When “Guardians of the Galaxy” was announced as a future major Marvel tent-pole sometime between 2012/2013, the very idea was met with not only skepticism – people were openly questioning Marvel’s motives in putting out a film that centers around a green alien assassin, a talking raccoon, a tree whose entire vocabulary consists of “I am Groot,” and a half alien/half man whose personality was Han Solo-esque as the leader of the crew. And it was to be directed by then-little known director of cult favorite “Slither” James Gunn. The recipe seemed to many and on the surface as destined to be Marvel’s first flop.
And then the trailer, prominently featuring Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling,” was released.
The narrative of “Guardians” shifted sharply one hundred and eighty degrees. “Hooked on a Feeling” topped the iTunes charts for several weeks, and the film proved to be a bit of a cultural phenomenon. The cast was pitch-perfect, and it became one of 2014’s most critically acclaimed and highest grossing films. Marvel almost immediately greenlit a sequel, and promised more action, comedy, and character development – three facets of the first film that were balanced with expertise by Gunn.
Upon first seeing “Guardians 2” in theaters shortly after its 2017 release, I admit my gut reaction was one of disappointment. As a super-fan of the first film, I deduced “Vol. 2” seemed to be trying almost too hard to replicate the formula that worked so well in the first. However, I gave it another chance. I watched it a second-time months later after its release on demand, and had determined to wipe my slate clean and go into it with a fresh mind and as if the first installment was a distant memory.
And I was blown away – again – by the entire crew. And while there was just a bit of the sentiment of trying too hard remaining, it was nearly obsolete the second time around. James Gunn wrote and directed the film entirely on his own – and again, it is unabashedly his voice and his goofy-yet-emotionally thick sensibility. The pathos of the film finds its rooting in a search for love and acceptance – Rocket and Yondu grow closer, as does Peter to his father Ego the Living Planet, played to a deceptively evil T by Kurt Russell.
Nebula and Gamora find their connection as sisters under the emotional rubble created by their adopted father Thanos. We as the audience are introduced to a few new characters, too, with the aforementioned celestial being Ego is most prominent. Pom Klementieff then plays Mantis, and adds a layer of comedy and emotional resonance, often with Drax, that was not (as) present before. She is an empath, and so with a simple touch, she can sense exactly what is felt by her subject – thusly, her very nature inherently fits James Gunn and his voice so well, which is why he enthusiastically built her character up during press for the film.
The narrative arc for each character is such that every one of them is set up – and achieves, to a degree – a redemption, which is fitting for a roster of underdogs. Peter Quill finally sticks up for his mother the way he has always subconsciously needed to after finding out it was his father Ego that gave her cancer in his quest to finally rule the galaxy and find a suitable mate.
The theme of family being the friends you can’t pick rules the day throughout this ending sequence of Peter and Ego’s all-out brawl – and thank you James Gunn for the image of Peter choosing to morph into a giant Pacman head with his newfound celestial powers. All of his fellow Guardians, upon hearing Ego’s evil plans from an unassuming Mantis, come to his rescue when they discover his distress at his father’s hands. And each one returns with a mate: Gamora and Nebula have finally reconciled as sisters and daughters of Thanos together after an all-out brawl between the master warriors. Drax and Mantis have formed an odd couple-type of relationship, bonding over the fondness for being overly literate. And, perhaps most touching and surprisingly of all, Rocket, Groot, and Yondu (!) race back to Ego to save Peter.
This brings me to the standout of the film: Michael Rooker as Yondu. His character proved to be so beautifully written and so surprisingly deep after we as the audience are given a glimpse into his life with the Ravagers. He is deemed “soft” after he spared Peter’s life (by, yep, not eating him) and was duped into accepting an orb without an infinity stone inside. We see the pain brew within him throughout the film as a leader of brutal men who desperately wants their acceptance, but clearly also has a paternal relationship to Peter that rises above a mere brotherhood. His end comes at the film’s end, as Ego is defeated and Peter stands in the center of soon-to-be ash and rubble. Yondu swoops in on a jet pack and snatches Peter from the cavern’s jaws of death.
As he and Peter ascend deeper into space he touchingly delivers what prove to be his last words: “He (Ego) may have been your father, boy… but he wasn’t yer daddy. I’m sorry I didn’t do none of it right… I’m damn lucky you’re my boy. ” It’s Yondu’s ultimate redemption and sacrifice that underscore what the film achieves in telling a story about a family that came together by happenstance and fate. Tyler Bates’ score, once again, gives the moment that much more impact and heart – and coupled with Chris Pratt’s incredible performance as Peter, seeing his daddy die in front of him from space exposure, make this one of the MCU’s finest and most emotionally resonant moments.
My gripes with the film are minimal, though they do exist. There were moments where jokes felt shoe-horned in to make the scene as funny as possible – and sometimes at the expense of emotionally charged moments. What “Guardians 1” did so well was highlight and often punctuate these deep emotional moments with a joke or bit – something that is intensely difficult to do when searching for a rhythm and tempo for a film. “Vol. 2″ on only a few occasions seemed to instead go for the joke, and go for it hard. While this works a great many times in the film, there were a few moments that had their pacing thrown off a bit. This, however, proved a relatively minor gripe after a re-watch – the overall message of the film does not suffer, and so this has little overall impact.
James Gunn achieved lightning in a bottle with his success found making “Guardians of the Galaxy.” He achieved the rare feat of replicating that with his work on “Vol. 2.” The cast is stellar – Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, and Karen Gillan are all perfectly cast and given even more to work with here, allowing them a showcase to show off emotional range. In my eyes, “Vol. 2″ stacks up to its predecessor side-by-side in comedy, pathos, and overall excellence – and even if “Guardians of the Galaxy” wasn’t “Vol. 2’s” father, it sure is its (loving and equal) daddy.
