Year: 2017
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Vin Diesel, Kurt Russell, and Karen Gillan
Tagline: You only get one chance to save the galaxy twice.
Synopsis: The further adventures of the misfit Guardians of the Galaxy.
Tagline: You only get one chance to save the galaxy twice.
Synopsis: The further adventures of the misfit Guardians of the Galaxy.
Review
When the first Guardians of the Galaxy came out in 2014, it was unexpectedly different from everything else in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was weird and zany and a lot of fun. How does Vol. 2 fare? It's still weird, still zany, and mostly fun. But it can't quite recapture the freshness of the original. Considering how much I enjoyed the first one, this one left me disappointed.
The film's opening sequence is, however, stellar. As the Guardians do battle with a multi-tentacled space monster in the background, Baby Groot obliviously dances to ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" in the foreground. And it is terrific. The whole sequence reintroduces us to the characters and why we want to root for them. The opening set me up for a better movie than I got.
As with its predecessor, Vol. 2 uses a popular mix of songs from the 70s and 80s. And the music is part of the story, part of who Peter Quill is. So even though I don't necessarily like all the songs they include, I appreciate how they work within, and add to, the story. I will likely never be able to hear "Brandy" by the Looking Glass without thinking of this film.
Another thing I appreciate in the film is the theme of family. We see deeper into each of the Guardians and also into Yondu and Nebula. Every character is broken in some way or another. That's why they come together so well. And there is a lot of bonding in this film and discussion of what it means to be a family. Maybe too much, as certain characters seem to shift uncharacteristically far based on how they were portrayed previously.
While the film does a good job with characterization, the plot feels a bit weak. It wasn't as compelling as the previous story. It didn't help that the villains/antagonists all seem petty and weak in terms of their motivations. The main villain started out interesting but ended up feeling bland.
My biggest qualm with the film was its adult content. The first film certainly pushed the envelope for what is acceptable in a Marvel Studios film. This one nudges it even more. There was more crude humor. And while nothing is explicitly stated or shown, it's very apparent that the Ravagers visit a robot brothel. The film is definitely not for kids, so it is irksome that it is has toy lines very much marketed toward kids.
While I don't think it lives up to the first film, Vol. 2 is still, overall, a fun trip to the movies. But be advised before you bring the kids. And if you didn't like the craziness of the first one, Vol. 2 isn't going to win you over either. Oh, and there are a whopping five mid-credits and post-credit scenes.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Why do Ravagers have such cool funerals? They are basically space pirates, yet they have all these neat traditions for a funeral. It was fun to watch, but felt incongruous with their portrayal.
The film's opening sequence is, however, stellar. As the Guardians do battle with a multi-tentacled space monster in the background, Baby Groot obliviously dances to ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" in the foreground. And it is terrific. The whole sequence reintroduces us to the characters and why we want to root for them. The opening set me up for a better movie than I got.
As with its predecessor, Vol. 2 uses a popular mix of songs from the 70s and 80s. And the music is part of the story, part of who Peter Quill is. So even though I don't necessarily like all the songs they include, I appreciate how they work within, and add to, the story. I will likely never be able to hear "Brandy" by the Looking Glass without thinking of this film.
Another thing I appreciate in the film is the theme of family. We see deeper into each of the Guardians and also into Yondu and Nebula. Every character is broken in some way or another. That's why they come together so well. And there is a lot of bonding in this film and discussion of what it means to be a family. Maybe too much, as certain characters seem to shift uncharacteristically far based on how they were portrayed previously.
While the film does a good job with characterization, the plot feels a bit weak. It wasn't as compelling as the previous story. It didn't help that the villains/antagonists all seem petty and weak in terms of their motivations. The main villain started out interesting but ended up feeling bland.
My biggest qualm with the film was its adult content. The first film certainly pushed the envelope for what is acceptable in a Marvel Studios film. This one nudges it even more. There was more crude humor. And while nothing is explicitly stated or shown, it's very apparent that the Ravagers visit a robot brothel. The film is definitely not for kids, so it is irksome that it is has toy lines very much marketed toward kids.
While I don't think it lives up to the first film, Vol. 2 is still, overall, a fun trip to the movies. But be advised before you bring the kids. And if you didn't like the craziness of the first one, Vol. 2 isn't going to win you over either. Oh, and there are a whopping five mid-credits and post-credit scenes.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Why do Ravagers have such cool funerals? They are basically space pirates, yet they have all these neat traditions for a funeral. It was fun to watch, but felt incongruous with their portrayal.
Quotable Quotes
- "You look like Mary Poppins." "Is he cool?" [pauses] "Yeah, he's cool." -- Peter and Yondu
- "Does anybody have any tape out there? I wanna put some tape over the 'death' button." "Nobody has any tape!" -- Rocket and Peter
- "All you do is yell at each other. You're not friends." "No ... we are family." -- Nebula and Drax
- "No raccoon or tree creatures were harmed during the making of this movie. However the same cannot be said for the handlers of the raccoon and tree creatures." -- End credits
ISFS
No comments:
Post a Comment