Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Dir: James Gunn

2017

*****

The Guardians of the Galaxy weren't exactly a household name before 2014 and even comic fans could be forgiven for not knowing as much about them then Marvel's other characters. They do have their hard-core fan base though and some of the characters have been around since the 60s, so it was about time they made an appearance. That said, there is no way Guardians of the Galaxy could have been adapted authentically before now, with a talking Raccoon and a Giant Tree in their gang and with all the spectacular space adventures they get up to, it was a case of amazing special effects or don't even try. Many a comic-book character has had an embarrassing appearance over the years but the Guardians weren't only overlooked from a technical perspective, they were also dismissed as something the mainstream viewer wouldn't like, understand and even want in a superhero/comic-book film. Funny how it was a writer who began his career in Troma Entertainment of all places who convinced everyone/Marvel otherwise. 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy was ace, a very pleasant surprise and a refreshing addition to the Avengers-heavy Marvel Universe. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 knocks it out of the water, in fact, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 might just be Marvel's best film to date. Captain America: Civil War was something monumental, not just in the world of Marvel but in the world of comic-book/superhero adaptations in general, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is more than that, it represents a new benchmark in adventure films, sci-fi films and even in comedy. It's the new Star Wars, and dare I say it, better than most of the Star War films and before anyone says anything regarding influence, most of Guardians of the Galaxy's structure and characters were written before George Lucas's famous space opera. Genre aside, all films should take note from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for one simple reason; there isn't a single dull moment. It is 136 minutes long and not one second is wasted. The end credits are more enjoyable than most of the films released last year. The film starts with a baby Groot (grown from what was left of the original Groot from the first film) dancing to ELO's 1977 hit Mr. Blue Sky while the rest of the Guardians fight an inter-dimensional (and rather toothy and tentacled) giant worm using jet-packs, swords and flame-throwers, on top of a landing pad, on the top of a huge palace in the sky. It had me straight away, you could have taken every element away and just had baby Groot dancing and I would have been quite happy watching just that for 136 minutes. It has everything you could want from an action, comedy, fantasy, adventure and science-fiction movie and every one of those elements is unique. It's also remarkable to see how developed the characters and story have become in only two movies. I feel like the Guardians of the Galaxy have been on screen for years while watching, I already feel I know them better than most characters in the Marvel universe. Little developments go a long way, Groot was Rocket's protector in the first film, now that Groot is a baby it's the other way around, Michael Rooker's Yondu Udonta is developed into the bigger picture as we are introduced to Peter Quill/Star-Lord's father, Karen Gillan's Nebula and her relationship with her sister Gamora is explored further and we learn a little bit more of all of the characters. It gets series in places but it is always fun and you're never too far away from a moment of humour. This hardly ever works but somehow the balance is kept, making Guardians of the Galaxy even more unique in many respects. So much happens in the film you'd think it would be all too much, a case of James Gunn using the 'Bigger, faster, stronger' approach - and he does, it just never feels overcooked or over-complicated. It's actually perfect. I really can't find anything to fault. If that wasn't enough, it features an early version of Guardians featuring Michael Rosenbaum, Ving Rhames, Michelle Yeoh and Miley Cyrus that hard-core fans will love and mainstreamers won't feel left out by. It has, in my opinion, the best Stan Lee cameo yet (finally answering the fan-theory that he is an informant to the Watchers), Howard the Duck pops up again from the first film and David Hasselhoff makes a cameo appearance as himself. What film has never been vastly improved by 'The Hoff' making a cameo appearance as himself? Tango and Cash are also reunited as Kurt Russel plays Peter's father and Sylvester Stallone plays Stakar Ogord (aka Starhawk) who has history with Yondu Udonta that expands the Guardians's Galaxy rather nicely. Crucially, Gunn has made a film that pleases both hard-core comic fans and mainstream cinema audiences. The adaption of Ego onto the big screen, the addition of Taserface (and the fun made of his name), the Sovereign people (and how they are knocked down a peg by the Guardians) and the hints that lead to the appearance of Adam Warlock in the next film (and the appearance once more of Cosmo the Spacedog) will have seasoned Guardians fans giddy with excitement, everyone else will be already giddy with the shear levels of awesomeness. Outstanding.