May 8, 2017 · Watch the official teaser
Marvel threw audiences a curveball three years ago with the feature film adaptation of an obscure, whimsically irreverent space odyssey comic. Nobody saw the overwhelming commercial or critical success of “Guardians of the Galaxy” coming.
The ragtag team of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot returned to the big screen Friday with the aptly titled “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” with a $145 million opening weekend that took no one by surprise.
Set in the months following the end of the original film, “Vol. 2” finds the Guardians on the run from a race of gold-plated aliens known as “The Sovereign” when they stumble across Star-Lord’s long-lost father, the celestial Ego (Kurt Russell). Played at a much more emotional level than the 2014 movie, the notion of whether family is built from blood or bond strikes at the core of “Vol. 2.”
Comedic character actor Chris Pratt brings the right amount of snark and heart in his second go-round as the team’s de facto leader, Peter “Star-Lord” Quill. A combination of one part Indiana Jones, two parts funnyman, Pratt’s Star-Lord is the glue of “Vol. 2” both structurally from a plot perspective and also emotionally from a character development perspective.
Finding the right balance between the humor in the lighter moments and the depth of the heavier ones is a tricky task in comic book films like “Guardians,” but Pratt toes the line quite nicely.
It helps that Pratt has terrific natural chemistry with Russell, who effortlessly sinks into the role of Ego the father. Russell doesn’t quite hit the mark, however, as Ego the comic book character as his performance falters when the plot requires him to engage in “nerd-speak.” When the moments happen where Pratt and Russell are able to ignore the “green screen nature” of the film and have a real conversation, Russell’s work sparks off the screen.
There are any number of interesting performances within “Vol. 2” from Dave Bautista’s surprisingly good comedic timing as Drax to Michael Rooker’s wonderfully layered turn as Star-Lord’s mentor Yondu to Bradley Cooper’s engaging work as the voice of Rocket.
But the star of the film’s trailers – a miniature sapling version of Groot – is everything audiences could have hoped for and more in small, concentrated doses. Seeing “Baby Groot” dance around and ride a space rat while the rest of the team fights a giant octopus might be the best title sequence in any Marvel Cinematic Universe film.
Equally impressive are the film’s well constructed action scenes, each uniquely linked to a song in the fantastic vintage soundtrack including Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” Sweet’s “Fox On The Run” and Jay and the Americans’ “Come a Little Bit Closer.” While not as instantly recognizable as the original soundtrack, song selection in “Vol. 2” matches “Guardians of the Galaxy” in overall quality and ability to blend the music perfectly into the larger context of the film.
“Vol. 2” ends up being one of the more successful sequels in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Gunn is able to infuse the space comedy follow-up with the original film’s signature wit and panache.
Rarely does it feel like Gunn reaches for a joke or tries too hard to recreate the magic of the first movie. Rather, “Vol. 2” lives as a natural continuation of everything that made “Guardians of the Galaxy” great the first go-around. While it isn’t quite on par with the phenomenal sequels to “Captain America,” “Vol. 2” sits firmly ahead of lackluster continuations of “Iron Man” and “Thor.”
Advanced knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the comic book origins of the franchise isn’t required to enjoy “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” though some of the film’s five post-credit scenes won’t make a lot of sense to first-time viewers.
What “Vol. 2” does deliver in spades is a humorous, oftentimes hilarious two-hour thrill ride that may also tug at the heartstrings along the way. As comic book adaptations go, it’s hard to ask for much more out of an enjoyable time at the movies.
Continue the conversation online at cinematicconsiderations.com.
Leave a Reply