Whoever said “Nothing lasts forever” didn’t live long enough to see the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For better or worse, this lean, mean, money-makin’ machine is gonna be churning out sequel after sequel long after Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Chris Evans’ muscles hang up their capes — figuratively speaking.
And frankly, who needs ‘em. Ten years ago, nobody would’ve dreamt of putting Doctor Strange or Ant Man up on the big screen. Let alone, the Guardians of the Galaxy—a ragtag group of C-listers known only by the most devoted, basement-dwelling, comic scribes. It was a ballsy move to say the least; one that delivered the studio’s freshest, funniest, and most endearing film since Iron Man. To no one’s surprise, a sequel was produced—with more action, more 70’s pop hits, and waaay more dick jokes than the original. Is that a good thing, though?
After saving Xandar from Ronan the Accuser, our “heroes” have gained enough space cred to do merc work all over the galaxy, and more importantly, the attention of Ego, (played by the follicly-blessed Kurt Russell) Star Lord’s alleged father and a living, breathing planet.
It’s not an accident that the plot sounds like the worst (and by that, I mean the best) Maury episode of all time. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 isn’t so much a space opera as it is a soap opera—chock-full of daddy issues, sibling rivalries, and sappy family drama. It even has Vin Diesel, proud advocate of families and driving cars into buildings. GotG Vol. 2 is unapologetically sentimental, almost to a fault. Until you realize that:
a) it’s actually nice when a Marvel movie stands for something, aside from RDJ attention-whoring it up, and
b) you’re crying your eyes out.
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Bottomline, it’s cheesy. But it (mostly) works. Because it’s also hilarious. And that’s largely attributable to a script, penned by director James Gunn, that takes what worked in the first film and dials it up to 11. Of course, it helps when you assemble a cast that’s so charismatic, it’s practically unfair. Chris Pratt does Chris Pratt things. Zoe Saldana kicks ass, while Bradley Cooper is the smartass. And Vin Diesel ‘I am Groots’ his way to what has to be the easiest paycheck in the history of cinema.
The standouts, however, are Dave Bautista’s Drax and Michael Rooker’s Yondu, precisely because they do what you least expect them to. Bautista’s brand of offbeat and deadpan humor is a comedic revelation. In fact, he just might be a better comedian than he ever was a wrestler—and that’s saying a lot considering he made a living smashing people’s spines into dust. Rooker, on the other hand, proves to be the film’s biggest surprise. Without getting into specifics, Yondu serves as the emotional center of the film, and it’s a mark of true thespianic talent when you can feel actual sympathy for this face.
Then, of course, there’s the soundtrack. Normally a footnote for any other superhero flick, the Awesome Mixtapes are as essential to this franchise as any of its cast members. Maybe even all of them combined. And it’s apparent from the opening scene that there was a conscious effort to differentiate Vol. 2 from Vol. 1—less pop and certainly less catchy. But what it lacks in fun and sheer dance-ability, it more than makes up for with heart and soul, which could also be said for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as a whole.
———
There are those who bemoan the never-ending onslaught of superhero sequels. And one, admittedly, can’t help but feel a little bit of fatigue from the genre. Except these heroes were literally created to have sequels—characters so rich and with so many stories to cultivate, that every month, millions of people around the world line up in their local comic book stores to find out what happens next. Each installment promises a chance not just for these heroes to save the world for the umpteenth time, but for them to grow and develop.
Exactly the same goes for their cinematic counterparts. These movies need to have sequels. Because whether on print or on film, evolution is inherent to these characters. Ever notice how the best superhero films—The Dark Knight, Spiderman 2, X-Men 2—were sequels? It’s not because these chapters were louder, funnier, and more explosive, but because these movies demanded that its heroes evolve. And while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 doesn’t quite achieve that, nor does it surpass the original, it proves that there’s a lot to love about this thieving, sadistic, and utterly dysfunctional family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cv2ueYnKjg
