Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (2017)

[cheesypoofs]

On 4/28/2017 at 10:45 AM, rukaio101 said:

Just got back from my screening. Unsurprisingly, I enjoyed it a fair bit. I will say it's not as narratively tight as the first one and there definitely a lot more rougher edges, but it also has a lot of really great moments that more than live up to the first movie's quality. There are flaws, yes, and they're relatively noticeable, but I think the high points more than make up for it. 

 

One of the things I liked most about the movie was how it managed to give satisfying character arcs and moments to pretty much everyone on the team, especially Nebula and Yondu. One of my bigger problems with Age of Ultron as a sequel was that, due to limited screentime, some of the team either ended up getting sidelined or stuck with lousy plotlines (like Thor or the Hulk/Widow romance). Guardians 2, on the other hand, has a good character moment for pretty much everyone (except probably Groot but it's difficult for him) and nearly each moment really hit home. I've always said that characterisation is probably one of Marvel's biggest strong points and it's clear that James Gunn gets these characters and knows how to use them. As a result, it's little surprise that the characters are probably the best thing about the movie for me.

 

The visuals were also a strong point. The movie has such a great, psychedelic colour pallet and visual imagination that really sets it apart from most sci-fi films these days. Even when it's doing MoS-style super brawls or large space battles, it's still fantastic and gorgeous to look at. Now, I'm not going to name names here, but it really makes you think that another certain superhero studio should consider adding a little more visual brightness to- Ah, who am I kidding, ZACK SNYDER, PUT SOME ACTUAL COLOUR IN YOUR GODDAMN FILMS! ...Ahem. Anyway, as I was saying, the movie looks great and the visuals really match the light fun attitude it has going for it. Also, I don't know what it is with Marvel and de-aging their characters, but damned if they haven't gotten really good at it. Young Kurt Russell looked great.

 

Now, I have been hearing a lot of complaints about the movie having no/little story and, while I think that's wrong, I do kinda understand the sentiment because there's not really a solid story for the first third or so. There's no major driving motivation for the Guardians compared to, say, the first movie where they were trying to keep/sell the orb and that's what drove their actions. In this one, however, they're just reactive characters, reacting to what's going on around them for about the first half or so. And that can feel a little meandering and narratively unsatisfying. I don't think it ruins the movie, but it's something to keep in mind. Also, I initially thought Rocket was a bit too jerkass-ish/annoying to begin with in the first third or so, but that ended up having a great payoff, so I'm okay with it.

 

Also, this is the first Marvel movie where I think the claim 'Too much humour' actually holds some weight. Admittedly, I don't think it's too much humour that's the problem so much as poorly placed humour, but it is noticeable. Don't get me wrong, the movie is funny. Very very funny. There were a lot of moments that had me cackling in my seat. But there are also times when the movie takes a scene or a moment with a relatively serious tone and shoves in a cheap gag that really doesn't feel fitting and takes you out of the moment. Compare to the dance-off in the first movie, where the serious atmosphere and build-up of a Ronan as a no-nonsense antagonist was what actually made the joke so funny, by being a completely unexpected subversion of expectations (while still being completely in character for Quill). Here, they take a serious moment and interrupt it with just cheap gags, with little build up and, rather than working off the serious atmosphere, just undermines it and the joke in the process. (The Pac-Man moment in particular was guilty of this).

 

That said, I really did like this movie. It was colourful, exciting, hilarious at times, touching at others and never really left me bored throughout its running. Ego was fine as an antagonist. Not exceptional, but he had some really good moments to shine. Yondu was definitely my MVP and had some of the best scenes with Rocket. But overall yeah. It's a movie with clear flaws, but more than enough really great high points to make up for it, I think. Currently wavering towards an A-/B+ but I'll see how it holds up with time/repeat viewings.

I would have to agree with this review right down to the grade

[cheesypoofs]

I also have to say, I absolutely loved Logan, but I never cried like many have said they have. This movie though, this movie really pulled at my heart strings and brought some tears to my eyes. Not many movies can do that for me

[Leyla]

OKish movie

Loved the 1st better

Stunning visuals. great tha the movie has its own style

 

But some things were too much to me

 

too much sentimentality ('OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH MY FAAATHERRRRR/SISTERRRRR' I got SOO tired of this by the end of this movie)

 

Good humor, cute Groot (again thought sometimes it was TOO MUCH cuteness)

 

also too much sequences with music (from the 80's ????)

