GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (2017) - A love letter to The Empire Strikes Back
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 superhero movie directed by James Gunn starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper as everyone's favorite A-holes. This sequel follows the Guardians as they come into contact with a mysterious man claiming to be Peter Quill's (Pratt) father while also having to deal with their own personal struggles and inner conflicts.
My first thought upon leaving the theater the first (as well as the second) time I watched it was, "Wow. This series is the modern-day Star Wars trilogy." The first movie of the Star Wars original trilogy and the Guardians franchise both defied genre expectations by having a fun, exciting western or superhero movie set in the midst of space battles. Additionally, the sequel film for both franchises elects not to have a bigger and flashier follow-up, but rather a quieter and more introspective film that separates the cast and goes deeper into who they are as people. All this adds to an amazing experience that will not appeal to everyone, but is definitely a love letter to The Empire Strikes Back.
The Story
While the first Guardians movie was an action-packed comedy about a rowdy group of space bandits coming together on a journey spanning several planets, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is noticeably quieter with the large majority of the movie taking place on a single planet. It is not a fun, exciting adventure but rather a character piece. While the first film clearly had Peter Quill as its central protagonist, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 feels much more like a multi-protagonist film with an ensemble cast, each character having their own arc to complete by the end. In an interview with director James Gunn, he says "The heart of [‘Guardians’] is a family melodrama. It’s a story about the relationships between these characters that we got to know and like in the first movie." Because of this, we are shown the struggles and conflicts of each of the Guardians and see how they resolve those inner demons, resulting in a film that is one of, if not the, most human and personal superhero movies to date.
The Characters
As in The Empire Strikes Back, the Guardians are separated fairly early on and are kept apart for most of the movie until the final showdown, allowing for the characters to come to terms with their own problems by themselves. Peter learns more about his father and who he is, Gamora and Nebula settle their conflict once and for all, and Rocket Raccoon and Yondu have to come in terms with their own personal fears. Even Drax, who is largely played up for comic relief in this movie, is given one small scene that deeply humanizes him.
But it's not enough for the characters to excel while they are separate; they must also shine while they are together. Arguably the Guardians' most defining trait is not that they are each unique and interesting, but that they all interact so well with one another. You know why these characters came together and why they stayed together. You understand that even though they each have their own personal problems, they help each other overcome them. There is a definite emotional connection between the characters and with the audience, so that when Drax states near the end of the movie that, "We're not friends. We're family" Vin Diesel-style, it feels earned. It's incredibly easy to assemble a team of people and have them call themselves a family (a la Suicide Squad, The Fast and the Furious), but it's very hard to make it feel earned, and this film pulls it off with wonders.
The previous movie had a surprisingly emotional finale in which the Guardians come together in one final attack against Ronan the Accuser (the beautiful "take my hand" scene). There is a certain moment similar to that right in the middle of the showdown between the Guardians and the antagonist in which all nine Guardians (sans Baby Groot) come together for the first time since their long separation. The camera pans to them as they stand in battle position. The music swells with the fantastic "Guardians of the Frickin Galaxy" theme. I got goose bumps both times that I saw that scene, along with an urge to jump out of my seat and shout, "Yes!" That one moment is the emotional payoff of the whole film and can only be achieved because we've had that connection with the characters strengthened throughout the past two movies.
Cinematography and Music
Of all the problems that Marvel movies have had, two of their biggest ones have been mediocre color grading and a very forgettable musical score. By this I mean MCU movies never have had any distinctly memorable music like the Harry Potter series for example. Nor are they very pretty to look at, with by far the worst example being Captain America: Civil War which had that amazing airport fight scene that was ruined by being as visually appealing as a slab of concrete. (For more information, I highly recommend watching this video and this video)
Thankfully, neither of these problems apply to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The film's cinematography is absolutely gorgeous to behold, with highly saturated colors popping off the screen along with the beautiful visual effects on Ego's planet. There are several quiet shots of characters simply sitting as they--and the audience--are allowed to calmly enjoy the scenery around them. Little things like Gamora's green skin contrasting with the bright orange of a wheat field, the streak of red that trails behind Yondu's magic arrow, and how amazingly detailed and life-like Rocket Raccoon, Nebula, and Yondu's makeup look are visual treats that help the movie be one of the prettiest of the year.
