For the first time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has created a short 3D animated series that depicts Baby Groot. Although I Am Groot doesn’t have a big narrative within its universe, the plot setting occurs between the events of Guardian of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardian of the Galaxy Vol.2 (2017). This Disney+ short series is directed by Kirsten Lapore, with Marvel Studios collaborating with visual effects studio Luma Pictures. The producer, Kevin Feige, is still sitting as one of the producers, including James Gunn, the filmmaker of the Guardian of the Galaxy series.
Not many plot lines are told in this short series, with an average duration of 3-4 minutes. All of the series contains the protagonist’s behavior in one small adventure between the major events in the plots of the two films above. In each series, Baby Groot has his own “antagonist,” who is just a small plot insert that doesn’t mean anything. As in the first episode, it presents the baby’s rivalry with the mini bonsai tree that adorns his room. Then how the fun of soaking in the mud disturbs the sleep of a bird. All are just small pieces that show a very impressive visual achievement. Not more than this.
A series of short comedic adventures by the character of Groot, I Am Groot is simply a series of visually stunning performances. I don’t know the MCU’s strategy, including this short series as part of the fourth phase. Whatever it is, Marvel Studios has innumerable resources (budgets) right now to do whatever they want. Whether this is a fad or a warm-up to make a bigger animated film series, we’ll have to wait. According to the news, five more episodes are in the works; hopefully, they will be a little longer with a more complex narrative.
