Based upon the Marvel Comics series created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning
Written and Directed by James Gunn
** (two stars)
RATED PG 13
If you have been regular readers of this blog, then you will know very well that I was not a fan of Writer/Director James Gunn's "Guardians Of the Galaxy" (2014).
While not a bad film in the least, it was one that wholly underwhelmed me as I just didn't find it to be nearly as clever or as audacious as audiences, critics and even the film found itself to be. For me, from its characters, story to even the 1970's era songs contained within the film, Gunn's vision was more than a little pedestrian when I felt that it should have taken considerable risks with the Marvel formula while also expanding upon its own cinematic universe.
All of that being said, I was far in the minority with my opinion as the original film was a box office juggernaut, making it quite a favorite within the entire Marvel Comics film oeuvre. It just didn't reach me but even so, I rationalized to myself that since Gunn has gotten his origin film out of the way, perhaps the second installment would be more involving. Here's hoping...
And now, we arrive at James Gunn's "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2," the second chapter in his space rock opera and the fifteenth film in the Marvel Comics series overall. While Gunn does indeed expand upon his universe with a new legion of colorful characters (literally) as well as a broader emotional palate, and the film does have a few dazzling moments here and there, the final result was one that continued to underwhelm me due to its own tentativeness to really break free of its own conventional trappings. As with the first film, "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2" is not a bad film whatsoever. But when you think of what it could have been, the film as it is indeed another disappointment.
"Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2" opens with our titular interstellar team of miscreants, now famous for their collective derring do, ensconced in battle with an enormous tentacled monster at the request of the Sovereign race who are in need of having their sacred batteries protected.
While the wise-cracking half Earthling Peter Quill a.k.a. Starlord (Chris Pratt), the petulant warrior Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the deadpan, muscular Drax (a terrific Dave Bautista), the rapacious, weapons obsessed Rocket Racoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and now Baby Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) continue to bicker, fight and insult each other, the group has unquestionably formulated itself into a quasi family devoted towards each other and their union.
Trouble occurs after the film's opening battle, when the team is awarded Gamora's estranged, enraged sister Nebula (Karen Gillan), captured after attempting to steal some of the Sovereign's batteries. Yet, upon their departure, Rocket steals some batteries, leading the Sovereign to send a squadron of attack drones in pursuit of the Guardians. An intense space chase and dogfight ensues and becoming quite perilous until our anti-heroes are rescued by a mysterious figure, thus forcing the team to crash land on a nearby planet and the Sovereign to enlist the aid of Yordu (Michael Rooker) and his space pirates The Ravagers to hunt down and re-capture the Guardians.
As the Guardians regain their bearings, they discover that they have been saved by Ego (Kurt Russell), an immortal consciousness being known as a Celestial but who has voyaged the universe through a human avatar...an especially lonely human avatar who in the year 1980 explored planet Earth, fell in love with and impregnated Peter Quill's Mother, therefore making this interstellar entity Quill's Father!
Yet, what we end up with is no simple family reunion, as Ego's duplicitous nature becomes apparent, ultimately threatening the fate of the universe once again unless the Guardians can pull themselves together to save it one more time.
James Gunn's "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2," while a worthy successor to the first film in continuity and spirit, I just wished that it had a greater impact for me as the end result is essentially an overlong sound and light show starring a collective of space cowboys and space pirates and truthfully, none of them are really all that interesting as characters in the first place.
Yes, Gunn has helmed a sleek looking film, with top of the line special effects, precisely what we are now accustomed to seeing and expecting. Yet, as with so many films these days, we are in an age where the special effects simply are not terribly special anymore. Or for that matter, they almost feel as if they are effects made by computers for computers--effects that don't seem to have that human ingenuity behind them. What "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2" delivers is just the same old-same old bombastic CGI overkill that feels more animated than actually directed.