This movie also has popular period piece songs found in Awesome Mix Vol. 2, and while they were good overall I didn't find them quite as good as the previous movie's (although I will say the Father and Son song at the end was quite emotional). Additionally, the original score is really great stuff. Composer Tyler Bates has done a very remarkable job with the original score in both this movie and the last one. Like I've mentioned above, the music truly elevates some scenes to greater heights rather than simply serving as generic background music. Fun fact: director James Gunn actually insisted that Bates compose some pieces early so that they could blast the music on set while the actors are performing in order to give the actors a greater feel for the mood of the scene and so they could move to the beat of the music. In an industry where music is almost always composed in post-production, this is unheard of and speaks volumes on what kind of director and composer are behind this film.
Final Verdict
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 elects not to do a "bigger and better" sequel, but rather a character piece that goes deep into the personal struggles of each of the highly memorable and lovable cast, a decision which pays off greatly. While those looking for a lot of amazing action sequences or comedy will probably be disappointed, for those who want a beautiful story about people and relationships formed between them, this will likely be one of the most memorable movies of the year.
Score: A-
PS: There are FIVE after credit scenes in this movie! Stay at least for the Groot one!
The Villain and other thoughts
While I'd typically talk about the villain under the "Characters" section, I feel that this movie's villain deserves their own section for being undeniably the best MCU villain to date and arguably among the very best villains in superhero film history, rivaled perhaps only by the Joker in The Dark Knight, Magneto in the X-Men franchise, and Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2.
Because of this, there will be FULL SPOILERS AHEAD. Skip this section and come back later if you haven't yet seen the movie!
The trailers for and first half of Guardians intentionally would lead us to believe that the antagonists would be the Sovereign--a race of gold skinned people who believe themselves the purest and greatest race. This, however, is a red herring as it is revealed at the beginning of the third act of the film that the antagonist is actually Ego, a cosmic deity/living planet who is also Quill's father.
Ego explains that he was born at the beginning of time and, over the course of several millennia, learned to control his cosmic powers and give himself human form before setting out to other planets to search for and understand the meaning of life. It is later revealed that upon discovering life, he was disappointed by its imperfections and finiteness that he then vowed to consume every planet and transform them into extensions of himself. In fact, Ego had also fathered thousands of more children before Peter (and killed them all when they proved unsuccessful), hoping that one of them would possess his cosmic genes so that he and his child could--in yet another call to The Empire Strikes Back--"rule the galaxy as father and son."
In this, we can see why Ego is one of the most interesting villains in a superhero movie. He is not some maniac seeking power or money. He is not out to destroy simply because he wants to. Here we have a character who knows that he is infinitely greater than everything around him; he is perfect while everything else is not. He lives on while everything else dies. When he finds that Peter is also an immortal Celestial like him, he does not cry out that he has won or that he will become the most powerful being in the universe. He exclaims in pure and utter joy that for the first time in his existence, he is no longer alone. He no longer has to live for eternity by himself. His goal was to take over the entire universe, but only to make it perfect. He'd easily kill countless people, but we understand why he is incapable of understanding the value of human life; he blinks and hundreds of years--with millions of people along with it--have already passed and gone by. To him, ending those lives just a little bit earlier does not matter. Ironically he would meet his demise in a manner paralleling how he killed Peter's mother; while he killed her by putting a tumor in her brain, he was eventually killed by a bomb to his own brain.
Through Ego, we can understand the central theme behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. While the first movie was about overcoming differences to come together as a team, this film was about letting go of oneself and one's own selfishness and fears in order to embrace others as a family. Peter Quill had to learn to let go of his arrogance and preconceived notions about his father to truly embrace the family--and the true father--he's already had. Gamora and Nebula had to let go of their conflict with one another and come to see each other as sisters. Rocket and Yondu had to learn to let go of their fears of abandonment and rejection and learn to accept people who truly cared for them. Even for Drax, we are reminded that behind the laughter is a man struggling with the loss of his wife and daughter--a very small, yet very touching moment. It is perhaps fitting with the narrative that Ego himself is a living planet--beautiful on the outside, but hiding the true core on the inside. A mask of beauty that others perceive in order to hide the true self within. These people have to learn how to let go of themselves and their masks--fittingly, to let go of their ego--and come to accept the love of those around them. The only person who was unable to understand this was Ego himself who could not let go of his loneliness, his perfection, his fear, which ultimately led to his downfall.
