Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
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Review #1,444 |
THE SCOOP
Director: James Gunn
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Kurt Russell, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Sylvester Stallone,
Plot: Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' continues the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.
Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi
Awards: Nom. for 1 Oscar - Best Visual Effects
Runtime: 136min
Rating: PG13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language, and brief suggestive content.
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
IN RETROSPECT (Spoilers: NO)
“There are two types of
beings in the universe: those who dance, and those who do not.”
The
sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 officially heralds the arrival of
the summer blockbuster season, after appetizers such as Kong: Skull Island and The
Fate of the Furious, and one of the best films of the year, Logan.
Not quite as refreshing and radical as the first film, James Gunn’s revisit
to the burgeoning franchise that runs parallel to the ‘Avengers’ films still
promises loads of action and awkward humour.
This
time around, there’s less time required to establish the characters, which
kinda means much of this (even longer) film is filled with exposition as it tries
to move the narrative along so that it hits the expected story and action
beats, even if some of these beats become perfunctory.
In
Vol. 2, the driving force of the
storytelling comes from unravelling the mystery of Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt)
true parentage. Sylvester Stallone has a
cameo, but it would be inaccurate to say as such for Kurt Russell, who plays
the film’s most important new character.
To talk more about it would spoil the fun, as the bulk of the film—both
narrative and action—revolves around his character.
There’s
a bit more focus on the sisterly relationship between Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and
Nebula (Karen Gillan) that may point to the rumblings of the next big (really
huge) Marvel movie, Avengers: Infinity War (2018). Focus is also on Quill’s
undercurrent affection for Gamora, which occasionally comes off as the butt of
several jokes.
All
in all, Vol. 2 is a serviceable
picture, certainly an entertaining film for what it is, while also pushing the
‘family-friendly’ tag to its limit—what with conversations about penises and
sexual feelings, and a shot of severed human toe.
The
brilliant concoction of style, substance, reference, reverence and collage as
gleefully experienced in the first movie is diminished here; there’s a feeling
that the filmmakers didn’t have quite as much fun making this as they did for
the first. It’s as if someone had built
a roller-coaster that nonchalantly ticks all the checkboxes of the original
reference without really wanting to outdo it.
That being said, its safety record is to be proud of.
Verdict: Not quite as refreshing and radical as the
first film, but this sequel still promises loads of action and awkward
humour.
GRADE: B+
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