GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 Movie Review
Captivating new characters,
another awesome mix tape, and a generous helping of heart are just some of the
things waiting for you in the bundle of fun that is Guardians of the Galaxy
Vol. 2. Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers, it's Jan here! Just before I kick off my
review proper. As the
insect-like alien, Mantis, Pom Klementieff is a simply perfect addition to this
universe, and gives a charmingly subtle performance that really highlights her character's
innocence, good nature, and humour, and her scenes with Drax, in particular,
are an utter joy.
Elizabeth Debicki, who you'll have seen in The Man From UNCLE
and alongside Tom Hiddleston in the TV series The Night Manager, gives a superbly
stately and condescending turn which fits her character wonderfully as she plays
Ayesha, the High Priestess of the ever-so-arrogant alien race, the Sovereign. And
Kurt Russell is just fantastic as Ego in all his forms, managing to make this
crazy character believable, and also establishing a great on-screen rapport
with Chris Pratt's Star-Lord. Just like the first film, there's plenty of irreverent
humour in Vol. 2, a lot of which lands very well, and there's a good chunk of fun
and thrilling action too, however this time, there's also more emotional weight
given to the Guardians' story, with an emphasis placed on family, whether
that's the family you were born into or the people you meet along the way.
And
having got to know his main cast and their characters well over the course of
filming the first movie, it feels like writer-director James Gunn has honed
this script so it pretty much plays to each actor's particular strengths. The
fact that Drax has a love of the literal as well as about as much tact as a ton
of bricks means that Dave Bautista gets a mass of marvellously funny lines,
which he nails thanks to his great comic timing and delightfully deadpan
delivery. And then there's that hilariously hearty laugh Bautista does as Drax
which never fails to put a smile on my face and you'll hear plenty of
throughout the film. As Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, Chris Pratt showcases a
range of humour, action, and more heartfelt, dramatic moments. While Zoe
Saldana and Karen Gillan get some cool action and the chance to peel back the layers
of Gamora and Nebula's backstory.
And Michael Rooker certainly makes the most of
the increased screen time Yondu gets this time around, adding extra depth to
his character. As for Baby Groot, he's a mix of ultra-cute adorableness and a
seething stack of rage, and the VFX guys have done superb job injecting this
tiny tree creature with a real sense of soul and personality. I also really
like Bradley Cooper's Rocket, who gets a nice emotional arc this time too. Yes,
there were odd moments of his humour that didn't work for me, but he does still
get lots of great moments and I love Rocket in all his fast-talking, sass-mouthed
glory. As was the case with the first movie, the soundtrack for Vol. 2 is a
gorgeous mix that I'm looking forward to listening to again and again.
And as
far as the movie's concerned, each track gels beautifully with the scene it's in,
taking the on-screen visuals to another level. Speaking of visuals taken to new
heights, the production design for this movie is out of this world! From the
Sovereign's planet, which is all Art Deco-style lavishness to Ego's home, which
perfectly reflects who his character is, the work of the movie's art, design,
and VFX teams really shines. And, as you'd expect from a movie in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe, there are post-credits scenes, five to be precise, so it's definitely
worth sticking around until the very end of the film. Plus, there are also
plenty of easter eggs and references in the movie too.
And I'll be making
videos about those various post-credits scenes and their significance in the
MCU as well as the movie's easter eggs very shortly. To sum up: Guardians of
the Galaxy Vol 2 is entertainment of cosmic proportions, or to put it another
way, it was a pleasure to watch. Writer-director James Gunn blends plentiful laughs
with an emotional kick in the gut and a galaxy of scene-stealing performances
from cast old and new. And I cannot wait to see what Gunn has up his sleeve for
Vol. 3! But in the meantime, I'm looking forward to watching Vol. 2 again! Now,
what are you looking forward to about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2? And who
are your favourite characters in the Guardians movies? Don't forget to comment
and subscribe for a chance to win one of several Guardians prizes.
I've got two
awesome hardback books from DK, Guardians of the Galaxy: The Ultimate Guide to
the Cosmic Outlaws, which takes an in-depth look at iconic characters, issues
and storylines from the comics. And I've also got a selection of three very cool
Guardians Funko Pop vinyl figures. The giveaway will run for two to three weeks
on all my Guardians Vol. 2 videos and I'll announce the winners on a new video
after that.