Just a few months after the events of Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill/Starlord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Groot (Vin Diesel), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Drax (Dave Bautista) are back at it again in this action-packed thrill ride. This motley crew finds themselves in the presence of one of the most powerful beings in the universe, Ego (Kurt Russell). When the team finds out that Ego’s connection to the team is far stronger than they had originally thought, their lives quickly become more interesting and more difficult. With the threat of the Sovereign, a race of conceited douchebags, hot on the Guardians’ tale, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is sure to be a bumpy, but energetic ride.
When Guardians of the Galaxy was released in 2014 writer-director James Gunn and the talented crew took the world by storm and presented them with an entirely new take on the superhero genre. Using comedy to guide the story of this makeshift gang, Gunn found a way to aggressively force these characters on his viewers in a way that resonated well with them. Three years later Gunn brought the world a new installment in the GoTG franchise and added new levels of comedy to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, while not quite as comedically appealing as its predecessor, fits beautifully into the grand scheme of things.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 compromises to some degree on the humor and leans more on emotion to drive this story forward. As this film plays out and viewers are provided a level of emotion that wasn't present in the previous film, they understand that, while the humor is essential to these characters and their story, there is far more to them than appears on the surface. Viewers find themselves fully immersed in a world of emotion unlike anything they’ve seen in the superhero genre before. Peter Quill becomes the centerpiece of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s story and viewers are taken on a bumpy ride full of hard-to-stomach emotion and tear-jerking revelations. Those viewers are drawn so deep into a rabbit hole of emotion that is unrelenting and unwilling to let them go, resulting in the viewers’ inability to look away. There is a moment toward the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 that finds viewers close to tears, and it’s in that moment the regression in humor is a nonfactor, and Gunn created a true masterpiece. Furthermore, if Baby Groot isn’t enough to tug vigorously at your heartstrings, you’re a monster.
There is a clear difference in tone between the first installment of this franchise and this one, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. This film is far darker than its predecessor and relies much more heavily on emotion than comedy. That reality is something that might quickly turn viewers off to what the film has to offer, but the reality is that the change in direction keeps things fresh and at least as equally entertaining as the first film. With new characters in Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Taserface (Chris Sullivan), new relationships, and a series of twists and turns, keeping viewers on their toes, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 doesn’t seem like it could have been any better. It’s said that Pratt cried after reading the script for the first time, and it seems impossible not to share the emotion that he experienced. Furthermore Kevin Feige has said that he wouldn’t allow Gunn to make changes to said script as he believed it to be perfect. By the end of the film, when all is said and done, I believe he made the right call, assisting in bringing to life a story for the ages.
Directed by James Gunn.
Written by James Gunn, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Larry Lieber, etc.
Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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