Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Reviews from the Dark Side presents
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Released 5/5/17

There's something in the air.  Something about the first week in May that just says...Marvel.  Maybe that's because we've seen a major release from the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2008's Iron Man.  Maybe that's because the MCU has been cranking mega-blockbuster after mega-blockbuster since the release of The Avengers in 2012.  Maybe it's both.  But, the MCU seems to own the beginning of the Summer movie season. 

So, it's with great anticipation the MCU brings the second adventure starring the unlikely and wacky cosmic superteam, the Guardians of the Galaxy, to the front in 2017 to open their spate of major releases for the year.  The Guardians.  I remember not thinking much of the trailers for the first film back in 2014.  After seeing it for the first time, I was pleasantly proven wrong.  It was one of the best movies in this genre I had ever seen.  Director, James Gunn, had concocted a "marvel" so to speak.  A marvel that in some ways was just as important to the MCU as its flagship Avengers superteam.  If the Avengers were Marvel's touchdown, the Guardians were the end zone celebration.  It's one thing to make B-level characters like Iron Man and Thor household names.  It's another to do that to C-level and below type characters.  And that's exactly what the first Guardians did.  It meant the MCU could successfully extend beyond the flagship.  It made the obscure names Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot superstars.

So, three years later, what does Gunn and company do for an encore?  Well, the first thing they got right was bringing back the entire main cast.  I don't know about you, but, I find it rather distracting and annoying when the major players don't return for the sequel (looking at you American Wedding, among others).  It always seems like there's something askew when that happens and the story has to be retconned to explain the absences.  But, Chris Pratt (Perter Quill/Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax), Bradley Cooper (voice of Rocket), and Vin Diesel (voice of Groot), along with supporting stars Michael Rooker (Yondu Udonta) and Karen Gillan (Nebula) have returned for the madness.

As for the story, we pick up with the Guardians a few months after the first film.  After successfully defending power batteries from a large slug like creature for the Sovereign race, they take their payment in the form of Nebula who the Sovereign have captured and have been holding prisoner for her attempt at trying to steal their batteries.  Gamora, hoping to get through to her foster sister, and the Guardians depart not knowing that Rocket has stolen some of the batteries himself to sell on the black market.  It's not long after that the theft is discovered and the Guardians become public enemy #1 in Sovereign nation. 

While escaping from the Sovereign in Star Wars-esqe asteroid field fashion, the crew gets an assist from an enigmatic humanoid entity, Ego (Kurt Russell).  Ego has  familial ties to one of the Guardians.  The Sovereign, their anger not assuaged, call on Yondu and his team of space pirates, the Ravagers, to track down our intrepid heroes.  As you know, Yondu, has a bone to pick with the Guardians from the previous film, and, surprisingly, Ego as well.  It all culminates to a wild and wooly third act where secrets are revealed, unity is tightened, and heartbreak is inevitable. 

As with all sequels, Guardians 2 is no exception in that it doubles down on successful elements from the previous movie.  Rocket is more ornery.  Star-Lord is more swoony over Gamora, Drax is more clueless about subtext.  And, then there's Groot.  Let's talk about Groot.  Or, rather, Baby Groot as he's still just a little sapling.  Now, given the circumstances, there might have been a large tendency to have several "awww" moments featuring Groot.  And, while he is prominently featured in the movie, Gunn didn't do it at the expense of the other characters in my opinion.  That's the one thing Marvel has done very well in movies with ensemble casts from Joss Whedon to the Russo Brothers to Gunn.  All main characters get their screen time and don't feel like they've been shafted. 

That brings me to the overall product itself.  Yes, Guardians 2 dots all the "Is" and crosses all the "Ts" it should.  But, it just doesn't quite have the same juice as the first film.  The material isn't quite as fresh.  Some things feel a bit forced.  For example, the Guardians opening fight with the giant space slug should be an epic beginning.  So, let's have an obligatory dancing Baby Groot scene.  Now, it was funny and cute.  But, let's admit it.  It was contrived so we could get our dose of cuteness (or would that be Groot-ness).   

Much has been made of how lackluster the big bad, Ronan, was in the first film (not my opinion).  But, I felt more of threat from him than I did from this film's villain.  Granted this villain presented more of a subtle evil than Ronan, but, I didn't always feel the menace even when the villainy was revealed.  I didn't dislike this villain, I just thought Ronan was scarier.

Two new faces of note are introduced in Guardians 2.  The most prominent introduction is in the form of Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Ego's empathic aide/emissary/slave.  Some of her moments with Drax were the best in the movie.  She added a fresh new injection of humor to the regular Guardian craziness.  Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone), who comic geeks know as Starhawk, makes a cameo as leader of the main group of Ravagers.  I suspect he'll have a larger role in future installments of the franchise, but, for now his part was pretty much a throw in that you could take or leave.

Now let's talk about end credits scenes.  Guardians 2 really ups the ante on this one giving us five of varying importance.  I won't get into all of them, but, there are two that stood out for me.  One was just a pure comic sequence involving Yondu's arrow and a very unintended recipient who ends up on the wrong end of it.  The second scene is much more poignant involving the golden-skinned Sovereign and a special cocoon that is incubating something the leader has given a name to...Adam.  Again, comic fans will geek out at the foreshadowing. 

Guardians 2 doesn't provide the thrills of the first film.  The storyline isn't as tight.  The first half felt a little scattershot.  It feels a bit disconnected from the rest of the MCU.  But, at the same time, it was fun.  At times, it was a lot of fun.  The strength of the main characters drive the film.  The humor, while feeling a bit forced on occasion, is still hilarious and in large supply.  If you were a fan of the Guardians previously, the sequel will do nothing to change that.  So, it's still a big thumbs up, though not as enthusiastically as I originally imagined.


The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

***3/4 stars

Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Worth a look.  Better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. I'm doing my happy dance!
5 *= Pure eye candy. I have seen the top of the mountain, and it is good