Movie trailers are a dangerous thing nowadays. What used to be quick announcements to get butts in seats has turned into a remix of said films; a three-minute reel highlighting a its greatest hits. Marvel is guilty of this. From Age of Ultron to Spider-Man Homecoming, the trailers in the MCU have become increasingly risky to watch with their spoiler-centric editing that gives away action beats and character moments – it’s essentially cheapening the cinematic experience. Fortunately, James Gunn is a big film nerd who recognizes what a trailer SHOULD be, and I can’t stress the importance of the spoiler-free campaign marketing campaign for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Being the trailer junkie that I am, I watched every trailer and TV spot for the film. Despite taking that risk, I still walked into this film not knowing what the hell I was about to watch. And THAT is a feeling to behold. Without further ado, let’s dive into our spoiler-free review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Months after saving Xandar, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Baustista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Baby Groot (Vin Diesel), have become infamous heroes – legends in the multiverse. When someone from Quill’s past shows up unexpectedly, the Guardians travel to the planet Ego in search of the answers Quill has been searching for.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a pretty self contained film for the MCU. Rumors of Gunn’s full creative freedom look to have been true – as Vol. 2 is a smart, safe play for Marvel/Disney. Rather than spending time setting up future storylines and installments, this film strictly focuses on the ‘bunch of a-holes’ and their dynamic with one another. Even though it’s a big, epic space opera with incredible visuals, it never feels overblown or exhausted. That’s right, folks: Vol. 2 does NOT suffer from sequel fatigue.
Vol. 2 is witty and extravagant adventure that never overstays its welcome. Continuing character arcs from the first film and expanding new ones, the movie doesn’t feel bloated in the way many recent superhero outings do (Avengers: Age of Ultron comes to mind). If the first Guardians of the Galaxy was about the team meeting, Vol. 2 is a more seasoned story that acts as an origin to Peter Quill.
Pratt maintains his badass, cheeky and swift attitude that encompasses Star-Lord. Vol. 2 is Star-Lord’s journey, and Pratt exudes swagger, leadership and maturity. The stormy relationship between sisters Gamora and Nebula is further explored. Dave Bautista’s insensible Drax is a one-liner machine, sporting the most incredible laugh in cinematic history. Lastly, we have Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Baby Groot (somehow voiced by Vin Diesel) – providing comic relief and adorableness. Yondu (Michael Rooker) and Kraglin (Sean Gunn) both have expanded roles this time around, and the addition of Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Ego (Kurt Russell) just adds to the nourishment.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a victory lap for writer/director James Gunn. The script is full of irreverent humor and insane, over-the-top action beats – pretty much everything that made the first film a hit. Gunn wasn’t kidding about that ‘full creative control.’ Several themes are explored – love, hate, betrayal and family. While Vol. 2 manages to be quite silly at times, it still packs an emotional punch.
Stay tuned for our video review later this week and our spoiler-filled review next Monday. Viva La Nerdolution!
Matt Goodman
via The Nerd Machine
http://www.nerdhq.com/film-review-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-2/
No comments:
Post a Comment