Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The Whole Gang of Galactic A-Holes Return in This Hilarious Sequel
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is Marvel Studios’ follow-up to the 2014 blockbuster film directed by James Gunn. Returning to star are Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker and Karen Gillan. Joining them for the sequel are Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Sean Gunn and Kurt Russell.
In this movie, The Guardians of the Galaxy are hired by the Sovereign, a powerful alien race, to guard their batteries against invaders. Things go sideways when they discover that Rocket has taken some of the batteries for himself. Enraged the Sovereign pursue the Guardians in search for vengeance. As the Guardians are trying to escape they are saved by Ego, the Living Planet; an ancient being whose plans for Peter Quill may not be as benevolent they seem.
The Good
One thing Marvel Studios consistently gets right in their films are the heroes, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is no exception. The Guardians themselves continue to delight on-screen as a witty, funny crew of badass mercenaries. Whenever all five of them share the screen together, it is pure magic. There is an opening credits montage shot so beautifully; it encapsulates each member of the team fighting a battery-sucking monster as a backdrop to Groot dancing to the music in the foreground, completely oblivious to the battle raging around him. It was fantastic. While we’re talking about the heroes, I thought it was a good move to split the group up. It challenged their characters by shifting the status quo and allowed them to flourish and grow under new circumstances.
Another great thing about this movie is that it brought Kurt Russell back! He is so good in this film as Ego and, although Ego is portrayed a little differently than in the comics, it is still very well done. He is an ancient powerful being called a Celestial that has existed for ages, searching the cosmos for purpose and meaning. Kurt brings gravity and depth to this character who has been searching for his child, seeking out a being that is like him. Another character whose arch I loved was Yondu. He had by far the most development of any of the players in Guardians Vol. 2, and it added some depth to this movie.
The underlying theme was another big win for me in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The throughline for this film is belonging. Every main character is trying to figure out where they fit in the universe, which is a risky move; it has to be genuine. Yondu is seeking to find his place after being exiled from the Ravagers, Star Lord is trying to find his place in his family, Nebula and Gamora are working to sort out their sordid past, and even Ego has been searching the cosmos searching for someone like himself. The theme worked well for me, and I like how they deconstructed the elements of the movie allowing the viewers to focus on the characters.
The Bad
Sequels are tough, they are compared to the original, and in most cases, it’s hard for a second movie to recapture the essence of something original. GotG2 is like that in that the magic of the first film has already happened; lightning already struck. The first film was a surprise hit, and although the sequel is superb, it doesn’t quite match the awesomeness of the original.
Marvel movies are infamously known for having weak villains. The MCU follows the heroes, and the villains exist only as a way of getting our hero from point A to point B. The villain in Guardians Vol. 2 was a strong villain with a compelling motive, but he was underutilized. Even though the big bad in Guardians is good, they have to share time with other aggressors like the Sovereign and Nebula. It diluted the film for me and made it harder to invest in any one storyline.
The Verdict
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a good movie that offers a lot of enjoyable moments and builds the Marvel Galactic Universe. The Guardians themselves have great chemistry, and the humor in this film helps you get through some of the lulls in the middle of the movie. I think it is worth going to see in the theaters; you’ll have an excellent time.
