• Home
  • About
  • Contact
Menu

AlphaNerd

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
By nerds for nerds

Your Custom Text Here

AlphaNerd

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2. Review

May 2, 2017 Marc Aces

Writer/director James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy is indeed a stunning film. It is full of brilliant creative energy and spirit, but there is one specific reason it continues to stand out in audiences' minds and continues to be my favorite of the marvel universe films after three years… the characters. More than just falling in love with the Guardians of the Galaxy blockbuster, moviegoers and myself fell in love with the Guardians of the Galaxy team -- connecting with this group of loveable ridiculous misfits who manage to find each other and become a dysfunctional family. It's Gunn's perfect understanding of this that clearly helped mold Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which smartly scales down plot in favor of personality -- and while the sequel doesn't pack the full punch of the original, it's a wonderful, beautiful follow-up that is richly dense in detail and features a parade of thrilling and fun surprises.

The film picks up just a couple of months after the end of the last film -- finding the team of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper), and the young, innocent baby Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) still working out the kinks in their newfound roles as galaxy savers. Unfortunately, one of their employers -- The Sovereign, led by the gold alien Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) -- winds up not having patience for their learning curve, and when Rocket steps out of line (in a big way), the Guardians find themselves once again on the run.

Because Ayesha leads a powerful and large army, this spells big trouble for the titular team, but they wind up getting help from a surprising source. After evading capture and crash landing, they discover that they have been assisted by an alien known as Ego (Kurt Russell) -- an incredibly powerful being whose true form is that of a literal living planet... and who is also Peter's biological father. Along with Ego and his odd, empathic slightly arousing assistant Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Peter, Gamora and Drax travel back to the mysterious alien's home world. Meanwhile, Rocket and Groot are left at the crashed ship to watch over the recently-captured Nebula (Karen Gillan), but this turns out to be a challenge after Ayesha puts a bounty on the Guardians, and Yondu (Walking Dead’s Michael Rooker) now sporting a fancy Mohawk, and his disgruntled team of Ravagers come to try and collect.

Reminiscent of The Empire Strikes Back in the way in which it breaks up the characters and only utilizes a handful of settings (albeit while telling a complete story), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is simply structured with dual plot narratives, but they're properly harnessed to really get the most out of the entire fantastic ensemble. A huge part of this is the way in which James Gunn pairs each of his protagonists, as the groupings all have special ways of advancing the distinct arcs -- whether the relationships are affable or hostile. While also trying to take care of baby Groot, Rocket winds up paired with Yondu as similarly broken individuals who make a regular habit of driving away all of the people they care about; Drax reconnects with a distant part of himself as he becomes an emotional mentor to the innocent and kept Mantis; Peter and Ego together uncover answers to mysteries about Peter's past and his capabilities; and more of the dark, disturbing history between the less-than-sisterly Gamora and Nebula is revealed. The sequel accentuates the strengths of the established and new heroes and moves them forward, all while operating to get the most out of them comedically, dramatically, and thematically.

Effective as the smaller scale story is in accentuating character, however, there are drawbacks of the approach that are made apparent early on. For starters, there is a certain almost instant desire to get a larger sense of the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on beyond the specific lives of the film's heroes, but that's not something that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is built to provide outside of small snippets. Also, because the story is taking place within a limited space with a limited number of players, there is a limited number of directions in which the larger narrative can really go - which means that the bigger shifts are telegraphed and don't have the proper impact they should, making the plot feel basic. This certainly isn't to say that the movie doesn't have a few great twists up its sleeve, but the creative energy is more apparent on the micro level than the macro.

Though its scope doesn't include the cosmic breadth of the first movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is still intensely beautiful and aesthetically inventive -- particularly in its use of COLOR (very much a highlight of the original as well). Mixing the craft of the comic book source material with the creative teams' own designs, the film is just full of sci-fi magic -- from the vibrant landscapes and odd shapes featured on Ego's planet to the incredible designs transforming Pom Klementieff into the black-eyed slightly arousing (yeah you heard me the first time), antenna'd Mantis. I must also say that this praise isn't exclusive to newly introduced elements either, as while Rocket and Groot looked stunningly lifelike in their 2014 debut, Vol. 2 is legitimately next level.

Of course, you can't discuss the aesthetics of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 without giving proper attention to its soundtrack -- a.k.a. Awesome Mix Vol. 2, the second volume of 1970s pop hits collected by Peter's mother on cassette tape. Once again, James Gunn makes not only eclectic track choices with the music, but also eclectic utilizations within the film, and it's affirmation of the unique style of the series. The film is a bit haphazard when it comes to diegetic/non-diegetic use, but there isn't a single song that feels out of place contextually -- from Aliotta Hayes Jeremiah's "Lake Shore Drive" making for great intergalactic traveling music; to the lyrics of Looking Glass' "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)" proving disturbingly insightful; to Cat Stevens' "Father And Son" popping up to underscore some serious emotions. There is an excellent specificity to every single piece, and they make every scene they're featured in better.

James Gunn effectively shut down critics complaining about cookie cutter comic book movies with his authentically auteur-driven Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, and blasted the blockbuster world with a burst of fresh air that effectively altered the industry in the years since. Being a sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was never going to have that full effect, its just couldn’t. But it does still feel remarkably different, while also reminding audiences why they fell head over heels the first time. It's visually splendid, laugh out loud funny, brimming with Easter eggs that will make geeks giddy, and a welcome return for some beloved big-screen heroes.

Final Verdict: Keep em coming Marvel 8.5/10

Related Posts
images.jpg
Evil Dead Rise Review
images.jpg
Infinity Pool Review
M3GAN Review
M3GAN Review
MV5BMzQ3NTQxMjItODBjYi00YzUzLWE1NzQtZTBlY2Y2NjZlNzkyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_.jpg
Birds Of Prey Review
joker-poster.jpg
Joker Review
Screen Shot 2019-05-16 at 1.08.01 PM.png
John Wick 3 Review
shazam_poster_1103240.jpg
SHAZAM! Review
Best Films of 2018
Best Films of 2018
61H0yjl1iiL._SY741_.jpg
GLASS Review
Dsdlbj3U4AAJoO7.jpg
AQUAMAN Review
il_570xN.1534226589_7f1c.jpg
Venom Review
meg_ver2.jpg
The Meg Review
In Film Tags review, Movie Review, Marvel, marvel comics, marvel studios, Guardians of the galaxy, i am groot, starlord, ego, draxx, Marc Aces
← Alien Covenant ReviewPower Rangers Review →

Articles by Category

  • Fitness (11)
  • Tech (11)
  • Nutrition (14)
  • Lifestyle (26)
  • Film (71)


Featured Articles

Featured
joker-poster.jpg
Film
Joker Review
Film
Film
Best Films of 2018
Film
Best Films of 2018
Film
Film
Dsdlbj3U4AAJoO7.jpg
Film
AQUAMAN Review
Film
Film
il_570xN.1534226589_7f1c.jpg
Film
Venom Review
Film
Film

Subscribe to AlphaNerd

Subscribe to receive updates and exclusive AlphaNerd content.

We respect your privacy and your time.  We believe in quality over quantity and will only send worthwhile content.  Your information will never be shared or sold, and we will never send you spam.

Thank you!

Archive by Month
  • April 2023
  • January 2023
  • March 2022
  • February 2020
  • September 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • October 2018
  • August 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
Blog RSS

Copyright © 2014-2024 AlphaNerd. All Rights Reserved.
Articles and information on this website may not be copied, reprinted, or redistributed without written permission.
The statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration). Any information published on AlphaNerd.co is for entertainment purposes and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided by this website is not a substitute for professional medical advice.