There are some nice touches. I liked Yordu's combat arrow and how that was visualized by swift red lines free flowing through the universe. I also really enjoyed a cosmic fireworks display that occurs at the end of the film--very lovely. And most of all, there was the stunning and eerie effect of seeing Kurt Russell visualized just as he was (amazing hair and all) in 1980. That, just as Marvel has achieved with making both Robert Downey Jr. and Michael Douglas appear as they did in the movies 30 years ago, is indeed eye-popping. All of that being said, and for all of the special effects artists that take up the bulk of the film's ending credits, everything was sadly commonplace and nothing that was as spectacularly strange and as out of this world as it could have been,
Then, there is the soundtrack, a key point of enjoyment for fans of the first film and one of disappointment for me. Again, James Gunn's song picks felt to be more studio driven and fully felt, songs from the 1970's that are easily recognizable and therefore, comfortable, rather than making the experience truly unique. Within "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2," Gunn utilizes the same tactic to an unimaginative degree. Honestly, do we really need another movie, let alone this one, where we hear Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky" again? Why not "Fire On High"? Why not have a space battle set to Yes or Frank Zappa or Parliament? Just the same old songs that we all know and love as comfortable as your favorite warm blanket in a film that is supposed to be more of an untamed, wild ride.
Even so, with the music that was chosen for Peter Quill's "Awesome Mixtape," Gunn relies more heavily upon a certain soft rock aesthetic that did carry ore of a charm this time around and did lend itself to some lovely visuals. So much so, that I wished that if Gunn wasn't going to go eclectic with his song choices, then why not just fully embrace the hazy, pastoral, stoned 1970's AM radio vibe (the Cat Stevens' song was a nice touch) more openly rather than pretend he has some kind of rock and roll space odyssey, which this film is not, regardless of what it tries to express to the audience.
The uninspired quality of "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2" extends more seriously towards its own actors and characters. Chris Pratt, an actor whom I like and certainly does possess his charms, but with the first film as well as Colin Trevorrow's awful "Jurassic World" (2015) he is quickly becoming a one-trick-pony (not necessarily his fault) by being the glib hunk and not really having anything else to do and no real notes to play other than being glib. Zoe Saldana is essentially in the same boat and their overall blandness doesn't rally make the characters and potential romance of Peter Quill and Gamora anything to root for or become invested in. Frankly, when Baby Groot carries more personality than your living, breathing leading actors, you have a serious problem here.
James Gunn's screenplay, while not bad, is also one that is quite hollow and lacking of that essential character development, the kind of which that deepens and solidifies the characters, therefore, giving the plot and story some weight, meaning and essentially, the frame work for us to care a whit about anything that happens. While he did indeed tone it down to a degree, Gunn certainly still seems preoccupied with throwing in those needless pop culture references that really do nothing but announce themselves instead of feeling remotely organic to the overall storyline. And certainly, they do not showcase any sense of storytelling risk either,
One criticism I had about the first film was that it completely felt as if Gunn and the shareholders at Disney (which owns Marvel), simply wanted to try and essentially re-make George Lucas' "Star Wars" (1977) but one in which every single character was basically a variation of Han Solo. With "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2," it is clear that Gunn wanted this episode to serve as his version of Lucas and Director Irvin Kershner's "The Empire Strikes Back (1980), as Gunn has separated his main cast of characters from each other for the bulk of the film and has then layered the story with several themes of family, lineage and the sense of loyalty that is inherent.
In this area of the film, Gunn has certainly given himself more than enough to chew on concerning the Father/son relationships between Peter Quill, Ego and Yordu, the sister relationship between Gamora and Nebula, as well as a certain Father/brother bond between Yordu and higher ranking Ravager, Stakar Ogord (Sylvester Stallone in a role that is definitely setting up future films) and then the complete family dynamics contained within the Guardians themselves. Now here is where I did appreciate some of the considerable extra effort on Gunn's part to expand his particular universe and there are some good moments scattered through the film that attempt to delve into something deeper. But for me, even with all of the psychedelic whiz-bang happening all around, ultimately, I was bored.
Yes, dear readers, James Gunn's "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2," even with all of my criticisms is not a bad film. Just a profoundly un-involving and somewhat impersonal one and it did indeed leave me bored for much of its hefty two hour and fifteen minute running time. I know that again I am in the minority on this one and the series overall but as it stands, I cannot help but to think what this series may have been like in the hands of another and more inventive, audacious director like Edgar Wright.
Now THAT would have been something to make this series wave its freak flag sky high!
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