1st time it was exciting & new but more & more stuff about that player & action scenes set to this music made it annoying to me (maybe b/c I didnt listen to it in my childhood & it didnt connect to me on a personal level)

+ maybe it didnt respond that much to me b/c Im not american ...

Edited May 18, 2017 by Leyla

[cheesypoofs]

I'm not trying to bring race into anything, so I hope nobody takes this the wrong way. I'm just curious to see if anyone else had the same thought I did...

 

So before watching the movie, I didn't know the actress who played Mantis, never bothered googling her or anything because I really wasn't that curious. After watching the movie, I googled her as I enjoyed the character and was curious as to who played her. I was expecting an Asian actress, because to me she looked like she was Asian. Wow was I wrong, she's a French actress. And honestly, it really made me appreciate the hair and make-up in this film. I hope it gets an Oscar nomination in that category.

Edited May 18, 2017 by cheesypoofs

[AniNate]

She does have Korean ancestry, though

[cheesypoofs]

1 minute ago, tribefan695 said:

She does have Korean ancestry, though

The way they made her eyes look in the film, I thought she was probably Chinese.

[cheesypoofs]

I don't know, that's just the vibe I got

[cheesypoofs]

Currently on my shelf of DVDs/blu rays, I have all of the MCU movies in order of release. I think this will be the first one I put out of order, because I think I will put it right after the first Guardians.

As far as I know it's the only film in the MCU that doesn't take place in chronological order (other than obviously Cap 1, but I still keep that one in release order since the ending leads into Avengers 1 basically). Anybody else do this or doing this?

 

This actually just made me think, there's a continuity error with Stan Lee's cameo if this takes place just a few months after the first Guardians. He was talking to the Watchers about his cameo in Civil War haha I also read that initially, James Gunn wanted Stan to be talking about his Deadpool cameo but would have had to get permission from Fox and it was complicated. Anyone know how true that is?

[TalismanRing]

1 hour ago, cheesypoofs said:

I'm not trying to bring race into anything, so I hope nobody takes this the wrong way. I'm just curious to see if anyone else had the same thought I did...

 

So before watching the movie, I didn't know the actress who played Mantis, never bothered googling her or anything because I really wasn't that curious. After watching the movie, I googled her as I enjoyed the character and was curious as to who played her. I was expecting an Asian actress, because to me she looked like she was Asian. Wow was I wrong, she's a French actress. And honestly, it really made me appreciate the hair and make-up in this film. I hope it gets an Oscar nomination in that category.

 

Korean mother and French-Russian father.

 

[Blankments]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a miracle. James Gunn has crafted the most soulful Marvel film yet. It's not as cohesive or, to be blunt, as good as the original, but it comes close. Gunn experiments a lot more this go-around, and although not all of it works, it's mostly fascinating in its own ambitious mess.

 

The most intriguing thing changed here is the tone. Calling this an all-out comedy like the first one was feels wrong. The original Guardians leaned into drama at points to really let the characters; Vol. 2 bathes in it so much, it truly ends up overtaking the comedy. This is a very good thing. This allows most comparative criticism to the original to be irrelevant (although I realize I have already partaken in some). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is its own beast, although it's definitely a slightly messy one.

 

This is not to say it's not a funny movie. It is. It might not be its prime objective, but these characters interacting with each other is simply amusing. Expanded roles for Nebula and Yondu and awesome new characters in Klementieff's Mantis and Russell's Ego really help this ensemble reach its maximum potential. Just like in the original film, no one clearly stands out; everyone serves their purpose perfectly. Picking a favorite character is impossible; they all have at least one truly fantastic moment.

 

Now onto the less savory bits. One can easily complain the drama seems forced at points. After all, half of the "big" moments in the film dramatically are punctuated with a melodramatic score while a character monologues. Yet, it always leads to something interesting, if something made a bit too obvious. Also, the first half hour is way too comfortable retreading the original in tone and in style. It leads one to worry that this might be another Iron Man 2, rather than the sequel the original deserved. Yet, once these shift, the first half hour becomes forgivable because it brought the characters to the point where things simply must change. Meanwhile, the third act is admittedly too convoluted for its own good. That said, it's clear that everything in there (with the exception of a disappointing turn in the third act that makes Ego more of an entity rather than the intriguing character he is in the first two acts) is well planned-out and always easy to follow. Also, it leads to the single best final ten minutes of any MCU film, one that I doubt could ever be possibly topped. Just wow.

