Your favorite knuckleheads have returned in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOL 2, which came out over the weekend, and they made a few friends (but probably more enemies) along the way. Chris Pratt is back as lovable doofus/mastermind Peter Quill aka Starlord, and the gang is crazier than ever. I do believe, however, that they get dangerously close to "too much of a good thing."
GOTG: Vol. 2 aims to fill in a bit of the story we had questions about following Vol. 1, so it doesn't do much as far as advancing the overall MCU. The focus is predominantly on Quill, with Rocket, Gamora, and Drax taking a backseat as far as character advancement is concerned. Baby Groot was a big part of most scenes; he was the "star" of the introductory battle sequence set to Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky." It was cute, sure, but I felt much of it was fluff to fill space in a movie that needed a little assistance transitioning from scene to scene.
I have no complaints about the soundtrack. It can be said, though, that the fresh feel of Vol. 1 was lost in the sequel because it was less of a "that's an interesting song choice" and more of a "ok, this is what they do." I know. Sequels are hard.
The movie was built around the use of CGI and none of it was a letdown. The landscapes on Ego's, uh, self(?) were amazing. It's a movie set in space, so basically it's all computer-generated, but it does an excellent job of making you forget that. Rocket's realism is impressive and Bradley Cooper truly brings him to life. Young Kurt Russell actually had me perplexed, at first, because he looked so real.
In GOTG, James Gunn hit a long-range three-pointer with Drax. Former legitamate wrestling monster Dave Bautista brought a comedic touch that was unexpected. In Vol. 2 it seemed like he kept stepping back and throwing up that same shot. It landed often enough to keep faith in it, but I did find myself thinking "why so many jokes from Drax?" In just over 2 hours, Drax had a few too many one-liners and much too little bad-assery than I would've liked.
Michael Rooker, as Yondu, was downright fantastic. Rooker has always been able to play a tough-as-nails character and make you feel for them. With there being very little advancement and a lot of storytelling, they made the past more interesting by giving us a glimpse into what brought Yondu to this place in his life. Don't get in space feuds with Ving Rhames, Sylvester Stallone, and a robotic head that is, yes, Miley Cyrus.
GOTG: Vol 2 sits lower than it's predecessor on my favorite MCU films list, but it is still important to the Universe. You get a glimpse at a few things that will shape the coming Infinity Wars, and the events bring the gang closer than ever before. I would've felt better with more action and less Draxin', for sure, but the film kept me entertained. Every Marvel sequel can't be Winter Soldier.
I'M MARY POPPINS, Y'ALL!!
iMdB: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Verdict: Should See That
GOTG: Vol. 2 aims to fill in a bit of the story we had questions about following Vol. 1, so it doesn't do much as far as advancing the overall MCU. The focus is predominantly on Quill, with Rocket, Gamora, and Drax taking a backseat as far as character advancement is concerned. Baby Groot was a big part of most scenes; he was the "star" of the introductory battle sequence set to Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky." It was cute, sure, but I felt much of it was fluff to fill space in a movie that needed a little assistance transitioning from scene to scene.
I have no complaints about the soundtrack. It can be said, though, that the fresh feel of Vol. 1 was lost in the sequel because it was less of a "that's an interesting song choice" and more of a "ok, this is what they do." I know. Sequels are hard.
The movie was built around the use of CGI and none of it was a letdown. The landscapes on Ego's, uh, self(?) were amazing. It's a movie set in space, so basically it's all computer-generated, but it does an excellent job of making you forget that. Rocket's realism is impressive and Bradley Cooper truly brings him to life. Young Kurt Russell actually had me perplexed, at first, because he looked so real.
In GOTG, James Gunn hit a long-range three-pointer with Drax. Former legitamate wrestling monster Dave Bautista brought a comedic touch that was unexpected. In Vol. 2 it seemed like he kept stepping back and throwing up that same shot. It landed often enough to keep faith in it, but I did find myself thinking "why so many jokes from Drax?" In just over 2 hours, Drax had a few too many one-liners and much too little bad-assery than I would've liked.
Michael Rooker, as Yondu, was downright fantastic. Rooker has always been able to play a tough-as-nails character and make you feel for them. With there being very little advancement and a lot of storytelling, they made the past more interesting by giving us a glimpse into what brought Yondu to this place in his life. Don't get in space feuds with Ving Rhames, Sylvester Stallone, and a robotic head that is, yes, Miley Cyrus.
GOTG: Vol 2 sits lower than it's predecessor on my favorite MCU films list, but it is still important to the Universe. You get a glimpse at a few things that will shape the coming Infinity Wars, and the events bring the gang closer than ever before. I would've felt better with more action and less Draxin', for sure, but the film kept me entertained. Every Marvel sequel can't be Winter Soldier.
I'M MARY POPPINS, Y'ALL!!
iMdB: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Verdict: Should See That