Often times before a big movie is released in theaters, there are select groups of lucky individuals who can catch said movie in an early screening months in advance. Studios use such screenings to gauge how the masses as a whole will react to the feature and figure out if anything needs to be changed or reworked for the final cut. It's not a perfect process, but it's still useful. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 recently conducted its test screening and accomplished something few movies have done: earn a perfect score from viewers.
According to THR, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 scored a 100 at its test screening, the best a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie has done over the franchise's nine-year existence. It soared over The Avengers and Iron Man 3, both of which received scores in the high 90s. It should be cautioned that just because Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 did so well doesn't guarantee it will earn universally positive reception. That's not guaranteed for any movie that is released, and as the article noted, movies like Forrest Gump, Pretty Woman and Argo, all of which received positive reviews in theaters, didn't score as high in test screenings. Regardless, this is definitely a good sign for fans who are eager to see the intergalactic sequel.
It is worth noting that Marvel's test screening process does differ from the norm. Usually a studio recruits people from certain areas (usually outside of Los Angeles), has them watch the movie, asks the viewers to rate the movie using a series of boxes and then asks follow-up questions. Marvel, on the other hand, is more selective with the people they bring in, calling these the "friends and families screenings." This is because they're especially keen on making sure that nothing is leaked out. So while Marvel still takes great steps to make sure they get honest reactions about their fare, it's not quite the same as the usual process from other studios. Still, considering that other major blockbusters like the Transformers and Star Wars franchises don't test screen for various reasons, no doubt many fans are appreciative that Marvel still conducts these events.
Taking place a few months after 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will see the eponymous team expanding their ranks to include Yondu, Nebula and Mantis. Their adventures this time around will include going up against a group of rogue Ravagers led by Taserface, getting on Ayesha the golden High Priestess' bad side and meeting Ego, Peter Quill's father. And the fun doesn't stop there, because the year afterwards, the protagonists will return for Avengers: Infinity War.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters on May 5.
