One of the MCU's Better Sequels

Rating: 8/10 (4 August 2017)

In 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy arrived in theaters as the biggest creative risk that Marvel Studios had undertaken at the time. A ragtag group of superheroes comprised of aliens, a talking tree, and a cybernetic raccoon surely couldn't have been the easiest sell at the office. But the film ended up being an absolute blast, a refreshing blast of fresh air that still holds its place as my favorite film in the MCU. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 isn't the blast of fresh air that its predecessor was, but it is an entertaining sequel that further develops the relationships between these characters while providing more of its predecessor's trademark humor and colorful action. Make no mistake, director James Gunn takes full advantage of the color spectrum here, crafting a film with loads of visual splendor. This is a gorgeous film to look at, the bleak gray color palettes of the DCEU be gone.
The film takes a place a few months after the events of its predecessor as we find the Guardians working for the egotistical Sovereign, a golden, space-faring race. However, when Rocket steals something he shouldn't have, the gang takes off on an adventure that leads them to Ego, Star-Lord's long-lost father, all while being pursued by Yondu's Ravagers, the Sovereign, Nebula, and having to once again save the galaxy. Sound like a lot? Well, it is. While Gunn does his best to handle the multiple plot threads, the film isn't as tightly-focused as the first, the story relegated to the background in favor of action, characters, and humor. The film doesn't suffer entirely because of its character-centric focus, however. The tense relationship between Gamora and Nebula receives some much-needed fleshing-out, while we also learn more about Rocket's struggle to come to terms with his own existence. These developments are welcome, but I can't help but think that they would have worked better had Gunn cut down on the sheer number of characters in his screenplay.
However, the ending provides a much-needed emotional punch that seems like a rarity in today's superhero films. While the climactic third act action bonanza doesn't do much more than provide an explosion of colors and sound, the film's final ten minutes are truly emotional. There are actual stakes in this film, which is something that cannot be said for a majority of the films in the MCU. It gets tiring watching the heroes just pack it up after the fight and call it a day, but that's not the case here.
If there's one area where Gunn succeeds in his screenplay, it comes in the humor. He cranks the humor dial up to eleven and the overwhelming majority land with flying colors. I was genuinely surprised with the number of raunchy jokes that Disney allowed. And not only is Drax's comedic timing impeccable, but so is his laugh. Dave Bautista can act (Drax's scene with Mantis on Ego's planet in which they both look out over the landscape is beautifully touching.) Three years after the Guardians' first adventure, I couldn't help but smile seeing them again on the big screen. Bradley Cooper remains a delight playing Rocket Raccoon, who's likely still my favorite member of the Guardians. Zoë Saldana continues her sci-fi domination with yet another strong performance as Gamora, who has some of the film's more emotional moments opposite Karen Gillan's wonderful Nebula. Chris Pratt remains as charismatic as ever as Star-Lord, but I did feel that a couple of his lines could have been delivered with a bit more nuance. And I will say that although I enjoyed Baby Groot's presence in the film, I did find myself feeling that Gunn was trying a bit too much at times to capture the magic of the first film.
The real stars of the show here, however, are Kurt Russell as Ego and Michael Rooker as Yondu. Ego makes for a complex individual and Russell handles his overall arc with skill. Rooker, who has long been an underrated character actor, actually delivers the best performance in the film. Unexpectedly winding up as the film's emotional core, Yondu makes for a fascinating character. Above all, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a film about family. Sure, during a scene or two I thought to myself "Wow, when I did start watching a Fast and the Furious movie?" but Gunn does a bang-up job exploring his ideas by way of Star-Lord's two fathers: Yondu and Ego. Reflected against the Guardians, who have found a family amongst themselves, the film manages to explore some admittedly well-trodden territory, but in a way that feels somewhat fresh and allows for a majority of the questions that were posed in its predecessor to receive a satisfactory answer.
While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to superhero sequels, I couldn't help but leave the theater in a happy mood (and I'm pretty sure I was the last one to leave because I don't think anyone was expecting 5 whole mid-/post-credits scenes.) It doesn't quite match the freshness of its predecessor, but it does succeed at being more than your run-of-the-mill blockbuster thanks to Gunn's wildly imaginative mind. Armed with another fantastic soundtrack, vibrant action sequences, solid performances and quite a bit of wit, the film manages to make up for its somewhat uneven storyline. And if there's anything in this film that's an absolutely unquestionable improvement from its predecessor, it's the villain. Give us more villains like this one, Marvel.
Rating: 8/10 (Great)