4/5
The Tree Of Young Sapling Life.
5 Episodes. Starring: Vin Diesel. Director: Kirsten Lepore.
This is great. If all you galaxy guardians are still hooked on the feeling Baby Groot used to give you, now he's a moody teenager with too much sap, this is the show for you. Marvel's 'I Am Groot'. You know, I am Groot? I am...Groot? OK, let me explain it to you like you're not a four-year-old fern. Five new shorts from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all no more than five minutes each. Which means you can binge them in the time it takes to get your dinner ready for the new 'She Hulk: Attorney At Law' series, next week. Because you won't like it when you're hangry. I rest my case! Who gives a clump of moss if this James Gunn executive produced branch of storytelling before the 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' holiday special is canon for your fan forum fodder? The 'Peacemaker' director saying his believes it's not. The big bosses at Marvel say it is. Only one way to settle this. Besides, who could care less when it's this cute? Streaming on Disney + right now, you won't stop smiling throughout. As you again realise all of life's sweet joys of little consequence. All on the home of chewbaccas, raccoons and mice, oh Mickey. Disney have been doing it this small since the whistle along the stream days of 'Steamboat Willie' (that's 1928), Goofy's guide to sports (where do you think I got my hops?) and all the pre-movie Pixar gems that will have you crying in your popcorn before 'Up' or 'Toy Story 3' finishes you off. And just like all those 'Toy Story Toons' (we see you 'Small Fry'), we could watch so many of these shorts that by the time we're finished it would be like we have just watched a movie. Let's plant some trees across the streams.
The cute little bark has us the moment he fast-forwards impatiently through the over-cooked, latest Marvel I.D. credit crawl, with tongue-in-tree. It all starts with the baby steps as we are taken back to the post-credits 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' first volume time when this birthed potted plant of a baby looked like one of those plastic guitar playing sunflowers that swayed with your hi-fi's music back in the 90's, when you thought there was more chance of you going to space than seeing something like this happen. You know, the most hilarious Marvel post-credits scene that saw Baby Groot playing with a knife sharpening Drax like it was he who was the invisible man? Well, now he's getting into it with a Bonsai tree and feeling his first fits of jealousy as he finds his feet. All before this twig discovers the whole wide world around him in this Marvel Cinematic Universe and even one below the one small step he's taking for tree-kind on a new planet and a whole new world like the time Will Smith opened his 'Men In Black II' locker to a different kind of hero worship. In this Baby Yoda cuteness overload rivalling toy story, just call Groot 'The Claaaaaaw'. If you think that's the only discovery in these strange new worlds, then wait until something does bump and squish in the night. Best use your Apple Watch (or is that a Zune) as a torch and call up your favourite playlist for the ultimate dance-off, bro. All this hard work and no play and our baby is going to need a bath...with two cucumbers. And just wait until you see what grows from this episode's volcanic sauna. All before the 'Magnum Opus' of these five shorts like 'The Umbrella Academy's' finale (with another five on the way for your top ten). One that features funny hijinks, a classic cameo, one almost invisible one through some shower steam and a piece of artwork you should put in the Louvre, or at least the Smithsonian next to Cap's shield. He is Groot and this is cute.
Stop-motion, animated genius Kirsten Lepore directs this little one with delight for her new career 'Adventure Time'. Scored by Italian composer Daniele Luppi's (of Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Gnarls Barkley and 'Rome' with Danger Mouse fame) chef kiss lovely soundtrack. And of course, who else to voice this baby's goo Groot's and ga, ga's than the man with a booming voice, deeper than his 'Fast and Furious' engines? Forget one job, it seems like Vin Diesel has the easiest one here, despite the fact that only he and Gunn have volumes of 'Guardians' scripts with his characters three little words translated in the Queens English. I'll do you one better, why is Grootmora (I Am Groot?). And hey, at least this A lister is humble enough to come back and do it for five minutes...even if it is in his contract (you cynics) like 'Thor: Love and Thunder'. Vocal assists also come from 'Hulu's' 'Hit Monkey' himself Fred Tatasciore (a real marvel) and scores more who work on this. Including one big Hollywood star we won't spoil (even though that already feels like we've R.E.M. said too much (oh no)). Because, besides we still haven't leaked who came out of the water spout for 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'. And won't. No way, man. Perfect photorealistic animation for this fourth phase. This looks Pixar cinematic, no pixilation. And what's more, it's a joy in a world that's feeling all too much like 'The Boys' (but what a show), ladies and gentlemen. If we ever do get shown a real hero. Once again, before Baby Yoda steals the next Star Wars show he is in, Groot, we are. And we'll always have trunk space for this tree's life. With Groot expectations. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Guardians Of The Galaxy', 'The Mandalorian', 'Toy Story Toons'.
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