Written by: Jessica Johnson
August, 2014. Audiences around the world entered showings of Guardians of the Galaxy, a relatively obscure Marvel Comics property, uncertain of what to expect. The first thing these curious viewers saw was “that guy from Parks and Recreation” playing a tape on his Walkman and blissfully dancing to Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” on a ravaged, desolate planet.
Three years and hundreds of millions of dollars later, “that guy” is now more widely known as household name and superstar Chris Pratt and the Guardian characters are no longer obscure, but beloved. Writer and director James Gunn has a significant task to live up the incredibly high bar set by himself; How does one replicate the magic of the original without making it feel rehashed?
Well, starting with Baby Groot dancing to Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky” while an epic battle sequence takes place in the background certainly seems like a good way to start!
Three years and hundreds of millions of dollars later, “that guy” is now more widely known as household name and superstar Chris Pratt and the Guardian characters are no longer obscure, but beloved. Writer and director James Gunn has a significant task to live up the incredibly high bar set by himself; How does one replicate the magic of the original without making it feel rehashed?
Well, starting with Baby Groot dancing to Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky” while an epic battle sequence takes place in the background certainly seems like a good way to start!
Guardians of the Galaxy was a trailblazing film that was incredibly creative and original. It is difficult, therefore, to judge both it and its sequel independent from one another. However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 picks up where the last left off, with our gang getting into more shenanigans as they travel together saving the galaxy from complete annihilation. In Vol. 2, audiences can expect to learn more about their favorite ragtag renegades and love them all the more, with the exception, believe it or not, of Peter Quill/Star Lord. If you’re a Chris Pratt fan, expect to be a bit disappointed, for he’s not as prevalent of a force in this movie as he was in the first. This is fine, however, and actually to the movie’s advantage. The first is centered around Peter’s character because he serves as the normalizing vessel (our only human) through which the audience meets this eclectic cast of characters. The Guardians films value character above all else, which is one of the qualities which make them resonate so much with audiences. In Vol. 2, we are all familiar with these lovable oddballs, and therefore can spend more time uncovering more facets of each of their characters.
The supporting characters from the first film really get a chance to shine in the sequel. Gamora and Drax, who once were extremely similar in their misunderstanding of Peter’s Earth references and their tortured pasts now each have very distinct traits that make them much stronger independently. Nebula and Yondu, our blue-skinned secondary villains from before, now appear working in tandem with the Guardians. Nebula’s relationship with Gamora is much more clearly defined and actually quite heartbreaking. And Yondu...oh Yondu. This movie is basically James Gunn’s love letter to Michael Rooker, with whom Gunn has worked with outside of the MCU as well. Gunn was incredibly excited to bring Yondu back, and how he uses him and adapts his character in Vol. 2 makes that very clear.
The supporting characters from the first film really get a chance to shine in the sequel. Gamora and Drax, who once were extremely similar in their misunderstanding of Peter’s Earth references and their tortured pasts now each have very distinct traits that make them much stronger independently. Nebula and Yondu, our blue-skinned secondary villains from before, now appear working in tandem with the Guardians. Nebula’s relationship with Gamora is much more clearly defined and actually quite heartbreaking. And Yondu...oh Yondu. This movie is basically James Gunn’s love letter to Michael Rooker, with whom Gunn has worked with outside of the MCU as well. Gunn was incredibly excited to bring Yondu back, and how he uses him and adapts his character in Vol. 2 makes that very clear.
Joining the story are new performers as well. The legendary Kurt Russel proves an excellent choice to play Ego, a mysterious force of power and Peter’s long lost father. French actress Pom Klementieff plays Mantis, who blended seamlessly into the misfit gang with her naiveté and sincere performance. Gunn recently announced that Mantis will be a part of the Mission: Breakout attraction in Disney’s California Adventure, opening later this month, and she will be a very welcome addition to the gang! And finally, who could forget Baby Groot, who will forever and for always steal every single scene he appears in!
