Season 2 |
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Episode Guide
Episode 1 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 2.5/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 3/5
I Am Groot is not a series to be taken seriously. The episodes in this second season of the animated show have no tie-ins to the grander scheme of things within Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and there is no thread between its five short segments that provide the diminutive Guardian with something resembling a character arc.
As such, you don’t need to watch this series, which is primarily aimed at younger viewers, even if you are a die-hard Marvel fan. But there is still fun to be had, even if you have aged above the show’s target audience, as the impressive 3D animation is imaginative and colourful and the mischievous antics of the troublesome twig are as funny as ever. And as the episodes don’t last longer than 5 minutes, you can easily binge-watch this season of shorts within half an hour, so it’s a perfect watch for when you’re on your lunch break.
Vin Diesel returns to voice the scrappy young sapling, not that you would know it as his gruff tone has been speeded up to resemble a voice more fitting for a baby talking tree. He has fun with the voicework, presenting a sense of joy absent from most of the characters he has portrayed. But he doesn’t get sole credit for bringing the character of Groot so exuberantly to life. Credit has to go to the special effects team for the photorealistic animation and writer-director Kirsten Lepore who shines a new light on Groot’s personality when he’s alone and not saving the world with the other Guardians.
So, what does he get up to?
Well, in the first episode, Are You My Groot, we find him wandering around a jungle planet where he discovers a giant egg. Out of the egg pops a purple bird that Groot immediately begins to bond with. It’s not long before he tires of the creature, however, due to its making a nest on top of his head and its propensity to peck at his wooden exterior.
In Episode 2, titled Groot Noses Around, our hero finds a plastic nose that gifts him with a sense of smell. We join him on a journey of discovery as he follows his fake nose and experiences new aromas until he finally realizes not all odours are good ones.
Groot travels to an icy planet in Episode 3, Groot’s Snow Day, and builds himself a snowman out of various bits and pieces. Moments later, his cold creation comes to life and inexplicably starts to attack him with laser beams. This is bad enough for poor Groot but his biggest concern is his mug of hot chocolate that the killer snowman sets its sights on.
Episode 4, Groot’s Sweet Treat, centres on Groot’s attempts to get his hands on a coin to purchase a cold treat from an intergalactic ice cream van. Cue comical scenes with a vacuum cleaner and a claw machine before Groot launches himself into space to get his twig-like hands on an ice lolly.
The final short, Groot And The Great Prophecy, is initially more dramatic than the others in this season. We are introduced to The Watcher, a 5th-dimensional being that is a “guide to the vast realities of time.” This mystical character speaks of an ancient prophecy concerning a seed and the “galaxy’s greatest hope” who has only minutes to retrieve the seed from a trap-filled temple before the universe goes up in flames! There are no prizes for guessing who is tasked with this perilous expedition!
These episodes are beautifully animated, with plenty of visual gags to keep the young and the young at heart entertained. Don’t expect any moral messaging or anything of major significance, however, as they are mainly designed to offer a few simple laughs as well as a few heartfelt ‘awww’ moments when the adorable seedling gets himself into all manner of chaotic predicaments.
I Am Groot Season 2 is available to watch in its entirety on Disney+ right now. As I mentioned, they aren’t essential viewing, but if you’re in the mood for a few silly adventures featuring the youngest Marvel hero, you’ll find yourself grooted…erm… rooted to your seats when watching this charming animated series.
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Verdict - 7/10
7/10