The irreverence and wit of Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy” was a welcome change of pace from the typically more serious entries in the now ten-year-old Marvel Cinematic Universe. While those films centering on the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, or even Thor have their share of humor and lightheartedness, “Guardians” chose to be a different kind of superhero film; there’s something almost satirical about the misadventures of the titular, planet-hopping heroes in addition to the heroes themselves. The sequel to “Guardians”--christened “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2,” as opposed to the obligatory “name with stuffy subtitle”--continues the spirit of its predecessor with flying colors. Which works both for and against it.
Much like the opening of the first film, the upbeat and chaotic opening of “Vol. 2” does much to characterize what kind of film you’re in for. Make no mistake: “Vol. 2” is not another melodramatic, operatic superhero flick, but rather an in-your-face, wild romp through space filled with laughs and plenty of things that explode.
Writer-director James Gunn continues his penchant for sci-fi action-humor in “Vol. 2,” with lots of self-referential and self-aware humor to balance the many action sequences. It’s without a doubt a highlight of the film, being able to entertain not only by showing the heroes fighting things, but also challenging and criticizing what we’ve come to expect from the superhero film subgenre.
Of course, not all in “Vol. 2” is about fun and games; there’s still a serious story to be told here. The story in question again puts Peter Quill--also known as Star-Lord, whose name you may have heard--in the spotlight. Peter’s entire world is shaken when he meets Ego, a strange humanoid extraterrestrial who insists and goes to great lengths to prove that he is Peter’s biological father.
Thus begins a rather interesting plotline that explores Peter’s relationship with Ego, coming to terms with his father’s absence for practically all of his life until this point, and--most importantly--whether Peter’s true notions of family lie within his bonds with his fellow Guardians or with the man who sired him. This is a very interesting story to share, but sadly, it doesn’t really hit the emotional highs that Peter’s arc in the first film hit.
Which brings me to the big flaws of “Vol. 2”: not only is its narrative focus somewhat lacking, but it is also derivative of the first film. There appears to be more antics and action than narrative weight, seemingly in an attempt to capture the spirit of the first film. I would argue that the narrative for the first film was strong and was a significant reason why the film became the sleeper hit that it did.
Should there be a “Vol. 3” for this series, I hope that Marvel doesn’t simply just try to throw a bunch of jokes and fights on screen and expect audiences to buy into it every single time just because it involves the Guardians. On top of that, some of the jokes in this film don’t land like they’re supposed to. The weakest involves making fun of a character’s name; this joke is repeated multiple times and is unfunny every single time. I know that Gunn can write better jokes simply because there are jokes that do work in this film.
But don’t take these criticisms as signs that the movie is bad. On the contrary, “Vol. 2” is enjoyable from start to finish. Derivative as it may be, it at least doesn’t stray from the same brand of humor that made aspects of the first film like Drax stand out in people’s minds.
Every one of the many cast members is clearly having fun, with no one actor taking their character too seriously; everybody’s allowed to live a little, even Karen Gillan, whose character, Nebula--despite being a murderous and psychotic cyborg--actually cracks a few jokes here and there. Dave Bautista, reprising his role as Drax, seems to be having the most fun of all, cranking up the lovable ridiculousness and obliviousness of his character to eleven.
Overall, my assessment is this: if you loved the first one, you’ll love “Vol. 2.” While it could have done a bit more to surpass its predecessor, what we have is a perfectly competent sequel that does manage to please despite not skyrocketing into awesomeness.
Marvel played it safe with this one, which is probably better than going the Thor: The Dark World or Iron Man 3 routes and creating a subpar sequel. Like its characters, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a little rough around the edges in some respects, but underneath it all? It’s fun, smart, endearing, and all around fantastic.