My first thought upon leaving the theater the first (as well as the second) time I watched it was, "Wow. This series is the modern-day Star Wars trilogy." The first movie of the Star Wars original trilogy and the Guardians franchise both defied genre expectations by having a fun, exciting western or superhero movie set in the midst of space battles. Additionally, the sequel film for both franchises elects not to have a bigger and flashier follow-up, but rather a quieter and more introspective film that separates the cast and goes deeper into who they are as people. All this adds to an amazing experience that will not appeal to everyone, but is definitely a love letter to The Empire Strikes Back.
The Story
While the first Guardians movie was an action-packed comedy about a rowdy group of space bandits coming together on a journey spanning several planets, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is noticeably quieter with the large majority of the movie taking place on a single planet. It is not a fun, exciting adventure but rather a character piece. While the first film clearly had Peter Quill as its central protagonist, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 feels much more like a multi-protagonist film with an ensemble cast, each character having their own arc to complete by the end. In an interview with director James Gunn, he says "The heart of [‘Guardians’] is a family melodrama. It’s a story about the relationships between these characters that we got to know and like in the first movie." Because of this, we are shown the struggles and conflicts of each of the Guardians and see how they resolve those inner demons, resulting in a film that is one of, if not the, most human and personal superhero movies to date.
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| A stunning fanmade poster by Matt Ferguson, an homage to The Empire Strikes Back |
The Characters
As in The Empire Strikes Back, the Guardians are separated fairly early on and are kept apart for most of the movie until the final showdown, allowing for the characters to come to terms with their own problems by themselves. Peter learns more about his father and who he is, Gamora and Nebula settle their conflict once and for all, and Rocket Raccoon and Yondu have to come in terms with their own personal fears. Even Drax, who is largely played up for comic relief in this movie, is given one small scene that deeply humanizes him.
But it's not enough for the characters to excel while they are separate; they must also shine while they are together. Arguably the Guardians' most defining trait is not that they are each unique and interesting, but that they all interact so well with one another. You know why these characters came together and why they stayed together. You understand that even though they each have their own personal problems, they help each other overcome them. There is a definite emotional connection between the characters and with the audience, so that when Drax states near the end of the movie that, "We're not friends. We're family" Vin Diesel-style, it feels earned. It's incredibly easy to assemble a team of people and have them call themselves a family (a la Suicide Squad, The Fast and the Furious), but it's very hard to make it feel earned, and this film pulls it off with wonders.
The previous movie had a surprisingly emotional finale in which the Guardians come together in one final attack against Ronan the Accuser (the beautiful "take my hand" scene). There is a certain moment similar to that right in the middle of the showdown between the Guardians and the antagonist in which all nine Guardians (sans Baby Groot) come together for the first time since their long separation. The camera pans to them as they stand in battle position. The music swells with the fantastic "Guardians of the Frickin Galaxy" theme. I got goose bumps both times that I saw that scene, along with an urge to jump out of my seat and shout, "Yes!" That one moment is the emotional payoff of the whole film and can only be achieved because we've had that connection with the characters strengthened throughout the past two movies.
Cinematography and Music
Of all the problems that Marvel movies have had, two of their biggest ones have been mediocre color grading and a very forgettable musical score. By this I mean MCU movies never have had any distinctly memorable music like the Harry Potter series for example. Nor are they very pretty to look at, with by far the worst example being Captain America: Civil War which had that amazing airport fight scene that was ruined by being as visually appealing as a slab of concrete. (For more information, I highly recommend watching this video and this video)
Thankfully, neither of these problems apply to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The film's cinematography is absolutely gorgeous to behold, with highly saturated colors popping off the screen along with the beautiful visual effects on Ego's planet. There are several quiet shots of characters simply sitting as they--and the audience--are allowed to calmly enjoy the scenery around them. Little things like Gamora's green skin contrasting with the bright orange of a wheat field, the streak of red that trails behind Yondu's magic arrow, and how amazingly detailed and life-like Rocket Raccoon, Nebula, and Yondu's makeup look are visual treats that help the movie be one of the prettiest of the year.