 

There's a lot to talk about with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I haven't even gotten into the action (it constantly reinvents itself in a really creative way), the truly weird moments (it has some of the most bizarre moments in a Marvel film yet), or the now infamous Baby Groot (he's good, mostly thanks to having the smallest role, no pun intended). That is fantastic. Even more fantastic? It's completely standalone! Marvel has finally produced its first truly interesting movie, playing with intricate themes while still being wildly entertaining through its heartfelt cast. This is a film that should inspire conversations about its flaws and its strengths, rather than being forgotten after opening weekend. Gunn has performed the impossible for Marvel, delivering a sequel that might not always be perfect but is always marvelous. A

[chrisman0606]

Loved this one but not quite as good as the first. B+

[nick64]

My review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2:

https://grabyourseat.wordpress.com/2017/05/22/guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2-film-review/

 

With 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel proved just how powerful they had become. They took one of their most obscure properties and turned it into one of the biggest films of the year. But the Marvel brand can’t take all the credit. The irreverent humor of director James Gunn mixed with a fantastic cast portraying extremely loveable characters, not to mention a soundtrack for the ages, combined to turn Guardians into a cult favorite. Three years later, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 arrives with immense hype. Fans around the world have been excited to see what our favorite a-holes would do next. And for the most part, they shouldn’t be disappointed.

 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 takes place a few months after the events of the first film. The Guardians have become famous across the galaxy and have been spending their time completing odd jobs for those in need. After Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) decides to steal valuable goods from a gold-skinned alien society that they just helped, they find themselves shipwrecked with the angry race in pursuit. However, they find a man named Ego (Kurt Russell) on the planet on which they crash landed, who reveals himself to be Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) father. Quill sets off to Ego’s planet with Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax (Dave Bautista), while Rocket stays behind with Baby Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) to fix the ship. Disaster ensues.

 

As you can tell from that synopsis, this isn’t a really plot driven movie. What James Gunn rather cleverly decided to do was create a simple set-up and just let the characters loose. Structurally, this is rather like Guardians’ version of The Empire Strikes Back. It’s the second film in a space opera series, which sees the group split up and the main hero encounter his long lost father. That film is considered an all time classic because of the way it focused on developing the characters and expanding the mythos, rather than simply replicating the first film. Guardians 2 is certainly no Empire, but it took the same successful strategy of that film. We learn a lot about the Guardians here. Backstories are further explored and relationships are developed more, making us love these characters even more.

 

With all this character development, the main cast have to put themselves through some dramatic scenes, and they commit beautifully. Chris Pratt and Bradley Cooper remain the heart and soul of the franchise, infusing Quill and Rocket with a loveable warmth while being sarcastic and witty. As Drax, Dave Bautista has the least to do, but he knocks it out of the park with jokes and shows a very surprisingly nuanced emotional turn in one scene. As for side characters, Karen Gillan remains over-the-top as Gamora’s vengeful sister Nebula, but manages to tone it down a bit and commit well to her emotional moments. But stealing the show is Michael Rooker, returning as Yondu Udonta, a shamed Ravager who helped raise Quill. He captures the character perfectly, and Yondu’s arc is the best in the film.

 

While these scenes of character development are strong and played well, they don’t exactly flow well. Pretty much all of them come from two characters yelling at each other, followed by one of them announcing something deep that instantly gets the emotional scene rolling. It hits you very abruptly in an “oh okay, this is happening” kind of way. And with so much humor all around it, it can be very tonally uneven. The humor is as great as before, if not even better, but it doesn’t always mesh well with the serious moments. A little tonal adjustment would probably turn Vol. 2 into a much less jarring experience.

