Review | Marvel Studios' I Am Groot

“I Am Groot is an adorable and funny series of shorts sending Groot on entertaining adventures. The CG is impressive with a realistic style that tries to match the movies.”

After Thor Love and Thunder, it is time for the newest chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios is back with another animated project – I Am Groot. This is a series of five shorts. And they are all available now on Disney Plus. So, is it worth the watch?

STORY

You cannot say no to more Groot. Everybody loves him. So a series about him and especially about Baby Groot can only be delightful. And indeed, it is. This is an adorable and funny series. There are several moments where I laughed out loud. Each episode sends our beloved humanoid tree on an entertaining adventure. It is the Baby version we all know and love. Groot is this clumsy and joyful character but he is also a little bit mischievous. That is James Gunn’s touch. Although he has not written nor directed the shorts, he is an executive producer. And you can feel the writer was inspired by his style. Which allows this series to fit with the humorous style of the movies.

The story does not add anything to the bigger story of the Guardians of the Galaxy. It stands on its own as a series of short stories that everyone can enjoy. You can watch them all in one sitting or once in a while, they are all self-contained. Each short is roughly 4 minutes. So all together, they are about 20 minutes long, which is the runtime of an animated series episode or a sitcom. My only complaint would be that there are not enough shorts. However, during the Marvel animation panel, it was confirmed that more shorts will be released at a later date. In the end, I will get what I want.

VISUALS

It is a fully CG series with a realistic style that tries to match the movies. So it is really impressive. In fact, the visual effects studio LUMA that worked on the movies has worked on this series as well. And you can definitely tell. Looking at Groot, it is visually the same character as the one from the movies.

The background does not look as good as the titular character. Though, this is a series of shorts so you cannot expect everything to look just as great as in the movies. And even if it is not as good as our hero himself, it is still pretty great. It is a visual delight.

SOUNDTRACK

Daniele Luppi composed a nice score that fits with Groot’s adventures. And in true Guardians of the Galaxy fashion, you also have a song in one of the episodes. ‘You Can Get If You Really Want’ by Jimmy Cliff feels like a perfect fit there. Since it is so catchy, it stays in your head for quite some time. Actually, as I am writing this review, I am listening to it again.

VERDICT

I Am Groot is an adorable and funny series of shorts sending Groot on entertaining adventures. The CG is impressive with a realistic style that tries to match the movies.