This movie also has popular period piece songs found in Awesome Mix Vol. 2, and while they were good overall I didn't find them quite as good as the previous movie's (although I will say the Father and Son song at the end was quite emotional). Additionally, the original score is really great stuff. Composer Tyler Bates has done a very remarkable job with the original score in both this movie and the last one. Like I've mentioned above, the music truly elevates some scenes to greater heights rather than simply serving as generic background music. Fun fact: director James Gunn actually insisted that Bates compose some pieces early so that they could blast the music on set while the actors are performing in order to give the actors a greater feel for the mood of the scene and so they could move to the beat of the music. In an industry where music is almost always composed in post-production, this is unheard of and speaks volumes on what kind of director and composer are behind this film.
Final Verdict
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 elects not to do a "bigger and better" sequel, but rather a character piece that goes deep into the personal struggles of each of the highly memorable and lovable cast, a decision which pays off greatly. While those looking for a lot of amazing action sequences or comedy will probably be disappointed, for those who want a beautiful story about people and relationships formed between them, this will likely be one of the most memorable movies of the year.
Score: A-
PS: There are FIVE after credit scenes in this movie! Stay at least for the Groot one!
While I'd typically talk about the villain under the "Characters" section, I feel that this movie's villain deserves their own section for being undeniably the best MCU villain to date and arguably among the very best villains in superhero film history, rivaled perhaps only by the Joker in The Dark Knight, Magneto in the X-Men franchise, and Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2.
Because of this, there will be FULL SPOILERS AHEAD. Skip this section and come back later if you haven't yet seen the movie!
The trailers for and first half of Guardians intentionally would lead us to believe that the antagonists would be the Sovereign--a race of gold skinned people who believe themselves the purest and greatest race. This, however, is a red herring as it is revealed at the beginning of the third act of the film that the antagonist is actually Ego, a cosmic deity/living planet who is also Quill's father.
Ego explains that he was born at the beginning of time and, over the course of several millennia, learned to control his cosmic powers and give himself human form before setting out to other planets to search for and understand the meaning of life. It is later revealed that upon discovering life, he was disappointed by its imperfections and finiteness that he then vowed to consume every planet and transform them into extensions of himself. In fact, Ego had also fathered thousands of more children before Peter (and killed them all when they proved unsuccessful), hoping that one of them would possess his cosmic genes so that he and his child could--in yet another call to The Empire Strikes Back--"rule the galaxy as father and son."
In this, we can see why Ego is one of the most interesting villains in a superhero movie. He is not some maniac seeking power or money. He is not out to destroy simply because he wants to. Here we have a character who knows that he is infinitely greater than everything around him; he is perfect while everything else is not. He lives on while everything else dies. When he finds that Peter is also an immortal Celestial like him, he does not cry out that he has won or that he will become the most powerful being in the universe. He exclaims in pure and utter joy that for the first time in his existence, he is no longer alone. He no longer has to live for eternity by himself. His goal was to take over the entire universe, but only to make it perfect. He'd easily kill countless people, but we understand why he is incapable of understanding the value of human life; he blinks and hundreds of years--with millions of people along with it--have already passed and gone by. To him, ending those lives just a little bit earlier does not matter. Ironically he would meet his demise in a manner paralleling how he killed Peter's mother; while he killed her by putting a tumor in her brain, he was eventually killed by a bomb to his own brain.
Through Ego, we can understand the central theme behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. While the first movie was about overcoming differences to come together as a team, this film was about letting go of oneself and one's own selfishness and fears in order to embrace others as a family. Peter Quill had to learn to let go of his arrogance and preconceived notions about his father to truly embrace the family--and the true father--he's already had. Gamora and Nebula had to let go of their conflict with one another and come to see each other as sisters. Rocket and Yondu had to learn to let go of their fears of abandonment and rejection and learn to accept people who truly cared for them. Even for Drax, we are reminded that behind the laughter is a man struggling with the loss of his wife and daughter--a very small, yet very touching moment. It is perhaps fitting with the narrative that Ego himself is a living planet--beautiful on the outside, but hiding the true core on the inside. A mask of beauty that others perceive in order to hide the true self within. These people have to learn how to let go of themselves and their masks--fittingly, to let go of their ego--and come to accept the love of those around them. The only person who was unable to understand this was Ego himself who could not let go of his loneliness, his perfection, his fear, which ultimately led to his downfall.
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