Ego, but them returning to give him a proper goodbye is great to watch, as he's finally proved himself the hero we all see he is in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.