Groot's first appearance in the MCU immediately endeared the giant tree-like character to audiences everywhere. This was a being who could easily decimate entire groups of enemies but still had a very childlike mentality. Despite Groot's popularity from the get-go, it was a brand new Groot (according to James Gunn himself) that really won audiences over.
Baby Groot, as he came to be known, became a phenomenon years before Baby Yoda would grace TV screens. Though he has since grown into a surly teenager, fans can still get their fix of Baby Groot in the new animated I Am Groot shorts available on Disney Plus.
Comprised of five episodes, I Am Groot presents some of the strange moments in the life of Baby Groot, including a mud bath that results in some surprising side effects, a fight against a bonsai tree, and some delightful arts and crafts that come at the cost of some pretty hefty destruction. Each episode runs around four minutes in length, credits included, so this entire collection can easily be watched in one very short sitting.
Vin Diesel returns as the voice of Groot, and does some pretty fun work here. Though he may be best known for all the various intonations of Groots only three words, "I am Groot," it's his vocal exertions that really shine. Groot cries, screams, gets exasperated, and laughs. Diesel manages to hit all of these very specific sounds with the right emphasis and lends a lot of dimension to a mostly non-vocal character.
I Am Groot may be one of the first projects that really emphasizes the Disney-Marvel relationships, in that it really embodies the spirit of some of Disney's earliest animated shorts. The storytelling is all done visually, with little to no dialogue whatsoever. This allows for some pretty creative choices from writer and director Kirsten Lepore (who most recently worked as the animation director on Marcel the Shell with Shoes On). Lepore uses the animated medium exactly as it was meant to be used: storytelling through action, facial expressions, and visual flare.
The animation itself is beautiful, although some of the shorts are lacking in background visuals. This is due to the fact that three out of the five shorts take place aboard spaceships where there isn't quite as much to see. Still, Lepore makes the most of these settings by utilizing other visual and storytelling elements to make them more interesting. This includes the use of lighting in one short that takes place mostly during the night (although in space it's hard to tell aside from the fact that Groot is wearing pajamas).
The big question for Marvel fans is whether or not these shorts are canon in the MCU, and the clearest answer is that it doesn't really matter. I Am Groot benefits from the fact that it is truly a standalone project. There are no bigger stakes, no teases to future storylines, and (almost) no surprise cameos from other Marvel characters. Even the Marvel Studios logo and fanfare are played with, signifying that these shorts shouldn't be taken too seriously. They're just for fun, and they deliver on that perfectly. Baby Groot, not surprisingly, is perfect for this type of medium. His actions and facial expressions convey so much without having to use any dialogue other than "I am Groot."
There's a lot of fun to be had in these stories, and despite the fact that they do not come directly from James Gunn himself (though he does serve as an executive producer), they carry many of his trademarks without feeling like a cheap copy of his style. These include the use of music and even one very well-choreographed dance number. There are plenty of smaller details to enjoy as well, including funny disclaimers hidden in the end credits of each short (no post-credit scenes, but why would there be?).
Overall, despite the very quick runtime of all the shorts put together, I Am Groot is a lot of fun, and definitely worth the watch for any Marvel fan, or even just fans of animated shorts in general. No prior knowledge of the MCU is required, though it might help to contextualize some things. Even still, it's fun to see Baby Groot again before revisiting the character, who may or may not be back to his fully grown form, in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and when Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 hits theaters.
All five I Am Groot shorts are available to stream on Disney Plus.
I Am Groot