A dazzling sci-fi comedy that doesn’t always successfully disguise itself as an action blockbuster and melodrama.
While working as mercenaries for the Sovereign race, the Guardians of the Galaxy steal batteries they were supposed to protect. As a result, the Sovereigns declare a hunt on the Guardians. When the heroes flee, they stumble upon Ego (Kurt Russell) – Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) father, who turns out to be a powerful and immortal cosmic being. Peter is happy to finally meet his dad, but his companions suspect that Ego wants more from his son than just filial love. Meanwhile, a team of Ravager pirates stages a mutiny against their leader Yondu, who raised Peter, and the Guardians find themselves embroiled in this conflict.
The film features cameo appearances by stars Sylvester Stallone, Michelle Yeoh, Ving Rhames, and Miley Cyrus.
A delicious soup is a dish made from many ingredients, and a good chef should know which ingredient is the main one and which is a seasoning. When James Gunn and Marvel Studios released the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” three years ago, they knew that for a genre soup called “ironic space adventure,” the main ingredient was drive. That is, the exciting advancement of characters towards a goal or constant confrontation with a powerful adversary. Of course, such a movie should have many other ingredients, and “Guardians” had them. But drive is the heart of an adventure blockbuster, and all other components of the movie would have lost if Gunn had forgotten to add plot dynamics to the pot.
Ego belongs to the world of “Fantastic Four” comics, so Marvel had to negotiate with Fox to use Ego in their film.
Lack of Drive
Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” The picture starts briskly and ends powerfully, but the middle sags mercilessly because the main characters linger on Ego’s planet for a long time (Russell’s character has a personal planet where no one else lives) and wait for the plot gears to turn, preparing the ending.
It is clear that Gunn was inspired by the fifth episode of “Star Wars,” where the action was also not as dynamic as in the fourth episode, and where the characters could calmly think and talk. But in the second “Guardians of the Galaxy,” nothing happens that would be comparable in significance and entertainment to Luke’s Jedi training and the development of Han and Leia’s romance. At the same time, even in the calm scenes of the fifth episode, the characters remembered that they were in mortal danger. And in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” there is no such feeling. The Sovereigns and Ravagers are numerous and vicious enemies, but quite comical, and they do not pose such a threat as Darth Vader or Ronan and Thanos in the first “Guardians of the Galaxy.” In addition, while the heroes are on Ego’s planet, they are not threatened by any external force.
Family Relationships
Instead of building up drive and dragging the heroes from one adventure to another, the picture develops family relationships between Yondu and Peter and between Gamora and Nebula. Both pairs of characters get a chance to explain themselves and make peace, but the big question is what percentage of viewers will be emotionally involved in the melodramatic passions involving minor characters who were unsympathetic minor villains in the first “Guardians.” Despite all the formal similarities, Gamora and Nebula are not Thor and Loki, and Peter and Yondu are not Luke and Darth Vader. You need to be deeply involved in the world of comic book movies to worry about whether Gamora and Nebula will become real sisters and whether Yondu will be rehabilitated for past sins. And Marvel blockbusters are not only made for dedicated fans.
At least, Ego’s planet is very beautiful. As, indeed, almost everywhere Gunn’s camera looks. Except, of course, the pirate ship, where it is predictably dirty and gloomy. Like the previous “Guardians,” the new picture is a holiday on the street of special effects, and the film is happy to demonstrate everything that the artists came up with, drew, and virtually exploded (believe me, there are many explosions in the picture). But still, this is a second-tier ingredient, not the main component of a blockbuster.
A Hilarious Ride
Nevertheless, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is worth seeing. Why? Because it’s a very funny movie. Not quite making up for the lack of drive, Gunn overdid it with humor – in the good sense of the word “overdid it.” It seems that the director was guided by comedies like “Airplane!,” where there are jokes in every frame and almost in every phrase. He didn’t quite achieve such a density of jokes, but Gunn almost reached it. And although the picture has unpleasant toilet jokes, not very understandable in Russia mentions of old series, and just unsuccessful jokes, there is so much humor in the film that only someone who is particularly demanding of wit will not find a reason to laugh. Or someone who laughs exclusively at Russian politicians.
Also, everything is fine with the action in the new “Guardians.” As already mentioned, the film has a worthy combat beginning and end, which fully involve all the characters involved. There are fights in the middle of the picture as well. Importantly, the sense of humor is not turned off during the action. On the contrary, some of the best jokes in the film are integral parts of the battle scenes. So don’t stuff your mouth with popcorn in the hope that you won’t have to laugh for a long time. In the second “Guardians,” a laugh attack can happen at any moment!