Baby Groot is Good

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I was flabbergasted. In the days leading up to the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2‘s release last Friday, were people really out there delivering hot takes about how there’s too much Baby Groot in the world? And legitimate outlets such as Vulture were publishing these opinions?

This sort of take is trash. Allow me to explain. The magic of Baby Groot in Vol. 2 isn’t that he’s an adorable 6-inch tall humanoid tree who dances through battle sequences or becomes the subject of small-scale hijinx. There’s much more to it. As you’ve heard — or seen — James Gunn’s Guardians sequel, like any good movie involving Vin Diesel, is about family. And within the context of this chosen family unit of happy warriors, Baby Groot serves a unique purpose. He’s the one that is protected and doted upon by the others. And like a large family might, each take their turn keeping an eye on the little guy.

Baby Groot is emblematic of the thoughtfulness that makes a series like Guardians of the Galaxy such a special thing in the world of superhero cinema. Just as Christopher Nolan thought deeply about the real world implications and motivations of a psychopathic clown in The Dark Knight, James Gunn has used his technicolor space opera setting to tell us stories about, as our good friend Scott Beggs explains in a piece over at Nerdist, the family we choose. In a later scene in the film, we watch as the team gently, instinctively passes Baby Groot around until he finds a place to rest on Drax’s shoulder. In a lesser movie, Baby Groot is just the dancing, emoting little goofball. Here, he’s emblematic of the care that the filmmaker has taken in bringing this franchise to screen.

This is a topic about which I spoke at length on this week’s episode of A Storm of Spoilers, which you can find here. In it, my co-hosts and I talk through Guardians and assess the state of the Marvel entertainment universe. I’m a believer in Baby Groot. And James Gunn. And the potential for superhero movies to give us something more than big action set pieces.

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