The sequel is once again written by James Gunn, and he does an incredible job splitting up screen time pretty equally (with the exception of Star Lord) amongst this ensemble cast and making this film have its own merits that stand independent from its predecessor. However, it did fall flat at a couple of points for me personally and at times felt a bit long. In all fairness, however, I was extremely tired upon entering the theatre, and it was 3 AM when my screening let out, so I very well could be remembering this poorly. I do know, however, that when the jokes hit, they hit hard! Gunn’s sense of humor is like a sucker punch that leaves you utterly breathless, and a few of his jokes actually had my audience applauding several times. Particularly amusing was a gag with Yondu and Rocket needing the help of a very confused Baby Groot. I was in awe at how long the gag went on, but how the audience never turned on the scene. It had absolutely no right to be as funny as it was, but Gunn expertly pulled it off.
Where the writing encounters problems is in tone. To Gunn’s credit, he tried playing with even more layers of emotionality; In addition to the typical effervescent hilarity, there are some incredibly touching moments as well as some very dark, disturbing sequences. However, sometimes these lines get blurred, which very much confused the audience I saw the film with. In one scene that I read as very sweet and genuine, half of the theater thought that it was overly sappy and was laughing at it as though it were a joke. This happened a few times, and it would have been nicer to see clear distinctions between these tones.
Where the writing encounters problems is in tone. To Gunn’s credit, he tried playing with even more layers of emotionality; In addition to the typical effervescent hilarity, there are some incredibly touching moments as well as some very dark, disturbing sequences. However, sometimes these lines get blurred, which very much confused the audience I saw the film with. In one scene that I read as very sweet and genuine, half of the theater thought that it was overly sappy and was laughing at it as though it were a joke. This happened a few times, and it would have been nicer to see clear distinctions between these tones.
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The “Awesome Mix Vol. 2” soundtrack that underscores Vol. 2 is absolutely fantastic, and complements the plot just as perfectly as “Vol. 1” did for the original film. Finally, the production design was some of the best that I have ever seen in a Marvel movie. The design of both Ego’s and the Ravagers’ spaceships were amazing, new character Ayesha’s palace and throne room was elegant and stunning, and the design of Ego’s planet itself was astounding.
This is needless to say, as this is a MCU movie, but please stay for the end credits sequences. There are five – count them – FIVE credits scenes, none of which, I am annoyed to report, have anything to do with the next Avengers film, Infinity Wars, where the Guardians gang will join our other MCU favorites. Despite still not knowing how our galactic friends will become further involved in the fight against Thanos, these sequences are very fun and full of Easter Eggs, so please stay for them!
The “Awesome Mix Vol. 2” soundtrack that underscores Vol. 2 is absolutely fantastic, and complements the plot just as perfectly as “Vol. 1” did for the original film. Finally, the production design was some of the best that I have ever seen in a Marvel movie. The design of both Ego’s and the Ravagers’ spaceships were amazing, new character Ayesha’s palace and throne room was elegant and stunning, and the design of Ego’s planet itself was astounding.
This is needless to say, as this is a MCU movie, but please stay for the end credits sequences. There are five – count them – FIVE credits scenes, none of which, I am annoyed to report, have anything to do with the next Avengers film, Infinity Wars, where the Guardians gang will join our other MCU favorites. Despite still not knowing how our galactic friends will become further involved in the fight against Thanos, these sequences are very fun and full of Easter Eggs, so please stay for them!
If you are a fan of Guardians of the Galaxy, you will not be disappointed by its sequel. It’s difficult to recapture and replicate the magic of the original, so it will undoubtedly be a different experience the second time around. However, if you have a strong affinity for the characters, classic rock tunes, and wacky humor, you will be thoroughly engrossed in this wild ride!
Rating: 5 out of 6 Infinity Stones
Rating: 5 out of 6 Infinity Stones