 

Even with that flaw though, fans are going to love this movie. It’s absolutely a crowd pleaser. There are tons of jokes, many of which land perfectly and will be quoted for weeks after the movie’s over. The action scenes are really cool to watch, and Baby Groot is the most adorable film character in years. He’ll have you constantly cracking up, but he never becomes too much or overused. However, so much attention is given to creating crowd-pleasing moments and developing characters that the plot is lacking. There really is no major conflict for the first half of the movie, and the whole effort can’t help but feel very much like a long sitcom episode. It's good for allowing characters and relationships to develop, but there's no plot hook to engage you. Still,Vol. 2 is a great addition to the Guardians canon, and you’ll most likely leave the theater ready for the next adventure.

 

Grade: 7.5/10

Edited May 22, 2017 by nick64

[John Marston]

This destroys the first

[angeldelmito]

I'm just gonna copy nd paste. 70% (C)

 

- First one was way better.

- Dumb but necessary for more characterization of the Guardians.

- Gave the characters more depth and what not and I guess it was needed so the audience would feel something if one of them happens to die in Infinity War, but the movie itself was eh.

 

- +5 for shirtless Chris Pratt.

 

- I really liked the 3rd act.

 

- Didn't like when Quill lost his powers and immortality, when we found out about his abilities he immediately became a very valuable asset in Infinity War, and now his supernatural abilities are gone. 

 

- Baby Groot was the cutest thing in the whole Galaxy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

- these golden ass hoes need to step asideeeeeeeee with their "Adam", we already have Thanos to worry about lmao

 

- score was alright, had some good parts, had some eh parts

 

-felt like a side movie, one you can skip as it doesn't really affect the main storyline. we learn about Peter's powers and then he loses them, somebody not too important dies, and the team gains a few players. that's all, onto the next film.

 

- I'll give it a 70 (really a 65 but u know ?)

[Blankments]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's flaws are a lot more apparent on rewatch. The overuse of monologues to convey huge chunks of emotional arcs, along with some clear failures in humor prevent this from truly matching the original film in quality. It's still the most interesting MCU film yet though, and a surprisingly ambitious blockbuster. It remains very enjoyable and a great kick-off to the summer. A

[Morieris]

It was too safe, could definitely have taken it further with creativity.

 

It kills me that the cool, different characters (Sovereign, Ravagers) are the B-plot to...people walking around an obnoxiously bright empty planet with a plot you could see from a mile away, with a end battle to match 

 

I notice that a lot of people are elevating this solely for the Yondu/Peter aspect - their imagination is filling in parts that the movie didn't really give us. Are all MCU movies like this? They rely on the viewer to fill in bits with they like? This is the first MCU movie i've seen in full since the original that wasn't just snatches here and there.

 

Spoiler

Then Yondu dies. I didn't feel like I should be sad because there wasn't enough on screen bonding with him and Peter. I liked him, but that's from the characterization and acting of him alone, not him with Peter. Five, ten minutes tops. I would have killed him in the third movie instead.

 

I just can't get over how so much of this was taken over by a typical, boring plot, when there's snatches of a cooler part of the galaxy we could be looking at. If I wanted to see parental strife, I can look at anything that takes place on earth. Show me something that I can't see walking down the street.

 

Rocket and Nebula's progression was wonderful, but that was it. Karen Gillian impressed me the most. If "I guess." was a grade, I'd pick it. 

 

_{(Also I wonder if this means i can sell my old Zune for a bit more now)}

 

 

 

[MrFanaticGuy34]

A pretty fun and exciting Marvel sequel. So interested to see how the third one goes.

 

A

[dashrendar44]

After watching Thor Ragnarok, it reinforces the fact that GOTG2 was a pile of nothingburger chasing its own tail in circles filling up space.

 

(Yondu being that beloved surrogate daddy coming out of nowhere when in GOTG he was trying to kill Quill for a bounty, I never got that paternal thing, more like a fellow rival curmondgeon, yet you want audience to feel like there's a lifetime of paternal loving bound by pulling a corny montage at the end to substitute for the fact it wasn't really built up).

[Lordmandeep]

Thor 3 was more the true sequel to guardians of the galaxy with its cool style and space opera style.

 

7 out of ten.

[John Marston]

easily one of the best Marvel movies and I didn't even like the first one all that much. The father son betrayal story is emotional. Yondu's death made me teary, only time an MCU movie did so for me. Kurt Russell is just awesome and adds so much. Easily one of the best MCU villains. Liked the characters a lot more this time around

 

 

 

can't wait for the next one