I don't make a secret of my admiration for what Marvel has done with the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). They consistently produce stories that, while not exactly profound, are well made and highly entertaining. They do this with a frequency that is frankly unparalleled in Hollywood, and they're also responsible for all of my favorite new TV of the past 5 years outside of The Great British Baking Show. So they are just rocking at the moment, is what I'm saying. And I love it.
That said, I consider Guardians of the Galaxy to be one of their best creations thus far. It told an entertaining, original story with a cast of unique and well-developed characters without leaning on prior movies for characterization. It played well inside the MCU without really needing the MCU to be great, and the climax was so well done I can't even remember if there were any flaws in the film. That movie set an incredibly high bar for any MCU movie that came afterward, including its own sequel, and aside from The Avengers I think it's objectively the best made movie in the MCU.
So, I went and saw the second one. And uh... Words...
Yeah. Words. I don't really have them at the moment, but I'll keep typing and I'm sure they'll come. This is such an excellently put together film that I, again, can't remember if there were any actual flaws. I would say that the story, characters, dialogue, acting, everything was very much in the vein established by the first Guardians of the Galaxy, yet improved in basically every aspect. If Guardians of the Galaxy was objectively the second best made movie after The Avengers in the MCU, then Vol. 2 is seriously almost as good as The Avengers. Objectively.
The Avengers is still my favorite. But only just.
There are some things you should be aware of going in to Vol. 2. First off, much like GotG and Ant-Man, and a stark departure (pun absolutely intended) from stuff like Civil War and The Winter Soldier, GotG Vol. 2 is definitely as much comedy as it is super-hero action, to say nothing of drama. The movie is hilarious. One of the things I think they did particularly well was inserting humor into objectively serious moments by simply allowing the characters to be themselves. The characters are so well defined going into these moments that their hilarious reactions don't seem out of place, but rather, just, "that's classic Rocket," or "yeah, that's who Drax is."
But obviously this won't play well for people who don't like comedies. Savages.
The second thing you should be aware of is that this comedy absolutely colors the dramatic moments. You remember in the first GotG (spoiler alert!) when Starlord saves Gamora from dying in the vacuum of space, and afterward what seems to be an incredibly dramatic moment is broken by Starlord just, being himself? I really like that moment, not because it's funny, but because that's exactly how his character would act. The guy we were introduced to jamming on his walkman and lip-syncing at a space-rodent during the opening credits would not say something profound or even remotely serious in those circumstances. Vol. 2 does that in basically every dramatic moment. For my money it enhances the experience, because I will take well developed and consistent characters over manufactured drama any day.
But again, folks that don't like comedies will probably be annoyed by this. Savages.
The third thing to keep in mind is that despite all of the comedy, if you have a heart you will cry. Because the characters are so well developed, their character-building moments don't feel in any way forced. They flow naturally and all the actors were on point delivering the emotional impact. And this story has feels. At its core the movie is about family. About what a family really is and how powerful that bond can be. It is a serious topic, and despite all of the levity that surrounds literally everything the characters do, they still manage to treat the topic with respect. It's remarkably well handled, and seriously, color me impressed. James Gunn is, just, the best. Even the villain had some quality character moments, though we get those mostly in the form of flashbacks and memory recitations.
But some people may have issues seeing these moments shine through the comedy. Savages.
For my money, The Avengers is still the movie I prefer. I just like the balance between character moments, humor, and action better in that film. But if your favorite part of The Avengers was the comedy, then Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is going to blow your mind. It's by far the funniest movie in the MCU, and it manages to be hilarious without sacrificing storytelling, character development, emotional impact... or really anything. I don't mean to suggest that people who didn't enjoy this movie can't simply because they're joyless automatons who have misplaced their sense of humor, but huh, look at that. I just suggested it. Weird.
The movie's amazing. I would recommend seeing it before it leaves theaters. In addition to all the other great stuff, the movie is also super pretty to look at and thrives on a big screen. You should absolutely go see it.
Especially if you grew up in the 80's.
That said, I consider Guardians of the Galaxy to be one of their best creations thus far. It told an entertaining, original story with a cast of unique and well-developed characters without leaning on prior movies for characterization. It played well inside the MCU without really needing the MCU to be great, and the climax was so well done I can't even remember if there were any flaws in the film. That movie set an incredibly high bar for any MCU movie that came afterward, including its own sequel, and aside from The Avengers I think it's objectively the best made movie in the MCU.
So, I went and saw the second one. And uh... Words...
Yeah. Words. I don't really have them at the moment, but I'll keep typing and I'm sure they'll come. This is such an excellently put together film that I, again, can't remember if there were any actual flaws. I would say that the story, characters, dialogue, acting, everything was very much in the vein established by the first Guardians of the Galaxy, yet improved in basically every aspect. If Guardians of the Galaxy was objectively the second best made movie after The Avengers in the MCU, then Vol. 2 is seriously almost as good as The Avengers. Objectively.
The Avengers is still my favorite. But only just.
There are some things you should be aware of going in to Vol. 2. First off, much like GotG and Ant-Man, and a stark departure (pun absolutely intended) from stuff like Civil War and The Winter Soldier, GotG Vol. 2 is definitely as much comedy as it is super-hero action, to say nothing of drama. The movie is hilarious. One of the things I think they did particularly well was inserting humor into objectively serious moments by simply allowing the characters to be themselves. The characters are so well defined going into these moments that their hilarious reactions don't seem out of place, but rather, just, "that's classic Rocket," or "yeah, that's who Drax is."
But obviously this won't play well for people who don't like comedies. Savages.
The second thing you should be aware of is that this comedy absolutely colors the dramatic moments. You remember in the first GotG (spoiler alert!) when Starlord saves Gamora from dying in the vacuum of space, and afterward what seems to be an incredibly dramatic moment is broken by Starlord just, being himself? I really like that moment, not because it's funny, but because that's exactly how his character would act. The guy we were introduced to jamming on his walkman and lip-syncing at a space-rodent during the opening credits would not say something profound or even remotely serious in those circumstances. Vol. 2 does that in basically every dramatic moment. For my money it enhances the experience, because I will take well developed and consistent characters over manufactured drama any day.
But again, folks that don't like comedies will probably be annoyed by this. Savages.
The third thing to keep in mind is that despite all of the comedy, if you have a heart you will cry. Because the characters are so well developed, their character-building moments don't feel in any way forced. They flow naturally and all the actors were on point delivering the emotional impact. And this story has feels. At its core the movie is about family. About what a family really is and how powerful that bond can be. It is a serious topic, and despite all of the levity that surrounds literally everything the characters do, they still manage to treat the topic with respect. It's remarkably well handled, and seriously, color me impressed. James Gunn is, just, the best. Even the villain had some quality character moments, though we get those mostly in the form of flashbacks and memory recitations.
But some people may have issues seeing these moments shine through the comedy. Savages.
For my money, The Avengers is still the movie I prefer. I just like the balance between character moments, humor, and action better in that film. But if your favorite part of The Avengers was the comedy, then Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is going to blow your mind. It's by far the funniest movie in the MCU, and it manages to be hilarious without sacrificing storytelling, character development, emotional impact... or really anything. I don't mean to suggest that people who didn't enjoy this movie can't simply because they're joyless automatons who have misplaced their sense of humor, but huh, look at that. I just suggested it. Weird.
The movie's amazing. I would recommend seeing it before it leaves theaters. In addition to all the other great stuff, the movie is also super pretty to look at and thrives on a big screen. You should absolutely go see it.
Especially if you grew up in the 80's.
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